Great Expectations is a year-long education programme, delivered by Herts for Learning, looking at the features of great schools and strategies that have impact in closing attainment gaps and raising aspirations.This book has been published to share their 28 stories of impact, closing the attainment gap for pupils.

This high quality publication shares insight and impact from schools which have successfully improved outcomes for their pupils. The book contains practical examples of pupils’ lives being improved, across early years, primary and secondary. Jam packed with great ideas, there’s something for everyone.

Editor, Rachel Macfarlane says:

“We hope that it will inspire people through the stories it tells.  It’s an optimistic, feel-good book; 28 initiatives that have really worked. We’re hoping that people will see transferable practice and will read case studies and will think: ‘I can implement that in my school’, or ‘I might not be able to transfer it 100% but I could  see how I might be able to adapt that’, or ‘they have done that at Key Stage 3 but I can see how I can do that at Key Stage 1’, or ‘I couldn’t necessarily afford every element of that but I could take this snippet that is part of the initiative that was free, and could implement that without any funding at all’. 

We really hope that it will inspire people to feel that they are initiatives that they can take, lift and adapt. Currently the programme is only open to Hertfordshire schools and we are already oversubscribed and, as it is part funded by Herts for Learning, we can only accept schools from inside the county.  However we look beyond Hertfordshire, nationally and internationally when we research good practice.  The Great Expectations book is available to all from the HfL website, and we hope many schools can benefit from the stories contained”

Reviews:

“It is a fascinating resource for schools to have, and so easy to dip into relevant chapters. Learning from other schools and choosing which parts to read is, I am sure, empowering for all leaders – and, in this way, the disadvantaged agenda becomes compelling.”
Rachel Kirk, Consultant HIP