Moving beyond the floor target: A report on what made the difference in 20 previously low-attaining primary schools

In 2007 the DCSF provided funding to establish additional support for primary schools that had been below the 65 per cent floor target for four years or more. It was anticipated that the schools selected would be able to achieve this target in 2008. The additional funding was to be used to develop bespoke interventions concentrating on those priorities for improvement most likely to improve rates of progress and raise standards. The interventions designed all made use of the tools and processes of the Improving Schools Programme (ISP), a supported whole-school, school improvement programme.

By July 2007 a number of the schools had shown significant improvement. This report identifies what made the difference in 20 schools and captures their success. The majority of the schools were involved in the ISP and all the schools worked in partnership with their LAs to bring about improvement making use of the tools and processes of ISP. The 20 schools are spread across 16 LAs:

• Various Primary Schools, Salford
• Middlefield Primary School, Liverpool
• Colburn Primary School, North Yorkshire
• Thornhill Primary School, Rotherham
• Various Primary Schools, Bradford
• All Saints Church of England Primary School, South Tyneside
• Farmilo Primary and Nursery School, Nottinghamshire
• Leagrave Primary School, Luton
• Grange Community Primary School, Suffolk
• White's Wood Lane Junior School, Lincolnshire
• Holway Park Community Primary School, Somerset
• Christ Church C of E Primary School, Lambeth
• Oak Green Primary School, Buckinghamshire
• Slade Green Junior School, Bexley
• Sinclair Primary School, Southampton
• Stoke on Trent LA
• The Beeches Primary School, Peterborough