I have never been one for doing something just because research finds that is how people learn. Some headteachers and teachers do that, and I can’t criticise them for following their ideals. But in my experience, backing myself and trusting my judgement have been key to our pupils’ success.

I started at Parklands in September 2014. It is the most deprived primary in Leeds, with 72 per cent of children eligible for the pupil premium. Five different heads had been in and out of the doors in the 12 months before I joined, introducing a different behaviour policy each time. Exclusions numbered 150 for the year and the local authority had deemed the school “inadequate”.

Fast-forward four years: we are still the most deprived primary school but exclusions stand at one in four years (plus, we have taken four students excluded from other schools). Our progress scores now place us in the top 1 per cent of schools in the country for maths, and in the top 5 per cent for reading and writing.

We are the school chosen to conduct the Northern Ballet interview process. We also work with Leeds Playhouse in producing drama and musical shows that sell out to the general public. Oh, and the Big “O” has paid us a visit: we gained an “outstanding” grade from the inspectorate in September 2017.

Did research lead us to this point? Let’s rewind back to 2014. Upon being appointed, I was drowned with advice: read this, read that, this research shows this, that research shows that. If I had read everything, I would still be reading it all today.

I am a big believer that one size doesn’t fit all. What works for me here in Seacroft wouldn’t work in more affluent areas. And what works elsewhere is unlikely to work here. This is because humans are complex. Every school is a microclimate made up of those within it: teachers, pupils, parents, lunch staff, caretaker, and so on. Every person in a school has different strengths and characteristics. As a head, my job is trying to match what I do to what is in front of me, not taking research and trying to match it to the people in front of me.

Let’s take my #BestSeatsInTheHouse #FundayFriday assembly (take a look on Twitter, you will love it). This runs every Friday for a full hour, and is an action-packed, 100mph, all-singing, all-dancing assembly that celebrates children’s learning. Eight children who have gone “above or beyond” with work completed at home get to sit on two sofas. They are treated to fresh pizza, ice-cold lemonade or hot chocolate. They get to see the other children flossing to Tina Turner’s Proud Mary, and listen to them singing Breaking Free from High School Musical, Songbird by Fleetwood Mac, Love Story by Taylor Swift or whatever else is on the playlist for the current term.

Cheerleaders for achievement

The pupils cheer and clap as the Stars of the Week and Writer of the Week are announced, before the party of parties starts - opening with the key stage 1 and 2 times tables championships. Trophies are awarded, along with pencils courtesy of Times Tables Rockstars. We end with a dance of the week, before more than 120 parents and 330 children leave happy and rewarded.

This idea did not come from research. It has not been proven via a meta-analysis. I have no research-based evidence to justify taking the kids out of their classrooms for an hour.

But this is what my community needs. These children are worked to their full potential for 4.5 days a week. The result is that Friday afternoon is a time for celebration. It is a time to reward through food and weekend-changing cash prizes. Look at our results: it works.

Here’s another example: I found out early that the children enjoyed me walking around school and taking an interest in their learning. I needed a focus and, given that they were not too hot on their times tables, I decided to ask them questions every time I was in their class. This brought the best out of the boys, who loved getting the correct answers. Before two terms had passed, I had 80 per cent of the school knowing all their tables.

Four years on and you can now say to any child in Year 4 or above “What is 0.7 x 6?” and they will reply “5.8”. Now, as we all know, the answer is 4.2, but these children are so driven that they like to give the answer as a subtraction from 10. So to the question “What is 0.9 x 8”, they give the answer “2.8” quicker than you can click your fingers. Again, there is probably no research that says a head walking around asking times tables questions would lead to this result, but in my school it does.

Not following the crowd and not following what an author of a book says the research tells us to do is important for me. As a head, it should all be about your school. Listen and watch and learn from those you serve, and you will find the right answers for them. If you try to force that community to adapt to a general truth from academia, then you are not serving them, you are forcing them to be something they are not. You are taking away their individuality. And, ultimately, that will fail.

Chris Dyson is headteacher at Parklands Primary School in Leeds. He tweets @chrisdysonHT

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