Island School – a Seeking Momentum School
Island School is an all-through school (having been an 11-16 comprehensive until September 2014). The majority of students (86%) are from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and the proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is well above average (around 40%). Over half (56%[1]) of students at Island School are eligible for Free School Meals. The proportion of students with special educational needs is close to the national average.
Forest School- an Approaching Momentum School
Forest School is an 11-18 comprehensive school in London. Total student numbers are around 943, 56% boys and 44% girls. The school is extremely diverse, with over 60% with EAL and around 20% eligible for free school meals. The percentage of students achieving five or more A*-C GCSEs including English and maths has fluctuated over recent years (between 55% and 42%), reaching 50% in 2014 (nearly 10% below the LA average and 3.5% below the national average). The school was placed in special measures following an Ofsted inspection in October 2011. A new leadership team was in place by June 2012 and the school came out of special measures and was rated as requiring improvement at June 2013.
River School – a gaining momentum school
River School is a 4-18 community school and sixth form in London. The primary school opened in January 2014 at the behest of the local authority and extended to year two at the time of the research. Total student numbers are roughly 1600 and primary numbers are increasing fast. The school operates across two campuses in different locations. Provision is duplicated across the two sites, each of which is assigned two deputy heads. Students are allocated between the campuses based on data collected by the school to avoid a demographic bias, as one campus is in a significantly less affluent area than the other.