The following review was first published in Teach Secondary magazine.

Six months after a failing secondary school was closed by the DfE, its old building was back in use as the site of a new academy. Written mainly in the form of a diary, this is an account of how Colwell’s headship changed the culture of a community’s school such that five years later it was sending kids to Oxbridge.

While a very moving story, it’s a shame that its ‘10 lessons’ for turning a school around are scattered over several chapters and not detailed in an appendix for easy reference.

Structuring aside, No Excuses is essential reading for any aspiring school leader, authoritatively written by someone with a proven track record in a way that pulls no punches. The author’s open letter to the Secretary of State in particular ought to be read by every newly appointed head.

Reviewed by Terry Freedman

The review above was not exactly the one I wrote. There’s no substantive difference, but if you’d like to read the original you can do so here: Two reviews for the price of one!