Legacy of leadership is key to academy success

Nevertheless, on the central point over whether schools should be able to become academies and gain autonomy from local authorities, I am generally neutral. There is no reason to believe that a resolution cannot be found to the issues that exist. But at the same time, there is no overwhelming evidence that structural change has, in itself, resulted in substantial and sustainable improvements in standards. This is true for all the structural changes in the school system since 1988 – local management, college incorporation, grant maintained schools, foundation schools, trust schools and now academies.

So, what does make a difference? The evidence is clear and unambiguous. The quality of leadership is what separates the satisfactory from the good, and the good from the outstanding. This applies for all institutions, from FTSE 100 corporations to NHS trusts, local authorities, colleges and schools. This is why the National College for leaders in schools and children's services was such an important development.