Arifa Sheik, Vesa Krasniqi, headteacher Rosemary Leeke, Nadia Elimlahi and Matthew Smith

Published: 17 January, 2013
by PAVAN AMARA

THE headteacher who allowed her students to choose a new name for their secondary school says “teachers learning to talk less” has been the secret to scoring its best ever Ofsted report.

Rosemary Leeke, who is in charge of Regent High School in Charrington Street, Somers Town, is celebrating findings which say the school is “good” in all areas of inspection.

The school, which has had two rebrands and was formerly known as South Camden Community School and Sir William Collins School, had scored more “satisfactory” ratings in Ofsted’s four-rung system when it was last inspected in 2007.

Ms Leeke said: “In four years we want it to become an ‘outstanding’ school. What’s changed is that teachers have learned to talk less, which allows the students to actively learn rather than being talked at.  

“We actually got a professional consultancy in to be the teachers, and the teachers were students for the day. They had to do things a lot of them found difficult – a drama class – where they had to perform mime and animal impressions in front of their colleagues.

“So, they faced the same difficulties in grasping a topic like some students do. They then noted down what techniques helped encourage them to take part, what encouraged them to try that bit harder, how they liked being spoken to and if that motivated them to stick with the activity. They could empathise with how students react.”

In September, the school changed its name from South Camden Community School to Regent High School, and students designed their new uniform. Pupils said they liked the “High” element of the name due to their love for American teen programmes such as Glee.

The school is also in the middle of a new building project – the entrance will be on Chalton Street instead of the current one on Charrington Street – and this week the school council designed a new logo for the sixth-form.

“It was all part of a strong brand. We always knew we could be a good school, but other people didn’t, so it encouraged people to think of us differently,” said Ms Leeke.

Ofsted’s report says “a significant proportion of pupils made outstanding progress”.

It continues that the school could be graded outstanding if teachers begin to “consistently check students’ learning and marking gives students guidance on how to improve”.

It also recommends that the rate of improvement should speed up in a few subjects.

Vesa Krasniqi, 15, who chairs the school council, said she could “feel” a change in the school.

She added: “I really love my little sister and I don’t trust a lot of people with her. But I trust for her to come here, because there is no bullying here, I know she will be safe here.”