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Expectations were so low at a community school that even the pupils referred to themselves as the Moreton morons.
So when Tony Leach became head of Moreton Community School in Wolverhampton, he knew he was in for a rough ride.
"The community called us the school the zoo on the hill," he said. "I remember on my first day I had a phone call from the local paper and was told, 'You realise this is one of the worst 50 schools in the country?' Now, six years later, I have The TES ringing up to say, 'Well done'. We are chuffed to bits."
The plaudits are to mark the fact that Moreton Community School has topped the contextual value added table with a score of 1,090.5.
Its "raw score" shows that just 30 per cent of its pupils achieved five A- star to C GCSEs, including English and maths, but its CVA measure shows that the school is having a hugely positive impact.
Once again there is no magic spell to making a school and its staff and pupils successful.
Mr Leach said: "When I started here six...