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The school's new interim head teacher Margaret Peacock has officially took up the reins at the school. She is ranked as one of the country's best-performing head teachers.

And the school's new Interim Executive Board (IEB), which will replace Elliott's former governing body, is also set to begin work. The IEB is chaired by Lorraine O’Reilly - a successful senior executive with 30 years experience leading schools at the highest levels. She has been a council chief executive, a director of children’s services and a director of education at three different local authorities.

Mrs Peacock will be in day-to-day charge at Elliott, while the IEB will provide strategic direction and leadership.

The meetings will give parents the opportunity to learn more about the plans to improve standards of education and learning at the school and also give them the chance to ask questions of the new management team and talk about any issues they may want to address.

Ms O'Reilly said, "This is a really exciting time for the pupils, parents and staff at Elliott School. We are in the process of drawing up some very detailed and comprehensive plans that we believe will re-energise and revitalise teaching and learning at the school. We form part of a brand new team at Elliott with a brand new way of thinking and we are going to work extremely hard to deliver really concrete improvements to our pupils.

"These meetings will give us the chance to explain our ideas to parents and give them the chance to tell us what their priorities are and where they want to see improvements begin.

"This is a bright new future for Elliott and I know that everyone connected with the school will want to work together to deliver the best possible outcomes for its pupils."

Mrs Peacock has been head teacher at Chestnut Grove School in Balham since 1990. Under her leadership the school's 'value-added' score, which measures the progress pupils make, is now in the top one per cent in the country.

Her secondment to Elliott will be for two terms until a permanent head teacher is employed in time for the Spring term. During that time she will remain as executive head at Chestnut Grove. She will work at Elliott four days a week and at Chestnut Grove one day a week.

The appointment of a high achieving head teacher like Mrs Peacock and the creation of the IEB are just two elements of a wider package of measures to improve standards at Elliott. Plans are well advanced for a £35m refurbishment of the school under the Government's Building Schools for the Future programme. This money would see a complete overhaul of the school's buildings to improve classrooms and other facilities and ensure a better learning environment for pupils.

A Parents' Forum will be created to enable them to provide regular feedback on the school’s performance.

The council and IEB is also considering applying for National Challenge Trust (NCT) status, which will secure additional Government funding for improvements and allow Elliott to collaborate much more closely with other high achieving educational establishments.

Potential partners include universities plus school foundations and trusts which run some of London's highest-achieving state and independent schools. Elliott will also benefit from a new working relationship with Graveney School in Tooting, which is one of the best performing state schools in England.

Parents of children in Years 7, 8 and 9 who want to hear more about the school's plans for the future are invited to attend a meeting at the school on Monday, June 8 between 4pm and 5pm. A second meeting that same day between 5.30pm and 6.30pm is for parents of children in Year 10.

On Wednesday, June 10, a similar meeting will be held for parents of pupils in Years 11 and 12 between 5pm and 6pm. This will be followed between 6pm and 7pm that day by an open meeting for any parents of any year group who have been unable to attend the earlier meetings.

 June 10, 2009