School transformation: beginning an honest review
Posted 12th February 2026 by Luke Sparkes, School and College Trust Leader
How do we tell the real story of school improvement? In a landscape where external judgements and headline data easily dominate, how do we honour the deeper, more complex journey of a school community? What measure is fitting for years of grit, adaptation, and human effort?
Today, I'm beginning a reflective series to explore this. It starts with a principle that we hold dear at Dixons: we must keep accountability in proper perspective. And, as leaders, we need to not just say this but build systems that hold it true. External reviews can provide an important snapshot, but they are not the sole arbiter of a school's purpose or a community's truth. They are a (sometimes really useful) perspective, not the perspective. Sustainable change is built, over time, by the people within, following the life of the community's journey, not the mechanical cycle of inspection.
The focus of the series will be on one profound journey: the transformation of a school in Croxteth, Liverpool. I’ll look honestly at the reality we (willingly!) inherited (successive Inadequate judgments, a significant deficit, a crumbling building) and the long, non-linear path to progress.
This article is the introduction. Over the coming weeks, I'll share a three-part series:
1. The moral calculus: taking on schools where the need is greatest
Why we (willingly!) say 'yes' to the hardest decisions, the national scale of the challenge, and the collaborative strength required to even attempt such turnarounds.
2. Inside the 'messy middle' of transformation
The unscripted reality of school improvement: our model, our adaptations, the candid lessons we've learnt, and why judging this work from the outside is rarely fair or accurate.
3. Building a smarter, fairer system for the toughest work
A look ahead: what we're doubling down on, the case for intelligent accountability (fed by appreciation of complexity and professional curiosity) that incentivises courage, and why effective collaboration is our sector's greatest hope.
Crucially, this won't just be my reflection. We’ll be sharing video insights and stories from our staff, students, and families at the heart of the Croxteth community.
This is about contributing to a more honest, nuanced understanding of what it takes to support schools in the most challenging circumstances. It's a story of big mission, lots of muddle, and the relentless struggle to improve.