No matter how many times governments change the governance of schools and the rules around the exam system, good education is really only achieved in schools that provide great teaching and that understand how students learn. A really good school fosters an appetite for learning and provides an environment in which it is supported and encouraged.
To achieve this, schools require excellent leadership. That is what Saffron Walden County high School has had under head teacher John Hartley for the last twelve years. He will be retiring at the end of 2015, having made a huge impact on the lives of many young people and leaving North West Essex with one of the very best state schools and sixth forms in the country.