Nunthorpe School is one of the most successful academically in the country, and Debbie Clinton believes that the leadership and ethos of a school make more of a difference than resources.

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His contribution to the education debate was less on the role of the state and more on "the way in which the ethos of a school and the quality of teaching could make or mar a child".

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The head teacher of Dunraven School in south London, which uses banding, has said that a new ethos of belonging has led to a happier, more successful school.

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What amuses (or enrages, to taste) about all of this is that schools like Summerhill, and that educational ethos has become a standard part of primary school teaching in England, are considered to be of the left.

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Ms Brychan added that the importance of a school's ethos was "more widely recognised than just the faith-based sector".

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