Isle of Man Guide

Staff are celebrating at Ballakermeen High School after external inspectors described the leadership and management as 'inspirational' and found staff morale 'very high'.

Ballakermeen was the first secondary school on the Island to gain Investors in People accreditation in (2001) and followed up with the prestigious Leadership and Management award in (2005).

Now they have undertaken an even more rigorous examination. For the second post-recognition review the school opted for the Investor in People New Choices model. This involved two inspectors, Michael Lynch and Peter Clarke, interviewing 35 members of staff and scrutinising policies and procedures. The school was judged against a total of 196 standards.

The Investors in People Standard is a business improvement tool designed to advance an organisation's performance through its people. Developed in 1990 by a partnership of leading businesses and national organisations, the standard helps organisations to improve performance and realise objectives through the management and development of their people.

The school was marked on 10 areas and exceeded the standard in every one. The assessors produced two detailed reports and commented: ‘This was a very strong review for Ballakermeen High School.’

The reports found that the school’s senior leaders are effective role models for staff who, in turn, are passionate about performing their important duties. They praised the commitment to supporting continuous improvement and stated that: ‘Ballakermeen High School displayed first rate evidence of being a learning organisation’ where people ‘felt trusted and empowered’.

Headteacher Adrienne Burnett commented:

‘I’m delighted with the findings of these reports. We know we have a very good school but it’s pleasing to have independent confirmation. I was particularly glad that the inspectors recognised the loyalty of the staff and quoted in the report their willingness to “go the extra mile”. There was also an acknowledgement of the progress we have made and some recommendations for further improvement which we are studying carefully. I would like to thank everyone who works at Ballakermeen: they have earned this success.’

More stories >>>