MICHAEL WHITWORTH HAS A REPUTATION FOR TURNING FAILING SCHOOLS AROUND, HIS LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS 'OUTSTANDING'

摘要

A film crew is packing up to leave when I arrive at the former St Mary's Church of England school in Finchley. It has been filming MI High, a sort of Spooks for kids. It is a surprising choice of set. The tired sixties blocks in north London have "bog standard comp" written all over them - more Grange Hill than MI5's Thames House. All this is about to change. In February, work will begin on a two-phase project that will transform the £23.4m Wren academy, one of the latest additions to the government's academies programme and the first school in the country to specialise in design and technology and the built environment. Newly appointed principal Michael Whitworth is visibly excited by the project.