Sir William Atkinson

Fee Band


When William took over at Phoenix High, the school was plagued by poor results and bad behaviour; it soon became a success story for others to follow. William has since advised on measures to reduce youth crime. In presentations he sets out the challenges of taking on a failing entity, identifying structural weaknesses and taking action: “The first task is to explain your intentions and win people’s belief, support and involvement.”


Biography

Sir William Atkinson was labelled Britain’s most successful headteacher after turning around ‘the worst school in the country.’ Once plagued by poor exam results and bad behaviour, Phoenix High is now held up as an example for others to follow.

After a less than successful personal school experience, William was inspired by one teacher to push himself. He took that motivation and entered teaching himself. With a combination of passion and forcefulness he became a deputy head and then headteacher where he gained an admirable reputation for turning around struggling schools.

The Phoenix High School entered special measures and was labelled in the press as one of the worst schools in the country. Low grades, social problems, pupils with no support and little aspiration, and a teaching staff beaten down by criticism created a raft of challenges. William negotiated himself freedom to lead in his own style and turned the school around. He motivated staff and recruited new people. He looked outside teaching to areas like psychology and social work to take the pressure off the teachers. He turned the school in a hub for the community and made it the most improved school in the country.

As well as leading schools directly William has also held several advisory positions on government committees, including as a member of the DfE Standards Task Force and the Fulham School Commission. He also continues to offer advise to schools and education bodies on how to improve and tackle particular problems. He has appeared on Channel 4’s documentary The Unteachables, and contributed to Newsnight, The One Show, The House I Grew Up In and Saturday Live. He was named Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London for his services to the community.

In speeches, William describes the challenge of taking on a failing entity, correctly identifying the structural weaknesses and taking action: “Above all, you need to explain the reasons behind your action to everyone across the organisation, and have their full belief, support and involvement.” He combines an inspiring personal story with lessons from motivating others and leading by example.

Videos of Sir William Atkinson

William Atkinson on tough school turnaround

Contact us about Sir William Atkinson

We’re on hand to help you find the perfect speaker, presenter or performer for your events. Call or email our London office and use our agents' experience to expertly match you with the right person for your programme!


From time to time we send out emails announcing new speakers and free tickets to our showcase events including Speakers Breakfasts and the JLA Real Variety Show. Please tick the box below if you would like to receive these emails.

Don't miss anything!

We will never share the data you submit here with a third party. Information is stored in a database in order to service your enquiry, but is deleted once it is no longer required. You may request to have this data removed at any time.

JLA Presents

Click to view details of our event
Event - - Date TBC

Speakers Breakfast

Racing to High Performance with Guenther Steiner and Paul McKenna

Speakers
Paul McKenna and Guenther Steiner

Date TBC.  We will be looking at high-performance and mindset with our two excellent speakers.

Location

Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4QH

WATCH
Risk Speakers Breakfast event image.
Event - 17/09/2024 - 09:00

Speakers Breakfast

Navigating Risk and Chaos – Strategies For Coping With An Uncertain World.

Speakers
Clive Myrie, Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, Rt Hon Lord Parker of Minsmere, and Robin Niblett

On Tuesday 17th September we had the pleasure of hearing from a remarkable panel of keynote speakers, who shared their expertise on the challenges of managing Risk in a chaotic world.

Location

87 Barts Close, 87 Bartholomew Close, London, EC1A 7EB

WATCH