Lynda Walker, Headteacher of Oak Lodge School, Reflects on 13 Years with Challenge Partners: A Journey of Growth, Collaboration, and Reflection.
Lynda Walker is Headteacher at Oak Lodge School, a secondary special needs school. Since becoming Headteacher in 1997, she has overseen significant changes both within her school and the wider landscape of special education. Under her leadership, Oak Lodge School, located in North London, has evolved into an inclusive environment catering to students with a diverse range of needs, including autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and moderate learning difficulties. With 199 students on roll, Oak Lodge’s mission has always been to support every child, regardless of their individual challenges. Over the years, Lynda has witnessed a growing complexity in student needs, but her commitment to improving the school’s practice and staff development remains unwavering.
A Long-Standing Commitment to Challenge Partners
Oak Lodge School became part of Challenge Partners 13 years ago, being one of the five original special schools that formed the London Hub, which is now called The London Special Hub. Lynda recalls, “It was a very supportive process,” explaining that the programme provided a platform for sharing best practices and engaging in constructive dialogues with other leaders from schools facing similar challenges.
One of the key benefits for Lynda and her team was the opportunity to be part of a collaborative network where they could exchange insights, feedback, and strategies. Having spent years as an Ofsted inspector herself, Lynda appreciated the collaboration and found value in the peer-review process, which allowed her to take knowledge gained from other schools back to her own staff.
The Growing the Top Program: A Shift in Focus
In 2021 and 2022, Oak Lodge School decided to switch from the Quality Assurance Review to the Growing the Top programme. Lynda shared that the decision was motivated by the desire to give staff the opportunity to visit other schools, engage in observations, and look at things from a different perspective. This shift allowed her team to step outside the pressures of traditional review processes and focus on learning from others, all while still benefiting from a supportive, constructive feedback model. “To know we were sharing the same issues and problems…sharing strategies that might be useful to all of us,” Lynda notes, emphasizing how beneficial it was for her staff to experience learning from other schools firsthand.
Lynda also highlights how the program has positively impacted staff development, particularly in the areas of behaviour management. With the changing complexity of their students’ needs, Oak Lodge has completely revised its approach to behaviour. Being able to observe different schools and share experiences with other leaders has enabled the school to adapt their practice and improve outcomes for students.
A Strong Commitment to Staff Development and Retention
Lynda is proud of Oak Lodge’s high staff retention rate, particularly given the challenging nature of the work. Many of her senior leadership team members started at the school as teaching assistants, and Oak Lodge continues to grow its own talent. The school has invested in its staff by offering training opportunities, particularly in the area of teacher qualifications. This investment in professional development aligns with Lynda’s belief that supporting her staff’s growth ultimately benefits the students they serve.
“The changes we’ve made have been significant, but they wouldn’t have been possible without the professional growth of our staff,” she explains. She also attributes much of Oak Lodge’s success to its active participation in the Challenge Partners network, which has allowed her team to build connections with other special schools.
The Power of the Local Hub Network
One of the standout benefits of Challenge Partners, according to Lynda, has been the local hub network. The London Special Hub, which has grown over the years, has provided a platform for leaders to share resources, ideas, and challenges. This collaborative approach has been especially valuable given the shared issues of recruitment, funding, and staff development that special schools face.
Through regular meetings and open communication, members of the hub have supported one another with practical advice and shared experiences. Lynda recalls how the behaviour and needs of her students has changed over the years, meaning she has had to “completely change her practice". As a result of regular online hub meetings and the opportunity for continuous collaboration, Oak lodge School has been able to cater to their students’ needs which Lynda described as being “very, very beneficial to both the staff and students.”
Celebrating Successes and Addressing Challenges
Reflecting on her school’s journey with Challenge Partners, Lynda acknowledges both the successes and the challenges. While Oak Lodge School has received accreditation for areas of excellence through the programme, she admits that identifying areas of “outstanding practice” can sometimes be difficult, given the complex and diverse needs of their students. Despite this, the process has remained valuable, offering regular external feedback that has encouraged Oak Lodge School to continue to improve.
The collaborative nature of the hub also extends beyond the schools that are in the hub network. Over the years, Lynda and her team have benefited from participating in wider conferences, events, and CPD activities organized by the hub. Although Lynda herself might not always attend, she notes that her staff consistently returns from these events with new insights that they apply to their work at Oak Lodge School.
Looking to the Future: Continuing the Journey
As Oak Lodge School moves forward, Lynda continues to see the value of being part of Challenge Partners. While she believes there is room for further specialization in programs tailored to special schools, she appreciates how Challenge Partners has adapted to meet the needs of diverse educational settings. The ongoing support from the London Special hub, the opportunity for staff development, and collaborative feedback have all played a significant role in Oak Lodge’s continued growth.
For Lynda, the involvement in Challenge Partners is about improving everyday practices that directly impact students. Whether it’s refining leadership strategies, adapting behaviour management techniques, or enhancing pupil voice, Challenge Partners has helped Oak Lodge School to stay on a path of continuous development, one that benefits both staff and students.
In her words, “If you're doing things and it’s being recognized for what you’re doing on an everyday basis, then it’s worth continuing with.” And for Oak Lodge School, it’s clear that the journey with Challenge Partners is one that will continue to shape their success for years to come.