Written by Chris Dyson, Parklands: A school built on love is an account of how Parklands School became a safe, loving environment in which all of its learners can thrive.

If anything can bind together nearly 400 pupils and 100 school staff in challenging circumstances, it’s love. And love is in plentiful supply at Parklands.

The pupils at Parklands Primary School, located on the Seacroft estate in Leeds, often face significant hardship. Children start at the school significantly behind their peers nationally, especially in terms of their language and literacy. Yet the school is famed for outstanding learning – both in terms of its Ofsted judgement at the time of writing (2022, before report cards replaced single-word judgements) and, more importantly, in the outcomes its learners achieve.
In this book, head teacher Chris Dyson shares the story of how he has steered the school towards the seemingly impossible educational dream of high achievement, personalised support and complete inclusion. He explains how the school setting can be a place where there is love but also hope and relentless ambition for children, and reflects on the steps that he and his staff have put in place to make this a reality for Parklands’ pupils.

Chris delves into how this culture and climate of love drives behaviour and decision-making throughout the school – and, as a result, how this creates a safe, loving environment in which all of its learners can thrive.
Chris also provides insights into how the leadership team goes about raising funds for the school, and how they choose to spend it on both curricular and extracurricular projects. And, furthermore, how the school broadens its pupils’ experiences and cultural capital by means of residential trips, in-school productions, and sports and arts provision.

What do we think?"Parklands: A School Built on Love" is an account of how a school can make itself into a place where every child can thrive. It is practical, with strategies for creating a nurturing and inclusive school environment.

About the book

  • Author: Chris Dyson, who his publisher says was head teacher of Parklands Primary School in Seacroft, Leeds, for over eight years and is now Deputy CEO at Create Partnership Trust.
  • Publisher: Crown House Publishing. Paperback, 160 pages, published April 2022 (ISBN 9781785836008).
  • Subtitle: A school built on love.

Source: Crown House Publishing, checked 13 October 2026.