"The Nine Pillars of Great Schools" by David Woods, Rachel Macfarlane and Damian McBeath is a guide for teachers, leaders and policymakers who want to move a good school towards a great one. It sets out a framework of nine interconnected pillars.
Where the pillars come from
The framework grew out of Going for Great, a programme the London Leadership Strategy set up in 2009 for leaders of schools Ofsted had rated outstanding. The authors led the programme and wrote up the Nine Pillars when it ended in 2018, drawing on case studies, school visits and research. The publisher's description says the pillars cover values and ethos, leadership, teaching, curriculum, professional development, the learning community and ongoing self-evaluation; neither the publisher nor the authors' own page lists all nine by name, so we have not listed them here. Note that the "outstanding" grades the programme started from belong to an inspection system Ofsted has since replaced with report cards (from November 2025).
The authors give practical strategies and real-world examples for each pillar. They emphasise academic excellence, social and emotional growth, and equity and inclusion.
Who it is for
Headteachers and senior leaders of schools that are already doing well and want a shared language for what comes next, and governors or trust leaders reviewing a school's priorities.
Overall, the book's framework, practical strategies and emphasis on equity make it a useful resource for school leaders at all levels.
About the book
- Authors: David Woods, Rachel Macfarlane and Damian McBeath, the Going for Great course leaders.
- Publisher: John Catt Educational (now Hachette Learning). Paperback published 9 November 2018, 144 pages, ISBN 9781912906000.
Sources: publisher listing on Hachette Learning; background from HFL Education's Great School Framework page, which describes how Rachel Macfarlane and her co-directors wrote up the Nine Pillars; publisher's description as reproduced on Goodreads. Checked 13 October 2026.
