I submitted my review of this book to Teach Secondary magazine, an educational magazine in the UK. The first review below is what the magazine published. The second one is what I actually wrote! In substantive terms there is little difference between the two, but you may find it interesting to see what the editor altered.

The review on Teach Secondary

Six months after a failing secondary school was closed by the DfE, its old building was back in use as the site of a new academy. Written mainly in the form of a diary, this is an account of how Colwell’s headship changed the culture of a community’s school such that five years later it was sending kids to Oxbridge.  

While a very moving story, it’s a shame that its ‘10 lessons’ for turning a school around are scattered over several chapters and not detailed in an appendix for easy reference.  

Structuring aside, No Excuses is essential reading for any aspiring school leader, authoritatively written by someone with a proven track record in a way that pulls no punches. The author’s open letter to the Secretary of State in particular ought to be read by every newly appointed head. 

Reviewed by Terry Freedman 

My original review

In my experience most editors like to tweak submissions, either to conform better to the publication’s house style or, as I think is the case here, to adjust the word count slightly because of space considerations. As a writer, you might like to see my original review, and compare and contrast. Here it is:

When a failing secondary school was closed by the Department for Education, six months later the building was in use again as a new academy. Written mainly in the form of a diary, this is an account of how Colwell changed the culture of the school such that five years later it was sending kids to Oxbridge. It’s a very moving story, but it’s a shame that the “ten lessons” of turning a school around are spread over several chapters, and not duplicated as an appendix for easy reference. Similarly, the ten lessons of leadership are in the middle of the book and not referenced elsewhere. The author’s open letter to the Secretary of State should be required reading for each new appointee to that role. This book is essential for any aspiring school leader. It has been written by someone who has done the job, and pulls no punches.