Secretary of State for Education praises Drapers' Maylands

Drapers’ Maylands Primary School has received a letter of commendation from the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, recognising the school’s exceptional success in overcoming barriers to learning and achieving outstanding outcomes for pupils at the end of the 2024/25 academic year.

Drapers’ Maylands Primary School has received a letter of commendation from the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, recognising the school’s exceptional success in overcoming barriers to learning and achieving outstanding outcomes for pupils at the end of the 2024/25 academic year.

Drapers’ Maylands was recently ranked among the top 10 best performing primary schools in Havering. In the letter, Bridget Phillipson congratulated the school and its staff on results that place Drapers’ Maylands “among the very best nationally”, describing the outcomes as a “significant achievement”.

The letter praised the dedication of staff and the hard work of pupils, highlighting what can be achieved when ambition and commitment come together to ensure that pupils requiring additional support are not limited by barriers to success.

“Your school’s performance places it among the very best nationally,” Bridget Phillipson wrote. “This success reflects the dedication of your staff and the hard work of your pupils. Thank you for everything you do to give children the best possible opportunities to succeed.”

As part of this recognition, Drapers’ Maylands Primary School has been selected to be a DfE London RISE school where they will be a centre for Regional Improvements for Standards and Excellence. As one of only 100 schools in London chosen to share effective practice linked to Ofsted priorities, this places the school in a leading role supporting improvement across the education system.

The Secretary of State for Education encouraged Drapers’ Maylands to act as a system leader, sharing its experience and best practice with other schools, championing professional networks, supporting collaboration, and helping to raise standards across the sector.

The Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) programme is a national initiative designed to help every school improve. Universal RISE supports schools by facilitating collaboration, promoting the sharing of high-quality resources, and enabling strong schools to become leaders of change. Drapers’ Maylands will contribute to this work by sharing approaches that successfully address barriers to learning and improve outcomes for pupils.

“We are incredibly proud of our pupils and staff. This recognition reflects our relentless focus on inclusion, high expectations, and ensuring that every child can succeed, regardless of their starting point. Being selected as one of only 100 schools in London to share effective practice through the RISE School Programme is a responsibility we take seriously, and we look forward to supporting other schools through collaboration and shared learning.”

Trudy Spillane, Executive Principal of Drapers’ Maylands Primary School

The Secretary of State for Education concluded the letter by asking that thanks and congratulations be passed on to staff and pupils, and by expressing a commitment to working alongside schools like Drapers’ Maylands to raise standards for all children.