Forbes has highlighted the good work carried out by people in teaching jobs in London over the past decade or so and claimed their methods can help children all over the world receive a better standard of education.

The article highlights the borough of Tower Hamlets, which 15 years ago had some of the worst performing schools in the UK. However, now there has been a complete turnaround and results table after results table highlight the facilities as some of the very best in the country.

A critical part of the transformation came when policies were put in place to tackle a chronic shortage of teachers. Schools can only be as good as the people who work in them and a range of measures, which included retention packages and promotion opportunities for successful teachers, helped foster a dual commitment, both to the children in the classroom and the community in general.

Many education experts have noted that these steps are often linked to improvement and the Tower Hamlets case shows considerable similarities with the themes identified by Charles Payne in his 2008 study of American school reform.

The working partnership then needed to expand beyond teachers and pupils. To do this parents and faith-based organisations were asked to get involved in school activities and this helped to mitigate issues teachers were having with parents taking their children out of schools for holidays during term time. At a classroom level, local people were invited to apply for opportunities to work in schools, with some of the roles even providing routes into the teaching profession.

According to the article, the Tower Hamlets case study shows the possibility of success is not simply restricted to one school, but in fact can be strived for and planned for in a whole area and as a result, the template should offer hope for all children and teachers.

As someone who has experience working in a London school, what do you think has been a defining factor in the turnaround?