"The Tories want to send schools back by 50 years"

There is nothing quite like the exhilaration of being surrounded by 1,700 teenagers who are desperately, frenetically, trying to get along, grow up, discover their interests, develop their personalities. Since leaving No 10 - where I led Tony Blair's strategic communications unit - seven years ago, to become first a teaching assistant and then a teacher, I have worked in three very different comprehensives - one tough, one outstanding, one good and improving - and I still get a buzz every day. Why? Because of strong leadership, a learning culture that is overwhelming the street culture, a focus on consistently high-quality lessons, intelligent use of data to intervene where students are falling behind, and a lot of hard work from teachers.