Tributes paid to Northampton headteacher credited with 'transforming' school during 14 year stay

A former Northampton headmaster who "transformed" his during his 14-year tenancy and later became a force for reforming schools across the UK has died.

Sir Bruce Liddington, who served as Northampton School for Boys' leader between 1986 and 2000, passed away on Monday (July 26). He was aged 70.

At 27, he was one of the youngest secondary school headteachers in the country when he applied to NSB. At the time, it was the worst performing school in Northampton.

Today (July 29), a tribute to the "kind, loyal and supportive" educator published by the school has credited him for making the site what it is today.

The tribute reads: "Before Sir Bruce started at the school it was massively undersubscribed with some of the poorest results in the country and an additionally very poor reputation in the locality (once described by the local media as the School for Scoundrels at the beginning of his tenure).

"When Sir Bruce left the School fourteen years later, NSB was hugely oversubscribed and firmly established as one of the highest attaining schools in England.

"His belief in an ethos of academic achievement, keeping the boys busy through a broad and balanced curriculum, supported by the importance of sport and the arts as the bedrock of the School's culture has yielded great success for thousands of students and this hugely successful approach continues to this day."

In the same year he left NSB, Sir Bruce was knighted in the New Year's Honours list for services to education.

He soon found himself at the forefront of a new education policy called City Academies. He threw himself into formulating policy and challenging the worst performing schools to have a structural solution.

This saw his challenge some of the country's worst-performing school is credited with writing the "blueprint" for failing schools that is still used as the Government's improvement strategy to this day.

Sir Bruce celebrated his 70 th birthday last September. He leaves his wife Carol Jane and three children, Gaby, Richard and Jamie along with six cherished grandchildren.

The tribute by NSB continues: "An inspirational speaker, Sir Bruce sought perfection in himself and those around him, but was equally, kind, loyal and supportive to those fortunate enough to have served under him.

"He has made an indelible mark on the history of the School and everyone who has attended the School or worked at the School since he was Head has enjoyed the benefits of his remarkable impact and owe him a huge debt of gratitude."