Outstanding

Question: What do you get if you blend a downtrodden head teacher, a hostile school inspector, an incompetent reality TV film crew, an ice cream factory and a load of unruly pigs?

Answer: A hilarious novel from the pen of Steve Baker, a brilliant writer and school behaviour specialist.

Outstanding tells the story of a school inspection set against the backdrop of a struggling school in a semi-rural setting. Educating Norfolk have been invited in to film the cash strapped school and just happen to arrive at the same time as the inspectors - with hysterical results. Meanwhile, a war erupts between the neighbouring ice cream factory and a local pig farmer in which the school is collateral damage.

Plus, an idealistic recently appointed inspector, confronted with the reality of his judgements and their consequences, is forced to make a life-changing decision.  Steve skilfully weaves these elements together and leads the unhappy protagonists towards a magnificent and heartwarming climax.

As a teacher, behaviour specialist and award winning education non-fiction author, Steve Baker brings insider knowledge and sharp wit to this brilliantly crafted debut novel. Combining satire and social commentary, this hilarious book captures the heart of the chaos and pressures of modern-day teaching.

A highly entertaining read for teachers of all levels seeking a light-hearted escape from the pressures and stresses of their day job.

Teaching is arguably one of the most demanding professions of our time. Staff are consistently overworked, undervalued and under constant scrutiny. The pressure is relentless, expectations sky-high, and the day-to-day realities of the job, while often chaotic, are sometimes downright absurd.

Steve Baker’s debut fiction title, Outstanding, captures the realities of the everyday stresses and pressures of teaching with a careful balance of laugh-out-loud comedy and sharp social commentary. Set against the backdrop of a struggling school in Norfolk, Outstanding tells the story of a downtrodden headteacher facing an Ofsted inspection.

TV company Educating Norfolk have been invited in to film the cash-strapped school and just happen to arrive at the same time as the inspectors – producing hilarious results. With an outlandish and vividly drawn cast of characters, the book offers much-needed comic relief for teachers while also shining a light on the wider issues that plague the education system.

As a semi-retired teacher and behaviour specialist, Steve has first-hand knowledge of the pressures and chaos that teachers face in their daily work life. He writes: “I taught Drama and English for 17 years, and for ten of those years, I was a Head of Year. All my grey hairs and wrinkles can be traced back to that period. Naturally, I have a few things to say about the way things are.”

Educators and former students alike will feel right at home in Steve’s world of larger-than-life personalities and brilliantly crafted satire. Amidst the chaos and hilarity, Outstanding offers touchingly poignant and thought-provoking moments, as Steve leads the unhappy protagonists towards a magnificent and heartwarming climax. His  flair for writing is well-known to readers of his award-winning non-fiction title, That Behaviour Book.

Fundamentally, Outstanding is an outrageous comedy with fascinating characters in absurd situations. But behind the story lies a truth that every teacher will recognise; sometimes, the only way to survive the chaos is to laugh at it.