E. E Caramuru is a secondary school in a suburb of São Paulo, Brazil. Like most schools in Brazil, it has three shifts, so the school is open from 7 am to 11pm. The headteacher, Aleixina Vinhola, is dedicated to improving the prospects of her students, some of whom live in the nearby favela (shanty town). She encourages improvements in teaching and learning via meetings during which staff share effective teaching methods. She introduces projects which extend the normal curriculum. She is an acknowledged leader in the community. Staff, students and parents praise Aleixena for her commitment; not only is she headteacher, but she also works at the school on Sundays when it's open for families. After being chosen for an international school leadership project and after visiting schools in England, Aleixina has introduced classroom observation as part of school self-evaluation. She says she has noticed a definite improvement in teaching and in behaviour in class as a result.

Video Series: School Leadership
Release Date 2009