Book excerpt: Some schools are harder than others. All teachers have been navigating the same educational storm over the past few years but some have been in very different boats. The pressures on schools in challenging circumstances have been exacerbated by post-pandemic and the widely entrenched disparities have been augmented by absence, recruitment, retention and inspection. This book brings together interviews with teachers, leaders and educationalists discussing key areas of school development. This book provides advice and suggestions for teachers working in challenging circumstances and outlines the huge differences teachers and leaders can make to pupils, families, and the wider community. The interviews will outline the benefits of government support, MAT and local authority involvement, and the quality of professional development provided by these schools. At some stage in any teacher's career, they should work in these inspirational settings and this book shows the reader why.