JUST SIX MONTHS into the job, Jayne Clarke, principal of Oldham Sixth Form College, the winner of our special award for leadership, is top of the class with staff. They have a great deal of faith in her with a positive score of 90%, top among small charities and public sector organisations. The college prides itself on having prepared more than 12,000 young people for further study and employment, many of whom come from families with no tradition of higher education and many whose underperformance at GCSE would have barred them from entry to most other sixth forms. Outlining its philosophy, the college states: "Staff here are making a difference to the lives of hundreds of students on a daily basis and, through their work, the future of the local area is being transformed." The college, which gained an outstanding Ofsted report in 2009, pays above average salaries and spends heavily on staff development in its determination to hire and retain the best teachers. They earn about £33,000 with average service of 13 years. Staff say they are happy with their pay and benefits (75%) and think they are paid fairly for their responsibilities (72%) and compared with others in similar jobs elsewhere (72%). Managers are keen to promote from within and have hired a number of former pupils. There are many options for training and further study. The wellbeing of staff is a priority and staff are offered free flu jabs and a "stress management" day in December to do their Christmas shopping. osfc.ac.uk