Nine Norfolk secondary schools have signed up to a scheme to help turn good establishments into outstanding ones.

The schools are taking part in the London Leadership Strategy's Good to Great programme to help improve standards and increase the number of top ranked schools by Ofsted.

Norfolk County Council is supporting the schools to take part through its Norfolk to Good and Great scheme, which aims to increase the proportion of good and outstanding schools in the county.

The schools taking part are Alderman Peel High School in Wells, Dereham Neatherd High School, Framingham Earl High School, Hellesdon High School, Hobart High School in Loddon, Long Stratton High School, Springwood High School in King's Lynn, Taverham High School and Wymondham High Academy. The programme focuses support at headteachers and senior leaders by providing access to mentoring, conferences, teacher improvement support and training.

Peter Devonish, headteacher of Dereham Neatherd High School, said: 'The London Challenge has been an important and successful strategy, which has stood the test of time, in enabling schools to work in collaboration to support school improvement at a whole system level.

'The London Leadership Strategy 'Good to Great' programme is an important pillar within this and we have a great deal to learn from colleagues in London on how we can work better together here in Norfolk so that educational outcomes improve for all Norfolk children.'

Five of the nine Norfolk schools involved are academies.

Mick Castle, cabinet member for education and schools, said: 'A key part of our strategy to support school improvement is to ensure that the strongest schools in the county are able to support those who may be struggling. We need more outstanding schools in Norfolk to achieve this, which is why we were keen to get involved with the London Leadership Strategy's Good to Great programme as it has a very strong track record of success.

'The council does not run schools – our role is to support and challenge them with their own improvement. That means that we need to work the whole network of Norfolk's schools so that they can help one another to improve.'

Seven other Norfolk schools, which have all been judged as satisfactory or requiring improvement by Ofsted, are already involved in a separate strand of the London Leadership Strategy to support them to become good schools.

They are Attleborough High School, Great Yarmouth High School, St William's Primary School, in Norwich, Acle St Edmund's Primary School, Wroughton Junior School, Bignold Primary School, Norwich and Coltishall Primary School.