Education
The Tories have announced a policy of changing the leadership of 75 failing schools within 100 days of taking office. It is a good move and could play well with voters. Unfortunately Labour has a similar plan but according to Ed Balls even bolder. It is also true that Labour have introduced the radical reforms of Academies, Trust , Foundation and Faith schools and tougher OFSTED inspections, so from the point of view of voters I am not sure there is much clear blue water between the two; more currents and eddies depending on local situations.
I have direct experience of a failing school, both as a parent and as an Addition Governor parachuted in by the LEA when the school went into Special Measures. I agree that the difference between a failing and a good school is almost always leadership quality. But and it is a very big but, the catchment area and level of family deprivation plays a big part. This does not mean schools should be expected to fail in really difficult catchments, because the value of a good school is socially all the greater when surrounded by deprivation. It means the leadership must be even better. It also has to be savvy. It needs very short lines of communication.
My school needed a change of leadership and this was known to the LEA. However they had no powers to act, because they were not in charge of the school. They were in partnershipwith it. Only the Governors could act and they liked the leadership and would not. So down went the results and because some parents had choice, down went the numbers and because of the way state schools are nowadays funded down went the income. The result was unbelievable IT with a server wired up in a toilet and results at GCSE way below the national average. Parents who could afford to go private did and those who were mobile and could get their children into neighbouring state schools did that. The best alternative was a faith school which triggered an outbreak of religious devotion in order to try and qualify.
The only way to effect change was for Ofsted to put the school into Special Measures which put the LEA into a position where it could direct events. Unfortunately such was the decline in numbers and the state of the finances, the only route away from looming closure was to become an Academy, which has as yet to prove that it can deliver to the standard expected. The ones who suffer are the students who need the school most from disadvantaged or dysfunctional backgrounds whose parents neither have, nor could be bothered to exercise, choice.
Now all this vast, costly and sorry saga could have been prevented, with its huge financial drain and the incalculable cost of failed chances for the children affected because they are only in year whatever once and cannot turn their age clock back. What would have prevented it was the permanent power of the LEA to manage its school, change the leadership or do whatever was necessary to deliver a proper level of provision out of taxpayer’s money to those in need. Failure to do this would have led the Cabinet Member and the majority party to suffer at the ballot box. It is called democracy and it is a clever idea.
Trust or Foundation or Academy schools outside LEA control may well be a good idea and add choice and competition within the free state education system. There is still a central role for LEA managed and funded schools, especially in rural or disadvantaged areas and it should be a feature of education policy to put them back into the system. We need a return of the District Education Officer with both the power and the responsibility that goes with it. Woolly partnerships with enormous attendant process, practice and bureaucracy overlaid by pro forma inspections and rigid measures will not, whoever is in power, ever do better than disappoint. When cash is short they devour it like a wino with an endless string of bottles.
Hi there, I found your blog via Google while searching for first aid for a heart attack and your post looks very interesting for me.
Thanks for this post. Hope to learn a great deal and have a pleasant expertise here. My very best regards.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ ecigs are great. ecigs are the best. buy my ecig.
Such clever stuff and reporting! Keep up the great work guys
Wow, this was very fun to read. Have you ever considered submitting articles to magazines?
Hello Web site owner. My partner and i really enjoy the writing and your site all in all! Your posting is actually really plainly written and effortlessly understandable. Your current Blog theme is impressive as well! Would be fantastic to know where My partner and i can obtain this. Be sure to maintain up the good job. All of us need more these types of webmasters just like you on the net and also much fewer spammers. Wonderful friend!
I just added this web site to my favorites. I like reading your posts. Ty!
Dear Site owner. I seriously just like your posting along with your current webpage all in all! The post is incredibly clearly created and without difficulty understandable. The WordPress style is amazing as well! Would definitely be good to discover where I can get it. Be sure to keep up the excellent work. We all require much more this sort of webmasters like you on the net and also much less spammers. Wonderful mate!
This blog is very good and informative. It is pretty hard task but your post and experience provide and teach me how to handle and make it more effective and manageable.Thanks for the tips. Today I am furtunate and I find a lot of nice posts. Before I read a Titan casino review article in another website. Best regards.
Wow!, this was a top quality post. In theory I’d like to write like this too – taking time and real effort to make a good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and never seem to get something done
Nice!! Great Ifo. Great People. Great Blog. Thank you for all the great sharing that is being done here.
This is my first time I have visited your site. I found a lot of interesting information in your blog. From the tons of comments on your posts, I guess I am not the only one! keep up the impressive work.
No BS and well written, tyvm for the post
I have wanted to post something like this on my blog and this has given me an idea. Cheers.
Keep working, great post! Just the information I had to have.
Just thought I would comment and say cool theme, did you make it on your own? Looks superb!
Concise and well written, ty for the post
No BS and well written, thank you for the information
Thanks for the nice things. I’ve good issues to offer. Follow my link u would possibly find the factor what you want.
I’m having a weird problem I can’t subscribe your rss feed, I’m using google reader by the way.
Straight to the point and well written, tyvm for the post
Tyvm for the useful information! I would never have discovered this on my own!
Just thought I would comment and say superb theme, did you make it on your own? Looks excellent!
Concise and written well, tyvm for the information
I just added your web page to my favorites. I really like reading your posts. Tyvm!
Remarkable post! Awesome knowledge on the topic. Without a doubt a new bookmark.
Could not have come at a much better time. Remarkable posting.
Stumbled across your post while searching through yahoo. I read only the first paragraph and its wonderful!! I don’t have time to finish it now, but I have bookmarked your internet site and will go through the rest tonight. 🙂
Hi! 🙂 Is it Ok if I ask a thing kinda off subject? I’m looking to view this web page on my new iPad but it surely will not show up appropriately, do you’ve got any options? Need to I attempt and locate an update for my software or one thing? Thanks upfront! Jennine x 🙂
As a fellow skilled from the vogue marketplace, I discovered your world wide web site to become useful. I’ve always been in recognize with trend all my lifestyle so I’ve created a forum for marketplace experts to come back collectively and talk about all things vogue. I’ve gained a couple fantastic ideas for my word wide web page from reading this
Hey, I found your blog in a new directory of blogs. I dont know how your blog came up, must have been a typo, anyway cool blog, I bookmarked you.
Thanks a lot for this recommendations good examine; this would be the kind of consideration that continues me although out the day.I’ve permanently prolonged been wanting close to to your web-site best right after I viewed about these from a shut close friend and was pleased when I was in a placement to discover it precise following searching out for a while. Being a experienced blogger, I’m happy to identify out other people taking gumption and adding towards the neighborhood. I just preferred to overview to exhibit my understanding in your publish as it is pretty pushing, and plenty of world wide web writers usually do not get the credit they ought to have. I am beneficial I’ll be back again and can deliver out a handful of of my colleagues.
Hi blogger, hope you’re having a great day. You mind sharing the name of your theme? I would appreciate it much. Have a blessed day.
I would like to start my own blog one day. This was a really nice blog that you made here. Keep up the success 😛
Hi blog owner, hope all is well. You mind sharing the name of your current theme? I would appreciate it much. Have a blessed afternoon.
“I commonly really do not put up in Blogs but your weblog pressured me to, wonderful function.. attractive …”
I had fun reading this post. I want to see more on this subject.. Gives Thanks for writing this nice article.. Anyway, I’m going to subscribe to your rss and I wish you write great articles again soon.
I enjoy seeing websites that understand about my search. I truly liked your site. I hope I discover new article in this site. Thanks
This was a truly great post. In theory I’d like to create like this also – taking time and genuine work to create a good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and by no means appear to obtain something carried out.
Usually I do not post on blogs, but I would like to say that this article really convinced me to do so! congrats, really wonderful publish.
Hi! 🙂 Is it Okay if I ask some thing kinda off topic? I’m attempting to view this page on my new iPad nevertheless it will not present up effectively, do you may have any alternatives? Ought to I try and discover an update for my software program or anything? Thanks upfront! Jennine x 🙂
You are a very smart person! 🙂
When I open your RSS feed it just gives me a whole lot of weird text, is the problem on my side?
I have looked everywhere for this information.
You ought to certainly think about working on expanding this website into a major authority in this market. You clearly have a grasp handle of the matters everybody is searching for on this site anyways and you could without a doubt even gain a dollar or two off of some advertising. I would explore following recent topics and raising the amount of write ups you put up and I guarantee you’d begin seeing some awesome targeted traffic in the near future. Just a thought, good luck in whatever you do!
When I open up your RSS feed it throws up a whole lot of weird text, is the problem on my reader?
There most be a solution for this problem, some people think there will be now solutions, but i think there wil be one.
Thank you! I would now go on this blog every day!
Long time reader, first time commenter.
When I view your RSS feed it throws up a bunch of garbage, is the malfunction on my end?
TY for the great info! I would never have gotten this by myself!
Such brilliant stuff and reporting! Keep up the great work guys
Excellent blog! I genuinely love how it’s easy on my eyes as well as the information are well written. I am wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which need to do the trick! Have a nice day!
TY for the useful post! I would never have discovered this on my own!
Just thought I would comment and say cool theme, did you create it yourself? Looks great!
Excellent post I must say.. Simple but yet interesting and engaging.. Keep up the awesome work!
Completely I share your opinion. In it something is also to me this idea is pleasant, I completely with you agree.
I’m a tad bit confused what exactly is provided in the writing.
I have wanted to write about something like this on one of my blogs and you gave me an idea. Cheers.
I agree, tyvm for posting this..
Excellent blog! I genuinely love how it’s easy on my eyes as well as the information are well written. I am wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which need to do the trick! Have a nice day!
Thanks for taking the time to share this, I feel strongly about it and love reading more on this topic. If possible, as you gain knowledge, would you mind updating your blog with more information? It is extremely helpful for me.
I wanted to thank you for this interesting I definitely loved every little bit of it. I have you bookmarked your site to check out the latest stuff you post.
I’ve bookmarked, Dugg, and I joined the RSS subscription. Thanks!
Just what i needed thank you so much for this knowledge. A fabolous piece of text.
Lovely i am very thankful for this article. A Brilliant example of info.
come to think of that , i never considered it in that way before
Thanks for the information!
Thanks for the post!
Recently, I did not give plenty of thought to making responses on blog page reports and have left feedback even less. Reading through by way of your nice content, will aid me to do so sometimes.
I dont know what to say. This weblog is fantastic. Thats not seriously a genuinely substantial statement, but its all I could come up with immediately after reading this. You know much about this theme. A whole lot so that you built me wish to study much more about this. Your blog site is my stepping stone, my friend. Many thanks for your heads up on this subject.