Education ii. Community schools Run by councils (local education authority) Council owns...
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Transcript of Education ii. Community schools Run by councils (local education authority) Council owns...
Education ii
Community schools
• Run by councils (local education authority)
• Council owns assets/land/buildings +pays staff
• Council determines admissions criteria for dealing with oversubscription
• Develops strong links with community – eg sharing facilities
• All ability – no selection
Local Education Authorities – counties+districts
• Have moved from ‘providers’ to ‘commissioners’
• Provide and maintain primary and secondary schools + ensure enough places available
• Arrange admissions + allocate places• Provide strategic management (school
improvement)• Promote high standards• Ensure schools follow National Curriculum• Limited say on academies+free schools
Issues for councils
• Planning places challenging as academies can choose to expand (govt. policy to allow popular schools to enlarge)
• Academies may resist expansion as they value ‘smallness’
• Greater risk of schools ‘doing their own thing’
• Losing out in funding? Lack of level playing field
Grammar schools
• Only 164 left in country (Kent has 33; Medway )• Select pupils by ability (via the 11-plus)• Are part of state sector
• Coalition allowing expansion where population growth demands it
• But parents can ballot for their abolition (one such ballot held since 1998 – unsuccessful – Ripon)
Ofsted
• Created in 1992
• Chief inspector is Sir Michael Wilshaw
• Being re-named: The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (April 2007)
• Inspects schools, councils, teacher training courses, nursery sector, youth services
Ofsted
• School inspections focus on:
• Overall effectiveness• Improvement/capacity to improve• Achievement and standards• Quality of provision• Leadership and management• Efficiency/financial management
School inspections
• “shorter and sharper” (April 2005)• Schools get less notice – a few days• Inspectors spend less time at school
• Schools are graded:• Outstanding (1)• Good (2)• “Requires improvement” (formerly
satisfactory)• Inadequate (4)
‘Schools causing concern’
• A failing school is one which:
• Is not considered to be providing “an acceptable standard of education”
and• Those in charge are judged unable to secure
improvements
• If failing, the school is placed in “special measures”
Special measures
• Ofsted and Lea will write to tell school what is wrong
• Governors must draw up action plan within 40 days to address weaknesses
• School is regularly monitored
• If school unable to improve, can be ordered to close
Notice to improve
• Less serious than special measures
• Usually focuses on one area (eg standards)
• School usually deemed able to improve (unlike special measures)
National Curriculum
• Sets out subjects to be taught• Details the knowledge skills and understanding required• Standards expected• Core subjects are: maths, English and science• Seven foundation subjects: • History, geography, ICT, art+design, PE, music,
Design and Technology
• RE (religious affairs) must be taught but is not part of NC – parents can opt to withdraw children from parts/all of RE syllabus
National Curriculum
• Foreign languages not part of NC – dropped as complusory subject for 14-16-year-olds in 2002
• But from 2010 all children will learn language from age of seven to 14 (following Dearing review)
• Language GCSEs fallen dramatically – in Kent fewer then 30 per cent of pupils in 2012 took and passed GCSE language
National Curriculum – Gove’s view
• Wants to slim down the NC
• Focus on basics with more flexibility
• Learning to be organised around traditional subject disciplines rather than ‘pseudo subjects’
• Simon Schama to advise on history curriculum – concept of ‘our island story’
How well are schools doing?
• “League tables” published annually in England show classroom standards at ‘key stages.’
• Primary - Key Stage 2: Performance of 11-year-olds in core subjects of maths, English, science
• Secondary - Key Stage 4: GCSE/GNVQ results where bench mark is five passes at A to C, inc.maths and English (2007)
• Key Stage 3 scrapped after exam chaos 2008
How well are schools doing?
• Tables include:
• Percentage passing expected level in each subject (Level 4 at Key Stage 2)
• ‘Value added measure’ – showing progress of pupils based between key stages
• New Gove measure – English baccalaureate indicator – 5 or more GCSEs that inc. Maths, Eng, two sciences, a language, history or geography
School tables
• Absence rates – persistent and unauthorised
• Comparative data over recent years
• Type of school (eg academy, mixed, grammar etc)
• Numbers sitting exams
Admissions
• The School Admissions Code (April 2007)
• Mandatory code – replacing voluntary code
• Aimed at eliminating ‘covert’ selection• Admissions policies must not
disadvantage any child • Prohibits use of ‘unfair over
subscription criteria
Admissions ii
• Schools must not:
• Ask parents about personal background, eg earnings, job
• Give priority to those who make school their first preference
• Give priority to children based on hobbies or interests
Admissions iii
• Under the code, schools can:
• Give priority to brothers and sisters of those already at school
• Choose to select up to 10 per cent (where specialist)
Coalition plans for admissions code (Nov 2012)
• Primary school places allocated on same day (April 16) from 2014
• Greater freedom to good, successful schools to increase pupil numbers
• Allow primary schools to take twins even if exceeds 30-child class limits
• Academies+free schools can give priority to children from poorest backgrounds
• Lotteries to determine admissions scrapped
Admissions iv
• Offers made on National Admissions Day – separate for primary/secondary
• Parents have right of appeal to independent panels
• Most authorities operate “equal preference” scheme, preventing schools from forcing parents to place them first
• But parents still rank schools and places offered at ones they rank highest where available
Governors
• Strategic role – not day-to-day running• “Critical friend”• Agree policy/budgets• Plan school’s future direction• Appoint the headteacher• Ensure National Curriculum taught• Decide pupils’ spiritual, moral welfare
is encouraged via agreed principle
Governors ii
• A governing body will be made up of:• Parents(elected by other parents)• Teachers (elected by colleagues)• Support staff• LEA governor(s)• Co-opted governors (business)
• Heads can choose to be a governor (most do)