Yet again we are informed that the number of 'failing' secondary schools facing closure over poor exam results has doubled after the government raised the minimum target to 40%. According to school league tables 215schools failed to reach the floor target. The government is now expecting a response from these school, either by becoming an academy or to be closed and reopened by a sponsor. Next year the floor target will move up to 45%, will this mean a further 200 schools being labelled 'failing'. The following year the threshold will be 50%. The goalposts are constantly moving placing pressure on schools to keep their head above water but allowing no time for embedding good practice and consolidating on what or what is not working in the pursuit of school improvement.
In the dialogue following this years results we are told that 82 academies are in the group of schools below the 40% and that 68 of the academies are from the original sponsored academies list. More worrying is that 14 schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted and who became converter academies are also below the threshold.
So what does this mean for sustained school improvement? That there is no formula of success that is right for any one school. That short term gains are rarely matched over a longer time scale unless practice is embedded. That in challenging schools there is likely to be year on year variation in students ability with little or no constant in student outcomes. So when we reach the 50% threshold and we find 300 or more schools below it do we stamp our feet and say they are failing? No we recognise the excellent work many of them are doing in providing holistic education for their students and in many cases providing pathways to a better future. There are so many contexts that league tables do not reveal. The number of CP issues a school has, the number of students in a special needs category, the growing number of young people having mental health issues and the increasing number of students who have English as a second, sometimes third language, all examples of issues that impact on a school reaching the benchmark. The goal posts do indeed move and it is not a level playing field to start with.
Wednesday 30 January 2013
Monday 21 January 2013
Snow day ...close or not to close ?
As a Headteacher there are always difficult decisions to make at various times of year and winter is one of them. It is rare that we have a harsh winter but when we experience a few days of heavy snow it seems to send the country into wild panic. However over the years I think most of us have got it right when it comes to making a decision regarding school closures. The first factor to consider is can students get to school, in rural areas this is often a problem whilst in urban areas the majority of students can walk to school. The second consideration is what happens when they get there, are the access paths and roads passable, is the site free from ice and snow in key areas? Can the school be made liable if a child falls down and breaks a bone? Has everything been do or can it be done to open the school with out risk of injury. The next stage is to ask can staff get in to work. This is where there is often a difference between secondary and primary schools. Secondary schools have a large number of staff, many of whom commute long distances. Are the main feeder routes open and safe, can staff access these roads? The number of staff able to get in does of cause effect the number of classes that can be taught in a normal way. That's why some schools when pushed often say only students from exam years to come in, so that at least important GCSE courses are not disrupted. In years gone by I can remember a handful of staff making it in and entertaining over 200 students for a day of fun and sporting activities ending with the staff v students snowball fight. This is less likely to happen today where health and safety and staff student ratios are important. The day of the week can also make a difference. A heavy snowfall on a Sunday can impact greatly on a Monday morning when the school and site staff are less prepared. Whilst later in the week car and foot traffic will erode the ice and snow and enable easier access.
So all in all we have to take a strategic view and make a decision based on the best interests of staff and students, unfortunately this can often have an impact on what parents then do, particularly where younger children are involved. Fortunately these days are few and far between and there are those people who would argue ' isn't it good for children of all ages to have a day of fun in the snow!'
So all in all we have to take a strategic view and make a decision based on the best interests of staff and students, unfortunately this can often have an impact on what parents then do, particularly where younger children are involved. Fortunately these days are few and far between and there are those people who would argue ' isn't it good for children of all ages to have a day of fun in the snow!'
Monday 14 January 2013
Change your leader change your fortunes........?
Since the start of this season over 30 football managers in the top four divisions of the football league have lost their jobs including 11 Championship clubs that have changed their mangers. In the last few years there has been an increasing similarity between football managers and leaders of our schools.in the Times Educational Supplement this week there are 32 secondary headship posts advertised. Both are under enormous pressure to achieve results. The failure to do this often results in the sack for football managers and a compromise agreement for head teachers. I hasten to add the financial differences in terms of compensation are totally dissimilar.
League tables have a lot to answer for, the position a team or school find themselves in can influence the board our governors in deciding who the manager should be. The similarities don't stop there, purists would say a good football team entertains its supporters with flowing intelligent football whilst in schools most Heads would want a broad, balanced stimulating curriculum that can inspire and excite learning. Both can come at a cost and both rely on access to good quality people. A football manager needs balance in his team and the right players to perform the style of play he strives for, this takes time and careful man management as well as good coaching and leadership. A Headteacher only has so many opportunities a year to change staff and very often poor teachers don't move on, again it can take time, sometimes up to 5 years to recruit and develop a successful team. In both cases supporters and parents are often not as patient and when there is the slightest sniff of challenge and pressure governing bodies can be quick to over react. I think football club directors and in many instances school governing bodies do not spend enough time in the recruitment process in order to acquire the right person to lead the club or school. I think, as is the case in all walks of life, the person has to have the skills, credentials and qualifications to take on the role but not enough consideration is given to whether the person is right for that post. Is the jump they are making too high? Does there experience match the post? What kind of communication skills do they have and often underrated but to me the most important how high is there emotional intelligence. Recently we have seen an influx in foreign managers, 8 in the current premiership and a move in some schools, particularly academy chains, to recruit headteachers with business experience and not qualified or experienced in teaching. This is despite the development of the FA coaching scheme and the new coaching centre at Burton. We have to nurture our own coaches and managers in the same way that we need teachers with a good training background. The new school direct entry. To teaching is putting the responsibility of training into schools and this can only benefit the wider development of headteachers for the future. The bringing together of the National College and Initial teacher training in Nottingham is a positive move in this direction.
Developing our leaders in sport and teaching requires commitment to training and patience.
League tables have a lot to answer for, the position a team or school find themselves in can influence the board our governors in deciding who the manager should be. The similarities don't stop there, purists would say a good football team entertains its supporters with flowing intelligent football whilst in schools most Heads would want a broad, balanced stimulating curriculum that can inspire and excite learning. Both can come at a cost and both rely on access to good quality people. A football manager needs balance in his team and the right players to perform the style of play he strives for, this takes time and careful man management as well as good coaching and leadership. A Headteacher only has so many opportunities a year to change staff and very often poor teachers don't move on, again it can take time, sometimes up to 5 years to recruit and develop a successful team. In both cases supporters and parents are often not as patient and when there is the slightest sniff of challenge and pressure governing bodies can be quick to over react. I think football club directors and in many instances school governing bodies do not spend enough time in the recruitment process in order to acquire the right person to lead the club or school. I think, as is the case in all walks of life, the person has to have the skills, credentials and qualifications to take on the role but not enough consideration is given to whether the person is right for that post. Is the jump they are making too high? Does there experience match the post? What kind of communication skills do they have and often underrated but to me the most important how high is there emotional intelligence. Recently we have seen an influx in foreign managers, 8 in the current premiership and a move in some schools, particularly academy chains, to recruit headteachers with business experience and not qualified or experienced in teaching. This is despite the development of the FA coaching scheme and the new coaching centre at Burton. We have to nurture our own coaches and managers in the same way that we need teachers with a good training background. The new school direct entry. To teaching is putting the responsibility of training into schools and this can only benefit the wider development of headteachers for the future. The bringing together of the National College and Initial teacher training in Nottingham is a positive move in this direction.
Developing our leaders in sport and teaching requires commitment to training and patience.
Friday 11 January 2013
Academies ....the future?
The Academies Commission Report makes an interesting read..depending on where you sit in relation to academies. The original academies set up to change education in disadvantaged areas particularly in under performing schools have been swiftly overtaken in number by the converter academies. Becoming an academy is no guarantee of improvements in attainment and achievement. Those academies who are sponsored and part of a chain it appears are, over a period of five years, becoming more successful and sustainable in their achievements.
The freedom gained from being detached from local authority control is however a more difficult concept to grasp and many academies struggle with this. Indeed for many primary schools thinking of becoming an academy it is often the fear of not having the LA there that prevents them from making that leap. The autonomy is there for all of us but we have to understand that to innovate we need to collaborate...dangerously close to nonexistent ....be open and confident about improving teaching and learning and be prepared to support our neighbours both at primary and secondary level.
Academy sponsored chains will now come under more scrutiny regards the performance of students under their control, there will be a fresh look at the way primary schools work collaboratively with or without academy status and the future roles of Local Authorities must take centre stage as their responsibility for school improvement diminishes.
On a personal note becoming an academy has presented us with new challenges and opportunities for our community. Greater autonomy, more competition for students and amongst other things a capital build that has regenerated the community we serve.....that's what education is about making a difference.
The freedom gained from being detached from local authority control is however a more difficult concept to grasp and many academies struggle with this. Indeed for many primary schools thinking of becoming an academy it is often the fear of not having the LA there that prevents them from making that leap. The autonomy is there for all of us but we have to understand that to innovate we need to collaborate...dangerously close to nonexistent ....be open and confident about improving teaching and learning and be prepared to support our neighbours both at primary and secondary level.
Academy sponsored chains will now come under more scrutiny regards the performance of students under their control, there will be a fresh look at the way primary schools work collaboratively with or without academy status and the future roles of Local Authorities must take centre stage as their responsibility for school improvement diminishes.
On a personal note becoming an academy has presented us with new challenges and opportunities for our community. Greater autonomy, more competition for students and amongst other things a capital build that has regenerated the community we serve.....that's what education is about making a difference.
Thursday 10 January 2013
Lance: It's not about the bike......it's about the truth!
My passion for the Tour de France began in the 1980s when I began to understand and respect the tactics and sheer physical power and endurance needed to complete the tour. This was underlined with the great Miguel Indurain, one of the greatest ever tour cyclists. Indurain was a master of the hills and the time trials and everyone thought after 6 tour victories that we would never see the same again and then.........along came Lance!
This was a fairy story in the making, a romance, a thriller made for the movies....which I am sure it will be one day..probably starring Lance as himself. Reading Lance's books it becomes clear that laying on the hospital bed he ignited a determination to not only survive but to achieve something no other cyclist had ever done. We respected him, admired his inner strength, accepted him as a role model and became in awe of his achievements in winning seven Le Tours. He then had the audacity to retire and run the New York marathon in sub 3 hrs and then return to the Tour and finish second !
Throughout all of this Lance set up Livestrong the charity that supports cancer research. Millions of people around the world bought the yellow wristband and supported the charity in raising millions of dollars for cancer victims, research and promoting the cause. Put simply Lance Armstrong was a hero. Enter David Walsh, the Sunday Times journalist and the man driven to proving that Armstrong was a cheat. His report 'Lanced - the shaming of Lance Armstrong, explains in full the long journey he undertook to expose the undercover drug use that Lance and his team were involved in. Walsh's article has gone a long way in providing evidence for the cycling authorities to strip Lance of his titles. Throughout it all Armstrong himself has denied the accusations, never has he reached the stage of taking his accusers to court. Now we are told Lance is to be interviewed on the Oprey Winfrey show. What do we want to hear ? The truth? A parody of the truth? Excuses ? A full blown confession? I'm not sure what I want......Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France seven times, at a time most cyclists and most teams in the tour were using drugs to enhance performance. Do I want to lose a hero ? Do I want him to miraculously describe that he was telling the truth and that it has been a conspiracy. What I do know is that following the interview there will still be questions unanswered and still doubts about the whole sensational story.......but. I am scared as to what it might all do for Lance and his family and the fact that regardless of what may have happened this man recovered from his death bed and won the tour de france seven times.
This was a fairy story in the making, a romance, a thriller made for the movies....which I am sure it will be one day..probably starring Lance as himself. Reading Lance's books it becomes clear that laying on the hospital bed he ignited a determination to not only survive but to achieve something no other cyclist had ever done. We respected him, admired his inner strength, accepted him as a role model and became in awe of his achievements in winning seven Le Tours. He then had the audacity to retire and run the New York marathon in sub 3 hrs and then return to the Tour and finish second !
Throughout all of this Lance set up Livestrong the charity that supports cancer research. Millions of people around the world bought the yellow wristband and supported the charity in raising millions of dollars for cancer victims, research and promoting the cause. Put simply Lance Armstrong was a hero. Enter David Walsh, the Sunday Times journalist and the man driven to proving that Armstrong was a cheat. His report 'Lanced - the shaming of Lance Armstrong, explains in full the long journey he undertook to expose the undercover drug use that Lance and his team were involved in. Walsh's article has gone a long way in providing evidence for the cycling authorities to strip Lance of his titles. Throughout it all Armstrong himself has denied the accusations, never has he reached the stage of taking his accusers to court. Now we are told Lance is to be interviewed on the Oprey Winfrey show. What do we want to hear ? The truth? A parody of the truth? Excuses ? A full blown confession? I'm not sure what I want......Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France seven times, at a time most cyclists and most teams in the tour were using drugs to enhance performance. Do I want to lose a hero ? Do I want him to miraculously describe that he was telling the truth and that it has been a conspiracy. What I do know is that following the interview there will still be questions unanswered and still doubts about the whole sensational story.......but. I am scared as to what it might all do for Lance and his family and the fact that regardless of what may have happened this man recovered from his death bed and won the tour de france seven times.
Wednesday 9 January 2013
Social mobility .....you're having a laugh!
Research conducted by academics at london and Oxford universities reveals that parental educational background and family income are far more accurate predictors of pupils achievement than factors such as gender or month of birth. So given that,as the son of a miner born in the month of august in South Yorkshire, I feel pretty successful in reaching the heady height of a head teacher.
Here lies the crux....in the 1960's social mobility through the comprehensive schooling system provided a ladder of opportunity. Many of us, boys and girls, who attended the local comp went on to university and ended up in teaching trying to make a difference to the next generations. Now 35 years later we find that girls achieve higher than boys in reading and English and are on a par in maths. Autumn born babies achieve better than summer born classmates and that pupils from families with an income of over £35,000 outperform those from a lower income. Notably, pupils whose mothers had a degree achieved higher scores than those who did not - sorry mum your years working in a knitwear factory didn't help!
The research also goes on to show that the combination of all these factors could be used to predict which pupils are likely to be diagnosed special needs. Perhaps this explains my hyper activity, the need to get as much fresh air as possible and my poor handwriting!
The academics conclude by saying ' there has been greater success in raising standards of attainment for all groups than in narrowing the equity gap related to social advantage.'
So is it a fact that a mine worker and factory worker would be the new middle class of today and that the mobility of the 60's resulted in developing over the last 35 years a new underclass whose chances of such upward mobility are far less achievable.
Here lies the crux....in the 1960's social mobility through the comprehensive schooling system provided a ladder of opportunity. Many of us, boys and girls, who attended the local comp went on to university and ended up in teaching trying to make a difference to the next generations. Now 35 years later we find that girls achieve higher than boys in reading and English and are on a par in maths. Autumn born babies achieve better than summer born classmates and that pupils from families with an income of over £35,000 outperform those from a lower income. Notably, pupils whose mothers had a degree achieved higher scores than those who did not - sorry mum your years working in a knitwear factory didn't help!
The research also goes on to show that the combination of all these factors could be used to predict which pupils are likely to be diagnosed special needs. Perhaps this explains my hyper activity, the need to get as much fresh air as possible and my poor handwriting!
The academics conclude by saying ' there has been greater success in raising standards of attainment for all groups than in narrowing the equity gap related to social advantage.'
So is it a fact that a mine worker and factory worker would be the new middle class of today and that the mobility of the 60's resulted in developing over the last 35 years a new underclass whose chances of such upward mobility are far less achievable.
Tuesday 8 January 2013
The good old days.....some nostalgia
Sheffield Wednesday in 1966 ..yes the year England won the World Cup ....reached the FA cup final and got beat by Everton...the only team never to have dropped out of the top division.
But wednesday were a top side with some of the best players in England. Prior to '66 they finished runners up in the league and had Springett, Swan, and Kay in the England team.
I watched them from the Kop the wind coming in off the Peak District and saw heroes and stars like Charlton, Best, Law, Hughes , Greaves, Gilzean, and many others. It took nearly two hours by bus to get to the ground from Maltby and the final walk to the ground with my scrapbooks bulging with autographs saw me mingling with the crowds before my first meat pie and bovril drink. Waiting outside for autographs and watching the visiting team arrive where part of the ritual. In those days you could name every player from 1 to 11 and on one occasion I actually travelled on the same bus as one of the players to the match.
But wednesday were a top side with some of the best players in England. Prior to '66 they finished runners up in the league and had Springett, Swan, and Kay in the England team.
I watched them from the Kop the wind coming in off the Peak District and saw heroes and stars like Charlton, Best, Law, Hughes , Greaves, Gilzean, and many others. It took nearly two hours by bus to get to the ground from Maltby and the final walk to the ground with my scrapbooks bulging with autographs saw me mingling with the crowds before my first meat pie and bovril drink. Waiting outside for autographs and watching the visiting team arrive where part of the ritual. In those days you could name every player from 1 to 11 and on one occasion I actually travelled on the same bus as one of the players to the match.
Sunday 6 January 2013
I wonder what a bookshelf says about people ?
Since Christmas I have been contemplating clearing some of the books off my bookshelf. This as proved to be most difficult. Books represent a large part of your thinking, emotions, interests and ideas. They are central to the way you organise yourself. A book can bring back memories, it can actually look nice on the bookshelf and has its own distinctive colour and smell. I am an advocate of kindle, indeed I love reading from it, it has great storage and a wonderful ability to organise your reading. It can disguise what you are reading, but it can also highlight key passages and tag pages. you can carry hundreds of books around with you and switch between novel and text.
There is therefore a compromise keep the books on the shelf, keep accepting books as presents ..as I did this christmas and read your kindle as you would a book.
There is therefore a compromise keep the books on the shelf, keep accepting books as presents ..as I did this christmas and read your kindle as you would a book.
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