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The ONLY weekly voice for secondary education Issue 203 • February 12 2009 Price £1.00
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Sign up to
National Challenge cash
SecEd digital
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is not enough, MP says
With the launch of
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teachers are now reading
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every Thursday. You can sign
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by Chris Parr
designed to help so-called “failing” long-term difference, particularly if very difficult to make any long-
and we will not pass on your
schools to improve results, it may the threat of closure means they are term plans.
details to third parties. Just
be doing more harm than good. already losing staff and students.” “For example, we can’t
Funding received by schools on He told SecEd: “I can fully Dr Rowena Blencowe is employ another member of staff
email editor@sec-ed.co.uk
the government’s controversial understand the need to focus on headteacher at Stafford Sports if the funding is not sustainable.
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National Challenge programme is schools with poorer results, but the College – a National Challenge They seem to be making up the
The ONL
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education
Issue 197 • December 11 2008 Pric
e £1.00
not enough to have any significant crudity of the way this programme school that received around £70,000 rules as they go along.”
I si t
www
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SecEddigital
impact on the running of a school, was announced, and Gordon in funding earlier this month. She added: “We are repairing
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January 15 at the
it has been claimed. Brown’s use of the word ‘failing’, She told SecEd that the cash will the damage ourselves. Results are
BETT Show. Come
and celebrate with
us! See page 4 a
gove
It comes after it was revealed has made it very difficult for some “do nothing to repair the damage up – we are now above the 30 per
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In June, 638 schools were “named
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Assistant Headteachers ar
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Join nhow afor dless t lower results than us, but it is han £
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highlighted the negative impact that £16,000 – a figure that he says will money we lost when students were He said: “The bad publicity was of the sc
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much more
UK ne
one 14-year-old student in
ws n Notes and jottings n
Psycho babble n Moral support n
being named on the list has had, have little impact on the running of pulled out of the school in light of never an issue for us, and the extra than we did,” he said
CPD page
.
n Managing ICT n
At the chalkface
01-frontpage.indd 1
London about his experiences including one London school that a school. the press reports, but money has given us the opportunity Initially, 638 schools were put
9/12/08 11:23:10
Pages 8 and 9
was featured in SecEd in December He continued: “The fact is that because we don’t to target English and maths by bring- on National Challenge. However,
(see right) after it saw a large drop in out of more than 600 schools placed know if we’ll ing in a couple of extra staff, so we’re after last summer’s exam results,
student applications because of neg- on the Challenge, only around 200 get the same quite happy with the situation.” the number of schools below the 30
ative publicity in the local press. got more than £100,000. Any amount next He was, however, intrigued per cent benchmark fell to around
It was this report that sparked less than this amount is year, it is to hear that another National 400, although all the 638 schools
the Liberal Democrat’s schools not going to make Challenge school in the area had will remain on the programme.
spokesman, David Laws, to sub- very much A Department for Children,
mit a parliamentary question ask- Schools and Families spokesman
ing for details on funding said: “This is simply initial funding
progress. and in most cases, more will follow.
Mr Laws says There are also non-cash ben-
that although the efits such as support from
CPD: Do you know
programme was National Challenge
where you stand?
advisors.”
For those of you wondering
what the next step should
be with your CPD, our
fortnightly CPD page
suggests the key questions
you should be asking
yourself, and others
Page 13
Assistant Headteachers are eligible for full membership of NAHT
Join now for less than £15 per month with no increase until January 2010.
Established in 1897, NAHT is an independent trade union and professional association representing 28,000 members in
England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Many members hold leadership positions in secondary schools and sixth form colleges
To request an application form call the Membership Recruitment Team
on 0800 026 2410 (quoting SecEd), email joinus@naht.org.uk adding
SecEd in the subject line or visit www.naht.org.uk/ms/joinus
naht.indd 1 14/4/08 16:00:46
UK news
n
Psycho babble
n
Moral support
n
NQT diary
n
Managing ICT
n
CPD page
n
School trips
n
At the chalkface
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