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Ofsted plans
In brief
Tamworth lobby
Teachers in Tamworth are to
take their campaign against
plans to concentrate 6th form
provision in the area in one
changes to
school to Staffordshire County
Council. It comes after two
one-day strikes by teachers at
a number of Tamworth high
schools last week. Further rolling
strikes were planned this week,
and today (Thursday, June 18),
inspections
members of both the NASUWT
and NUT unions were planning
to lobby the newly formed
Conservative-led council into
rethinking the plans. The strikes
are in opposition to the council’s
proposals to take 6th form
provision from every secondary
by Chris Parr
said: “This new framework repre- around 40 per cent of “satisfactory” school in Tamworth and
Photography
sents an important shift in the way schools. concentrate it in one 6th form
Hill
we inspect schools. We will double Dr John Dunford, general secre- in an academy at Woodhouse
s
teve Reforms to the way Ofsted operates the amount of time we spend in tary of the Association of School and College. It is claimed the plans
will mean a greater focus on schools classrooms observing teaching and College Leaders, said the increased could result in job losses for
judged satisfactory or inadequate, engage staff in discussion about emphasis on raw results would more than 70 teachers.
Photos:
while good and outstanding schools ways of improving. make it more difficult for schools in
will be inspected less frequently. “With greater emphasis too on the challenging circumstances.
Heads promised
From September, better per- views of parents and pupils, we will “Inspection has always been
standard set
forming schools will be inspected ensure that these important voices disproportionately stacked against A quality standard that accredits
once every five years instead of are heard in inspection. We inspect these schools and this will make schools for the work they do to
once every three, providing there to raise standards and will target our their tough job even harder. School engage parents in their children’s
greater control
is no demand from parents for an efforts where they have most impact. leaders will be more reluctant to learning has been rolled out
earlier one. We will use our resources to gener- take on headship of these schools, by the Specialist Schools and
There will be more frequent ate more improvement in schools so where the best leadership is most Academies Trust. Developed
inspections for schools ranked fur- that can lead to better pupil achieve- needed,” he said. with over 200 schools, the
The new education White Paper Elsewhere in his speech, Mr ther down the scale, and inspectors ment and outcomes.” Dr Mary Bousted, general secre- Parental Engagement Quality
will give headteachers greater Balls defended the government’s will visit those schools they do not The inspectorate also announced tary of the Association of Teachers Standard will also help schools
control of school budgets, and stance on key stage 2 testing, deem to be improving in the time that the vast majority of schools will and Lecturers, added: “These latest with the 2010 online parental
mark a shift away from centralised refusing to abolish them. between full inspections. have between one and two days’ changes to school inspections look reporting requirement by. A free
government control, Ed Balls has To cries of “shame” from the Ofsted has also announced that notice of inspection. This, it claims, like an own goal for a government online toolkit is already available.
pledged. audience, Mr Balls said: “We inspectors will spend more time in will ensure a balance between that professes to base its policies One of the schools involved in
Speaking at the National need to have ways of knowing classrooms observing teaching and pressure on schools and ensuring on evidence. Research tells us that developing the Standard, Stoke
College for School Leadership’s that every child is succeeding the progress made by the different inspectors see a true picture. factors outside schools, such as Community School, has also
annual conference in Birmingham, and making progress, and at sec- groups of pupils, and will look Also, although no-notice inspec- family background and economic become the first to be given the
the minister for children, schools ondary schools we have that at closely at whether a school has “the tions will not be put in place for circumstances, account for about 85 Standard’s Gold Award. Visit:
and families said that moving age 16. Key stage 3 SATs were capacity to improve”. routine checks, where there are par- per cent of the differences in pupil www.ssatrust.org.uk
away from a system of central- therefore not filling that neces- A greater emphasis will be ticular concerns – for example con- attainment.
ised policy-making through the sary role. At primary school we placed on pupil attainment, and nected to welfare – the inspectorate “By putting more emphasis on
National Strategies was “the right don’t have a system of monitor- in addition to raw exam results, has said it may inspect without exam and test results, Ofsted will
Union fight
thing to do”. ing progress other than key stage inspectors will be looking more notice. be holding schools to account for UNISON is calling for a better
Speaking to around 1,800 2 SATs”. closely at the quality of work they In addition, no-notice inspection things which are entirely outside deal for the UK’s teaching
school leaders, Mr Balls said: Mr Balls also argued that see students completing while they will be introduced for monitoring their control.” assistants and school support
“We get accused of centralising secondary headteachers were in are visiting schools. schools in special measures, those For more information on the staff after a survey found a
in the way we go about driving favour of keeping primary SATs. Ofsted chief, Christine Gilbert, with a “notice to improve”, and changes, visit www.ofsted.gov.uk “catalogue of unpaid overtime,
school improvement. However, I However, Mick Brookes, low pay, increased workload and
feel we have to challenge schools general secretary of the National
and local authorities, and find Association of Head Teachers,
ways to make changes where said this simply was not the case.
Exams shake-up gets mixed
violence and abuse”. UNISON,
which has around 350,000
members in education, found that
changes are needed. He told us: “Our view is that full-time teaching assistants take
“But, school improvement secondary heads do not want
will only work if it is driven from SATs at year 6 to remain in
response north of the border
home a monthly average of £758
and work an additional 12 per
the bottom up – not from the top place, which is why they voted cent above the contracted hours
down.” so strongly in favour a motion at – most of it as unpaid overtime.
Aidan Brennan, assistant head our annual conference to boycott Plans to scrap Scotland’s Standard
at All Saints School in Sheffield, the exams next year.” and Intermediate exams and
welcomed the speech, saying that Jane Lees, president of the replace them with new qualifica-
Health checks
there had been “too many innova- Association of School and tions had long been mooted but A free, online lifestyle self-
tions and regulations” from cen- College Leaders, said that in an last week’s official announce- assessment service to help
tral government in recent years. education system funded by pub- ment by education secretary Fiona teenagers improve their health
He told SecEd: “We have, at lic money, it was only fair that Hyslop has still raised questions and wellbeing has been launched
times, been over-faced by the primary schools should be held to among unions and opposition poli- by the Department of Health.
amount of instruction being account by exam results. ticians, as well as support from NHS Teen LifeCheck uses an
handed to us from government. She added: “We understand business leaders. interactive quiz to offer health
In many cases, simply imple- that many primary heads have Ms Hyslop told the Scottish par- and lifestyle information to 12
menting the regulations is diffi- problems with key stage 2 SATs, liament last week that pupils would to 15-year-olds. The tool offers
cult, but maintaining them in the but we really do feel that there take the new exams, National 4 and information on issues including
face of even more schemes and should be accountability for the National 5, at the end of fourth year physical activity, nutrition,
programmes is another challenge seven years that children spend in from 2013/14 onwards. solvents and illegal drugs, sexual
altogether.” primary school.” Pupils in S1, S2 and S3 will health, alcohol, and smoking.
study the same subjects, in what It also covers emotional
is billed as a return to the broad wellbeing and provides links to
general education that has been a support services. Visit: www.
traditional strength of the Scottish teenlifecheck.co.uk
system. At the moment, they have
to make choices at the end of S2.
At the end of S3, pupils will
special advice
choose their subjects for S4, with A new guidance and CD
most opting for the new “Nationals”, resource is aiming to support
but the most able going straight on health professionals and teachers
to Highers if they wish. Ms Hyslop said: “We are giving by Judith Gillespie of the Scottish in special school settings to
From S3, pupils will also be teachers more professional auton- Parent Teacher Council. The EIS adopt a whole-school approach
assessed for national literacy and omy to raise standards of learning union has voiced doubt over how to promoting healthier eating
numeracy qualifications. This and teaching, while reducing the the changes can be adequately among students with SEN
will be marked by the Scottish complexity of the qualifications funded in the current climate. and disabilities. It includes
Qualifications Authority at first, but system to make it more streamlined Iain McMillan, director of the practical advice and examples
later by schools. and understandable for parents and Confederation of British Industry of best practice from schools
At the end of S4, stronger candi- employers.” Scotland, said the business com- and health professionals who
dates will sit an external exam and Jim Docherty, deputy general munity welcomed the change as it have been actively involved
be awarded a National 5. Candidates secretary of the Scottish Secondary would simplify “a cluttered qualifi- in implementing the school
of lower ability who attain a certain Teachers’ Association, said the cations landscape”. food standards. The document
level will be awarded a National 4, changes would spell a “two-tier “It is also encouraging to hear is being sent to all special
based purely on coursework. About system”, with National 4 viewed that there will be a greater focus schools and is also available to
Leading minds: Ed Balls’ backing of key stage 2 SATs a fifth of pupils could therefore as “worthless” in many employers’ on literacy and numeracy and that download online. Visit: www.
was greeted with cries of ‘shame’ from NCSL delegates leave school without any external eyes because it will not be external- these critical core skills will be for- healthyschools.gov.uk
qualifications. ly awarded. His view was echoed mally certificated,” he said.
SecEd • June 18 2009 
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