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The ONLY weekly voice for secondary education Issue 218 • June 25 2009 Price £1.00
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Don’t miss your
NQT special
‘I will believe it
focus inside this
issue of SecEd!
when I see it’
Lord Filkin’s damning response after DCSF pledge
to reduce the burden of over-regulation on schools
SecEd’s latest eight-page
NQT special, produced Friday (June 19), Baroness Morgan Headteachers had already con- 12 months. This might also make schools are reviewed by a panel of
in association with the
Exclusive report
responded to the committee on tacted SecEd to raise concerns them realise that they didn’t need to experienced, serving practitioners
NASUWT, begins on page
by Chris Parr
behalf of the government. She said about the recommendations in the legislate at all.” who know how schools operate
16 of this edition. We offer
that the DCSF was “committed to committee’s report. The Lords’ inquiry was set up and where the pressures are. This
crucial advice for NQTs,
minimising bureaucracy in schools Stephen Nokes, head at John in September 2008. During a nine- Implementation Review Unit exam-
The chief of a Lords’ inquiry into and the number ... of statutory Hampden Grammar School in High month investigation, the committee ines policies to ensure that they are
and also look towards
the high number of regulations instruments impacting on them”. Wycombe, told us: “I’m not sure received evidence from teaching based on an informed understand-
September, when today’s
that impact schools has dismissed Writing in response to the inquiry that having a standardised lead-in unions, headteachers, governors’ ing of workload implications for
NQTs will be stepping government assurances that in May, former schools minister Jim time, and a common commence- associations, and representatives heads and the wider
back into the classroom
ministers will change their ways, Knight had already said that all ment date, will help, since it could from the DCSF. workforce.”
as fully fledged teachers.
telling SecEd: “I will believe it new regulations will have a com- simply mean that heads are con- It made seven key recommenda-
We look at preparing for
when I see it”. mon start date of September 1, and fronted with hundreds of new regu- tions, including the introduction of
Lord Filkin, the Labour peer who be introduced with a full term’s lations every Easter.” a common start date, increased
your second year, what
chairs the Lords’ Merits of Statutory notice, rather than being introduced However, Lord Filkin said that notice periods for new initiatives,
questions and issues you will
Instruments Committee, claimed ad hoc. having a standard start date of a less heavy-handed approach
need to consider, CPD and that although he welcomed parts Speaking exclusively to SecEd, September 1 would give schools to maintained schools, and a
professional development,
of the government’s response to his Lord Filkin said: “Unfortunately, ample time to prepare for their post-implementation review of
and behaviour management
inquiry, he “knew how government ministers introducing legislation so introduction. significant new instructions.
See pages 16 to 23
departments work”, and had some that they are seen to be doing some- “If a term’s notice is given, as Lord Filkin continued:
reservations about the promise to thing is a problem. The UK has recommended, that would mean “If you look at part of the
Sign up to
curb the number of regulations. more ministers than other states, notice would be given in April. This schools minister’s response, it
The inquiry has been hearing and sometimes this system needs means there will be five month’s says ‘we have systems already
evidence for nine months and was strong leadership. Sometimes you lead-in time, which would make it in place for managing the plan-
SecEd digital
set up after it emerged that the can make the most change by keep- easier for schools to plan, and give ning and production of sec-
Department for Children, Schools ing the same message for a year. them the time to do so,” he said. ondary legislation’, but is that
and Families (DCSF) had issued “The department’s response “However, if there is a particu- really true? Is the amount of
for free
more regulations – known as statu- contains a lot of positives, but I larly big change to be introduced, legislation being introduced at a
tory instruments – than any other know how government departments such as a change to the admissions helpful time?
With the launch of
government department during the work. I’ll believe it when I see it. It code, then ministers should con- “Many of those in Whitehall
preceding parliamentary session. has to legislate less frequently, and sider whether some of the smaller will never have been a teach-
SecEddigital, thousands of
In a debate at the Lords on more thoughtfully.” bits of legislation could be put back er, and therefore they propose
teachers are now reading
changes but are blind to the
the newspaper electronically consequences for heads. The
every Thursday. You can sign
up by sending us your email
address. It is completely free
and we will not pass on your
details to third parties. Just
‘
Unfortunately, ministers introducing
department has to understand
that doing more and more can
legislation so that they are seen to be doing
have worse results.”
A government spokesman
something is a problem
told SecEd that the DCSF placed
“a great deal of importance” on the
email editor@sec-ed.co.uk
Lord Filkin, chairman, Lords’ Merits of Statutory Instruments
’
Committee need to reduce burdens on schools.
He added: “Policies affecting
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