www.sec-ed.com


Academy list shrinks as names made public


by Chris Parr


Headteachers have criticised the government’s decision to publish the names of all the schools that have registered for academy status, claiming it was not made clear that this would happen when the sign-up process began. Some schools decided to active-


ly de-register their interest in the academies process when minis- ters announced their intention to make the names public following a Freedom of Information request. Some heads feared the govern-


ment was using their details to back up its policy of allowing all schools to apply for academy freedoms. One headteacher said he felt like a “political pawn”. However, the government has refuted the claims that the list was published for politi- cal reasons. The names were revealed on the


Department for Education website on Friday (June 25). In the build up, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), which represents around 80 per cent of secondary heads in England, wrote to members to tell them what was happening. A total of 1,568 schools appeared


on the list, although speaking to headteachers in Birmingham last month, education secretary Michael Gove said that “more than 1,772 schools” had enquired about acad- emy status. Special schools were not included on the published list. The Department for Education


told SecEd that 170 schools de-reg- istered before the list went online. Dr John Dunford, ASCL general


secretary, said that because expres- sions of interest were invited in a neutral way by the government, many heads did not consult anyone before registering for further infor- mation.


“We discovered at ASCL mes-


sages from a number of heads con- cerned that the name of their school was about to be published on a list of schools moving towards acad- emy status when all they had done was ask for more information,” he said. “We asked the Department


for Education if people could de- register to avoid embarrassment at a local level, and they said they could, so we immediately notified our members. The blurb on the Department for Education Website made it clear that schools were not in any way committing themselves to academy status when they reg- istered.” Paul Scutt, headteacher at


Bishop Fox’s Community School in Somerset, one of the headteach- ers to de-register, claimed the list is being used to sell the government’s policy – something that was not made clear when he signed up.


He told us: “There is a big


debate in my area about academies, with some interested in the pro- gramme and others a little more anxious about it. We are set to hold a conference, and the only way I could glean information about the programme was to register with the Department. “As a head, I need to know the


facts, and in order to get them it seems we have to become part of a political game. The government wants to publish the largest list possible to give the impression of support for its policy. I want the information, but I am not going to be used as a political pawn to get it, so I de-registered.” Robert Benzie, headteacher at


Ansford School, also in Somerset, added: “It would be a bit foolish not to register as we have no idea what’s going to happen to local authorities. To be used in this way is cynical and devious.”


The Department for Education


dismissed the concerns. A spokes- man told SecEd: “We refute the claim that there was any politi- cal motivation in naming schools who have expressed an interest in becoming academies. “Indeed the information was


requested by many people. Heads were of course given plenty of warning before the names were released as well as the opportu- nity to withdraw their expression of interest, and where warning could not be given for whatever reason, the names were withheld.” The National Union of Teachers


(NUT) welcomed the publication of the list, claiming it “lifted the veil of secrecy” about which institutions had expressed interest. Christine Blower, general sec-


retary of the union, said: “I would simply advise those schools (on the list) to think very carefully about what they are losing.”


Cash crisis puts reforms at risk


A cash crisis in Northern Ireland education is threatening radical reform that aims to end the distinc- tion between secondary and gram- mar schools. The Catholic Church wants the


post-primary map redrawn in the next few years through mergers, closures and the creation of new types of schools across the North. Many of these changes will


require extensive building work, and education minister Caitriona Ruane says her department cannot provide bricks and mortar without more money. A question mark now hangs


over the ambitious proposals such as the return of Catholic secondary education to south Antrim after an absence of almost two decades. Teachers’ leaders say the pro-


Primary schools leading the way when it comes to healthy meals


Secondary schools are falling behind their primary colleagues in their attempts to comply with healthy school meal guidelines, Ofsted has claimed. Only half of the secondaries


visited for the inspectorate’s report, Food in Schools, complied with the food-based and nutrient-based standards for lunches, compared to 94 per cent of the primary schools. According to the report, which


based its findings on visits to 39 schools across England, the standards that secondary schools were most often failing to meet were those restricting the provi- sion of meat products, deep-fried foods and starchy foods cooked in fat or oil. A quarter of the secondaries


visited were unable to prove that their lunchtime menu cycle had been analysed against the nutri- ent-based standards for school lunches, Ofsted said. Some schools were also


criticised for not managing their ree school meals policies effec- tively, with a third of the second- ary schools visited operating sys- tems where those entitled to free meals could be readily identified by their peers. Another problem faced by the


secondary schools, according to the report, was in developing and implementing policies relating to the 6th form, as the concern to ensure students ate healthy food had to be balanced with the stu- dents’ right to make choices for themselves. Despite the problems, the


inspectorate reported that all of the schools visited were making progress towards improving the quality of school meals. Themed days were found to be popular, and had proved to be very effective in encouraging more students to eat a school meal. Other successful approaches in the secondary schools included:


• Providing “meal deals”. • Providing free salads or fruit portions with the main meal.


• Organising cooking events where students could extend their knowledge of how the food in school was produced and how it had been planned to be balanced and nutritious.


• Displaying menus promi- nently in the dining room and around the school, sometimes using plasma screens.


• Enabling students to book tables for special events, such as birthday celebrations. Patrick Leeson, Ofsted direc-


tor of education and care, said: “This report shows the encourag- ing progress schools are mak- ing to promote healthy eating, meet nutritional standards and make good school meals afford- able. Children need good food at school to support their progress and achieve high standards of learning.”


posals should be revisited in light of public spending cuts. Given that the North’s


Department of Education is still struggling with its 2004 capi- tal building schools list, any new project will only join the back of an ever-lengthening queue.


Experts predict this will mean


the Catholic secondary reform’s demise and postponement into an indefinite future. However, the man tasked with shaking up Catholic post-primary admits that while edu- cation is facing challenging finan- cial times, it would be more expen- sive to do nothing. Plans for wholesale reform,


Gerry Lundy says, must continue. “In many areas, the cost of doing nothing in economic and education- al terms is very high and in some areas unacceptably so,” he said. “Ongoing demographic decline


and population movements, cou- pled with the need to offer equal- ity of access to a broader, more relevant curriculum exposes many young people and communities to significant risks of not being able to access high quality educational provision. “As a consequence, a level


of investment into new projects is always going to be required if Northern Ireland is to sustain and build a high quality education sys- tem for all young people.”


Crime fears debunked


The majority of British adults overestimate the number of young people involved in crime and anti- social behaviour. This is despite statistical evidence


showing that fewer young people are now involved in offending. According to a report by


the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), today’s youngsters face the chal- lenge of growing up in a culture that has “widespread negative percep- tions of youth”. It found that in a number of


areas, educational work with young people, including police visits to schools, was helping young people to understand how their behaviour is perceived, and why older adults might find congregations of young people threatening. The report also urges schools to ensure young people have equal


SecEd • July 1 2010


access to a range of positive activi- ties so that the benefits are felt across a whole community. “A balance must be achieved


between including young people who are already ‘engaged’ – for example, in school councils and youth groups – and others who are less engaged, not just in terms of equality of opportunity but also to give a rounded picture of young people today,” it says. Kerry Martin, of the NFER,


said: “The need to address the nega- tive perceptions of young people is acknowledged to be important, and various national and local targets for improvement have been set.” The report, Positivity in prac-


tice: approaches to improving perceptions of young people and their involvement in crime and anti- social behaviour is available from www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications


NEWS In brief Academy tool


The Department for Education has produced a “ready reckoner”, which will enable schools considering conversion to academy status to calculate the level of funding they would receive as an academy, and allow them to compare this with the funding they currently receive (See page 14, The road to academy). Visit: www. education.gov.uk/academies/ academy-funding


Zena moves on


Zena Atkins has resigned as the chair of Ofsted. She will now become the chief executive of GEMS Education, which runs international schools in 125 countries. Ms Atkins said: “I took up the role as the first chair of Ofsted four years ago and it has been a hugely enjoyable experience.”


Languages day


September 26 is the European Day of Languages and CILT, the National Centre for Languages, is encouraging schools to start thinking about activities for the celebrations. There are many ways to get involved, including multilingual assemblies, quizzes and links with schools in foreign countries. There are more than 45 European countries involved, celebrating around 6,000 languages worldwide. Activity ideas and resources are available online. Visit: www.cilt.org.uk


Happy birthday


The Transformation Trust, which has funded extra-curricular activities in hundreds of schools in disadvantaged areas of the country, is celebrating its first birthday with a concert at the O2 Arena on Tuesday, July 13. Around 14,000 young people will be at the event, and 10,000 tickets have already been snapped up by schools. The line up includes The X Factor’s Stacey Solomon, Tinchy Stryder, DJ Ironik and the Saturdays and bookings can still be made by schools for the last remaining tickets. Visit: www. transformationtrust.org.uk


STEM awards


The 2010 STEMNET awards took place on Monday, June 21, celebrating the work of individuals and organisations who have enhanced STEM subject learning and helped to engage the next generation of scientists. The event was hosted at the House of Lords and among the winners was Bungay High School in Suffolk, which was given the Most Dedicated STEM Club Award. See online for a full list of winners. Visit: www. stemnet.org.uk


Green is good


Gardening should be seen as an important teaching tool, rather than just a co-curricular activity, a report from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has said. A Vital Tool for Children’s Learning has pointed out that “resilient, ready to learn and responsible” children are developed through gardening at schools. Currently 12,000 schools are signed up to the RHS’s Campaign for School Gardening. The RHS hopes to train 4,500 more teachers to use gardening as a teaching tool in the next three years. Visit: www. rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening


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