www.sec-ed.com


Pupil premium unveiled amid row over funding


by Daniel White


As SecEd went to press this week, questions still remained over exactly how the government’s £7 billion pupil premium, announced on Friday (October 15), is to be funded. In the aftermath of the


announcement by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, shadow edu- cation minister, Andy Burnham, tabled an “urgent question” in the House of Commons on Tuesday (October 19). During a 30-minute debate, he


pushed education secretary Michael Gove as to where the money would come from to fund the premium, saying that the policy was “fuel- ling rumours over the future of Education Maintenance Allowances and universal access to Sure Start”. Mr Burnham said: “We need


to know whether the government will honour repeated promises that the pupil premium will truly be additional to the schools budget. A BBC report has suggested that it will be recycled from within the schools budget. “People are anxious about where


this funding is coming from. Can (Mr Gove) give us an assurance that no other part of the education budget is facing disproportionate cuts to pay for it?” More details were due to emerge


in the government’s spending review, which was unveiled yester- day (Wednesday, October 20) after SecEd had gone to press and which set the schools budget for the com- ing three years. However, on Tuesday, Mr Gove


pledged that funding would be there to “guarantee that more people will participate after the age of 16 and to guarantee that a network of Sure


Start children’s centres is there for every child who needs them”. He added that the spending review would see “school spending will rise in real terms”. On Friday, Mr Clegg unveiled


details of the pupil premium, which he said would be allocated to sup- port disadvantaged children and to prevent the education gap increas- ing between rich and poor. Mr Clegg detailed three main


focuses for funding – the early years, a pupil premium for schools, and removing barriers to higher education. Schools will receive “additional funds to offer targeted help to every pupil eligible for free school meals and reduce educa- tional inequalities”, he said. He added that by the end of the


spending review period in 2014/15, the school pupil premium would represent a £2.5 billion yearly investment.


Speaking after Tuesday’s debate


in the Commons, Mr Burnham said Mr Gove had “ducked questions” over funding. He added: “People need to be ready to look at the small print of education policy when the spending review is published.” Education unions this week also


questioned where the money would come from. Christine Blower, gen- eral secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: “(What is) wor- rying is the fact that there is still no clear indication where this funding will be coming from and if the education budget will suffer as a consequence.” She added: “Cutting central sup-


port services to schools, one-to-one tuition and the expansion of free school meals will have a massive impact on the abilities of schools to give every child the care and practi- cal support they need.” Dr Mary Bousted, general secre-


tary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, agreed: “It is impos- sible to know whether this targeted funding will be any improvement on the previous deprivation funding or whether it will mean more fund- ing for those who need it most.” The Department for Education


said it would not comment until after yesterday’s spending review. The NASUWT said that the


£7 billion would “sink without trace in the gaping hole in the education budget left by the deep cuts pre- dicted in the spending review”. The National Association of


Head Teachers echoed this view. General secretary Russell Hobby said: “Let’s be clear, this is just the start of what we need if we are to transform social mobility.” In 2008/09, the schools budget


amounted to £42.8 billion. The Dedicated Schools Grant made up £28.9 billion of this amount.


Support staff body gets temporary reprieve


The body set up to negotiate pay and conditions for school support staff in England has been given a temporary reprieve after being threatened with closure. The School Support Staff


Negotiating Body (SSSNB) was named last month in a leaked list of quangos that were facing closure as part of the government’s spend- ing cuts. However, an official list released last week said its future was now “under consideration”. SecEd has learnt that education


Survey suggests sexual assault ‘commonplace’


Sexual assault is “commonplace” in school environments it was claimed this week. It comes after an online poll


found that nearly one third of 16 to 18-year-old females have suffered from unwanted sexual touching in schools. The survey, conducted by


YouGov, involved 788 16 to 18-year-olds, both male and female, from across the UK. Nearly three quarters said


they hear the words “slut” or “slag” used towards females either on a daily basis or a few times a week. The study, commissioned by


End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), which includes organisations such as Amnesty International, also shows that 40 per cent of the students do not receive lessons or information on sexual consent or were unsure whether they did or not. More than a quarter said they see sexual pictures on mobile phones while at school at least a few times a month. The EVAW has now called


for the government to help schools to tackle the issue. Chairwoman, Professor Liz


Kelly, said: “Schools are failing in their legal and ethical responsi- bility to effectively challenge all forms of violence against women and girls and provide safe and supportive environments for their female students. “Unfortunately, it is clear that


teachers are not being given the training and ongoing support they need to do this.” Since April 2007, schools


have had a legal responsibility to tackle sexual harassment and violence against women and girls through the Gender Equality Duty. Prof Kelly added: “Not only


is sexual harassment against girls at school routine, everyday and unquestioned, our results show that sexual assault is in fact common- place in school environments.” The survey was carried out


between October 4 and 11 this year. For more information on the EVAW, visit www.endviolence againstwomen.org.uk


secretary Michael Gove has invited the education unions to submit “evi- dence” to him as to why the SSSNB should be safeguarded. The U-turn comes after


UNISON, which represents 200,000 school support staff, threatened strike action if the body was axed. The official list said the SSSNB’s future would now be “subject to further discussions with employer and union representatives”. Mr Gove met with UNISON’s


head of education, Christina McAnea, on Friday (October 15). Ms McAnea said: “The secretary of


lose its government funding in April. The Trust said this week that it will continue its work as a charity and is hoping to continue working with the Department for Education on school food initiatives. The Teenage Pregnancy


Evidence: Christina McAnea


state said he is still considering his options and has given us the oppor- tunity to put in evidence.” The SSSNB is due to report in


April next year with recommenda- tions for the pay and conditions of support staff and Ms McAnea is urging the minister to wait until then before making his decision. However, she warned that if


the body is axed then UNISON is “definitely committed” to consult- ing its members on whether a ballot for industrial action should be held. Elsewhere, the list confirmed that the School Food Trust would


Independent Advisory Group was also among those axed, with closure due for December when its existing remit comes to an end. Quangos still “under considera-


tion” include the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services, the Training and Development Agency for Schools, and Partnerships for Schools, the body in charge of Building Schools for the Future, all of which will discover their fate by the end of the year. The list confirms the closure


of the schools technology agen- cy Becta, the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, and the General Teaching Council for England. Inspectorate Ofsted, exams regulator Ofqual, and the School Teachers’ Review Body are to be retained.


Minister urges schools to direct money to frontline


Education funding in Wales must be focused more closely on front- line teaching, Wales’s education minister has warned. Leighton Andrews says schools


must do much more to direct money into the frontline – particularly now that economic times are so tough. His comments follow a major


review which found that almost one third of annual Welsh education spending (£1.3 billion) is spent on administration. The report, conducted by


PricewaterhouseCoopers, estimated that a two per cent shift in spend- ing away from behind-the-scenes services into frontline activities would equate to a cash injection of £83 million. As a result, Mr Andrews has


SecEd • October 21 2010


written to representative bodies ask- ing them to put forward plans to save money and put learners first. “Many of the responses do not


go far enough,” he said. “A more radical approach will be needed to deliver the scale of cost shift required to protect services and stra- tegic priorities and to deliver the best possible outcomes for our learners. “We need a more transformation-


al and consistent approach to deliver the scale of change required and those organisations that are still hesi- tating must catch up with those that are already moving ahead at pace.” According to the latest spending


statistics, Wales now spends an aver- age of £527 a year less on each child’s education than England. Mr Andrews has pledged to narrow that gap by


“streamlining” the education system and balancing funding between front- line and support services. Dr Philip Dixon, director of


the Association of Teachers and Lecturers Cymru, said the minis- ter’s statement gives a clear indica- tion that the pace of change is not fast enough in certain areas. “We are concerned that progress


doesn’t seem to be being made as quickly with the local authorities as it seems with the further education colleges,” he said. “It’s vital that as much money as possible gets to the frontline. This is not an optional extra and it is essential we spend more money on children’s educa- tion. Local authorities must stop being precious about their back- room functions.”


NEWS In brief Research grants


School leaders who want to develop or research innovative leadership practice may be eligible for a £2,000 grant. Belmas (the British Educational Leadership Management and Administration Society) is after working heads, deputies and middle managers keen to make their own contribution to educational research and best practice. Projects it wants to encourage include cross- sector leadership development collaborations and examples so far have included how English as an additional language teaching might be improved through more leadership involvement. Visit: www.belmas.org.uk/belmas/ research/development_grants.eb


Olympic resource


A map celebrating the role of civil engineers in transforming the Olympic Park in east London has been produced for students. The learning resource has been unveiled by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Ordnance Survey. The map plots the main venues, utilities, road and rail links but also explains how engineers overcame the challenges of managing waste, transport, energy and water resources on the site. The ICE has also launched the Create Sport Challenge offering £1,000 to the school team that can design and build the best model of a community sports venue. Email: ice.london@ice.org.uk


Wellbeing aid


A new way that schools and other organisations can measure the wellbeing and quality of life of children has been launched by The Children’s Society. The Good Childhood Index establishes benchmarks against which childhood experiences can be measured over time. The tool pin-points the key factors that have the most impact on a child’s satisfaction levels. The long-term aim is that professionals will be able to use the index so they can benchmark their school or a group of children against the national average. Visit: www.childrenssociety.org.uk


Henry to host


Comedian and actor Lenny Henry is to host this year’s Teaching Awards ceremony, which will take place on October 31 at the Theatre Royal in London’s West End. Mr Henry paid tribute to several inspirational teachers in his life, including his science teacher at Blue Coat Secondary Modern in the West Midlands, Jim Brookes, who he said was “the best thing about my school – funny, charming and tough”. Nominations are already open for the 2011 Teaching Awards. Visit: www.teachingawards.com


Careers app


Awarding body City & Guilds has launched a Facebook application to help students discover their ideal career. The app consists of a multiple-choice quiz and when the answers have been collated and assessed, suggestions for their perfect job will be revealed. Students will be provided with information on the jobs and in some cases, inspirational videos from those who have hit the big time through vocational education. Visit: http://apps.facebook.com/ careerfindercg/


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