NEWS FOCUS SecEd: On Your Side


Academy schools: Freedoms vs fairness Becky


The coaliTion government’s new education policies have certainly proved controversial – so much so that at their party conference, the lib Dems rejected a key element of it. lib Dem concerns were characterised by tensions between commitments to freedom and fairness. i was a speaker at the party conference fringes on the teaching unions’ jointly hosted debate, england’s Schools: a free for all? Reflecting on the three debates, i think it arguable that a consensus may be emerging. academy status promises a level of autonomy over


Francis Guest


editorial


curriculum and spending that many schools are crying out for. Research has shown relatively widespread interest in potential academy status remaining among headteachers, in spite of the fact that the deluge of applications predicted by education minister Michael Gove has failed to materialise. The scant take-up thus far may then reflect a range of other issues, which i will come to. The unions’ briefing for the conference fringe debates


included concerns for pupil entitlement to a broad and balanced national curriculum, presented as jeopardised by the new policies. however, while most would agree that a consistent core curriculum is required to ensure equality of opportunity, many would equally agree that education has suffered from mechanistic and heavily centralised, top-down approaches: teachers are creative professionals and should be free to engage as such. i would argue that a consensus around the shape of a core curriculum that allows for flexibility, professional creativity and local needs is relatively easily secured. There are of course a host of logistical issues around the


implication of academy status which are yet to be clarified. however, the most profound questions relate to issues of accountability and social justice. The questions around accountability are both pragmatic


and ethical; the latter reflecting anxieties about the impact of some of the academies’ new freedoms on other schools. There is the impact of a reduced offer from local authorities on other schools once academies’ removal from the system has reduced their budgets. There are questions about inspection and a lack of democratic local accountability. and there are concerns that academy autonomy may be expressed by admissions, exclusion and staffing policies that are to the detriment of other local schools.academies’ higher rates of exclusion fuel anxieties here: this issue has been tackled by the previous administration, but will Mr Gove recognise such issues, or see freeing up admissions and exclusions policies as fundamental to autonomy? This brings us to the related issue of social justice. Mr


Gove has already turned on its head labour’s focus on underperforming schools in areas of disadvantage, with his prioritisation of outstanding schools for academy status. he continues to talk of these policies in relation to social justice. however, Dr Ruth lupton’s (london School of economics) analysis of inspection data shows that, although not always the case, underperforming schools are concentrated in poorer areas, and outstanding schools in wealthier ones. Further advantaging already-thriving schools with already-thriving pupils appears an odd way to secure social justice. The retort that outstanding schools are expected to partner with an underperforming school in applying for academy status fails to convince due to the lack of accountability concerning such relationships. it would be deeply worrying if autonomy resulted in isolationism, given that school partnerships are shown to be such a strong contributor to school improvement. There are some easy ways that Mr Gove could mitigate


these concerns. The White Paper could include a strong commitment to maintaining the admissions code, make fulfilment of criteria for the establishment of meaningful and lasting school partnerships mandatory in application for academy status, and require elaboration of methods of local accountability. it remains to be seen whether he will maintain a commitment to balancing freedom with fairness.


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Trips turnaround


PRoPoSalS To simplify the process for taking children on educational trips drew criticism from teachers this week as they were accepted by the prime minister. The recommendations form


part of a report into health and safety law and practice which was published last week bylord Young. The report, Common Sense,


Common Safety, says that the processes for before trips take place should be simpler, and recommends introducing a single consent form that covers all activities a child may take part in during their school career. lord Young was tasked with


looking at the country’s perceived compensation culture and the impact of health and safety regulations on businesses and personal freedom. The report states: “The process


for taking children on educational visits involves a huge amount of form-filling – ranging from consent forms to risk assessments – and the valuable time of education officials. “This process can involve


excessive bureaucracy that is not proportionate to the role it plays in reducing the risk of accidents. it merely serves as a deterrent and an excuse to ‘do nothing’.” lord Young said the “single


consent form” would be signed by a parent or guardian and covers all activities a child may undertake


The news this week that the processes for taking children on educational trips are to be simplified have not been welcomed by all. Pete Henshawexplains


during their time at a school, enabling parents to opt out of any specific activities. The report added: “consent is


already not required for activities which take place during the school day and in order to reduce the amount of bureaucracy around school trips we should underline this message to schools and local authorities.” The prime minister and the


cabinet have accepted all of the recommendations put forward by lord Young, who will now work with the Department for education to ensure their implementation. however, the national Union


of Teachers this week claimed that lord Young’s proposals would deter teachers from taking children on trips more so than the existing rules. christine Blower, general


secretary, said: “it is just not true to say risk assessments prevent trips taking place. To say that teachers shouldn’t consider risks before taking children and young people


IN RESPONSE… SecEd


• Becky Francis is director of education at the RSA. Pete Henshaw is publisher and editor of Seced. Visit www.sec-ed. co.uk and follow us at www.twitter.com/SecEd_Education.


Last week’s report into higher education funding in England recommended removing the cap on tuition fees – currently £3,290 a year. Lord Browne’s report laid out a levy for institutions charging more than £6,000 a year to ensure that they contribute more to supporting the poorest students. It also proposes that graduates start repaying loans when they earn £21,000 – up from £15,000. Vince Cable, minister for business, innovations and skills, endorsed the report and will make specific recommendations to Parliament.


Phillip Parkin, general secretary of Voice: “if implemented, these


recommendations could deter many students from poorer families from attending universities charging higher fees or even from going to university at all. in the future, schools may struggle to recruit teachers as more graduates seek the most highly paid employment, in order to ease their debt burden, rather than socially valuable careers such as teaching. This is a tax on talent that risks creating an in-debt society."


Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary, Association of Teachers and Lecturers: “Surely the government cannot be seriously considering hitting higher education with a triple whammy – massive funding cuts, a steep rise in tuition fees that might


stop some students going on to higher education, and an arbitrary immigration cap that makes it incredibly hard for the best overseas scientists and researchers to work at universities in england.”


Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust: “The danger is that higher fees for the most prestigious university courses will make them the preserve of the most privileged. We have to be absolutely sure that children not only from poorer but also middle income homes are not deterred from leading universities because of real or perceived costs. There are some sensible


measures in these proposals: rationalising the student support system; a focus on new access


targets and more flexibility in funding work to reach them; and a crucial emphasis on better advice and guidance.”


Richard Lambert, director general, Confederation of British Industry: “Under these proposals, courses that deliver for their students will expand and prosper: those that don’t will disappear. one key question, though, is how it will map into the coming cuts in public spending. There is speculation that these could take out more money from the system than is being proposed by lord Browne.”


• To view the full report, visit www.number10.gov.uk


out on trips just seems absurd. We don’t want to see teachers filling in reams of forms for the sake of it, but i’m sure most teachers would agree that you have to consider in advance what might go wrong and take precautions. “While we agree there


is sometimes excessive and unnecessary bureaucracy involved, the answer is not to remove it, but to ensure risk assessment is done well and efficiently.” Ms Blower is also worried about


the report’s proposal to abolish the adventure activities licensing Scheme, which licenses adventure activity centres to show they are safe and well run. lord Young has suggested a voluntary code of practice be implemented instead. Ms Blower added: “This will


not offer sufficient guarantee that centres are well run and safe. This is not a question of health and safety ‘gone mad’. if cowboy operations start up, pupils’ health and lives are at risk.” elsewhere, the report has


also called for a simplified risk assessment for classrooms. The new assessment form could be made available on the health and Safety executive website, which the report says could also provide checklists for areas in which a fuller risk assessment is required, such as sports facilities, laboratories and workshops. lord Young also wants a distinction created between health and safety legislation for leisure activities and that for workplace contexts. Professional body the institution


of occupational Safety and health broadly welcomed the report, including the school trip proposals. chief executive Rob Strange


said: “We are sick and tired of hearing of misinterpretations of health and safety laws which end in the cancellation of perfectly safe activities.” Tina Stockman, a teacher at


harlaw academy in aberdeen, said: “it is heartening to see a call for the simplification of the process of taking school pupils on trips. of course the safety of the children is paramount and information such as chronic illness and the need for long-term medication should be disclosed. “however i for one will be


glad to see the back of bewildered queries by children and their parents about the need to be able to swim 10 yards for a visit to the local art gallery!”


SecEd


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SecEd • October 21 2010


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