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Funding data confusing for parents, say heads


by Dorothy Lepkowska


League table figures showing school spending per pupil will confuse parents and tell them little about the standard of education or value for money being offered, headteachers have claimed. Many are angry at the intro-


duction of a new column in this year’s rankings and say it does not take into account a school’s circum- stances or intake of pupils. Ministers brought in the new measure this year in an attempt


at greater transparency. The fig- ures aim to provide comparisons between results and what schools spend per-child, which in turn is intended to demonstrate efficiency and value for money. However, heads told SecEd that


they believed most parents wouldn’t understand the statistics, nor would they bother to study them. Mike Griffiths, headteacher of


Northampton School for Boys, said: “My deputy gave me a table showing this information, for the school, the local authority and national data, and I am not sure I


have a clue what it tells me. I don’t know that I or my colleagues can draw any conclusions at all, since the data and what counts in each heading, will not have been done the same way in every school. “Parents struggle with level 4a


and 4b and which is higher, so this added data I suspect will go almost entirely unread and unscrutinised by all but the most voracious stat- tos.” Jacques Szemalikowski, head


of Hampstead School in Camden, north London, described the intro- duction of the figures as “plain daft”.


“There is nothing wrong with


all information being in the public domain, but to what end?” he said. “I can’t imagine anyone looking


at it. As a head I obsess over details of my school budget, but as a parent I won’t be looking at my children’s school’s budget at aIl. “I am interested in their learn-


ing, happiness, development and safety. I certainly don’t think it will influence parental preference whatsoever.” However, Jeremy Newnham,


head of Caistor Yarborough School in Lincolnshire, believes the publi-


cation of the figures is “imperative and should continue”. He said: “This is public money


and therefore its use should be transparent. “As a member of a schools


forum it is important that tax pay- ers can ask questions of those that control school funding and allocate funding to schools. “The marked differences


between local authorities need to be seen. It is hoped that this will enable all of us to be involved in any con- sultation around a national funding formula in the future.”


EBacc will damage school reputations Continued from page 1.


not only the academically more able child, but the economically better off. “There is no coherent strategy


for education and that things have not been thought through because the individual, who is, in my opin- ion, making policy on the hoof, is arrogant and over-confident about his ability to know what is right for the children of this country and is not prepared to listen to anyone’s view other than his own.” Meanwhile, the head of one


of top independent schools in the country, described this year’s league tables as “downright silly”. Dr Bernard Trafford, head of


the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle, said: “The government could have done its own calcula- tions to check what schools and pupils would have scored against the new measurement, as a trial for the future, but to publish the results in tables is misleading and damaging. “Neither the candidates nor the


schools knew what would count and what wouldn’t, so the results, entirely affected by candidates’ subject choices, are random and arbitrary. How can a school feel that it is fairly judged by any such ranking? And, as always, it will be schools and heads under pressure in tough settings that will suffer most damage to their reputations. It’s not the way to raise standards.” Meanwhile, in a letter to


Mr Gove written in December, Paul Scutt, head of Bishop’s Fox School in Devon, said: “It is your responsibility to consult on chang- es to the education system in this country prior to arriving at policy decisions which are then enacted and by which schools may be subsequently judged. To do so ret- rospectively is disingenuous and


St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Road Herne Hill, London SE24 0PB www.markallengroup.com


invites the accusation that by doing so your government stands to ben- efit from any improvement in these figures in the years to come. “Policy is not about political


expediency; instead it should reflect the needs of our nation, our school system, and the individual students for whom we serve. “Your decision to move on the


International Baccalaureate ignores the fact that schools will be forced to choose between the interests of students and their ability to achieve, and the needs of the school, and its ability to appear to succeed in the framework of the revised measure for league tables. Sadly it cannot achieve and force schools to com- pete in ways which disadvantage the needs of its students.” Education organisations repre-


senting specific subject areas are also angry at what they see as an arbitrary choice of disciplines being included in the EBacc. John Steers, general secretary, of


the National Society for Education in Art and Design, said: “I totally fail to see how a broad and bal- anced education in a civilised coun- try excludes the arts. The message to schools is clear – the arts have no real value and not even English literature is seen as worthwhile. “When I spoke to Nick Gibb


(schools minister) before Christmas he was unable to confirm wheth- er art and design, music, design and technology, and citizenship would remain part of the national curriculum. It is a strange world where studying Ancient Hebrew is given preference over subjects with strong vocational pathways like the arts and technology. How can this be a curriculum for the 21st century?”


• For more comment on the EBacc and league tables, see page 6: In Response and SecEd on your Side.


Excluded: Critics are angry that neither art or music count towards the new EBacc Fears for teacher job chances under the EBacc


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Newly qualified teachers could find it difficult to find work because of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), it has been claimed. The IoE this week issued


a press statement expressing “alarm” that the EBacc will over- look the creative subjects and reli- gious studies. It says that students currently


training to become teachers in sub- jects not included in the EBacc


will face “difficulties” because there will not be the demand for teachers in certain subjects. The EBacc is to be awarded to


anyone gaining A* to C grades in English, maths, a language, science, and geography or history. Late last month the government published further details of which qualifica- tions will be included, with some applied GCSE science and languag- es courses not counting. Religious education is also excluded.


Lucy Green, professor of music


education at the IoE, said prospec- tive teachers could be left strug- gling to find jobs because there would not be the demand for sub- ject teachers in those disciplines not included in the EBacc – namely the “creative subjects”. She told SecEd: “It seems cer-


tain that there could be difficulties for future teachers because schools won’t be backing these subjects.” The IoE cites evidence from the


Department for Culture Media and Sport, which says that the creative industries contribute almost £60 bil- lion to the British economy each year. Last summer, 1.4 million GCSE


qualifications were achieved in subjects not related to the EBacc, including music, visual arts and religious education. Professor Graham Welch,


deputy dean at the IoE’s Faculty of Children and Learning, point-


ed out that the International Baccalaureate has good represen- tation of the arts and creative subjects. He said: “In trying to create


a set of relevant and credible qualifications for our young peo- ple, should we not be trying to emulate this? “We’re surprised by the omis-


sion of certain subjects which currently form an important part of the curriculum,” he added.


2


SecEd • January 20 2011


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