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NEWS • VIEWS • INFORMATION • ADVICE
SCHOOL INSPECTIONS
• Certain schools will be exempt from inspection but an exempt school can be inspected at the instruction of the Secretary of State.
• Ofsted is to focus on four areas of achievement: teaching, leadership and management, behaviour, and safety.
• The Secretary of State will take powers to decide to close any school eligible for intervention.
The NASUWT’s view
Whilst it may seem an attractive option to be exempt from inspection, the failure to identify in the Bill the criteria for exemption means that this provision is open to manipulation.
The Secretary of State is acquiring significant powers over schools eligible for intervention and is able to define which they are.
FINANCE
• Nursery schools will be able to charge for early years education for three and four year olds for above the 15 hours. This additional time will come into the category of optional extras.
• Optional extras for which schools can charge will be extended.
The NASUWT’s view
The NASUWT is deeply concerned by these provisions as they could lead to schools charging for provision that is currently free and making subjects and activities outside the core education, defined by the Coalition as optional extras, as those for which a charge could be levied.
POST-16 EDUCATION
• Any person or body can apply to the Secretary of State to establish a college, without reference to the local authority. The local authority will no longer be required to make a proposal to enable this to take place.
• The Secretary of State will be able to suspend the apprenticeship offer as a result of economic difficulties or difficulties with supply or demand.
The NASUWT’s view
This provision puts existing provision at risk by enabling additional provision to be set up without local needs being properly identified and considered.
At times of economic recession, with young people bearing the brunt of unemployment, apprenticeships are a lifeline for young people. The fact that the Secretary of State can suspend the provision without consultation or a decision from Parliament is of deep concern.
ACADEMIES
• Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) can become academies.
• New 14-19 technical schools introduced.
• Any educational institution thet provides full or part-time education for persons over 16 and under 19 can become an academy.
• The Secretary of State will be given the power to make a property transfer scheme from the local authority to the proprietor of an academy. The transfer scheme includes rights and liabilities of local authorities or governing bodies and rights and liabilities in relation to staff.
• Increased powers for the Secretary of State’s ability to make land available for free schools.
The NASUWT’s view
PRUs usually provide support for a wide area; for them to be able to become academies compromises the provision and opens them up to private providers.
The NASUWT is already opposed to free schools being established. These provisions enable free schools providing for 16-19 year olds to be established by private providers, in competition with existing provision and taking funding from existing provision.
Taking local land and previously public assets to give to free schools is unacceptable.
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WALES
• The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) will have the power to adopt regulatory professional standards for the school workforce, including recruitment and training.
• The WAG will have the power to adopt funding arrangements for pre-16 training and education, to legislate for the financing of the education system in Wales, with the exception of higher education, and to adopt measures for the funding of the education functions of a local authority, the funding of schools and independent schools in Wales.
The NASUWT’s view
These provisions have been inserted at the request of the WAG. The NASUWT is very concerned that the powers in relation to standards, which include pay standards, could be used as a vehicle either by the Westminster Coalition or the WAG to initiate the break-up of the national framework of pay and conditions of service that covers England and Wales.
Further examination of the funding provisions is required to ensure that this will not exacerbate the already serious funding issues for schools in Wales.
THE NEXT STEPS
The NASUWT will be providing written and oral evidence to the House of Commons Committee of MPs, which will be considering the Education Bill provisions.
The Union will issue further briefings to members providing more detail on each specific aspect of the Bill.
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