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Study calls for students to have recruitment role


by Daniel White


Students should be more involved when it comes to the recruitment of teachers, the children’s commis- sioner for England has said. The call has been made after


research involving 2,000 children aged between eight and 17 showed that 18 per cent had been involved in recruiting teachers in their schools, but that 65 per cent wanted to be involved in future. The study was carried out


by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) on behalf of the children’s commis- sioner Maggie Atkinson, who said this week that it was not about “putting the children in charge”. She explained: “It is about mak-


ing use of their experience. There are many ways of involving young people. I was interviewed by a panel of young people as part of


What the profession thinks


Alistair Macnaughton, head, The King’s School, Gloucester: “At our school the feedback from pupils on the prospective staff they meet is always taken into account. It is routine for us to ask an interviewee for a teaching post to teach a lesson, and even though that lesson is appraised by a member of staff, we would always ask the pupils for their own views on what went well or what didn’t. I am not in favour of pupils taking a more formal role, such as


being part of an interview panel. Even with proper safeguards, there are dangers in that kind of approach: the pupil who thinks he or she has ‘appointed’ the candidate, the overly loaded question, the breach of confidentiality that might undermine the process fundamentally.”


Kerry Turner, director of ICT, Nottingham High School: “When I went to a school for an interview, students sat in on my presentation and asked me questions. I was also interviewed by a panel of students later in the day. Strangely enough, being interviewed by students were the times I felt most at ease – as a teacher who enjoys being with youngsters, why would this not be so? The students were far more kind, appeared less business-like, and


asked questions which I felt were relevant to my role as a teacher. Senior members of staff often ask questions which push you to look beyond your role as a teacher, so it was good to be able to ‘just be a teacher’ when answering student questions.”


Dr Bernard Trafford, head, Royal Grammar School, Newcastle: “It needs to be done well, with advice and training given and parameters set. I find young people incredibly canny about it. They always seem to spot the one who is good at ‘getting down with the kids’ but is all show and talk. They want more substance than that. They want that sense of easy and natural authority, someone who knows their stuff and won’t be messed around. They don’t make the appointment ultimately – but then nor does the head of department or any other member of a panel. I do: I’m the head. But I make the best decisions when they are consensual, when a variety of viewpoints have assembled and we’ve talked until we’re all comfortable. And you know what, the kids always seem to get it right.”


Richard Jarrald, federation development director, City College Norwich: “(It) needs to be carefully implemented to ensure we avoid ‘tokenism’ and over-egging the role of students beyond what is sensible, appropriate and legal. It has the potential to (undermine authority) though this should not be a reason to avoid what can be a very worthwhile part of the recruitment process. I think there is a mixed view (from teaching staff). Some are strong supportive while others feel it should not be considered or it is inappropriate. Carefully implemented it is very powerful.”


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Alex Wood, head, Wester Hailes Education Centre, Edinburgh: “The key point is that students should have no veto over appointments but if they are given the opportunity to interview applicants and pass positive comments on interviewees to the formal interviewing committee, they add a real level of insight to the process. Nothing could be more absurd than the suggestion that such involvement undermines teacher authority. Teachers with authority are those who relate meaningfully, consistently and professionally to their students. Student involvement in the interview process helps ensures that such teachers are appointed.”


Dr Annabel Kay, deputy head, Lawrence Sheriff School, Rugby: “We have used students as part of the interview process for about 12 years. If done properly it goes really well. Students ask those questions (within reason) that we cannot but would very much like to. I have never found there to be any issue over respect or behaviour.”


teacher respecting them more, as they had helped her to get the job.” Christine Blower, general sec-


retary of the National Union of Teachers, said that it is “absolutely right” that children should have a voice within school, but warned that there were limits. She added: “While it is not


appropriate that pupils should have a final say in the appointment of teachers, they should certainly be represented on schools councils and involved in imaginative ways with the work of governing bodies.” Russell Hobby, general secre-


tary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said that for chil-


dren to be involved in recruitment with “sensible limits” could be “entirely appropriate and frequently illuminating”. He added: “Children know a


good teacher when they see one. They should not have a veto, they should not be unsupervised, but they can contribute. Being involved is one of the best ways to help someone take responsibility for their learning and behaviour.” The research also showed that


60 per cent of students “enjoyed” school. However, a third said they felt pressured by their school to do well and a quarter felt the same pressure from parents


Ms Blower also hit out at the


pressures put on league tables for teachers that are now affecting school children. She added: “The fact that too many children think there is excessive pressure on them to do well at school shows, yet again, that the punitive system of assessment and league tables puts an unacceptable strain on pupils.” Elsewhere in the research,


87 per cent of students said they believed they knew what made a good teacher, with subject knowl- edge, bullying prevention, and helping struggling students among the cited attributes. Visit www. childrenscommissioner.gov.uk


EMA replacement will see students losing out


Some students receiving the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) could lose £370 a year under the government’s replacement scheme. The Institute of Fiscal Studies


(IFS) has released a study following the announcement of a new bursary and discretionary fund for students going into further education. They have said that the new fund


will, on average, leave students who receive free school meals (FSM) £370 a year short compared to EMA. Education secretary Michael


Gove last week confirmed an £180 million bursary replacing the £560 million EMA. The govern- ment said that 12,000 of the “most vulnerable” 16 to 19-year-olds in care, care-leavers and those on income support will receive bursa- ries of £1,200 a year. This would then leave £165 million for schools and colleges to allocate at their discretion. Mr Gove also confirmed that


EMA students who started further education in September 2009 will remain eligible for the weekly payments. However, students who started in September 2010 and who receive the maximum EMA pay- ment of £30 a week will be eligible for £20 a week until 2012. In announcing the bursary, Mr


2


Gove claimed it would enable stu- dents eligible for FSM to get £800 a year to carry on their education. He said: “We have one of the most unequal education systems in the developed world. We have an insuf- ficient supply of high quality voca- tional education. We have a system of education spending which is fun- damentally inefficient. “£180 million will be available


for this bursary fund – enough to ensure that every child eligible for FSM who chooses to stay on could be paid £800 per year – more than many receive under the current EMA arrangements.” However, the IFS has disputed


this, claiming that it could leave students with less than they cur- rently receive. An IFS statement said: “Under


the current arrangements, chil- dren with household incomes less than £20,817 are entitled to a full EMA payment of £30 per week (or £1,170 per year). By comparison, to be eligible for free school meals, their household income cannot total more than £16,190. In other words, any children on free school meals are currently entitled to the full £1,170 for EMA, if their circum- stances do not change. “It must be the case that most such students would be worse off


under the bursary scheme than they would have been under the EMA – on average, to the tune of £370 a year. Furthermore, allocating the bursary fund in this way implies that other EMA recipients not cur- rently eligible for FSM would in future receive nothing.” The EMA is a contract given


to further education students based on attendance, punctuality and achievement. Payments to stu- dents staying on in further educa- tion range from £10 to £30-a-week. Students with family incomes of less than £20,817 receive £30; those with family incomes between £25,522 and £30,810 get £10. Brian Lightman, general secre-


tary of the Association of School and College Leaders, stressed that students and parents need to be made aware of the changes so deci- sions can be made for the next academic year. He said: “It has been very clear


during recent months that young people from the most disadvan- taged backgrounds already were being forced to reconsider their decision to remain in education. While the new fund is only a third of the money available under the EMA, it will still go a fair way toward helping the most disadvan- taged students.”


SecEd • April 7 2011


the selection process for children’s commissioner, for example. “Some schools have members


of the school council sit as part of the interview panel. Others get feedback from pupils on a sample lesson taught as part of the process. “It makes sense to make use


of this experience when recruiting staff. With the proper training and support, pupils can bring a differ- ent, and valuable, point of view to the table.” The report showed that student


involvement in teacher recruitment was more common in secondary schools. One case study reported was of a group of key stage 3 students who were involved in the recruitment of a deputy head. The report states: “The students


saw the value in selecting senior school staff, as they felt that it helped them to understand their new teacher, and also thought that the experience had resulted in the new


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