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Editorial Board SecEd is advised by an editorial advisory panel. Members include: Paul Ainsworth: vice-principal, Belvoir High School, Leicestershire. Mark Blois: partner, Browne Jacobson (education law solicitors). Peggy Farrington: headteacher, Hanham High School, South Gloucestershire. Jane Frith: Rector, The Royal High School, Edinburgh. Mike Griffiths: headteacher, Northampton School for Boys. Hilary Moriarty: national director, Boarding Schools’ Association. Neill Morton: headteacher, Portora Royal School, Enniskillen. Jo Smith: vice-principal, Long Field School, Melton Mowbray. Tina Stockman: teacher, Harlaw Academy, Aberdeen. Dr Bernard Trafford: headteacher, The Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne. Simon Viccars: headteacher, Leon School and Sports College, Milton Keynes.


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Your pay plan won’t work, minister told


By Pete Henshaw


Education secretary Michael Gove has set himself on a collision course with teachers after asking the teachers’ pay body to back a move to performance-related pay. Unions argue that it is simply too


difficult to devise a fair system to link individual pupil achievements to teacher performance and that the current arrangements already give enough flexibility to reward good performance. Mr Gove’s stance has also


clashed with the OECD. A briefing this week from the global research organisation emphasised the lack of any international evidence showing links between student performance and performance- based pay. The School Teachers’ Review


Body (STRB), which covers England and Wales, has been asked by the Department for Education to look at “reducing rigidity” within the pay system. It is due to report on September


28 and its remit includes making recommendations on linking pay to performance and introducing regionalised pay – linking pay to local private sector rates instead of a national standardised pay scale. In his formal evidence to the


review, published this week, Mr Gove argues that pay arrangements should reward good performance


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Estyn raises questions over skills education in Wales


Very few schools plan effectively enough how to develop 11 to 14-year-olds’ communication, numeracy and thinking skills across the curriculum, according to Welsh inspectors. In a new report from Estyn, the


education inspectorate for Wales, inspectors say that schools are aware that pupils need to develop generic skills but very few of them use the Skills Framework when planning skills’ development. They say this is because


schools place a higher priority on making sure teaching follows the national curriculum subject orders. Inspectors also say that


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descriptions in the skills framework – introduced in 2008 – are too broad to be helpful to teachers and the framework itself is non-statutory.


Ann Keane, Estyn’s chief


inspector, said: “We found that although nearly all schools have someone with overall responsibility for the development and implementation of skills only a few schools successfully plan the progressive development of pupils’ skills across the curriculum. “We have seen that where


schools make the greatest progress in developing pupils’ generic skills, senior managers support and provide staff with appropriate resources and training to develop skills across the curriculum.” In the report, inspectors found


that where the assessment and tracking of pupils’ progress in generic skills is most successful, schools use simple, non- bureaucratic systems that directly inform teachers’ planning. Among those highlighted for


good practice was Monmouth Comprehensive School where responsibility for developing pupils’ skills lies with form tutors, “progress managers” and pupils. Tutors assess pupils’ work, in particular their literacy skills, and progress managers oversee these assessments and work with form tutors to set targets. Pupils and tutors then agree what needs to be done to make improvements. The progress manager keeps track of targets, sharing them with subject teachers and checking on pupils’ progress. The report outlines a number of


recommendations for secondary schools, local authorities and the Welsh government, including ensuring that skills’ development is planned progressively throughout key stage 3 as well as assessed and tracked effectively.


Gove Bibles delivered


Schools have reacted with a mixture of bemusement and ridicule after the first deliveries of Michael Gove’s King James Bibles began arriving in schools last week. The education secretary’s


£370,000 initiative eventually had to be backed by Tony donors after he was told by the prime minister not to use taxpayers’ money. Mr Gove faced embarrassment after it emerged earlier this year that thousands of Bibles were being stored in a warehouse abroad awaiting despatch. The Bible, written in 17th


century English, states on the spine that it has been presented by the secretary of state for education. But now they have started arriving, some heads are wondering what to do with them. The head of one Catholic


secondary school, in the Midlands, said: “Why would a Roman Catholic school want a King James Bible? “This is a document written


specifically for the Church of England. Clearly Mr Gove cannot


2


know its origins or about 17th century British history.” Kenny Frederick, head of


George Greens’s School in east London, said she was planning a competition among staff for suggestions as it what to do with the gift. She said: “I object to the


secretary of state deciding what we need to read. The King James Bible may be his passion but it’s not mine. Mr Gove needs to get his mind back on his job and make more of an effort to understand the concerns and needs of schools. “I have yet to meet a head or


teacher who is not shocked by the arrogance of our secretary of state in this latest hobby horse.” Terry Sanderson, president of


the National Secular Society, added: “This is not simply another piece of literature, it is the holy scripture of one particular religion. Is it really the job of the government to be promoting one religion in schools that are increasingly multi-faith?” All schools will receive their copy by the end of May.


SecEd • May 24 2012


in the classroom and says that this will attract the “highest performing graduates and professionals” into teaching. He also said the pay system


should “ensure the best teachers are incentivised to work in the most challenging schools”. His evidence states: “Reform


of the current pay system for teachers is fundamental to driving up teacher quality. The current pay system is rigid, complex and difficult to navigate and does not support schools to recruit and retain the high-quality teachers or leaders they need to address specific shortages and benefit their pupils.” However, Mr Gove’s evidence


came as an OECD briefing said that international evidence shows “no relationship between average student performance in a country and the use of performance-based pay schemes”. It states: “Countries that have


succeeded in making teaching an attractive profession have often done so not just through pay, but by raising the status of teaching, offering real career prospects and give teachers responsibility as professionals and leaders of reform.” Despite this, Mr Gove wants


the STRB to consider options including a complete deregulation of national pay arrangements or a framework with minimum and


maximum pay levels. He also says that local pay zones should be explored. Dr Mary Bousted, general


secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: “The range and complexity of factors influencing how well pupils do at school make it far too difficult to devise a fair system to link an individual teachers’ performance to a pupil’s achievements, not least because so much teaching is based on teamwork.” Brian Lightman, general


secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, added: “Let’s be clear about one thing, teachers are already subject to performance-related pay. Progression up the teachers’ pay spine depends on a successful performance management review, and we agree with Michael Gove that this should remain.” Plans for regionalised pay


could see teacher salaries in some areas of the UK drop by up to 18 per cent as they would fall into line with local private sector rates. Mr Lightman continued:


“There is no evidence that a regional pay structure would improve standards in education.” Any recommendations from


the STRB could be taken forward in time for September 2013. Download the OECD


briefing note at www.oecd.org/ dataoecd/33/16/50328990.pdf


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Scotland’s £500m languages hole


A decline in language learning in schools and universities is costing the Scottish economy about £500 million a year, according to a government study. The sum, known as the


“language tax”, is what companies miss in overseas contracts and inward investment from a lack in linguistic skills among employees, said the Scottish government’s Languages Working Group. Pupils should start learning a


second language as soon as they begin primary school, rather than their penultimate year there, which is the case today, the group said. They should also start a third language by P5 and primary teachers should have a compulsory language qualification. Twelve schools are to pilot the


working group’s recommendations under the auspices of Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT), based at Strathclyde University. SCILT will receive extra funding in 2012/13, including £120,000 for the language pilots. Alasdair Allan, the minister


for learning, said the report went beyond the government’s earlier commitment to observe the European Council’s 2002 Barcelona Agreement, which recommends the learning of two foreign languages from a very young age. He said: “The world is


changing rapidly and radically and the government has a duty to ensure schools prepare young people so they can flourish and succeed in the globalised, multilingual world we now live in.


One indisputable aspect of modern life is more people travel widely for jobs and leisure and we must respond accordingly.” Almost all secondary pupils in


many European countries learn at least two foreign languages. More than half of senior secondary UK pupils do not study foreign languages. This has been attributed to the fact that schools no longer see them as compulsory. Two thirds of local authorities


have also axed foreign language assistants as part of budget cuts. Dr Dan Tierney, a reader in


language learning at Strathclyde University, said: “The targets are welcome, but extremely ambitious and will be very difficult to achieve. To achieve coherence from P1 through to secondary will require better planning in terms of teaching and learning and teacher supply.” Although Spanish has


increased in popularity in the last few years, the number of pupils taking French and German has fallen steadily. Primary schools have also not spent enough time teaching languages and primary teachers lack expertise in them, the report said. The drop in pupils taking


languages to exam level could have an affect on qualifications the Scottish Qualifications Authority can offer and “on higher education institutions maintaining their investment in language departments”, it added. Several universities have closed language departments or downgraded courses in the last few years.


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