Teachers Have Too Much Control, RSC Warns School
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
what do OFSTED’s carol DWECK: 27 18 heads termly (15%) (10%) if i took over want? report education 68 181 68 Pages 26 & 27 Pages 12 & 13 (38%) TOTAL (38%) Page 18 SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 | EDITION 24 Regional schools commissioner, Jenny Bexon-Smith Ofsted national director for schools Sean Harford Teachers have too much control, RSC warns school Advice clashes with Ofsted guidance on planning and marking P14 Commissioner seems to be “running a shadow Ofsted”, says union SOPHIE SCOTT east Midlands, Jenny Bexon-Smith, warned: “Some “We tapped @SOPH_E_SCOTT aspects of teaching practice are left to the professional discretion of staff and/or subject departments, such as into a moment” A regional schools commissioner (RSC) has warned a requirements for planning lessons and the marking of struggling school for allowing its teachers to have too students’ work. PROFILE: much control over teaching practices. “This is leading to some inconsistency of practice DAVID BLUNKETT In a letter to Top Valley Academy, Nottingham, the regional school commissioner for Yorkshire and Continued on page 2 For more info see pages 16 & 17 NEED TIME TO RE-ENERGISE AND REFLECT THIS SUMMER? BROUGHT TO YOU BY MEDIA PARTNER Inspiring Leadership Conference 2015 2 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, MAR 27, 2015 EDITION 24 NEWS RSC issues pre-warning to struggling school SCHOOLS WEEK TEAM SOPHIE SCOTT CONTINUED Editor: Laura McInerney @SOPH_E_SCOTT FROM FRONT Head designer: Nicky Phillips and effectiveness within and across Designer: Rob Galt departments.” Sub editor: Jill Craven The letter follows a visit from an education adviser – working on behalf of Senior reporter: Sophie Scott the Department for Education (DfE) – after Senior reporter: Ann McGauran the school received a requires improvement rating from Ofsted last year. In 2011, before Senior reporter: John Dickens joining the Central Academy Trust, it was Senior reporter: Freddie Whittaker rated at the same level. Unlike Ofsted, education advisers do not Bousted, said the letter supporting struggling Reporter: Billy Camden publish reports about their school visits and raised concerns about schools and they have Photographer: Ellis O’Brien there is no publicly available information the role of RSCs. previous experience.” about their names or backgrounds, leading to “This looks like Dr Bousted also Cartoonist: Stan Dupp concerns that commissioners are operating a the regional schools questioned the RSC’s Financials: Helen Neilly “shadow Ofsted”. commissioner are concerns about Ms Bexon-Smith’s letter warns that if starting to run a shadow inconsistency in teaching Victoria Boyle the school continues to under-perform then Ofsted. The problem is, practices. Sales manager: Hannah Smith additional governors could be drafted in by they are not even raising “Of course there is in- the education secretary. the same issues as the school variation of teaching Sales administrator: Jasmin Fergus-Aghamiri Her comments regarding teacher and Ofsted reports. quality within and across Administration: Frances Ogefere Dell subject department discretion appear to “As for the education departments - that is there contradict recent Ofsted guidance that states advisers, not only are in every school. Contributors: Daisy Christodoulou inspectors do not expect to see lesson plans they shadows, they are “The fact that to address inconsistency Guy Claxton set out in a specific way. ghosts. Who are they? How can you raise a the RSC is saying they have to plan lessons On the BBC’s File on Four radio show last complaint with them? What is the status of and mark in the same way when there is Carol Dweck week, Ofsted’s national director for schools, their relationship with the RSCs? It is a mess no evidence that will raise standards of John Hattie Sean Harford, also reiterated that inspectors and a muddle.” achievement is astounding. Andrew Old did not expect to see particular types of Schools Week asked the DfE for further “It is amazing that this can be written at Emma Knights evidence about teacher feedback. information about education advisers’ roles a time when Ofsted is saying that it does Schools Week asked to speak with Ms and backgrounds. not have a template for marking and lesson Bexon-Smith regarding her comments A spokesperson said: “Education advisers planning.” and received a DfE statement defending are involved in academy conversions and Ofsted defended Ms Bexon-Smith’s Managing director: Shane Mann her intervention as a “key part of the comment, stating that it did not feel her And tweet us your thoughts @schoolsweek or government’s plans for education”. words contradicted their guidance. with the hashtag #schoolsweek It continued: “We trust hardworking An Ofsted spokesperson said: “We updated teachers to tailor lessons to suit the needs the clarifications document [to say] that subscribe of the pupils they know best. However, ‘Ofsted does not expect to see any specific For an annual subscription to Schools Week for where a school is failing we have repeatedly frequency, type or volume of marking and just £50 visit www.schoolsweek.co.uk and click demonstrated that we will take action to feedback; these are for the school to decide on ‘subscribe’ at the top of the page. ensure it is turned around. through its assessment policy’. We do not www.schoolsweek.co.uk “Top Valley Academy has been issued with believe this contradicts [Ms Bexon-Smith’s] or call 020 8123 4778 to subscribe a pre-warning notice because its performance comments.” has not been good enough. We are working In December last year, Schools Week with the trust to drive up standards.” revealed that RSCs’ annual performance will ADVERTISE WITH US The most recent Ofsted report for Top be judged on a set of indicators, including If you are interested in placing a product or Valley raised teaching quality as a concern the number of schools converted to academy job advert in a future edition please click on but planning was not mentioned. The report status, and how many academies in their the ‘advertise’ link at the top of the page on schoolsweek.co.uk or contact: also stated that “detailed marking [was] region are judged as inadequate. becoming a consistent feature” of the school. Top Valley did not wish to comment while E: [email protected] The general secretary of the Association still in discussions with the RSC. T: 020 81234 778 of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), Dr Mary Mary Bousted Disclaimer Schools Week is owned and published by Lsect Ltd. The views expressed within the publication are those of the authors Meanwhile, in Blackpool, the RSC takes on a Challenge named, and are not necessarily those of Schools Week, Lsect Ltd or any of its employees. While we try to ensure that the Education minister Nick Gibb this week watchdog Ofsted sent a letter to Blackpool Challenge replaces the local authority’s school information we provide is correct, mistakes do occur and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of our material. visited Blackpool to announce a “challenge Council earlier this year, following a school improvement board and brings together the The design of the printed newspaper and of the website is copyright of Lsect Ltd and material from the newspaper board” that will improve standards in the improvement inspection at the authority in area’s school leaders, council representatives should not be reproduced without prior permission. If you town where more than 2,500 children are December. It said significant weaknesses and the RSC to share best practice and bring wish to reproduce an article from either the printed paper or the website, both the article’s author and Schools Week in schools rated as inadequate or requiring remained in its arrangements to support about rapid improvement.” must be referenced (to not do so, would be an infringement on copyright). improvement. school improvement. A Blackpool Council spokesperson said Lsect Ltd is not responsible for the content of any external The Blackpool Challenge board was created Blackpool is also included in coalition the challenge was a “very positive system-led internet sites linked to. Please address any complaints to the editor. We are fully by Regional Schools plans for parachuting top leaders into schools catalyst underpinned by support from the committed to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint which cannot be resolved by Commissioner (RSC) in struggling parts of England, including DfE”. He said the initiative would “likely take the editor, write to the Press Complaints Commission, Halton Paul Smith (pictured). coastal areas. It is one of 14 areas covered by three years to make significant impact”. House, 22—23 Holborn, London EC1N 2JD It will be chaired by the government-backed “Talented Leaders” Blackpool’s cabinet member for children’s professor of education scheme, implemented by Future Leaders. services, Ivan Taylor, is a member of the Learning & Skills Events, Sonia Blandford, and Unlike the London and North East board, which held its second meeting Consultancy and Training Ltd will include academy “Challenge” initiative, no specific funding has yesterday. He said: “Hopefully this will take 161-165 Greenwich High Road sponsor representatives, been earmarked for the board. Blackpool’s schools forward. I’m optimistic we London SE10 8JA academy heads and A Department for Education spokesperson have the right climate within the education T: 020 8123 4778 E: [email protected] Blackpool Council. said: “Acting decisively on failure is a key community in Blackpool to do that, but I don’t Education part of our plan for education. The Blackpool underestimate the problem.” SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 24 FRIDAY, MAR 27, 2015 3 NEWS DfE scores academy chains for first time FREDDIE WHITTAKER PERFORMANCE MEASURES @FCDWITTAKER ACADEMY CHAINS NUMBER OF NUMBER OF CURRENT IMPROVEMENT PUPILS IN ACADEMIES GCSE AND IN GCSE AND The Department for Education has proposed KEYSTAGE 4 INCLUDED IN EQUIVALENT EQUIVALENT measures for rating the performance of COHORT CURRENT KS4 VALUE ADDED VALUE ADDED VALUE ADDED academy chains and local authorities, which MEASURE would be published on an ongoing basis.