‘frequent but short’ Ex-Dragon on show Page 3 Page 4 Quiz time otes Party qu Page 7 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014 | EDITION 4 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK Schools reject GCSE failures claim colleges Commissioner in the North Janet Renou • GCSE English and maths now required •Schools not letting pupils continue at 16 •Policy change driving ‘poor behaviour’ SOPHIE SCOTT @SOPH_E_SCOTT Teenagers are being prevented from continuing into their schools’ sixth forms after failing to get C grades and above in English and maths at GCSE, leading college groups have warned. Government changes now require students between 16 and 19 to continue to study English and maths, unless they have already achieved at least a GCSE grade C in the subject. James Kewin, deputy chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges’ Association, said: “Our enrolment survey published this week has shown a 14.6 per cent increase in the number of students starting a course at a sixth-form college without a GCSE in maths at grade A*-C. “This is an astonishing finding, given there was a national increase of 4.8 per cent in the proportion of young people awarded an A*-C in GCSE maths this summer.” He said the survey “suggested that the new funding condition had led many school and academy sixth forms to become more selective.” Meanwhile, the 157 Group, which represents large further education colleges, said: “We have heard from several of our members that this [students not being able to continue in their school’s sixth form] is happening in their localities; that young people are being turned away because they don’t have grade C - and that it is made a condition of entry before they have arrived. “It seems sadly inevitable that it might have happened and is another example of what is often said to be an unintended consequence of policy change driving poor behaviour. “It feels like it is a symptom of competition where there doesn’t need to be competition. What should be done is working together to make sure every person gets into the right place. Students are potentially being ill-advised . . . which means that guidance issue is back on the table.” Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said that difficulties with this year’s GCSEs following changes in the syllabus might be to blame. “The volatility in GCSE exams . . . has affected a very significant number of young people this year who have received lower results than schools would have expected. “I am very concerned to hear about a number of examples where this has led to them not being able to continue with their education because they haven’t passed the English exam. We are still investigating why those results have dipped in the way they have. “A lot of schools have appealed and we are hearing a significant number of grades have been changed. At the moment the only option for the students is to retake English unless a college will accept them.” A DfE spokesperson said it was unable to comment on specifics as it had not been presented with evidence of where this was happening. P14 Consensus is hard to find in education Party conference round-up Brett Wigdortz P7 2 ACADEMIES WEEK @ACADEMIESWEEK FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 4 FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 3 NEWS EDITION 4 NEWS ACADEMIES WEEK TEAM Jobs for the boys at UTCs Ofsted plan ‘frequent but shorter’ visits for good schools Editor: Nick Linford Head designer: Nicky Phillips Designer: Rob Galt Deputy editor: Laura McInerney Sub editor: Jill Craven Senior reporter: Sophie Scott Senior reporter: Philip Nye Reporter: Rebecca Cooney Reporter: Billy Camden Photographer: Ellis O’Brien Cartoonist: Stan Dupp Financials: Helen Neilly Victoria Boyle Sales manager: Hannah Smith Sales executive: Negar Sharifi Administration: Frances Ogefere Dell Contributors: Brett Wigdortz Dr Tanya Ovenden-Hope James Kewin Julian Stanley Katherine Richardson Andrew Old Katy Theobold Managing director: Shane Mann And tweet us your thoughts @academiesweek or with the hashtag #academiesweek subscribe For an annual subscription to Academies Week for just £50 visit www.academiesweek.co.uk and click on ‘subscribe’ at the top of the page. www.academiesweek.co.uk ADVERTISE WITH US If you are interested in placing a product or job advert in a future edition please click on the ‘advertise’ link at the top of the page on academiesweek.co.uk or contact: E: [email protected] T: 020 81234 778 Disclaimer Academies Week is owned and published by Lsect Ltd. 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If you have a complaint which cannot be resolved by the editor, write to the Press Complaints Commission, Halton House, 22—23 Holborn, London EC1N 2JD Learning Events, Learning&&Skills Skills Events, Consultancy and Training Ltd Ltd Consultancy and Training 161-165 Greenwich High RoadRoad 161-165 Greenwich High London 8JA LondonSE10 SE10 8JA T: 020 8123 4778 T: 020 8123 4778 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] BILLY CAMDEN @BILLYCAMDEN PHILIP NYE AND BILLY CAMDEN @PHILIPNYE | @BILLYCAMDEN As few as one in 20 students at some university technical colleges (UTC) are female, analysis by Academies Week shows, prompting claims that the current model is not the best way to help girls to get into traditionally male-dominated industries. The news comes after Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said that the lack of women taking STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects was one of the reasons for the pay disparity between men and women. Analysis of the 2014 schools census by Academies Week shows a paucity of female students at many UTCs – most of which offer courses in areas such as engineering and other technical fields. In total, just over one in five students at a UTC is female. But the gender split varies considerably across institutions, with girls making up more than half the pupils at three UTCs. However, four UTCs have proportions in single figures. The three UTCs with at least 50 per cent girls on roll specialise in life sciences and healthcare, digital media production, and supporting technical skills for the film, theatre and visual arts industries. One of these UTCs, in Hackney, is set to close at the end of the academic year. Speaking on Monday at the Wealth Management Association, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, who is also Minister for Women and Equalities, linked the low number of girls studying technical subjects and the gender pay gap. “Too many young women embark on less well-paid careers than their male counterparts. “We’re working to improve careers advice in schools and colleges, and we’re encouraging more girls to take the STEM subjects that lead to better-paid jobs.” Responding to the new figures, Professor Alison Wolf of King’s College London warned that even “well-equipped” UTCs might not be the way to get more girls into these subjects. “Engineering is genuinely desperate to attract more talented women. But it is going to be difficult to persuade many 14-year-old girls to opt for a boy-dominated specialty and boy-dominated classrooms for the rest of their school lives. “Governments have tried advertising campaigns, and have now tried well-equipped UTCs. Keeping girls’ options open, so they can make choices when they are more mature, strikes me as a better bet.” The UTC model is currently being expanded, with the number of students attending a technical college set to grow from about 2,300 last year to more than 8,000. A spokesperson at Baker Dearing Educational Trust, which promotes the UTC model, said: “There is an urgent need to attract more young women into STEM careers and all UTC principals are committed to this. However, the shortage of girls in engineering and associated areas has been a problem for decades and needs a joined-up approach if we’re to make a difference. “UTCs work with lots of organisations to tackle the issue such as the WISE [Women in to Science and Engineering] campaign which is running workshops across the UTC network, and the government’s Your Life campaign.” Central Bedfordshire UTC has 5 per cent female students – which it has acknowledged is not as many as it would like. Headteacher Lesley Glover said: “By coincidence we have been meeting this week The UTC gender imbalance School Girls Boys Total Percentage female Black Country UTC 25 120 145 Central Bedfordshire UTC 5 100 105 5% Aston University Engineering Academy 35 260 295 12% Wigan UTC 10 50 60 17% Hackney University Technical College 65 50 115 57% The JCB Academy 50 380 430 12% UTC Reading 15 125 140 11% Daventry UTC 15 80 95 16% The Elstree UTC 115 115 230 50% UTC Plymouth 30 110 140 21% Buckinghamshire UTC 5 85 90 6% Liverpool Life Sciences UTC 120 60 180 67% Bristol Technology and Engineering Academy 15 175 190 8% Silverstone UTC 20 140 160 13% UTC Sheffield 25 185 210 12% University Technical College, Royal Borough of Greenwich 55 225 280 20% Visions Learning Trust UTC x 70 70 <5% Total 605 23302935 Source: Schools census 2014 Notes: Schools census figures are rounded to the nearest five. ‘x’ indicates that a figures was suppressed due to low numbers – either one or two Hackney UTC is to close after this academic year 17% 21% with a nationwide engineering employers’ organisation, and our sponsors Bedford College, and among the topics of conversation was how we can all work together to attract more young women into engineering education and careers. “This is a much wider issue than UTCs.” Phil Lloyd, principal of the Liverpool Life Sciences UTC, which had the highest proportion of female students at 67 per cent, said that it offered something to girls “unsatisfied with the status quo” of their previous schools. And this doesn’t help... A report presented by the Royal Society outlining its vision for science and maths education was challenged this week due to its under-representation of girls. Presented during a fringe event at the Liberal Democrat party conference in Glasgow last week, the report “Vision for science and mathematics education” summarises the society’s recommendations for science and mathematics education over the next 20 years, including how to encourage girls to join STEM courses. An audience member at the event criticised the report after bringing to light the fact that the front cover only included pictures of boys, and of the 17 people shown in photographs throughout it, just three were girls. “One girl is doing biology and we can’t see what the other two are doing,” the audience member said. Commenting on the report, Dr Allan Colquhoun, a panel member at the event, said: “I agree that we need to be very careful in our portrayal of gender when illustrating STEM careers. One particular issue is the cliché of showing female engineers in hard hats in ‘dirty’ environments. “Whilst the ‘Vision’ addressed the gender issue I don’t feel it had sufficient emphasis. Gender is the biggest issue in the STEM area. We are not accessing nearly half of the potential workforce.” In defence of the report, Professor Dame Julia Higgins, chair of the society’s education committee, said: “The Royal Society is very aware that more girls need to be encouraged to take science subjects and this is a point made very strongly in our recent report.” Ofsted’s chief inspector has set out plans for “frequent but shorter” inspections for good schools and colleges from next September. Speaking yesterday, Sir Michael Wilshaw (pictured) launched an eight week consultation on reforms to the inspectorate intended to “maintain and accelerate” improved educational standards in England. Sir Michael said: “Most schools and colleges have been improving over the past couple of years at a faster rate than ever before. It is absolutely vital that this progress is sustained and that our system does not falter. “The time has come, therefore, to introduce frequent but shorter inspections for good schools and further education and skills providers. “These inspections will be different to what has gone before. They will have a much clearer focus on ensuring that good standards have been maintained. “In particular, inspectors will be looking to see that headteachers and leadership teams have identified key areas of concern and have the capability to address them. “For good schools and further education and skills providers who have the capacity to show this, the changes being proposed will mean that there is no longer any need for a full inspection.” The shorter inspections for good schools would be carried out by no more than two inspectors on site for one day and are likely to take place every three years. “Led by Her Majesty’s Inspectors, these short inspections will encourage professional dialogue and the sharing of good practice from across the country. They also mean that we can spot signs of decline early and take immediate action. “If we find significant concerns then we will carry out a full inspection. Where we think the school or provider may have improved to outstanding, we may also decide to carry out a full inspection to confirm this.” The consultation also sets out proposals for four categories of judgements; leadership and management, teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare and outcomes for children and learners. “I believe that our new inspections should place emphasis on safeguarding, the breadth of the curriculum in schools, the relevance of courses and training in further education and skills, and the quality of early learning.” In March the right-wing think tank Policy Exchange published a report called ‘Watching the Watchmen: The future of school inspections in England’ which made similar proposals. Jonathan Simons, Head of Education at Policy Exchange, told Academies Week: “I am pleased to see Ofsted recognise the need for reform to school inspections. Our recent work recommended a new, two stage inspection process with shorter inspections for stronger schools and more tailored support for those in need.” In addition, the consultation includes plans to introduce a new common inspection framework from next September which will standardise the approach to inspections for nurseries, schools and colleges. Sir Michael added: “In the past academic year alone 860 schools we inspected, attended by 335,000 children, declined in performance.” However, no changes are proposed to the inspection frequency of those providers classified as outstanding, inadequate or requiring improvement. The consultation runs until the 5 December and is available on the website at www. ofsted.gov.uk EXCLUSIVE: HAWTHORNE’S FREE SCHOOL TAKEN OVER PHILIP NYE @PHILIPNYE A free school judged to be ‘inadequate’ earlier this year is in the process of transferring to a new academy trust, Academies Week can report. The Hawthorne’s free school, in Bootle, became the fifth free school to be rated ‘inadequate’ after being visited by Ofsted in February. The school will now join the Great Children for All Children trust, which currently runs the King’s Leadership Academy free school in Warrington. Sir Iain Hall, chair of the trust, confirmed to Academies Week that the Hawthorne’s school was “in the process” of transferring in, and this was expected to be completed in January. “Officially now we are dissolving the board of trustees for the Hawthorne’s,” he said. Sir Iain said that he had been contacted by the Department for Education in March, and had been working with the Hawthorne’s school to turn around their performance since then. Sir Iain said that the school’s governors had recognised they did not have suitable experience to carry on overseeing the school and had all stepped down on 30 September. The headteacher has also left the school, with an interim leader to be brought in after half-term. Sir Iain said that he would not be recruiting a permanent head until the school was out of special measures. “I can see the green shoots of recovery,” Sir Iain said. The transfer means that all but one of the free schools judged ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted have either closed or moved to a different academy trust. Discovery New School was forced to shut earlier this year, while Hartsbrook E-Act Free School, the Al-Madinah School and now the Hawthorne’s Free School have all changed sponsor. A fifth free school, IES Breckland in Brandon, Suffolk, was placed into special measures after receiving an ‘inadequate’ grade following an inspection in January. It has remained with the same trust who contract the running of the school to Swedish education company IES. Andrew Challiss, chair of the SABREs Trust, said: “SABRE’s Trust are firmly committed, with IES and the governors, to take the school forward and we are working hard on progress for the future.” IES Breckland principal Alison Tilbrook said that IES also remained fully committed to the school, and that “positive steps” had been taken since the school’s Ofsted inspection, with a new principal and assistant principal appointed. Asked whether the school would be expected to transfer to a new trust, the Department for Education said: “Where a school is found to be inadequate we expect the governing body or trust to take swift action to address the failure. We are working with IES Breckland to ensure this happens.” For the latest school jobs turn to page 20 or visit academiesweek.co.uk/jobs 4 ACADEMIES WEEK @ACADEMIESWEEK NEWS Hypnotist teacher struck off for ‘abuse’ SOPHIE SCOTT @SOPH_E_SCOTT The government agency responsible for disciplining teachers has heard 14 cases relating to sexual misconduct since April 1, all resulting in prohibition orders, Academies Week can reveal. In one of the most recent cases, the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) banned a teacher in a West Sussex school after it was discovered he had hypnotised and sexually abused a pupil at a South African school in the 1980s. A report of the hearing, which took place on September 18, states that Stephen Pieter Grobbelaar hypnotised a 16-year-old boy when he was working as an English teacher at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth in 1987. He left the school in 1990 and has been working in England. The name of the school has not been released. It says that when the 16-year-old South African complainant, referred to as “Pupil A”, became concerned about his performance in maths, Mr Grobbelaar invited him to a room, alone, that evening. The report said: “He told Pupil A that the solution was hypnosis to implant the suggestion that he enjoyed mathematics. He hypnotised Pupil A.” He then sexually abused the boy. It added that he hypnotised the boy a week later to prevent him from remembering what had happened. The boy later remembered what had happened and told his school, but the report states it is “unclear” what action was taken other than Mr Grobbelaar, who is now 53, left. Last August, Pupil A found out that he was teaching at an English school and reported what had happened. Mr Grobbelaar resigned. The NCTL panel’s recommendations said he had breached a position of trust in “a deliberate and carefully planned manner, including an attempt at concealment”. It added: “The panel is also persuaded from his employment record and references over the past 22 years that he is an excellent and inspirational teacher. “The panel believes the risk of repetition of the behaviour is low.” Mr Grobbelaar admitted all the facts and was banned from teaching indefinitely in any school, sixth-form college, youth accommodation or children’s home. A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: “All schools must carry out comprehensive criminal records checks on all applicants – including those who have lived or worked outside of the UK. “Employers should also carry out checks with overseas employers before allowing an individual to work in a school.” DfE guidance, “Keeping Children Safe in Education” can be downloaded at: http:// tinyurl.com/nxgrfgp EDITION 4 FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 5 NEWS New primary school opens with no mains electricity and an ‘unreliable’ generator Theo hops on for the Skills Show PHILIP NYE @PHILIPNYE REBECCA COONEY @REBECCAKCOONEY Pupils will have access to careers advice and the chance to experience a huge range of jobs at the third annual Skills Show, which will run from November 13 to 15 at the Birmingham NEC. Organisers last week unveiled their plans for the event, which is expected to attract about 80,000 children from schools across the UK. Show patron Theo Paphitis and former Dragon’s Den investor said: “This show goes a long way to helping and inspiring kids and giving them the opportunity to just start imagining what they’re going to do for the rest of their lives.” The entrepreneur told Academies Week that it was important to keep school pupils returning to the show. “Why would we expect a kid to get inspiration the first time around? “We need to keep bringing them here want to do for the future changes.” There will be more than 50 hands-on activities, including furniture design, media make-up, games design and forensics. Ross Maloney, chief executive of Find a Future, which organises the show said: “We know schools have a statutory requirement to deliver careers advice and we see the and guidance.” A Skills Show roadshow will also take place between October 21 and November 8, with a specially commissioned bus kitted out with have-a-go activities visiting Leicester, Ipswich, Durham, Liverpool, London, Portsmouth, Bath and Birmingham. every year from a very early age and seeing lots of things because as their character changes, what turns them on and what they Skills Show as a very tangible way of doing that — bringing your young people to it will enable you to impart some of that advice Anyone interested in taking pupils to the Skills Show or the roadshow should visit www.theskillsshow.com. A minister has been forced to intervene after a free school in his constituency has been without mains electricity for five weeks. The Heights Free School in Caversham, near Reading, opened in early September in temporary accommodation, and at the time of going to print was still without mains supply. The primary school has been forced to use a generator at a cost of £1,200 per week – but while this has provided regular electricity, limited capacity means it has not been able to use all of its interactive whiteboard and iPads. Rob Wilson, MP for Reading East and the newly-appointed Minister for Civil Society, told Academies Week that he arranged a meeting between the school’s electricity company and the local council last Friday to secure action on laying a mains cable to the school. Headteacher Karen Edwards said that while the school was able to operate normally, the lack of a full power supply meant that only ten of the school’s 60 iPads could be used at the same time, as well as a sole interactive whiteboard in one of the school’s three classrooms. The shortage also meant that administrative staff had to use laptop machines, she said. The school, which has 61 pupils, was set up in portable classrooms on the site of a former nursery, a plan pulled together at high speed shortly before the school year began after problems with its permanent site. Academies Week reported last month that a £1.2m three-bed home purchased by the Education Funding Agency may not now be used after fierce opposition from local residents. A temporary site was only found in April, and is outside the school’s catchment area. Ms Edwards said: “We have been on the site for four-and-a-half weeks, something pulled together by quite an amazing group of contractors.” She said that six weeks ago, the school had not existed at all. Mr Wilson said: “Following numerous emails and telephone conversations between my office, the Heights, [electricity company] SSE and Reading Borough Council, it has now been agreed that the work will take place this week, with the connection to be established by October 10. “I hope that this will indeed be the case, as the unreliability of the generator has had an SUFFOLK SCHOOLS IN COUNCIL SPAT SOPHIE SCOTT @SOPH_E_SCOTT A row has broken out between Suffolk county council and local primary school headteachers after every school was sent a letter by the council rating them as ‘red’, ‘amber’, or ‘green’. Each of the primary schools’ chair of governors and headteacher received the ratings on the September 26 - according to the Suffolk Primary Headteachers’ Association (SPHA) written reply to the council seen by Academies Week. The SPHA letter describes the council’s communication as demonstrating a “continued and fundamental lack of understanding about what is required to improve schools in Suffolk.” It adds: “School leaders are already keenly aware of their schools’ performance, given their Ofsted ratings and HMI inspections. “Your rating system, without an offer of support, is a blunt instrument that adds no value whatsoever. It merely serves to demoralise those schools that are working hard on school improvement.” The letters come after Ofsted criticised Suffolk County Council’s support for underperforming schools. In an Ofsted report published this January reviewing the council’s education services, HMI James McNeillie said: “Officers have not intervened quickly enough in those schools that are declining. “They have been equally tardy in addressing ineffective leadership in maintained schools.” The SPHA also objected to the “threat of using the Local Authority’s statutory powers to replace Governing Bodies with Interim Executive Boards”– a move local authority’s use to improve under-performing schools. The letter criticised Suffolk County Council’s request for asking schools in receipt of ‘Warning Letters’ to provide a recovery plan. “You have asked the schools in receipt of Warning Letters to provide you with, “a recovery plan” within fifteen days of receipt of the letter. “We have no confidence in the Local Authority’s ability to make an informed judgement about the standard of these plans, given your lack of knowledge about these schools.” Responding to the criticism from the SPHA a council spokesperson told Academies Week: “Suffolk County Council is committed to increasing the pace of improvement in schools. Standards are start something special. V Certs - All the great benefits of vocational study for your pupils plus performance table recognition for your school. improving but they are not rising quickly enough. “Following analysis of data from the Department for Education and schools themselves we have identified schools where the available evidence tells us we need to take action. The council will use all the tools at its disposal to improve outcomes for children.” Libby Brown, chair of SPHA and head at Kyson Primary School in Woodbridge, declined to comment. Talk to us 0191 239 8000 [email protected] @NCFE ncfe.org.uk/vcerts adverse impact of the efficient running of the school – especially on the occasions when it has failed. “The school is a real testament to the hard work and dedication of the parents and teachers and it is essential that the basic utility connections are in place to ensure its immediate success.” A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “The Heights Free School has recently opened on a temporary site. “While the mains supply is being connected, we have arranged for electricity to be supplied by a generator as a short-term solution – so that the school could open as planned.” 6 ACADEMIES WEEK @ACADEMIESWEEK EDITION 4 FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK NEWS BRETT WIGDORTZ Founder and chief executive of Teach First More a quiet gathering than a party… a desire for stability, with reform shifting focus on to people rather than structural change. It was steady as it goes at the three main party conferences this year with education ministers signalling their intentions to reduce structural change The emerging theme seems to be a focus on people-based change, rather than structural transformation T Clegg bites at Tory Right after a term of policy snubs BILLY CAMDEN @BILLYCAMDEN Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg says that the Conservatives have been spitting “frenzied bile” throughout their coalition government, while suffocating his party’s education policies. During his speech at the Lib Dem conference in Glasgow this week, Mr Clegg attacked the “Tory Right” and former education secretary Michael Gove. “If power is still hoarded at the centre, the ability for people to liberate themselves from the circumstances of their birth is still denied to too many people,” he said. “I have fought tirelessly to instil opportunity in the earliest years of a child’s life. Did you know Michael Gove raided the budget for much needed school places in order to fund his free school obsession? “Did you see the frenzied bile from the Tory Right against our plan to give young children at primary school a healthy meal at lunchtime? Have you ever heard the dated snobbery from some Conservatives against the value of vocational qualifications and good quality careers advice? “Of all the fault lines that have opened up in this coalition government, the one that has been most revealing is the way in which self-proclaimed Conservative educational reformers sought to suffocate almost every single initiative designed to instil opportunity at an early age – for all children, not just some.” Mr Clegg highlighted the Liberal Democrats “three key achievements” during the coalition – pupil premium, extension of free childcare hours for 2-yearolds to parents with low incomes, and protection of education budgets. He said: “My mother drummed into us what seems so obvious today. That you don’t write anyone off. You don’t overlook anyone’s talents. Given half a chance, everyone can shine. “For me, that is what our new commitment to expanding childcare to all 2, 3 and 4-year-olds is about. “Almost exactly 13 years ago Phil Willis and myself visited a number of schools in Denmark, Holland and Sweden. The idea of the pupil premium was born. Today it funds breakfast clubs; homework clubs; it helps involve parents who are otherwise disengaged.” A Liberal Democrat official confirmed that the party was drawing up plans to EDITOR’S COMMENT H aving Academies Week reporters for nine days across the three main party conferences proved something of a resource and logistical challenge during our first four editions. But it was worth it to share the fringe debates and key speech announcements (or lack of them) as they happened. Highlights included Tristram Hunt talking of a ‘value neutral’ approach to school structures at the Labour party conference in Manchester, Nicky Morgan describing teachers as the school story ‘hero’ at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham and David Lawes not giving a speech so instead stalked by deputy editor Laura McInerney at the Liberal Democrat party conference in Glasgow. Being out-and-about, or ‘on location’ as we call it, is an important way to hear from the school sector as well as be the first to tweet, blog and report on the news. So if you have an event for us to report from then get in touch, and to hear from our reporters as they travel up and down the country follow @AWonlocation on twitter. secure a new approach to policymaking that would impact on education. “A coalition always requires compromises and in many departments there were commonalities between Liberal Democrat and Conservative policies. In education the divisions were more stark, leading to more aggressive negotiations.” In a fringe event before the party leader’s speech, Schools Minister David Laws preempted this sentiment. He said: “Although we were able to identify all the biggest policies and decisions we wanted to make, we didn’t have more time in something like education for going under the top three or four. “Next time, if there were a coalition, we might take a little more time to do that. Not a lot more time, but even 24 hours or 48 hours would make a difference.” @nicklinford | [email protected] Correction Contact the team An article in last week’s issue (Ofsted website inspections on the rise) included a graph with figures for 2011. This gave the impression they were full year figures, when in fact they only include the last three months of 2011. This was an error on our part, although the premise of the article remains correct. To provide feedback and suggest stories please email [email protected] and tweet using @academiesweek To inform the editor of any errors or issues of concern regarding this publication email [email protected] with Error/Concern in the subject line. Please include the page number and story headline, and explain what the problem is. he party conferences had one element in common this year when it came to education – an emerging sense of stability in a sector in which there has been significant reform over the past decade. Labour were the first to kick-start everyone’s favourite political season, with Tristram Hunt making his debut speech as Shadow Education Secretary. Honing in on three main areas for Labour’s plans for education, Hunt highlighted the party’s aims to bring down childcare costs, ensure that all teachers are qualified or working towards qualification, and to support the “forgotten 50 per cent” in accessing quality vocational education. In fringe events beyond the main hall, he also defended Labour’s academies programme while insisting that Labour would halt further free schools. Though signalling her intention to continue the legacy of Michael Gove, the new Edcuation Secretary, Nicky Morgan, similarly advocated Highlighting her intention to collaborate more with teachers and unions, she also suggested reducing teacher workload, and put a welcome emphasis on teacher wellbeing and morale. Morgan signalled her plans to ensure that children have soft skills such as resilience and confidence with a new £5 million fund. She also announced her intention to raise the quality of careers advice and business engagement in schools – one that will come as welcome news, particularly for those working with children from disadvantaged communities. Indeed, it is these pupils who often lack the professional advice and networks that their wealthier peers have access to, and which are so crucial in today’s competitive labour market. It is an area that Teach First is seeking to support further through our Futures programme, with partners such as Deloitte, supporting students from low income backgrounds to make informed and ambitious decisions. The Liberal Democrats also signalled a commitment toward stability as Schools Minister David Laws stressed, during fringe events, the party’s commitment to extend the protection of the schools’ budget to early years and colleges. Despite budgetary pressures, he reaffirmed a commitment to the pupil premium, rightly stating that tackling the attainment gap was “one of the biggest challenges” the country faced and which, if not tackled, risked other countries “leaping ahead” of us. One area that did not make it into the main conference hall, but emerged as a theme across the fringe events, was a growing concern about the supply of new teachers. Through our own work in schools, we see an increasing demand for the best teachers and leaders – with primary and early years particularly struggling to attract people into leadership roles. This week findings from the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission showed that only 15 per cent of surveyed teachers would FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 consider teaching in a school more challenging than their own. A recruitment crisis, coupled with a growing young population, risks putting further pressure on this earliest stage of education: a crucial time for children’s learning – particularly in addressing the attainment gap for those from disadvantaged communities. Let’s hope that while the issue was not addressed in the main hall, plans are afoot. Coming away from conference, the emerging theme seems to be a focus on people-based change, rather than structural transformation. Sometimes it can feel like consensus is hard to find in education, but working towards a joint and shared vision for transforming the opportunities of our next generation must be our ultimate goal. Personally, for me, the highlight of the last month wasn’t hearing the plans of the Whitehall corridors, but the buzz of transformations up and down school corridors. Over the past few weeks I’ve visited incredible schools serving low-income communities. Schools such as Loxford School of Science and Technology in Barking, Greenwood Academy in Castle Vale, Birmingham, and Perry Beeches Academy in central Birmingham. Like many other schools, they are raising the bar and showing that young people from all backgrounds can achieve highly when supported by adult leadership focused on this belief. It showed yet again that the most exciting innovations now happen at school level – any future government’s agenda has to be about how we let this excellence grow and increasingly become the norm. Party conference ‘who said what?’ Below are quotes from the three education leaders during their party conference. Can you guess who said what and put a name to each one? See back page for answers. e Quiz tim 1) “Our plan says every child should have access to the skills and experiences they need to help them get on in life.” 2) “A ‘Forgotten 50 per cent’ of young people - not heading to university - who are too often denied the rewarding education they deserve.” 3) “Education is a moral calling. One that delivers social justice and rewards the talent of all our young people.” 4) “The reasons that teachers in England work longer hours than their counterparts elsewhere in the world are many and varied.” 5) “…thanks to Dom Cummings everyone is aware of that [free meal] projects beginnings.” 7)“Around the world, no education system exceeds the quality of its teachers.” 6)“…don’t quote me on this but the problems we have are not about budgets.” 8) “One teacher, one child, one book, one pen truly can change the world” 7 9) “It says that every child should learn the core knowledge in subjects like English, maths and science – because those are the subjects that universities and employers value the most.” 8 ACADEMIES WEEK @ACADEMIESWEEK EXPERTS JAMES KEWIN DR TANYA OVENDEN-HOPE EDITION 4 FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK JULIAN STANLEY Chief executive of the Teacher Support Network Group Director of the School of Education and Professional Development, The Cornwall College Group Becoming an academy can help to raise school performance, but it’s more difficult if you’re on the coast L ocation really makes a difference to learners’ outcomes. I know: I have spent most of my 25 years in education as a teacher, senior leader, teacher educator and researcher in coastal regions. Only recently has there been an increase in government and media concern about the achievement of students in these areas. For years there’s been a myth that they all live beside the seaside, where the sun is out and the surf is good and the houses are in nice surroundings. The reality is that many students may never have visited the sea (with or without a beach) and that their lives are touched by poverty, brought on by the loss of tourism and marine industry. In 2010 I was asked to be a governor for a school about to become an academy. It had been under-performing for several years, had a poor local reputation and was in a socioeconomically deprived coastal region. Academies were introduced to play a key part in the social and economic regeneration of deprived regions by helping to break the cycle of under-attainment and poor school performance. This seemed completely appropriate for disadvantaged coastal regions and the school that I joined as a governor. Supporters were quick to advocate independence from local authorities as strength: the governing body could pursue innovative school policies and the academy sponsor could offer experience and resources. In opposition, it was argued that academies brought “back-door privatisation” and social segregation. Tales of over-expansion by multiacademy trusts (MATs) and money given to businesses linked with academy directors has done nothing to quieten these objections. I decided that I needed to know more, and developed a study of this “coastal academy”, a term to signify the difference locality makes to the school. The “Class of 2010” project investigated how converting to academy status would impact on the learners’ outcomes over time and is due to finish in 2017 when the academy’s first year group leaves at 18. It is in an early stage but preliminary findings suggest that transformational leadership can engage staff, improve behaviour and raise student aspirations. My colleague, Dr Rowena Passy, and I also studied six other “coastal academies”, in different regions around England, to see how they changed school culture in a bid to tackle underperformance. The results suggest each school responded in different ways to the challenges of their environment. All six demonstrated some improvement after conversion, with commonalities in their journeys. They all had new principals or executive principals; they made it a priority to raise student attainment, initially by improving behaviour and encouraging higher aspirations, followed by a focus on teaching and learning; they used an entrepreneurial leadership style to create a shared vision with clear targets and accountability; they all invested in staff CPD. Most parents believed that school “wouldn’t change anything” for their children’s employment prospects Each also faced challenges as a consequence of their location. All six struggled to engage parents, with teachers suggesting this was because most had attended the predecessor school and believed that their child would experience the same poor education. Parents were also reported to be predominantly in lowpaid employment or unemployed, believing school “wouldn’t change anything” for their children’s employment prospects. All were affected by long-standing negative reputations, and so several had built new school premises hoping that this would change perceptions. All also suffered poor staff recruitment. This was reportedly due to few job opportunities for spouses, poor social and recreational facilities, and high housing costs inflated by second homeowners. It therefore seems that the coastal location presents historical, social, economic and cultural issues that schools struggle with, even when using inclusive leadership, sponsor expertise, “growing their own” staff and inviting parents to become part of the school community. Becoming an academy does bring autonomy that can be used to raise school performance, but being on the coast appears to bring further disadvantages that make the task more difficult. small sixth-form providers Encouraging small school and academy sixth forms to open has exacerbated nonprogression between years 12 and 13 L ast week’s story in Academies Week, “Free school ‘forced me out’ for not being top university ready”, featured case studies of students who were asked to leave the London Academy of Excellence (LAE) at the end of year 12 because they did not achieve three grade Cs in their AS-levels. It seems particularly unjust that the students were only made aware that this was the minimum grade requirement for entering year 13 after they had enrolled. The fact that LAE is a highly selective institution has, until now, been largely overlooked by journalists seduced by the idea of an “Eton of the East End”. Prospective students are required to have at least five A or A* GCSEs and at least a grade B in GCSE maths and English language. We now also know that three grade Cs are required to enter year 13. But the issue of selection in sixth-form education is not limited to LAE or free schools. Our members report that school and academy sixth forms are becoming increasingly selective, with many increasing the grade requirements for entry to both years 12 and 13. Sixth-form colleges should not be penalised for giving students a second chance While all sixth-form colleges have some form of entry criteria, this is typically five GCSEs at grades A-C and students usually have the chance to resit GCSEs in English and maths. They also offer a second chance to students that have needed one after their first year in a school or academy sixth form. Recent parliamentary questions by Kelvin Hopkins, MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Sixth-Form Colleges, have attempted to extract national data on rates of progression between years 12 and 13. The Department for Education claims that it does not hold data on the number of students that drop out of AS-level courses in-year. More information comparing rates of progression between AS and A2 level in schools, academies and sixth-form colleges has been promised for later this month. The policy of encouraging small school and academy sixth forms to open has exacerbated non-progression between years 12 and 13. The typical sixth-form college curriculum is broad and typically contains more than 40 academic and vocational subjects. By contrast, ten of the A-levels offered at LAE are in “facilitating subjects”. Providers with a small, narrow curriculum leave their students with no option but to study elsewhere if they need to change course after their first year. The government’s obsession with facilitating subjects limits the choice available to students, and is based on a remarkably narrow definition of success — progression to Russell Group universities. Each year, thousands of sixth-form college students successfully progress to other higher education institutions or directly to employment. The recent reduction in funding for 18-year-olds now means that sixth-form colleges are financially penalised for stepping in to educate students that need an extra year to get their studies back on track. This will include many of the learners that have left a school or academy sixth form at the end of year 12. To add insult to injury, sixth-form colleges already receive significantly less funding than school and academy sixth forms to educate their students (as a report by London Economics highlighted earlier this year). It is important that these colleges are not also penalised by Ofsted and the new 16-19 accountability measures for doing the right thing – giving students a second chance and providing them with the sort of high quality education that they need to get on in life. The lack of impartial information, advice and guidance, coupled with cuts to 16-19 funding, mean that many year 11 students are being advised to stay on in their school or academy sixth form, even when it is in their best interests to study elsewhere. Addressing these issues, and halting the proliferation of small sixth-form providers, would help to minimise the growing trend of non-progression at the end of year 12. 9 EXPERT Deputy chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges’ Association Location, location, location: it Stop the proliferation of really does make a difference FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 How unsustainable workloads are destroying the quality of teaching Many teachers blame poor mental health on the stress on increasing workloads. The approaching general election makes it a prime time to lobby for change . T eachers do not enter the profession expecting to work 9 to 5, but workloads are spiralling out of control. Struggling to maintain a healthy worklife balance is a big issue for many teachers who routinely sacrifice their lunch breaks, evenings and much of their weekends to planning, marking and what many deem unnecessary paperwork. The Labour Force Survey 2013 showed that teaching staff in schools, colleges and universities across the UK work, on average, an extra 12 hours unpaid overtime each week – that’s more than any other profession, including financial directors, lawyers and health workers. The Department for Education’s Teachers’ Workload Diary Survey 2013 found that teachers work more than 50 hours a week, rising above 60 hours for primary teachers and secondary heads. More than half (55 per cent) said that some of their time was spent on unnecessary or bureaucratic tasks; 45 per cent said this had increased from the previous year. Time locked up in offices filling out forms could be better spent in the classroom or on continuing professional development, both of which could have more tangible benefits for our students’ learning. As the paperwork mounts up, we at Teacher Support Network know how it can lead to mental and physical illnesses as staff struggle to cope. More than 12,800 calls to our helpline in the past two years have highlighted a range of mental health issues, many them work-related. Our Education Staff Health Survey 2014, published this week, found that 91 per cent of school teachers have experienced stress in the past two years, while a further 74 per cent suffered anxiety and 47 per cent had depression. Ninety-one per cent blamed excessive workload as the major cause. This is a rise of 13 per cent over the past six years, showing that workloads are unabating. Four in five teachers told us this year that their mental health could be improved if managers worked with staff to reduce workload. Teachers work an extra 12 hours unpaid overtime every week — more than any other profession And what is the impact on their teaching? Around three in four told us they lost confidence, 59 per cent said their work performance suffered, while more than a quarter took time off as a result of mental health problems. A primary school teacher from Greater London, who was off sick with a double chest infection in December 2012, said: “I love teaching and hate it in equal measure. I work 65 hours a week. My doctor said he should give me a prescription for a new job.” Another sixth-form science teacher from the north of England was signed off for four months this year with myalgic encephalomyelitis. “I physically collapsed at school because of stress. I spoke to my line manager but she said everyone is struggling, it’s hard in the run-up to Ofsted, it’s normal.” Teacher burnout can be costly – the Audit Commission calculated in 2011 that teacher sickness absence costs more than £500 million – while our research already shows there could be a link between a teacher’s health and their students’ outcomes. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan chimed with this when she told the recent Conservative Party conference: “I don’t want my child to be taught by someone too tired, too stressed and too anxious to do the job well.” Teachers will be pleased then that Ms Morgan has recognised that the government can no longer ignore the elephant in the (class)room and is keen to talk to unions and teachers about cutting workload. It comes after years of feeling sidelined by government, feeling the weight of curriculum reforms and being told by Ofsted’s Sir Michael Wilshaw that teachers don’t know what stress is. Our health survey shows how poor mental health at work, as a result of unsustainable workloads and a lack of support, it is destroying the quality of teaching. We need to ensure that politicians do not use teacher workload as an election tool but understand that changes are needed now. #NGAawards TI ME FOR YOUR AWA RD Help us celebrate the fantastic contribution that governors, trustees and clerks make to education Has your governing board or clerk contributed to improving the education in their area? Help to raise the profile of excellent governance and clerking by nominating them today! OUTSTANDING GOVERNING BOARD 2015 OUTSTANDING CLERK 2015 Nominations close: 12 noon, December 1, 2014 Send nomination forms to [email protected] Download a form at: www.nga.org.uk/ngaawards.aspx Save the date: June 9, 2015 All finalists will be invited to a prestigious ceremony at the House of Commoms Official Media Partner 10 ACADEMIES WEEK @ACADEMIESWEEK REVIEWS TOP BLOGS OF THE WEEK This week’s research reviewer is Katherine Richardson, a lecturer in chemistry education at King’s College London Research: Secondary school teachers’ perspectives on teaching about topics that bridge science and religion Authors: Berry Billingsley, Fran Riga, Keith S. Taber and Helen Newdick Curriculum Journal, 2014, vol 25, issue 3, p.372-395 hat happens to the future of science and religion when many students see them as fundamentally opposed? This is the question at stake for the Learning About Science and Religion (LASAR) project team. We know some students dislike science because they perceive it as hostile to their religious views. We know that some dismiss religious studies, believing that science and religion are inherently in competition, and that science has emphatically won. What we don’t know is how teachers respond to these students, and how they understand their role in this issue. Enter the LASAR team, who have explored this question with a small number of science and RE teachers. Due to the small sample, the study is exploratory; illustrating issues rather than describing large-scale patterns. The science teachers studied did not want to discuss science and religion during science lessons. They knew the discussions were controversial, and worried about parent complaints. They therefore developed many ways of disengaging from such discussions: closing down conversations, avoiding a personal stance, giving students the responsibility for presenting different viewpoints, and using exams to justify learning science content, even if the students didn’t accept it. One teacher said that science and religion were incompatible, which made it difficult to discuss the subject positively. However, two science teachers said they deliberately discussed science and religion: one seeing it as entirely compatible, the other including religion because it was such an important part of his students’ lives. The science teachers suggested that religion should be treated with respect, which meant accepting different viewpoints, not dismissing religion but also not trying to convert students, though one resented “tip-toeing” around science as a result. From teachers I have worked with, I would expect this respect for religion to vary from “this is nonsense, but I don’t want a dozen parents complaining”, through “this is nonsense, but my students have the right to diverse views”, to “I’m personally not religious, but my students are and I think that’s very valuable”. In contrast, RE teachers in the study said they actively tried to develop students’ views about religion and science. They described students who thought religion was no longer credible or that science trumped religious explanations; moving students beyond this oppositional view was necessary for them to take RE seriously. However, the teachers said that they often didn’t know enough science to respond well to student questions. Both RE and science teachers were aware that a “science vs religion” viewpoint turned some students off their subjects. Science teachers responded by emphasising “respect” for religion but avoiding controversial discussion, whereas RE teachers tackled the tension. While there is some curriculum guidance about science for RE teachers, science teachers have little guidance or help on how to address science and religion, and so are negotiating their own way through this difficult territory. Similarly, where can RE teachers go for help on answering the science questions relevant to religion? Given the investment in widening diversity in science, the question of science and religion deserves further attention from practitioners and researchers. The International Baccalaureate’s compulsory course on “theory of knowledge” asks students to compare the nature and knowledge of natural sciences and religious knowledge, among other disciplines. Is this effective? And what can we learn from faith schools with thriving post-compulsory science programmes? As the LASAR researchers note, while science teachers were concerned about the influence of religious beliefs on science learning, none had considered inviting a scientist of faith to talk to their class. This research therefore offers a description of the status quo, but also a challenge to break the “don’t ask, don’t tell” culture surrounding religion in science lessons. A week in Westminster Your regular guide to what’s going on in central government thursday: Figures revealed by the Department for Education showed that thousands more school leavers are staying on in school after the age of 16. It’s always a bit dispiriting when press releases go heavy on ‘whole number’ increases like this one did. It said things like “a rise of 6,000 more young people” were in school. But how do I know if 6,000 more is a lot? Perhaps this was a freak birth year and there are just more children around? Buried within the data was a better figure: there had been a rise of 1.3 per cent in participation overall. A less headlinegrabbing number, perhaps – but it shows there was genuine growth. Pat on the back to all involved. While ‘PR-dazzle’ was word of the day at DfE, over at the qualifications regulator were being told alarmingly straight. In a speech at ‘The Key’, the CEO of Ofqual Glenys Stacey (see cartoon) explained that any new government wanting to ‘recouple’ AS and A2 exams can do so “but our advice is that it would take two years: recoupling is not a simple task”. This is not good news for Tristram Hunt, who has promised to re-couple on the double. FRIDAY: Glenys Stacey says slow down FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 11 REVIEWS RESEARCH REVIEW W EDITION 4 FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK In the morning, the government announced a review of the “status and professionalism” of teaching assistants (TAs), with the aim of “enshrining” a new set of standards. It’s a move welcomed by groups such as Unison, who will be represented on the panel by Karen Jackson, a higher level teaching assistant and Unison member. Three other teaching assistants are also on the panel – extending more hope that the DfE are making a concerted effort at listening to frontline practitioners. By the afternoon, a letter was released that had already winged its way from Lord Nash to directors of children’s services reaffirming the importance of good governance (just in case anyone had been locked in a box all summer while the Trojan Horse “extremism” story, and its ties to governance, was reported on a daily basis). MONDAY: In a speech more related to her role as Minister for Women and Equalities rather than Education, Nicky Morgan made a speech to the Wealth Management Association’s annual conference in London. Much was made of the depressingly small number of women who work in hedge fund management. (Just 3% worldwide – perhaps this is why so few women run academy chains?). But Morgan also gave another airing of the argument that the male-female pay gap is caused by women not going into STEM subjects. Unfortunately her own government’s policy of UTCs doesn’t appear to be doing much for that either (see page 2). TUESDAY: Quiet day. Maybe the sudden drop in temperature caught everyone by surprise. WEDNESDAY: The National College for Teaching and Leadership released a case study of specialist leader of education, Tim Summersby, head of a Birmingham School in the Greet Teaching Alliance.* No doubt Summersby has done a fantastic job in his school, but the 976-word briefing predictably boils school improvement down to “observe other people in other schools” and “be a specialist leader of education”. *Yes Greet. Not Great. Pedant. CHECK OUT THE @ACADEMIESWEEK TIMELINE FOR LIVE TWEETS OF WESTMINSTER EVENTS To view individual blogs visit www.academiesweek.co.uk/reviews to hand their lesson plans in every week, before they teach. This led her to the further discovery that many teachers still believe that Ofsted will ask to see lesson plans when they inspect a school. While defending the principle that teachers should be planning their lessons, the author argues that, if managers trust their teaching staff to do their job, such checks are unnecessary and likely to waste time that could be used in ways that would actually improve teaching. Can you be too independent? by @learningspy Our guest reviewer of the week is Andrew Old, teacher and blogger @oldandrewuk Character, Resilience and Grit by @thegoldencalfre An RE blogger turns his attention to the recent fashion, endorsed by Nicky Morgan and Tristram Hunt, of directly attempting to teach character in schools. He argues that: “Whilst character development within schools is unquestionably important, Morgan’s belief that the government can encourage it to happen meaningfully is not only optimistic, but also requires her to navigate dangerous obstacles.” He claims that good schools already teach character implicitly and argues that doing so deliberately could be a distraction from more academic aims. He also suggests the pitfalls of trying to teach character directly. My defection to FE: Notable differences by @gwenelope This blogpost by a former secondary teacher who is now an FE lecturer describes the many differences between her old and new job. These cover how her employer is organised; extent and nature of her workload; the level of autonomy she has, and the attitude of her students. She concludes: “In short, it’s damn lovely. I am still busy, but I am more productive because I am less stressed, much, much, much less stressed. I wish I’d done this years ago.” To plan or not to plan? Please RT as there are misconceptions. by @cherrylkd In this blogpost, a senior manager of a special school responds to her discovery (via Twitter) that there are teachers who have Probably the most controversial of my selection, an education consultant describes how he was let go by a consultancy firm. He received in writing the news that other consultants were complaining about [his] “attitudes, actions and behaviour” and the possibility that he could be having a “negative effect” on the organisation. He questions who could have complained, what he could have done to deserve it, and whether his scepticism about certain educational ideas could have been a factor. He concludes that the most likely cause for their parting of the ways is the development of ideological differences with his colleagues. Bridging the Gap to A-level by @mathsjem This post by a maths teacher describes the problems of moving from GCSE to A-level. It points out that many students with grade B at GCSE, who could have got as little as 48 per cent in their exam, struggle with the demands of A-level. The deficiencies of maths GCSE as it currently stands are discussed and it is claimed that: “The problem is that GCSE grades currently do not give us a clear indication of who is suitable for A-level maths and who isn’t.” The writer suggests strategies and resources that can be used to help students who might struggle and to make them understand the greater demands of A-level. Group Work by @websofsubstance This is a very sceptical analysis of the desirability of groupwork as a teaching method. It covers many of the arguments and evidence for its effectiveness, including its likely effects on student motivation. Observing some of the common problems with groupwork, and that even some of its advocates acknowledge that certain conditions have to apply for it to be effective, the writer concludes that: “The value of group work has been exaggerated and the resulting ubiquity of poor-quality group work should be a serious cause for concern.” BOOK REVIEW Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning Authors: Peter Brown, Henry Roediger and Mark McDaniel ISBN: 0674729013 Publisher: Belknap Press Katy Theobold Author of “Education and Learning:An Evidence-Based Approach” I ’ve always considered humans to be natural learners. After all, we’re primed to do it from the day that we’re born. So when I received a copy of Make it Stick I did a bit of a double-take. Was it really necessary to have an entire book on the science of successful learning? No wrangling with the controversies of curriculum content, no international comparisons of pedagogy, just a straightforward guide to the most effective techniques that we can use to learn. It took one chapter before I was convinced my preconceptions were wrong. Henry Roediger and Mark McDaniel are cognitive psychologists who have spent their careers studying how people learn, effectively or otherwise. In recent years, they have focused on translating these findings to education. With the help of storyteller Peter Brown, they have distilled their work into an informative and entertaining book in which they explain their evidence for effective learning techniques and the practical ways that we can apply it. My favourite aspect of Make it Stick is how cleverly it’s structured. The authors start with a set of claims. For example: learning is effortful; immediate repetition and re-reading are not the best ways to retain information; spacing out practice and elaborating on concepts are far more effective. Then, over the next seven chapters, they put these principles into practice. They repeat and elaborate on their statements, helping the reader to understand and remember the key messages of the book. Take chapter 3, in which they explain how it is more effective to learn something, move on to another concept and then return, retrieve and build on the original learning, than it is to focus on mastering one concept at a time. In exactly the same way, the authors repeat and expand on their key claims across each chapter. Thanks to Peter Brown’s engaging style, Make it Stick is an easy read. The chapters are filled with anecdotes that hold your attention regardless of the underlying principles they illustrate. Woven between these stories are explanations of empirical studies, providing evidence to back up claims. For academic readers, there are useful pointers towards additional details and references in the back of the book. At times, I found myself so absorbed in the various accounts of sporting success and airline disasters that I risked missing the underlying point of these tales. Overall, though, the balance between evidence and anecdote makes this book apt as stimulating fodder for a morning commute or as an introductory academic text. As well as explaining the science of learning, Make it Stick includes practical recommendations for teachers, trainers and learners. Some of the techniques promoted, such as frequent testing, may trigger a negative response from readers who associate them with an old-school approach. Reading the book in full, though, it is clear this is not what the authors are aiming for. They are not just providing a list of techniques for effective memorisation: this book is about effective learning and the techniques they recommend can be used to enhance understanding too. I have three tests for a good book: was it easy to read, would I read it again and would I lend it to someone else? The balance between engaging content and practical, applicable recommendations means that Make it Stick was effortless to read. At times, I did feel myself pressing for the authors to get to the point, but I was entertained along the way. As someone who delivers professional training programmes and lectures at university, I plan to return to some sections. I am eager, for instance, to start testing some of the techniques in chapter 8. Most notably though, and the slight hitch in this plan, is that I am equally keen to lend the book to a friend who just started a PGCE, another who is a tutor and my co-trainers at work. It may be some time before I have it to hand again. 12 @ACADEMIESWEEK ACADEMIES WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 13 EDITION 4 FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK PROFILE IT’S A PERSONAL THING If you were stuck on a desert island, would you take a Best day of the week? book or a film to keep you interested? Saturday! It’s the weekend and you’re in full control of what Definitely I’d pick a book. If I was going to take just any you’re doing. book... I’d probably end up picking Pride and Where would you ideally go on your next holiday? Prejudice. I know – it’s not usually a man’s I have a house in Spain, so it’s kind of choice. a second home – I go there when I can, long weekends and all, but the Tea or coffee? And how do you want it place I really want to go more than made? anywhere else is Peru. I want to go to Coffee, definitely. Depends what time of Machu Pichu and I would really like to day. After a meal, double espresso. Early walk the Inca Trail. I want to be able to in the morning, a white coffee to dunk retire fit enough to be able to walk the my croissant. trail, or at least attempt it. Above: Frank Green in 1992 when he was appointed head of Lincoln School of Science & Technology FRANK GREEN LAURA MCINERNEY @MISS_MCINERNEY F rank Green’s name is half-prophetic. Within seconds of entering a small office in the Department for Education, he is already being outrageously honest. “Have I been briefed?! I’ve never been so briefed for the press since I started working at the department. Almost every word you have to memorise.” If the press officer at his side looks concerned, he needn’t. Green’s honesty is refreshing and reveals a forthrightness that no doubt helps with his role. As England’s Schools Commissioner he now leads the eight Regional School Commissioners, people tasked with scrutinising academy performance and encourage collaboration. However, if “Frank” is perfect nomenclature; “Green” is anything but. After all, he has no shortage of experience. Before becoming commissioner, he headed two schools, began an academy trust, taught science for many years and once worked as a taxi driver in Philadelphia. Yet his beginnings did not suggest a career in education. Born in Kent, he first attended primary school in Goudhurst before being “packed off to boarding school” at 10. “I was taught by the Jesuits,” he says. “First at Beaumont College, which no longer exists, and then they sent me off for my sixth form years to Stonyhurst College. “I really hated, hated my time at school, and I swore when I left... I can remember walking down the drive one last time, it had this long drive, and thinking, ‘I’ll never be back in a school in my life.’ Haha!” History was top of his list of dislikes, although one teacher, Mr Fish – or “Fishy” as the pupils called him – helped to inspire his interest in science. He then studied metallurgical engineering at Imperial College, London, but a stint at the Central Electricity Generating Board put him off it as a career. “It wasn’t fast enough, it was boring, and you had to work fairly tightly to rules. I thought, ‘If that’s what engineering is, I don’t want it’.” When he finished university in 1971, Green was a full blown rebel – hair grown past his shoulders and harbouring a love of rock music. Matching his wild spirit he headed to the US and worked as a cabby in Philadelphia, before travelling across the country. He was offered a PhD place at the University of Denver but turned it down after getting a call to say that his father, now living in Spain, was sick. “Being half-Belgian [Green’s mother is Belgian] there is a view that the eldest son is the one responsible for parents,” he says. At the time, however, Green’s older brother had a newborn baby and was unable to leave England. He asked Frank to look after his father, instead. Academies Week deputy editor Laura McInerney interviewing Frank Green “I said I’d take a year off. So I did that, and nursed my father for the last two months of his life. He never knew who I was for those two months... you can learn a great deal about life when you see somebody that close to the end of it.” Returning to England he wanted to stay near his mother, and needed a job quickly. Knowing that science teachers could then be employed without full qualification, he filled out a Bromley council supply teacher form. Alongside chemistry, physics and maths he unthinkingly ticked a box marked “technical drawing”, a skill that he didn’t have. Inevitably, this was the subject that he was sent to teach. “Don’t worry, they said, you’ll pick it up quickly!” Did he? “Yes! I did!” After a year of supply teaching he completed his teacher qualifications at Westminster College in Oxford, before teaching science for more than seven years. One of his pupils was the actor, Kenneth Branagh: “Great school plays at that school!” His first leadership role was as head of science at a school in Brighton where he soon realised that three existing “I hated school. When I left I swore I’d never be back in one in my life” staff members had also interviewed for the role - and they were not happy about his selection. Concerned they wouldn’t be responsive to change, fate threw Green a lifeline. “Through luck, serendipity, fate or whatever you want to call it, about a week after I got there the head said they were going to have a full HMI inspection. And in those days, full inspections involved 22 HMIs who came in for a week; you had two alone just for science for a week! “So the great thing about it was, after HMI had done their bit, we had a final briefing and they said, ‘We’ve found these issues and those’, and I said, ‘Can you please add this, this and this, because I think they’re real problems too’, because they hadn’t spotted those. Basically I got them to write me a report that I would then use very easily and depersonalise all the key decisions that I had to take!” How did he know to be so strategic? “I don’t know – it just seemed like the right thing to do at that time. If you ask the question of how much formal training have I had to be a headteacher, then the answer would be zero.’ His first headship in 1992 was another controversial project. Lincoln School of Science and Technology was born out of the city technology college (CTC) movement of the late 1980s and was the first of the new “specialist schools”. “In those days, CTCs were worse than vampire stuff. They put the garlic round the door.” He dealt with the negativity by standing apart from it. “You say, ‘No – we’re here to do what we need to do – this is about the children’. You don’t sink to the kind of negative commentary that came from a lot of other heads who took a rather silly view of what was happening.” From there he went on to be headteacher at another school that came from being far below average in results to achieving significantly above-average and was rated outstanding by Ofsted. Asked to help other struggling schools, he spent five years as chief executive of the Leigh Academy Trust, which enabled him to oversee six academies. One secret to his success is surrounding himself with like-minded people who share information. During the late 90s he helped to pioneer an email list for headteachers. “They said that the head had to be technically proficient enough to operate it. So, you had to disconnect your phone, connect your modem, reprogram your computer and do it yourself.” Speaking with other heads taught Green a great deal, and it is clear that a similar cross-pollination of information is what he wants to encourage in his new DfE role. Beyond school, Green talks about his wife (who was also a teacher) and his three sons – all of whom are now grown. One of the perils of headship is that it can mean moving around the country, and the boys had to move from Brighton to Newark, though Green managed to do so when they were all at school transition ages, which made it easier. His wife has now officially retired, though she still teaches French at the University of the Third Age. As our time comes to a close and the recorder is switched off, Green looks disappointed. He hasn’t been asked why he wanted to be Schools Commissioner. The recorder is duly switched back on. With bright eyes he simply says: “I took the job because I could influence more children’s lives than in my previous role. There would be no other reason to do it.” The message is clear. If Frank Green is going to be memorising anyone’s lines, you can be certain they are going to be his own. Curriculum Vitae Born: August 27 1950 Education: Beaumont College Stonyhurst College University: Metallurgical Engineering, Imperial College, University of London Career Highlights: 1992: Headteacher of Lincoln School of Science & Technology 1997: Leigh City Technology College (now Leigh Technology Academy) 2002: Named as a Commander of the British Empire for Services to Education 2007: Chief Executive Officer of Leigh Academies Trust Current Role: National Schools Commissioner at the Department for Education 14 ACADEMIES WEEK @ACADEMIESWEEK FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 15 EDITION 4 FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK FEATURED: the new regional schools commissioners North of England 13% The board RSC A MAJOR PRIORITY IS TO BUILD OUR POOL OF ACADEMY SPONSORS A B C open academies** Janet Renou Regional schools commissioner based in Darlington Zoe Carr – elected Executive headteacher, Town End Academy, Sunderland Headteacher, Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale 4 C 8 14 Headteacher, Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Gateshead D E Les Walton – appointed 3 D Principal, The Academy at Shotton Hall, Peterlee RSC 2 Chair; adviser, Northern Education Trust; Education 14 12 A Nick Hurn – elected 1 7 E 7 Chris Clarke – elected Lesley Powell – elected 13 6 16 5 11 B Funding Advisory Board, Newcastle-upon-Tyne F 20% across england 10 11 2 Andrew Bayston – appointed 9 Executive principal, Harrogate High School, Harrogate Janet Renou F Regional schools commissioner for the north NORTH OF ENGLAND No. PHILIP NYE Regional schools commissioners (RSCs) are the government’s ‘middle tier’, introduced as a new layer between individual academy schools and trusts, and the Department for Education. Announced in December last year, RSCs have a remit of monitoring the performance of the academies in their area, making recommendations on free school applications and of supporting academisation. Each RSC will be supported by a headteacher board, made up of elected, appointed and co-opted members. Over eight weeks we are profiling each of the RSC regions. ackling the isolation of small, rural schools in the north will be one of the priorities for the headteacher board covering the region, Janet Renou, the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) for the area has said. Speaking to Academies Week, Ms Renou also said that the geographical isolation of schools could present a barrier to academisation – and that growing the number of converter academies was something that the board she leads was focusing on early. Ms Renou said: “We’ve been looking at underperformance and considering appropriate ways to intervene where there are concerns. But we’re also looking at increasing the number of converters to consider becoming sponsors. Of all of the RSC regions, the north is joint with Lancashire and west Yorkshire in having the lowest proportion of academies – and Ms Renou said that this stemmed in part from the geography of the school system in the region. “I think we’ve got more than our fair share of small schools. And if you look at North Yorkshire and you look at Cumbria, we’ve got a lot of rural isolation,” Ms Renou said. “Because of that I think it makes it more difficult for them to make the leap, because they’re so isolated. So one of the big jobs is to set those networks up and to make sure that we try and pull people together so they don’t feel that isolation. That’s one of the big issues of this area.” Asked how schools were being encouraged to convert to academy status, Ms Renou said that the headteacher board networks we work through,” Ms Renou said. “We are getting the headteacher board and all of the academy heads to work and to spread the message. So it’s by rolemodelling and showing what can be done, and using the headteacher board as advocates for the programme.” Ms Renou was previously headteacher at Skipton Girls’ High School, which converted to academy status in 2011. She said that her strong roots in the region was one of the reasons why she took the new RSC role, as well as the opportunity to offer her expertise to a wider audience. “I’m a product of the north, born and brought up in Middlesbrough and Redcar, so it’s an area that I know, it’s an area that I’ve got family in. It’s great to come back and work with the leaders in the area to move the academies programme forward in the north,” she said. that we get in the region, and a major priority is to build our pool of academy sponsors.” Ms Renou said that she would be looking for more academies, and more businesses and charities with educational experience, played the main role in this. “We use the headteacher board, and colleagues, rather than it come from me. One of the things that I’ve said about this job is that it isn’t about me. It’s about the people that we work with, it’s about the The board has yet to co-opt an additional two members, as is its right, though Ms Renou said that she thought it would be beneficial to appoint someone representing the far north of the region and someone with special educational needs experience. @PHILIPNYE T NORTH LANCASHIRE AND WEST YORKSHIRE EAST MIDLANDS AND HUMBER EAST OF ENGLAND AND NORTH-EAST LONDON WEST MIDLANDS SOUTH CENTRAL ENGLAND AND NORTH-WEST LONDON SOUTH WEST SOUTH-EAST ENGLAND AND SOUTH LONDON Statistics provided by www.Watchsted.com (@Watchsted), which is owned by Angel Solutions Ltd based on data published by the Department For Education in September 2014 Local authority Open school count* Open academies** 1Cumbria 319 33 2Darlington 39 29 3Durham 269 25 4Gateshead 84 11 5Hartlepool 38 6 6Middlesbrough 55 17 7Newcastle-upon-Tyne 97 13 8 North Tyneside 78 3 9 North Yorkshire 375 13 10Northumberland 178 15 11 Redcar and Cleveland 58 13 12 South Tyneside 59 7 13Stockton-on-Tees 76 17 14Sunderland 111 36 TOTAL North of England England 1,836 21,648 238 4,418 *The open schools total includes all types of state-funded school, including special schools and alternative provision schools. **The academies total includes all free schools and non-free school academies, including special schools and alternative provision schools. 16 ACADEMIES WEEK @ACADEMIESWEEK NYE ON We make it simple: how the government’s new 16-19 league tables are calculated @PHILIPNYE The new accountability measures will give a significant refresh to the performance tables published for school sixth forms and colleges. Headline measures will be pulled out, displaying the key indicators of a school or college’s performance more clearly. Additionally, new indicators will be published, with information about retention and student destinations among the headline measures. STUDENT attainment ENGLISH AND MATHS PROGRESS GCSE +0.5 Students average more grades per academic qualification compared to the national average B Students average this grade in their academic qualifications RETENTION DESTINATIONS +0.2 93% 80% Students average this many more grades in maths compared to others with the same results at 16 who had also not achieved A* -C at 16 % of all students retained to the end of their studies % of all students going on to sustained education, employment, or training at the end of their course (Example) HOW WILL IT WORK? There are a number of stated aims of the new accountability measures, with informing student choice and helping schools and colleges better assess their own performance key among them. The government has also said that the new data will help Ofsted in their judgments. Although not explicitly stated in the guidance, it should also make it easier to compare school sixth forms and colleges, by broadening the range of performance indicators reported. The new accountability system will come into force in 2016 (with the exception of Substantial Vocational Qualifications at level 2 which will be factored in in 2017), with the first performance tables under the new system brought into the new measures in January 2017. Students starting two year courses from September 2014 will therefore fall under the new system. The Department for Education (DfE) has said that it plans to share pilot results under the new accountability system with schools and colleges in summer 2015, based on 2014 exam results, but not to make these publicly available. Perhaps the biggest change under the new system is the introduction of headline measures that will be published for every school and college. These are intended to provide a snapshot of performance, that make it easy to absorb the key indicators of a sixth form or college’s performance. Five headline measures are being brought in: progress, attainment, progress in English and maths, retention and destinations. And a separate score will be published for these measures for each type of qualification offered by a school or college: academic programmes, Applied General programmes and Tech Level programmes at level 3, and Substantial Vocational Qualification programmes at level 2. Alongside these headline measures, national averages will be published. And the Department for Education (DfE) has said that additional measures and underlying data on performance will also be available to students, parents and other interested parties. Additional measures will provide details of specifics such as attainment in qualifications below level 3 and A-level attainment, while underlying data will be allow people to explore things such as attainment in specific subjects. Download the document from: http://tinyurl.com/o2jchc4 SECTOR REACTION Joy Mercer, the Association of College’s senior policy manager for quality and assurance, said: “The new performance tables, which will be introduced in January 2017, move away from success in exams, towards a range of measures with a focus on the progress students make while they are at the college. “This is a positive move, but we have concerns about how easily this will be understood by parents and potential students.” Stephan Jungnitz, the Association of School and College Leaders’ colleges specialist said, “The accountability measures themselves aren’t the problem, it’s the policies that lie behind them that are the issue, especially the perpetuated notion that colleges can somehow transform the attainment of post-16 students in GCSE maths and English. “By and large, schools will have done their utmost to wring every last drop of attainment in these GCSE subjects from young people already. “It’s mostly colleges that work with students who haven’t already achieved a grade C in maths or English, and the performance table may thus reflect unfairly on providers of post-16 education.” Calculation of an institution’s progress score’s In this fictitious example, Sanctuary Sixth Form has nine students and offers two subjects, economics A-level and French A-level. Subject Entry Valueadded score Economics A-Level Nicky +2 Michael -1 Ed +1 Alan 0 Ruth -1 above average Charles +1 = +1+1+0+0 Estelle +1 4 David 0 Gillian 0 STUDENT PROGRESS THE PROGRESS +0.5 MEASURE Under the new system the progress measure will carry particular significance, as the basis by which minimum standards are measured. This represents a significant shift from the current system, where attainment is used as the basis for judging whether minimum standards have been reached – currently school sixth forms are considered to be underperforming if fewer than 40 per cent of students achieve an average score per entry in academic qualifications of 172 points. No details are available yet on where the minimum standard will be drawn, though the DfE says that it expects to publish details on this next summer. For academic subjects (for the purposes of this explainer, the focus will be on this type of qualification), the progress measure will set out how much progress students make in their studies – compared to equivalent intakes. This is calculated in the following way. For any given subject, the DfE will work out the relationship between students’ GCSE performance – no other key stage 4 qualifications are taken into account in the calculation of the progress measure for academic qualifications – and their performance in the level 3 qualification (see the graph below). Then for every student at a particular institution it will be possible to see how, based on the average grades they came in with at level 3, they performed versus others taking the same qualification. This leads to a value-added score being calculated for each student, for each subject. Once these have been calculated the results are aggregated, beginning at subject level (see table). The value-added scores for pupils who took the qualification are averaged, to give the value-added score for the qualification as a whole. The progress rating for the school or college at large is then is worked out by averaging each of these subject-specific scores, weighting each qualification by the number of students who took it. It is this overall value-added score for academic qualifications that will feature in the published headline Calculation of students’ value-added A* A Outcome attainment The 16-19 accountability measures are changing. As the government releases its (very dense) guide setting out how the new measures will work, Academies Week’s Philip Nye, a former National Audit Office auditor, takes on the gruelling task of guiding you through the key features FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 17 EDITION 4 FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK French A-Level performance measures. A score of +0.5 would be equivalent to performance half a grade above average for the intake of the sixth form. Confidence intervals will also be published alongside the headline score. Other things to bear in mind are that re-sits of key stage 4 qualifications once they have started at sixth form or college will not affect a progress scores student’s prior attainment rating. Additionally, noncompletion of a course will not be treated as a fail. C D Student gets E grade when average attainment is D grade : Value added score is -1 grade E fail F E D C B A Prior attainment (equivalent average GCSE grade shown on axis) = +2-1+1+0-1 5 = +1 / 5 = +0.2 grades Provider’s overall score Weighted average = (+0.2 x 5) + (+0.5 x 4) 9 = +0.3 grades above average = +2 / 4 = +0.5 grades above average Overall, the school would be reported with a progress grade of +0.3 grades above average Student gets A grade when average attainment is C grade: Value added score is +2 grades B Subject level score A* Source Vocational qualifications for 16-19 year olds, June 2014, Department for Education ENGLISH AND MATHS A second progress indicator will feature in the headline measures, focusing specifically on English and maths GCSEs for students who had not achieved a grade A*- C in one or other of these subjects by the age of 16. Separate average progress grades will be reported for each of these subjects for every institution. This comes as new rules are brought in which require students with only a grade D or lower in English or maths to continue studying these subjects until the age of 18. The English and maths measure will be calculated in a similar manner to the main progress measure, albeit only prior attainment in English and maths will be taken into account when considering what progress has been made by students. So if a student enters with a grade D, and achieves a B versus an average of a grade C achieved by their peers, this will count as value-added score of +1 for the pupil. The institution’s English and maths progress grade will then be calculated as the average of individual students’ performance scores. Importantly, though, where a student achieves a lower English and maths grade than they entered with, a cap will be applied to their performance – meaning they will only be treated as if they achieved one grade lower than their previous grade, even if they actually achieved a lower grade. So a student who entered with a grade D and achieved a grade F would be treated as if they gained a grade E for the purpose of working out their value-added measure. This would be the case, too, if they did not take the exam. This would ensure that school sixth forms and colleges who take on students “with poor motivation” are treated fairly, the official DfE guidance says. 18 ACADEMIES WEEK @ACADEMIESWEEK SCHOOL ASSEMBLY FEATURE May opens new drama centre Icy deluge for primary staff A n open morning with a difference was held at a Rochdale primary school that raised £750 for a cancer charity. Parents joined their children from Littleborough Community Primary School last week at an open day where they took part in lessons before attending a Macmillan coffee morning. Children brought money into school for the charity; the child from each class who had raised the most money was selected to pour water over the teachers and headteacher in an ice-bucket challenge. Headteacher Martine Sinker said: “We would like to thank everyone who took part to help us raise money for this worthwhile charity.” Home Secretary Theresa May cuts the ribbon to open The Jacoby Studios T he Home Secretary Theresa May took centre stage at a Maidenhead school last week. The MP for the area cut the ribbon to mark the opening of The Jacoby Studios, the new performing arts centre at Desborough College. The facilities, which include a studio and theatre, will be used by more than 300 key stage 3, GCSE and A-level students each week. They will also be used for activities such as after-school drama and dance clubs, assemblies and sixth-form lectures. Johnson Kane, chief executive of The Education Fellowship, said: “We take our responsibility as sponsor to Desborough College very seriously and are grateful to the minister for joining us to complete what is an undeniably special day in the college’s life. “We all look forward to seeing and hearing some great performances here over the coming years.” Connor takes the top prize FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 19 EDITION 4 FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK Interested in being featured by School Assembly? Email us: [email protected] Contest win leaves Kent pupils in a spin BILLY CAMDEN @BILLYCAMDEN A team of six secondary school pupils from Kent has sped to victory in a national car engineering event. Year 10 pupils Dean Wickes, Jack Smith, Jack Gwynne, Harry Compton all aged 14 and Lewis Moorcroft and George Plumbe aged 15, from Greenacre Academy in Chatham last week won The Car Design Challenge at the University of Greenwich. The engineering pupils will now have their names displayed on the tailfin of the Bloodhound SuperSonic Car (SSC) car when it attempts to break the current world land speed record in 2016. Andy Green, a Royal Air Force pilot, will try to rocket the car to its maximum potential of 1,000mph. The 14m car weighs more than 7 tonnes, and has a Typhoon jet fighter engine that provides more than 135,000 horsepower. The team of six became involved in the challenge when 30 of the academy’s students attended a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) event as part of a nationwide educational project funded by Rolls-Royce. The team was the youngest in the competition, challenging five other teams of older students. The groups did a variety of workshops, based on engineering and technology, and were then tasked to design a car based on the Bloodhound. The aim was to design and manufacture a car from a supplied kit that would travel the furthest on a single launch. Winner from Greenacre, Harry Compton said: “We learnt a lot through the whole day, but having our names on the Bloodhound car when it smashes the land speed record across the desert is simply amazing.” While fellow winner Dean Wickes said: “There was a part of the car that we built, that needs improving, which held it back from progressing further. But never mind. I’m still ecstatic to have our names on the tailfin, its brilliant.” Gary Hake, head of Greenacre’s engineering and design technology department and a former engineer, said: “We are so proud of our students and this is a massive success story for them and Greenacre. “We are committed to enthusing and engaging young people in career oriented studies in engineering, technology and science. “Every Monday evening in term time we have a STEM club and for the University of Greenwich’s STEM event I selected 15 technology students from our STEM club and my colleague Dan McCarthy selected 15 science students. “By 2020 60 per cent of people working in engineering will have retired, so we are passionate about training and educating the engineers of the future.” Nikki King OBE, the chairman of Greenacre Academies Trust said: Competition winners from Greenacre Academy. From left: Jack Gwynne (14), Lewis Moorcroft (15), Dean Wickes (14), Harry Compton (14), Jack Smith (14) and George Plumbe (15) Inset: Design of the Bloodhound SSC car “This is an incredible result for the academy and we are so proud of everyone involved.” The Bloodhound SSC team will attempt to hit 1,000mph and beat the current world landspeed record of 763mph in the South African desert in 2016. Miss Brown, teaching assistant braves the ice-bucket challenge Olympian becomes a mentor AN PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION Schools are magical places, full of creativity and opportunity. But what makes your school so magical? selection to a public vote before December. Academies Week is on the hunt for the best picture representing the “magic” of school. the winning school a brand new prospectus and photo-shoot! Magic could mean witches and wizards, but also: illusions, magical occasions, something unexplained, it’s up to you! All you have to do is email us one photo before 5pm on Monday, November 3, illustrating the magic of your school. The Academies Week team will select its top ten and then put the Connor celebrates with Beast Quest character the good Wizard Aduro. Inset: The good Wizard Aduro visits St Nicholas’ Catholic Primary School O ne lucky pupil from a Liverpool school has been picked out of more than 2,000 children as the winner of a national summer reading challenge. The National Literacy Trust teamed up with publisher Orchard Books to give away books to children across the country who entered the challenge: reading for more than 11 hours, at home and at school. The students were then entered into a prize draw and the winner was Connor Lamont, a Year 3 pupil from St Nicholas Catholic Primary School. He won prizes, including book vouchers, an eReader and a Beast Quest goody bag. Connor said: “I felt surprised because I have always enjoyed reading but I did not think that I would win the competition. “I am thrilled with my prize and have already read up to page 44 of my new book.” We’ve teamed up with education marketing & PR experts, EMPRA to offer EMPRA will design and print a lovely new prospectus for your school and our resident photographer Ellis O’Brien will spend the day at your school making sure you have some great photos to include. Please visit academiesweek.co.uk/competition for more information. British Olympian Craig Figes (centre) with students from John Cabot Academy A n Olympic water polo player will help a Bristol academy to launch its Sky Living for Sport project this year. John Cabot Academy is taking part in the free initiative sponsored by Sky Sports to use sports stars and skills to boost confidence, increase attainment and improve life skills. Craig Figes, who captained the GB water polo team at the 2012 Olympics, will mentor 15 students from years 7-11. Figes attended the school last week where he held a Q and A session, a practical sports session and met and coached the water polo team. Mark White, the academy’s schools sports co-ordinator said: “Our students are really looking forward to taking part in this initiative and meeting an Olympic star.” He said the project would improve life chances and benefit students “both now and in the future”. D E A D LIN E E N T RY: m o n day 3 r d n ov e m e b e r 2 0 1 4 to enter em ail : c om p etition@ac adem ies.c o.u k in partnership with 20 @ACADEMIESWEEK ACADEMIES WEEK FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 21 EDITION 4 jobs ASTON MANOR ACADEMY CHILWELL CROFT ACADEMY as part of Equitas Academies Trust as part of Equitas Academies Trust Teacher of English with Responsibility for Raising Achievement Early Years Foundation Stage Lead Chilwell Croft Primary School, Chilwell Croft, Birmingham, B19 2QH Salary Band 1 – 3 (Pay policy available online) + TLR2b (£4,309) Starting January 2014 Aston Manor Academy, Phillips Street, Aston, Birmingham, B6 4PZ Tel: 0121 464 3402, Fax: 0121 464 2088 Tel: 0121 359 8108 Salary Band 1 – 3 (Pay policy available online) + TLR2b (£4,267) Equitas Academies Trust was formed in September 2012 and incorporates Aston Manor Academy (Secondary) and Chilwell Croft Academy (Primary). Both Academies are happy, exciting and inspiring learning environments for their children who are from a vibrant mix of cultures. The staff and Trustees have a great sense of pride in their schools and care passionately about the pupils they serve. Chilwell Croft Academy is seeking to appoint a motivated, committed and creative Early Years practitioner to lead the Early Years unit. The successful candidate will be an exemplary classroom practitioner and will be leading an already successful Key Stage in a rapidly improving school. They will also have the ability to use a dynamic and innovative teaching style to drive Chilwell Croft Academy forward to become an ‘outstanding’ Academy of the future. In return the Trust can offer: • A friendly, supportive and inclusive ethos • An outstanding team of learning support and administrative staff • Extensive opportunities for professional development • A chance to make a difference to young people’s lives Equitas Academies Trust was formed in September 2012 and incorporates Aston Manor Academy (Secondary) and Chilwell Croft Academy (Primary). Both Academies are happy, exciting and inspiring learning environments for their children who are from a vibrant mix of cultures. The staff and Members of Equitas Academies Trust board have a great sense of pride in their schools and care passionately about their students. Aston Manor Academy is seeking to appoint a Teacher of English to join our outstanding English department. The successful candidate will play an active role within the Department and will have the skills and abilities to help drive Aston Manor Academy from a ‘good’ to an ‘outstanding’ Academy of the future. The ideal person will be an excellent practitioner, have enthusiasm for their subject, have experience teaching KS3 – KS5, be keen to support the whole school literacy programme and share their outstanding practice. This is a great opportunity for an enthusiastic and creative Early Years professional! Our pay policy can be found on our website. Informal visits to the Academy are most welcome. Arrangements can be made through Joanne Kyte on 0121 464 3322. Salary Location Permanent Fir Vale School provides an exciting and fulfilling challenge to dedicated, well-qualified professionals who believe in the philosophies of school improvement and school effectiveness. We are looking to appointment an enthusiastic and dynamic member of the Senior Leadership Team to raise standards and drive forward the teaching and learning of English. The successful candidate will be an energetic and innovative English Specialist with successful middle or senior leadership experience and a proven track record of outstanding classroom practice. Applicants should also be well qualified, versatile and enthusiastic teachers who can meet our plans for the ongoing development and evolution of this successful school. A full induction, mentoring and CPD programme is in place for all employees. • Extensive opportunities for professional development • A chance to make a difference to young people’s lives I have definitely made the right decision in working for Aston Manor Academy. The support I have received has been fantastic. I feel I am able to approach any member of the Academy regardless of their position and receive a wealth of help and support” (NQT, 2014) welcome. For further details and an application form, please contact [email protected] Interviews will take place W/C Monday 20 October 2014. the school website www.astonmanoracademy.com/vacancies or alternatively you may download a Job Description / Person Specification and application form from Closing date: Friday 17 October 2014, 12 noon. Interviews will take place week commencing Monday 20 October 2014 HMC Co-educational 978 pupils: 266 in the Sixth Form Teacher of Religious Education with additional Humanities subjects Dates Apply by Thursday, 16th October 2014. Salary MPR/UPR Wilton Road, Southampton SO15 5UQ Web: www.kes.hants.sch.uk Please do not apply online from this site. Fir Vale School Application Form to be completed Leadership scale 12 – 16 (£50,119 - £55,398) Contract Term An outstanding team of learning support and administrative staff Closing Date: Friday 17 October, 12 noon Fir Vale School provides an exciting and fulfilling challenge to dedicated, well-qualified professionals who believe in the philosophies of school improvement and school effectiveness. Sheffield Full Time • Our pay policy can be found on our website. Informal visits to Aston Manor Academy are most Apply by 9.00 am, Monday, 20th October 2014. Contract Type A friendly, supportive and inclusive ethos staff to share this commitment. Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for English Dates • The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of all our children and expects staff to share this commitment. school website www.chilwellcroft.coms In return the Trust can offer: Aston Manor Academy’s motto ‘all different, all equal, all achieving’ is at the heart of the Academy life, with staff fully embracing this ethos. The successful candidate will be The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of all our children and expects Our pay policy can be found on our website. Informal visits to the Academy are most welcome. Arrangements can be made through Joanne Kyte on 0121 464 3322. For further details and an application form, please contact [email protected] or alternatively you may download a Job Description / Person Specification and application form from the passionate about teaching with the ability to inspire young people and colleagues. We are… > Oversubscribed, highly successful, ethnically diverse comprehensive school. An exciting place to be! > Constantly improving results > Committed to an ethos of high expectations and outstanding student behaviour > Expanding to 1050 students by September 2015 > Business and Enterprise specialism renowned for very high levels of progress and innovation > A happy school with a very supportive, friendly and motivated staff team For further information and to obtain an application pack, please visit www.firvale.com. Telephone enquiries can be made to Cath Chapman, Admin & HR Manager on 0114 2439391. The closing date for receipt of applications is 9.00 am, Monday, 20th October 2014 interviews will be held on Thursday, 23rd October 2014. This opportunity is to join a dedicated team of colleagues within the Humanities Department and to a school where there is a commitment to Investors in People. A full induction, mentoring and CPD programme is in place for all employees. Applicants should be well qualified, versatile and enthusiastic teachers who can meet our plans for the on-going development and evolution of this unique school. We are: • Oversubscribed, highly successful, ethnically diverse comprehensive school. An exciting place to be! • Constantly improving results • Expanding to 1050 students by September 2015 • Business and Enterprise specialist status renowned for very high levels of value added performance and innovation Required for September 2015 Following the retirement of Mrs Jane Thomas as Deputy Head, we wish to appoint another outstanding individual for this critical role. You will have significant management experience and first rate leadership, management and communication skills. You will report to the Head as his principal deputy and will share with him the responsibility for promoting the vision, ethos and values of this leading HMC independent day school. The successful candidate will have responsibility for and will manage the pastoral system throughout the School. A clear focus on the promotion of the School as a centre of educational excellence, particularly with regard to the maintaining of high academic standards, co-curricular achievement and pastoral welfare is essential. King Edward’s has its own generous salary scale and private medical insurance is offered. Further details and application forms are available from our website: http://www.kes.hants.sch.uk/job-opportunities or contact the Head’s PA on 023 8079 9204 or email: [email protected] Closing date: Friday, 24 October 2014. Applications welcome from both experienced and newly qualified teachers If you are excited by this opportunity, we want to hear from you. Is this the challenge for you? For further information and to obtain an application pack, please visit www.firvale.com. Telephone enquiries can be made to Cath Chapman, Admin & HR Manager on 0114 2439391. Fir Vale School, Owler Lane, Sheffield. S4 8GB If you are excited by this opportunity, we want to hear from you. Is this the challenge for you? Our vision: To inspire learners to be aspirational independent citizens who have the skills to contribute positively to, and succeed in, an ever-changing world. Deputy Head (Pastoral) King Edward’s is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children; applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with the Disclosure & Barring Service and past employers (where applicable). 22 ACADEMIES WEEK @ACADEMIESWEEK FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 jobs Director of School: Teaching & Learning Ramsden Hall School Job start As soon as possible Ramsden Heath, Billericay, Essex CM11 1HN Location: Essex Tel: 01277 624580 Contract type: Full Time Email: [email protected] Contract term: Permanent www.ramsdenbillericay.co.uk LPS with NRDA allowance (Orange Book) Ramsden Hall School Billericay is seeking to appoint a Director of School: Teaching & Learning as soon as possible to work with the Executive Head Teacher and IEB (Interim Executive Board) to further develop the vision and direction of the school. You will be expected to take responsibility for the operational running of the Billericay site and deputise for the Executive Head teacher when she is not on the site and where appropriate or necessary. You will be expected to lead and be accountable for the curriculum throughout the school and be responsible for effective and timely data management and reporting. Housing maybe available for the right candidate. Ramsden Hall School is a community residential special school for boys who have a statement of special needs for behaviour, emotional and social difficulties aged 11 - 16. The school is situated on two sites. One in Ramsden Heath Billericay and one in Langham near Colchester. The Billericay site comprises a large victorian country mansion build in 1854 in which residential house and administration offices are situated. There is a newly constructed academic provision situated close to the original building which has been furnished and resourced to a high standard. The buildings are set in 14 acres of grounds including a playing field, swimming pool mature gardens. A number of staff live on site ensuring support and safe supervision for pupils at all times. Ramsden Hall School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable young persons and expects all staff, governors and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to safer recruitment procedures including satisfactory references, medical and enhanced DBS clearance and previous employment verification. To arrange an informal visit please call the school office. For an informal discussion please contact Emma Paramor Executive Head Teacher at the school or email [email protected]. THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK A W BASIC LISTING - £95 FEATURED ONLINE ONLY £250 HALF PAGE 261MM (W) X 165MM (H) £3,200 ICT Teacher Part-time (0.5) MPS Ashlyns School, Chesham Road, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 3AH Required from January 2015, an enthusiastic, motivated and dynamic teacher of ICT to join our highly achieving ICT Department. ICT is a popular subject choice at GCSE and A Level. The successful candidate will be able to teach ICT and Computing to GCSE level. Applicants should be willing to organise and participate in extra-curricular provision for ICT. Ashlyns School, located in Berkhamsted, is a determined and forwardthinking school committed to providing an exceptional education for all. Closing date: By 9.30am on Monday 20 October You can learn more about our school and download an application pack from the school website www.ashlyns.herts.sch.uk OFF 50% YOUR FIRST PRINT ADVERT WITH ACADEMIES WEEK until 31.10.14 We would be delighted to show you around our school. Please call Tricia Whelan on 01442 863605 to arrange a visit. Interview date: Thursday 23 October 2014 To advertise call us on: 020 81234 778 Ashlyns School is committed to safeguarding children and young people. All applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening. SIMPLE PRICING | COMPETITIVE | TARGETED | EFFECTIVE 24 ACADEMIES WEEK @ACADEMIESWEEK FRIDAY, OCT 10, 2014 s p a w p e e n r a ≈ for all schools Special offer by 31.10.14 SUBSCRIBE @ ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK We Have Launched ACADEMIES WEEK Sudoku challenge How to play: Fill in all blank squares making sure that each row, column and 3 by 3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9 Spot the difference to WIN an ACADEMIES WEEK mug Last Week’s solutions 9 Difficulty: 6 EASY 8 2 4 1 8 4 6 8 3 5 2 4 4 5 9 4 9 1 5 8 7 4 9 4 5 8 4 7 1 3 2 6 9 9 6 1 4 2 5 7 8 3 6 3 7 5 9 1 8 4 2 1 9 8 2 4 6 3 5 7 2 4 5 3 7 8 6 9 1 8 2 3 9 5 4 1 7 6 7 1 9 6 8 2 4 3 5 4 5 6 1 3 7 9 2 8 1 3 9 2 5 7 4 8 6 5 7 2 4 8 6 3 1 9 4 6 8 3 9 1 5 7 2 7 2 1 5 6 3 9 4 8 8 9 5 1 2 4 7 6 3 3 4 6 8 7 9 1 2 5 Difficulty: EASY Difficulty: 5 6 1 MEDIUM 8 1 6 9 4 7 9 2 4 1 5 8 3 7 1 1 8 7 2 9 5 7 6 4 2 8 3 1 6 1 4 9 3 8 2 5 7 2 8 3 7 1 5 6 9 4 Spot five differences. First correct entry wins an Academies Week mug. Tweet a picture of your completed spot the difference using @academiesweek in the tweet. ANSWERS to Party conference ‘who said what?’ quiz Solutions: Difficulty: Next week MEDIUM David Laws – fringe Tristram Hunt – conference speech Nicky Morgan – conference speech Nicky Morgan – conference speech 7 3 7 2 8 6 9 5 1 4 6) 7) 8) 9) 9 Nicky Morgan - conference speech. Tristram Hunt – conference speech. Tristram Hunt – conference speech. Nicky Morgan - conference speech. David Laws – fringe 5 7 4 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 8 1 5
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