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Forced Academisation of Schools

R

Rcook

pfm Member
My friend's children go to a very good infants school near them. In last year's Ofsted inspection, it was rated as 'Outstanding'..... in this year's it was, due to a number of contrived circumstances on the days of the inspection (including ensuring the Headmistress wasn't there, and the only class they sat in on was one with a supply teacher who had only been brought in on those days), it has been decreed it should go into 'Special Measures'.... but nothing is different to last year.

Essentially, the Government want to force all schools to become Academies, the Headmistress and Governers are against it, as it will not benefit the pupils.

There is a petition, it is specific to this school, but it will happen everywhere if it is not stopped. Some schools may benefit from it, some might not, however it should not be forced on them due to government ideology and Michael Gove's idiocy

Petition is here for anyone to sign: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/52641
 
demotivated said:
garyi, they are doing this everywhere, by bribery or pressure. Some people win, most people [teachers + pupils] lose.
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Academy status reduces costs, takes decisions away from the LA and puts it in the hands of the Head Master / Governors. This is why it shot through the system, the Heads and Governors voted for freedom and accountability.
 
:cool:
garyi said:
Um, that sounds weak.

Sounds like it was good last year but not this year.
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Point missed, nothing has actually changed at the school. This was a total stitch-up that a lot of parents are furious about. So everyone needs to protest, it could happen to your children's school
 
Mick P said:
Academy status reduces costs, takes decisions away from the LA and puts it in the hands of the Head Master / Governors. This is why it shot through the system, the Heads and Governors voted for freedom and accountability.
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The head and governors at this school don't want it, neither do the parents.
 
Mick P said:
Academy status reduces costs, takes decisions away from the LA and puts it in the hands of the Head Master / Governors. This is why it shot through the system, the Heads and Governors voted for freedom and accountability.
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but if any school's GB doesn't want to convert then they should be forced to.

Though whether the circumstances at this school were contrived or not isn't clear. How Ofsted would deliberately pick a day the Head was away I can't imagine.
 
Rcook said:
The head and governors at this school don't want it, neither do the parents.
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Your problem is that most LA's now want shot of the responsibility due to diminishing returns. They don't want to deal with just the few schools that are left because it is just too much work for small returns.

You have just got to know when to call it quits, it is going to happen.
 
Darth Vader said:
The head and deputy are sacked as the starting point. It happened to a friend of mine this year who was headmaster of an all boys comp who was given his marching orders.

Cheers,

DV
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DV,

This is not always true.

I can't comment on the specific circumstances you mention because I don't know them but the action might have been justified and it is hard to see how a Head and Deputy opposed to new status could confidently be trusted to run the school as an academy.

I assume that you are not arguing that conversion to academy status should be nixed simply because the head opposes such a move? Speaking as a Chair of Governors, I'd consider it imperative for the GB to listen carefully to the Head but it is for the GB to decide these matters and, if necessary, to decide to part company with the Head if the Head cannot wholeheartedly live with the decision made. That is the role of the GB.

Much of the objection to academies seems to be based on the ideology of and/or the inconvenience caused to, the staff. Schools should be run primarily in the interests of the pupils. The two are not necessarily coterminous.

Peter
 
I don't see how contriving for the head teacher to be away on the inspection day, however this was managed should have any baring on the outcome. Are we saying without the headteacher there for one day it all goes to rat shit?

I don't run schools BTW so its kind of a question, does it all fall apart in one day without the head?
 
psi310398 said:
DV,

This is not always true.

I can't comment on the specific circumstances you mention because I don't know them but the action might have been justified and it is hard to see how a Head and Deputy opposed to new status could confidently be trusted to run the school as an academy.

I assume that you are not arguing that conversion to academy status should be nixed simply because the head opposes such a move? Speaking as a Chair of Governors, I'd consider it imperative for the GB to listen carefully to the Head but it is for the GB to decide these matters and, if necessary, to decide to part company with the Head if the Head cannot wholeheartedly live with the decision made. That is the role of the GB.

Much of the objection to academies seems to be based on the ideology of and/or the inconvenience caused to, the staff. Schools should be run primarily in the interests of the pupils. The two are not necessarily coterminous.

Peter
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I think it was the case of a new broom and all that. To be fair he knew it was likely to happen but had little choice in the matter. Only a few years away from retirement as well. I think some of the teachers will also go during the transition.

I have don't have any objections so long as the school is run well and gets the most out of the pupils and contributes to the local community. It was just an observation of how in this particular case the school was 'forced' into the transition.

Cheers,

DV
 
If the head had been present he/she would have been able to direct the Ofsted inspector away from the class being taught by the supply teacher or at least put a case that what was seen was not typical and perhaps they should also monitor an additional class.
 
garyi said:
I don't see how contriving for the head teacher to be away on the inspection day, however this was managed should have any baring on the outcome. Are we saying without the headteacher there for one day it all goes to rat shit?

I don't run schools BTW so its kind of a question, does it all fall apart in one day without the head?
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All I would say is I would like our Head on site when our school is next inspected. Given the weight of significance of a poor Oftsted report it makes sense.
 
Mick P said:
Academy status reduces costs, takes decisions away from the LA and puts it in the hands of the Head Master / Governors. This is why it shot through the system, the Heads and Governors voted for freedom and accountability.
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No, it does not necessarily, nor does it improve standards, but why let facts get in the way of dogma...
 
Mick P said:
Your problem is that most LA's now want shot of the responsibility due to diminishing returns. They don't want to deal with just the few schools that are left because it is just too much work for small returns.

You have just got to know when to call it quits, it is going to happen.
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Any evidence? In this County the LA wants to retain schools.
 
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