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Exclusive: Pisa boss warns England’s school funding squeeze will hit standards

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Union leader hails ‘significant’ intervention from ministers’ favourite, Andreas Schleicher, who runs Pisa for the OECD

The head of Pisa has added his voice to warnings that financial pressures on schools in England risk damaging standards.

Andreas Schleicher, education director at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which publishes the Pisa (Programme for International Student Assessment) world rankings, voiced concerns over schools struggling to make budget savings of 8 per cent to cope with increasing cost pressures.

Asked by TES about the funding squeeze affecting schools in England, Mr Schleicher said: “If you take the same system and you take money out of it, you lose and lack in quality. I think there’s no question around it.”

He spoke out as politicians from around the globe gathered in London for the Education World Forum, where England’s schools minister Nick Gibb again cited Pisa research approvingly.

Mr Schleicher said that in high-performing education systems, such as China, parents and governments prioritised spending on educating children, adding that “they invest in the future”.

“The UK has already spent the money on consumption today,” he said. “That’s where the debt crisis came from. It’s a value choice of societies to make. Education really is an important choice; that is the future.

“The school system today is your economy tomorrow, and that is something I worry about when governments have an attitude of, ‘Oh well, let’s cut some corners here’.”

‘Significant’ intervention from Pisa boss

Mary Bousted, general secretary of the ATL teaching union, described Mr Schleicher’s intervention as “significant”.

The Department for Education said it had protected “core school funding”, which was at a record level, and that it was “incorrect” to say it was taking money out of the system

The department added that total expenditure from public and private sources on UK education institutions was above the OECD average for each phase of education.

A spokesperson said: “We recognise, however, that schools are facing cost pressures, which is why we will continue to provide advice and support to help them use their funding in cost-effective ways, including improving the way they buy goods and services, so they get the best possible value for their pupils.”

Mr Schleicher added that the overall level of funding was not the only issue, and called for schools to do more with the money they received.

[Source:- tes]

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Education

School performance link to Brexit vote, says Ofsted boss

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

The failure to improve schools in some parts of England has contributed to the feeling of being ignored revealed in the Brexit vote, the chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw has said.

The Ofsted boss said while standards were rising overall, the number of poorly performing schools in the north and the East Midlands would continue to fuel the sense of a divided nation.

He said the situation was very serious.

The government said 89% of schools were good or outstanding.

In an interview with the BBC in Manchester, Sir Michael said the economic future of the north of England relied on addressing the poor performance of some schools.

He said the European Union referendum result had revealed a wider malaise, with communities feeling their needs were being ignored.

Although some northern city centre areas voted strongly to stay in the EU, large parts of Greater Manchester and some Merseyside towns voted in great numbers to leave.

Manchester skyline
Image captionSir Michael says schools in northern cities such as Manchester need to improve

“The situation is very, very serious. If you look at Manchester, the city we’re in, nearly one in three schools [is] not good. In Liverpool, half are good. If you look at satellite towns, things are worse.

“It’s feeding into a sense that the people of Liverpool, Manchester and the North are not being treated fairly – that their children have less of a chance of educational success than people south of the Wash.

“And that’s feeding into a wider malaise that I sense with the Brexit vote, that actually this wasn’t just about leaving Europe, it’s about ‘our needs being neglected, our children are not getting as good a deal as elsewhere’.

“Parents want to see their children doing well; they want to see them going off to university; they want to see them getting a good job.

“Well, they have less of a chance of that in this city, in Liverpool and elsewhere and that feeds into this sense of discontent in the North and in the Midlands.”

His report said there was considerable evidence that schools in isolated and deprived areas where educational standards are low are losing out in the recruitment stakes.

It added that heads in north-west England are reporting an “auction” for teachers – particularly in Greater Manchester for hard to recruit subjects.

But there are also shortfalls in secondary subjects in south-east England.

Sir Michael said addressing education must be a government priority.

‘More teachers’

The Ofsted annual report, published on Thursday morning, highlights that overall standards are rising, with 1.8m more pupils in good or outstanding maintained schools in 2016 than in 2010.

During this period, the curriculum and assessment regime had become more rigorous and children from poor backgrounds were gaining ground on their peers in national primary tests.

But the report also said to become truly world class, England needed to have:

  • High standards in education in every part the country
  • More teachers and leaders in in the right areas
  • Technical education that is on a par with academic education

It also highlighted the poor quality of education in the more geographically and economically isolated parts of the country, including coastal areas.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said good and outstanding schools now made up 89% of all schools inspected in England but acknowledged there was more to do.

“That’s precisely why we have set out plans to make more good school places available, to more parents, in more parts of the country – including scrapping the ban on new grammar school places, and harnessing the resources and expertise of universities, independent and faith schools,” he added.

Malcolm Trobe, interim general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the reasons for educational underperformance in some areas were complex.

He said: “Industrial decline, generational unemployment and high levels of deprivation have had a devastating impact on many parts of the country, creating extremely challenging social conditions.

“Schools in these areas often find it difficult to recruit staff and are hit particularly badly by the on-going nationwide teacher recruitment crisis.”

Sir Michael retires as head of Ofsted at the end of the year. He will be succeeded by Amanda Spielman, who currently chairs exams regulator Ofqual.

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Academy boss says grammar plans may leave children behind

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

The head of one of England’s largest academy chains says creating more grammar schools will do little to raise standards.

Jon Coles, chief executive of United Learning, which runs 60 schools, says the government has failed to explain how the plans will help most children.

He told the BBC the success of schools in London had shown that non-selective schooling could work.

The government said there would be strict conditions on new grammars.

Mr Coles says it is clear the government is facing “significant political opposition” from within the Conservative party and from other parties to plans to allow more schools to select by ability.

‘Pass or fail’

Mr Coles, who is also a former director general of schools for the Department for Education, says there is little evidence that increasing the number of grammar schools will have much impact.

He says he is concerned about what will happen to children who do not get a place in grammar schools.

“They’ve said they don’t want to it to be a return to the 1950s, they’ve said they don’t want it to be a return to the binary system of pass or fail.

“Yet they’ve given no visible means of support to that yet.”

Prime Minister Theresa May announced plans to expand the number of schools in England that would be allowed to select by ability

grammarImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionThe government says grammars can help to promote social mobility

This could mean all state schools being allowed to introduce selection “in the right circumstances” and where there is demand

But new selective schools would have to meet access conditions, such as taking a share of pupils from low-income backgrounds, setting up a new non-selective secondary or primary school or backing an underperforming academy

Like many other academy chiefs, Mr Coles said he was surprised by the scale of the plans for more selection, but few have been prepared to voice their concerns publicly.

It is academy trusts that are being asked by the government to take on the running of schools in challenging and deprived areas.

He and other academy chiefs argue the new grammar policy is a distraction from raising standards across the system.

Struggling

Mr Coles led the improvement of schools under the London Challenge programme, which resulted in schools in the capital – many of which were previously struggling – to perform about 10% better than most of the rest of England.

“I think it asks a lot of questions – why aren’t people as angry that we’re not learning the lessons of the London challenge as they are about grammar schools.”

In the climate of post-referendum politics, he says the key question is how to galvanise change in working-class communities that feel left behind.

“So people who feel they’re struggling to get by, who want something for their children, we don’t put them in a position where they’re hoping they’re the one in three that get through the test.

“We have to put them in a position where they’re part of the 100% who get something better.”

The Department for Education said: “These proposals are about creating more good schools in more areas, giving every child the opportunity to fulfil their potential so we can build a country that works for everyone.

“The binary system is one of the past and, as set out in the consultation document, we are clear that relaxing restrictions on selective education can and should be to the betterment, not at the expense, of other local schools.”

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Exclusive: Force schools to admit fair share of poorer pupils, says academies boss

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Dame Sally Coates

The school admissions system is in need of a ‘huge overhaul’, according to former ‘super head’ Dame Sally Coates

Schools should be forced to take a percentage of disadvantaged children that reflects the level of deprivation in their locality, Dame Sally Coates has said.

Speaking to TES, the United Learning director of academies in the south of England described the huge variation in the intake of poorer children across schools within the same local authority as “madness”.

“[The current admissions system] doesn’t help social mobility,” she said. “Every middle-class parent, if they’ve got their wits about them, plays the game. And the poor children are always the ones who are left behind.”

Dame Sally, former head of Burlington Danes Academy in west London, wants a review group set up to overhaul admissions with the publication of wider list of rules that schools have to abide by.

‘I’m very angry about admissions’

Currently, most schools are required to prioritise looked-after children or children with special educational needs in their oversubscription criterion. But Dame Sally believes an additional requirement should be added.

“Why not have that you have to take a certain percentage of pupil-premium children which reflects the area your school is in? Why not spread children out?” she said.

“Some schools having 6 per cent pupil premium [pupils] and other schools having 70 per cent in the same local authority. It is just madness.”

Dame Sally added: “[Admissions is the] thing I feel most strongly about at the moment. It is absolutely in need of a huge overhaul. I feel very angry about admissions.”

The government’s push towards a fully academised education system, with more and more schools controlling their own admissions, means there has never been a more important time to change the system, Dame Sally believes.

“If schools do break the admissions code, then there should be more consequences,” she said. “I don’t think it should be left to schools and academy trusts. It should be centrally overseen.”

[Source:- tes]

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Education

Ofsted boss sorry for calling Isle of Wight a ghetto

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

The chairman of Ofsted has apologised after he called the Isle of Wight a “ghetto” where “there has been inbreeding”.

David Hoare said he had been trying to highlight the unacceptably poor performance of schools on the island over many years.

His comments, made at a recent teaching conference, prompted a call for him to resign.

Mr Hoare apologised for any upset or offence he may have caused.

Green Party education spokeswoman Vix Lowthion said Mr Hoare’s comments made him “unfit” for his post and called on him to step down.

‘Shocking’

Isle of Wight council leader Jonathan Bacon said he would contact Education Secretary Justine Greening to seek an explanation from Mr Hoare for his comments.

He said: “David Hoare’s comments about ‘inbreeding’ and ‘ghettos’ on the Isle of Wight are truly offensive to the people of the Isle of Wight and bear no relation to the facts.”

Ofsted said the chairman had been expressing his personal views and they did not reflect those of the inspectorate or its chief inspector.

The controversial comments, made at a teaching conference last week, were highlighted in the Times Educational Supplement.

Mr Hoare, who has a home on the mainland near the island, said education on the Isle of Wight was often a topic of conversation with his dinner party guests.

“They think of it as holiday land. But it is shocking,” he said.

‘Insult’

“It’s a ghetto; there has been inbreeding.

“Seven state schools were all less than good. There is a mass of crime, drug problems, huge unemployment.”

But Ms Lowthion, who is a teacher on the island, said: “‘I am absolutely appalled that the chairman of Ofsted thinks it helpful, truthful or professional to describe our families and young people in that way.

“I think it reflects more on himself than it does on our hard-working teachers and schools.

“It is well-known that coastal towns need investment and support to improve education standards and participation.

“He has insulted residents of coastal towns across the country and should resign.”

Following the outcry, Mr Hoare said: “My intention was to highlight how concerned I am about the unacceptably poor performance of schools on the Isle of Wight over many years and how this is damaging the prospects of young people who live on the island.

“Those who know me will realise that I am passionate about improving outcomes for children from our most disadvantaged communities and my comments were made in this context.”

[Source:- BBC]

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