|
This paper has been produced through consultation by Island Middle Schools Heads. It is not the work of Standards-Not-Tiers but as you will see we share many of their concerns and their proposals are fully endorsed by this group. We believe that it is a workable alternative to the proposals made by 4S. More important than that, it is produced by the very people who will have to implement any such plan. Ownership or genuine adoption is an important ingredient for a successful outcome! Remember 4S will not be here to take responsibility for the effects of their plan. We will be!
THE ISLAND’S EDUCATION SERVICE:
AN ARGUMENT IN FAVOUR OF ITS CONTROLLED EVOLUTION
INTRODUCTION
The ‘radical’ proposal of matching the age of transfer to that used by the majority of unitary authorities in England is an uncertain means of ensuring improvement to the quality of learning in classrooms. National examination performance statistics are inconclusive; different systems seem to have their fair share of successful and unsuccessful schools.
Falling pupil numbers and inequitable per pupil funding levels do require a rationalisation of provision on the Island with an eye on future population growth. The current resources, human and physical, have been developed to serve the current system. The implications for our resources, following any restructuring, are very significant. Their suitability to fit and improve the service for children and their families within a new configuration of schools has not been aired during ‘consultations’. Consequently, the debate and preparation for decision-making is taking place in a context of ignorance of detail about what any future system might look like.
Central LEA and school staff have shifted focus and effort continuously over the past ten years whilst attempting to deal with national, Island and school initiatives. The outcome, too often, has been a succession of actions without the capacity to establish and sustain change. The shift from local school management to increasing government control in recent years has been unhelpful in building the self-confidence of school and LEA leaders.
CONSULTATION FOR A PURPOSE
The ‘consultation’ process has set the climate for the Island community to believe that changing the age of transfer between schools is necessary. The thinking arising from 4S’s work is limited, with a number of significant areas that do affect the quality of learning in classrooms not addressed. The full tender document is clear in the direction given to the consultants with school system change explicit:
‘Undertake a strategic options review of school organisation and post 16 education and training provision on the Isle of Wight, exploring and identifying the most suitable approach to develop the quality and range of provision that best meets the needs of learners, employers and communities and which will have lasting impact’. (page 7)
The Learning and Skills Council’s responsibility for 16+ funding puts its focus and expertise away from schools. Decisions about post 16 provision ought to take into account the impact on the service as a whole. There is little evidence that the consultants had the brief to deal thoughtfully with this issue.
The dismissal of the contradictory evidence about the quality of Island schools provided by twelve years of OfSTED inspections indicates a lack of enthusiasm within the 4S team to grapple with contradictory indicators. The selection of data to ‘prove a point’ together with a lack of balance and uniformity in presentations is further evidence that the consultation process became an effort to persuade rather than seek views of stakeholders.
AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH
Two successive LEA inspections close to the ‘unsatisfactory’ borderline, volatile/flat lining and below expectation national examination results, falling numbers of pupils and significant changes in the organisation and management of all children’s services are the current key issues for the Local Authority and its schools.
4S and lead officers have suggested that these issues must be addressed, primarily, by altering the ages children transfer schools. It is difficult, however, to find persuasive evidence to support this assertion. Their belief alone is insufficient reason to set in process five years of realignment of human and physical resources at a considerable financial cost to the community.
It would be more profitable to identify key aspects of the education service, related directly to improving learning, that need urgent improvement and tackle each in a unified and sustained way.
- Establish an Island wide end of Year4 and Year 8 assessment to publicly focus school accountability with the education community.
- Develop ‘cluster’ focus on subject planning and moderation around the transfer Years, 4/5 and 8/9.
- Develop ‘networked schools’ of an educationally viable size with single administrative and educational leadership.
- Establish ‘improving learning’ as the fundamental driver for change in the local authority and schools.
- Acknowledge, within the Local Authority, the detrimental effect an increasing percentage of socially and emotionally needy pupils have on the quality of classroom experience of their peers.
- Review the training provision for school and LEA staff with the aim of improving its focus, quality and reach.
- Prioritise and limit Island educational initiatives according to what can be done well, rather than try most things and succeed only in patches!
- Ensure that all Island educational initiatives, whilst reflecting schools’ priorities to improve pupil learning, are sustained and engage effectively the whole service.
PRACTICALITIES, POSSIBILITIES AND POTENTIAL!
- The Clustering of schools needs time, financial independence and trust to establish partnerships that focus on improving learning before, during and after school transfer.
- The two-year Key Stage 3 begins in September 2005 providing additional end of school performance data and public accountability at the end of Year 8 from 2007.
- Year 4 QCA assessment and optional SATS could be established as an entitlement assessment for all Year 4 pupils
- Recognise and celebrate the fact that many Island children now receive the DfES’s ‘excellence and enjoyment’ provision targeted for 2006 in two tier systems.
- The evolution of congruent High/Middle school timetables will encourage staff and sixth form collaborations to develop.
- Small Primary and Middle schools could establish shared educational and administrative leadership in two years.
- Any programme of school closure should consider ‘extended’ schools and community needs as part of an integrated five-year programme of closure balancing educational and financial necessities.
- Joint programmes of vocational education could be extended pre and post 16 between College and schools.
- Extend the preventative and reactive strategies employed within the Authority to reduce the negative influence socially and emotionally needy children have on other children’s educational entitlement.
- Facilitate an inter-school network where the current good practice existing in many Island classrooms is made available for other teachers to access and improve their own practice.
CONCLUSION AND PROPOSAL
The unease generated by the ‘consultation’ process and its passion to influence public opinion has been debilitating for many people. For school staff and parents there has been little opportunity to share insights and garner wisdom outside the public meetings. The style, tone and structure of the meetings has not assisted involvement of people with views but little experience of public exposition. The community will have views and they may not be properly reflected in the beliefs held by those with responsibility, accountability and power in the Local Authority.
We propose a three-year ‘adjustment period’ whilst current efforts to improve the service are focussed and given appropriate opportunities to take effect.
The suggested alternative strategies, once accepted by the education community, could be enacted in that period. During that time proper consultation could take place where detailed proposals, benefiting children throughout the service, are examined and responses fully considered. The Local Authority’s eventual decision could then be laid out for the whole community’s benefit with understanding, ownership and collective commitment.
At the same time the relationships between schools, College and the Local Authority should be revised with the establishment of a ‘Strategic Direction for Improving Learning’ group driving and prioritising all educational activities in the name of children! The ‘every child matters’ innovations would undoubtedly benefit from an opportunity to take effect unencumbered by other significant readjustments of people and facilities prescribed by 4S’s range of proposals.
The need to influence the ‘educational culture’ on the Island is paramount. Our suggestions would give an opportunity for this to take place. The age of school transfer is not significant in this quest for improvement. We believe that the Island community would be better served by tackling the things that directly affect the quality of children’s learning and our suggestions attempt to do just that.
Prepared in consultation with, and on the behalf of, the Council of Middle School Head Teachers, following an agreement to voice concerns about the wisdom of 4S’s proposals and to suggest an alternative approach to raising pupil performance standards in all Island Schools.
The intended audience are Head Teachers in all Island Schools and decision makers within the Local Authority.
John Dear 10/03/05
|
