Hounslow's Schools - The National Challenge
On the Lampton thread, Paul Lynch wrote, "While we are on the subject of School Improvement, it would be interesting to have Michael Sterne's views on the recent statement by Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Education, that three of the Borough's Schools are inadequate and should close down and be replaced."I hold no particular brief for the Government's Education Policies but Ed Balls said no such thing.I quote from the Department of Chidren, Schools and Families letter to local authorities (http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/localauthorities/_documents/mailshot/mailshot_14537.pdf)"The National Challenge was launched on the 10th June 2008 and will support schools with the lowest GCSE results, so that by 2011 at least 30 per cent of pupils in every secondary school will leave with five or more good GCSEs, including English and mathematics. Moreinformation is on the The National Challenge website."We are sending individual letters and the National Challenge toolkit to DCSs, chief executives, leaders of councils and lead members for children's services [Paul Lynch, my insert]."The National Challenge will focus greater attention, help and resources on schools that are currently below the benchmark, with funding of £400 million. The plans include the appointment of National Challenge advisers, who will work with National Challenge schools as enhanced School Improvement Partners. There are also proposals to use more radical solutions, including the creation of more academies, targeted at schools that face the biggestchallenges."The National Challenge toolkit for schools and local authorities is published on the website alongside a School Improvement Strategy, which aims to secure improvement in all our schools, but our first and most urgent commitment is to raise standards in schools with a long history of low attainment."I can't see anything here that suggests that schools below the 30% target are 'inadequate' or that they should 'close down and be replaced'. Surely Paul, you should be taking this initiative seriously and not using it as the occasion for knock-about politicking. Leave that for Prime Minister's questions. Our schools are too important.
Michael Sterne ● 6710d0 Comments