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By Hannah Richardson - BBC News education reporter
Poor teachers could be ousted from England's schools within a term, under government plans to make it easier for heads to get rid of under-performing staff.
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Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Academies: research into the leadership of sponsored and converting academies
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Findings from a project looking at leadership of sponsored and converting academies and how academy leadership might be distinctive from other schools. The study also explores what the conversion process is like in practice, the importance of context, changes in governance and working with others and what implications academy status can have on leadership development.
"Therefore..... notwithstanding the desire for less involvement by the local authority and an expressed desire to go it alone by leaders in these academies, many do continue to buy in at least some of the services previously provided by their local authority, including HR, SEN, educational welfare services and insurance. However, a number of case study schools noted that whilst some of the services were of high quality, they felt that since becoming an academy, costs for the services provided by the local authority had increased so much that they were no longer seen as good value for money." [P.49.]
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Findings from a project looking at leadership of sponsored and converting academies and how academy leadership might be distinctive from other schools. The study also explores what the conversion process is like in practice, the importance of context, changes in governance and working with others and what implications academy status can have on leadership development.
"Therefore..... notwithstanding the desire for less involvement by the local authority and an expressed desire to go it alone by leaders in these academies, many do continue to buy in at least some of the services previously provided by their local authority, including HR, SEN, educational welfare services and insurance. However, a number of case study schools noted that whilst some of the services were of high quality, they felt that since becoming an academy, costs for the services provided by the local authority had increased so much that they were no longer seen as good value for money." [P.49.]
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Monday, 23 May 2011
Q&A: Academies
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The coalition government has invited all schools in England to become academies. The Academies Act of July 2010 brought in the necessary legislation for the changes. The BBC News website examines key questions about academies.
A useful round-up of some basic questions and answers concerning academies.
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The coalition government has invited all schools in England to become academies. The Academies Act of July 2010 brought in the necessary legislation for the changes. The BBC News website examines key questions about academies.
A useful round-up of some basic questions and answers concerning academies.
Read the Rest
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Public Meeting to Discuss GHS Academy Status
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Garstang Bypass Road
As we have previously been informed that no public meetings are to be organised by the school governors to discuss the academy proposal, I am pleased to report that such a meeting has been independently arranged so that parents and other stakeholders can meet face to face to discuss and ask questions about the academy proposal.
This will take place on
Wednesday 25th May 7.00 – 8.00pm at
THE CROFTERS HOTEL
Garstang Bypass Road
Garstang
PR3 1PH
Hope to see you there.
Monday, 16 May 2011
More Sweeties?
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At some academy chains, teachers are offered private medical care, interest-free loans for season tickets and the chance to study for master's degrees at Harvard andOxford
Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said that if all schools became academies and offered these perks, the bill for the education system would be much higher. "It is somewhat slight of hand to be talking about season tickets when the government is trying to cut teachers' pensions," he said. "Teachers should be paid a good basic wage and then it should be left up to them what they spend this on."
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At some academy chains, teachers are offered private medical care, interest-free loans for season tickets and the chance to study for master's degrees at Harvard and
Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said that if all schools became academies and offered these perks, the bill for the education system would be much higher. "It is somewhat slight of hand to be talking about season tickets when the government is trying to cut teachers' pensions," he said. "Teachers should be paid a good basic wage and then it should be left up to them what they spend this on."
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Friday, 13 May 2011
Budget Cuts
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More than half the schools in England are facing cuts to their budgets, a survey of heads and deputies suggests.
The research comes as the Department for Education announced that more than 1,000 schools have applied to become academies since June 2010.
Education Secretary Michael Gove said: "A third of secondary schools are now either an academy or have started on the road to conversion. This represents a fundamental shift in power away from government and towards teachers.
"Teachers, not politicians or bureaucrats, know best how to run schools."
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Reborn Again
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Thousands of faith schools are set to become academies in a fundamental shift in the role of the church in state education.
A “domino effect” will mean that up to 70 per cent of the Church of England’s 4,800 schools will convert to academy status within five years, according to the chairman of the church’s board of education, the Rt Rev John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford.
A number of Catholic and minority faith schools are due to follow suit, resulting in considerable new powers for church schools over admissions, curriculum and funding.
The CofE’s influence is also set to grow as it fills the void created by cuts to local authorities. As well as supporting its own schools, the church is likely to provide a range of services to non-faith schools, Bishop Pritchard said.
“In the long run that there will be a major shift to academies because it is what the Government is determined shall be,” he said.
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Thousands of faith schools are set to become academies in a fundamental shift in the role of the church in state education.
A “domino effect” will mean that up to 70 per cent of the Church of England’s 4,800 schools will convert to academy status within five years, according to the chairman of the church’s board of education, the Rt Rev John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford.
A number of Catholic and minority faith schools are due to follow suit, resulting in considerable new powers for church schools over admissions, curriculum and funding.
The CofE’s influence is also set to grow as it fills the void created by cuts to local authorities. As well as supporting its own schools, the church is likely to provide a range of services to non-faith schools, Bishop Pritchard said.
“In the long run that there will be a major shift to academies because it is what the Government is determined shall be,” he said.
Read the Rest
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