To think Park View Academy, must be doing something right ( looking at their statistics)

[smokepole]

I have just looked at the Park View Academy's statistics and have been amazed. I expected to see appalling statistics, yet the statistics are fantastic!

92.5% of pupils English as a second language 59.8% of pupils on FSM yet achieves 75% 5 A*-C Maths and English.

There might be a problem with some religious zealots there, but clearly the school is achieving fantastic results. The school is giving its pupils an education far beyond, what the raw statistics say it should be doing.

The problems should have been dealt with in an efficient and quiet way, it should not have come to the media attention. The school deserves to be looked on as beacon of excellence for its outstanding results.

agapanthers; well written and informative.

MrsMike, I don't see it as something the school's doing wrong, either! They can't refuse kids for having EAL, after all. Presumably they have to deal with their catchment as it presents itself.

And it doesn't have to mean English is an afterthought, or they can't speak it - it could mean the kid is fluent in more than one language as pp said. Bilingual or multilingual kids can switch between languages with ease (and sometimes not notice they are doing it!) so it's not like they are laboriously translating from their first language to their second constantly.

Agapanthers wrote
suddenly all of those 'aspects of multiculturalism' are now instead being regarded as medieval bigotry.

What has not been mentioned is that medieval bigotry can lead directly to racism and sexism. No-one mentions the racism that exists in some parts of some minority groups. I would argue for RS staying on the curriculum because it combats this.
I will give you an example to illustrate how.
The mother of one of my pupils had been to Mecca and regarded herself as an authority on the practice of her religion.
This is what she told her daughter (my pupil):
Mother: If a Christian eats from one of your bowls, then provided you wash it very thoroughly you can re-use it. If a Sikh or a dog eats from one of your bowls then you have to throw it away because it can never be clean again.
My pupil: That’s just silly mother.
Mother: That’s what it says in the Koran.
My pupil: That can’t be true because there was no Sikh religion when the Koran was written.
My pupil who had done RS at my outstanding comprehensive was rewarded with a smack across the head. As TroyMclure has already said we really need good, modern RE teaching.

They might all speak English at school. And whatever else at home. Quite normal

Well put Agapanthers.
We have had multi-culturism for decades on the assumption that people move here because they approve of and wish to adopt our way of life. This is the opposite of the case in some parts of Britain. The Gov is trying to force a change.

^92% of pupils English as a second language?! Forgive me my ignorance but does that mean that 92% of pupils speak English as an afterthought, and have their own mother tongue at the forefront of their language?
If it does, which I suspect it does, then I don't see how that is not a concem. That's not 'something they're doing right' at all if that's the case.^

But how can that conceivably be the school's fault? They can't refuse to accept a child for this reason.

This is an issue that some of the right wing press keep getting agitated about, but I can never understand why. It doesn't mean that lessons are taught in anything other than English, and in my experience children in effect become bilingual. I feel that, if anything, it is something to be celebrated.

As far as I am aware English as a second language means that English is not the language spoken at home. That doesn't mean the student can't speak English equally well. A lot of young people will be bi or even tri lingual and will switcg between languages with ease.

I would imagine many of the children come from disciplinarian homes with a strong hierarchy between men/women and adults/children. (every few months, DP has a parent give him 'permission' to beat their children. he has to explain this is not legal in the UK...etc...etc....etc)

combined with strong community links, & teachers (governors) visiting children's homes, I doubt children act up in class so teacher can spend less time on behaviour management and more on teaching.

which explains the good academic results (not advocating any of this, just looking for an explanation).

however the wider education in these school sound shit and divisive.

my guess is as this continues, lots of major and minor financial mismanagement will come out. it reeks of cronyism, incompetence, egos and misogyny.

religion is only part of this.

I agree. Religion is only a small of this. There are serious issues surrounding governance, abuses of power and lack of accountability.

I have many Muslim. Friends and colleagues and they all say the same thing : schooling must be secular as they all pay privately for either evening or weekend tutoring in religious studies. They all prefer to keep religion out of school.

Can they be neutral on issues like homosexuality, same sex marriage and abortion?

They can, yes, but the trouble is that they often choose not to be

Totally agree with tiggytape's wise posts about this being mainly a governance issue ... though I still believe that banning all RE teaching in schools would be a start, if only for the message it would sent

Perhaps the most worrying thing of all is that many parents actually seem to approve of what's been happening, as we've seen in refusals to accept replacement governors who'll challenge this situation ... and this despite claims that it's only a very few extremist governors who have driven the changes

Unfortunately, in trying to be tolerant and inclusive, we appear to have created a very major problem for everyone ...

If you ban re in schools you risk making people more extremist. The only religious education they will get will be from their place of worship and parents, they won't be taught about other faiths or about those who have none. Religious tolerance will decrease.

Omg I'm sorry about that! The battery was going on my nexus and it went random. Hope I haven't spoilt the discussion.

Omg I'm sorry about that! The battery was going on my nexus and it went random. Hope I haven't spoilt the discussion.

do you mean me tiggy?

There is a difference between RE ... and religious instruction or indoctrination. Obvioulsy one is quite desirable in terms of promoting healthy debate and tolerance and one isn't

How very true. Trouble is, I believe the governors concerned know the difference but simply don't care as long as they're allowed to pursue their own agenda instead

Ban all faith schools I say.

I'm well aware they weren't faith schools I commented on it on another thread but I still think faith schools should be done away with.

i have just read ALL the reports.
Its governance and financial mismanagement that seems to be the common theme.
Not spending PP money on PP, not looking at niche groups, not questioning SLT on things and just general CRAP governance