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.

interesting as our place obsessed with data and impact atm
I said today in a meeting - lets not forget that focussing too much on stats blinkers you to the little SMSC type things!

It's more an issue with Academies. Gove took them out of LA control, removed the need to follow the NC or even employ qualified teachers, but put nothing in place to monitor them - assumed the market would do it in his ideological way. Well, it didn't, did it. If the reports are correct.
Teachers could have told him things like this would happen.

The bit I don't understand is if radical governors are the issue then it is the academy sponsor/ la who should be slated for their processes?

oh sorry I forgot ofsted are only thinking about starting to inspect academy chains about now . right just off to shut the stable door where is that horse? ??

I totally agree about the stats points btw.

the sponsors are free from inspection atm not the schools.

wot tig said

the inspection of las is sketchy also.

las?

local authorities.

aaah

i was all Hispanic

lulujakey you need to read the reports, because you're wrong- quite a few of the schools have been exonerated, and are still excellent schools (for example Small Heath, Waverley, etc).

troy- I've been inspected as LA 6 times. I wouldn't describe as sketchy.

Fram
No I agree, I meant the ones who have been found inadequate or RI where thete are still concerns about L and M.

this is the list of las that have been inspected ever for school improvement, ie as a 'sponsor' of schools.

www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/reports-following-inspection-of-local-authority-school-improvement-arrangements

and if it comes under 'childrens services' instead Birmingham has been inadequate pretty much forever. It hasn't actually lead to the required improvements so despite them turning up its been totally ineffective!

Bham "Childrens Services" has only been inadequate since they became childrens services, and had to incorporate the frankly execrable bham social services. (who may have more children die on them than anywhere else, but tbf have far more children on their patch than anywhere else- a quarter of a million!)

They became 'childrens services' at the very last moment, when the Every Child Matters bill came into force, and prior to that, the Education Dept was outstanding.

Schools such as Nansen and Regents Park were excellent schools, with incredible VA scores, that took children with high FSM, high E2L and taught them English, and brought them up to national standards. People used to visit them to see how things could be done.

I meant to include Highfield JI last night btw- a super school!

I'm very uncomfortable if there's gender equality in British schools. And it looks to me like there is a problem in that area - with these schools.

If there is NOT gender equality.

I am sure that Park View Academy did lots of things right. However that does not compensate for major inadequacies. A school that gives girls inferior treatment is inadequate regardless of value added or exam results.

Here is Park View's Ofsted:

www.parkview.bham.sch.uk/ckeditor_image/Ofsted%20Report%209th%20June%202014.pdf

It mentions that boys and girls are separated for PHSE and R.E. Not sure about the reasoning, but that doesn't strike me as being out and out inferior treatment, in fact having same sex PHSE groups may make the pupils feel more comfortable about discussing various topics.

It is also quoted that "girls say some staff discourage them talking to boys or taking part in extra-curricular activities". That is obviously wrong, but it is also vague in terms how many staff are saying that and in what context.

It is clear from the Ofsted, that by far the biggest issue, in their eyes, is that Muslim children apparently need "Don't be a terrorist lessons", hence the repetition of the phrase "risk of extremism" and not enough pupils having talks by Prevent.

As a Muslim parent, I think it is outrageous to assume Muslim children need to be singled out in such a manner and I would withdraw my child from any programme or lesson which treated them as a future violent criminal.

GoshAnne - I am very unsure of the Prevent strategy, but the biggest issue is the item they put first under The leadership and management:

" A significant number of staff say they have no confidence in either the senior leaders or the governing body. They believe that the academy is poorly led and managed and that neither staff nor students are treated equally and fairly. Some staff were keen to share with inspectors their concern that recruitment practices were unfair. Others were very anxious about the possible consequences of expressing their views openly to inspectors."

GoshAnneGorilla

I agree with you that single sex education is not an issue provided that boys and girls cover the same topics. Certainly I can see sense in girls having sex education away from boys and vica a versa. It gives children a safe enviromnent to ask embrassing questions. In fact there are schools which have very few muslims that choose to have single sex classes for sex education.

However if you look at the OFSTED it is clear that the school is not fit for purpose. Its not just nasty christians out to get those poor helpless muslim children. Failure to promote equal opportunity, vet outside speakers, staff experiencing a climate of fear or safeguarding issues is are all strong reasons to put a school into special measures.

As a muslim parent would you want to send your child to Park View Academy?