You’re right but it’s simply not all down to schools. Many schools have exceptional teachers and leaders working in very difficult settings. Ryde Academy is case in point. Since being taken over by Enterprise trust and having appointed an exceptional leader in 2015 it has shown rapid progress. It’s results have improved and it’s gone from inadequate to good. The head was a TV star when she was the head in the Educating Cardiff series and has taken that talent to Ryde. Many schools in challenging circumstances cannot recruit strong, transformative leaders. Who wants to live and work in Blackpool or Grimsby when you can live in Keswick or Harrogate for the same package?
There has long been neglect and dereliction of many seaside towns. Places like Margate, Great Yarmouth and Hastings used to accommodate children’s homes, care leavers, refugees, people with learning disabilities, drug addicts and ex prisoners because they have large, cheap properties suitable for multiple occupancy. The austerity measures mean parents (and others) already struggling have lost their support services. Shops have shut, libraries and family centres closed.
The expectations on schools has increased exponentially. We want them to teach everything and every child with lessened resources. We expect them to give medicines, provide forgotten lunches, change incontinent children, be mindful of volatile family situations, teach children with sixteen or more first languages, manage friendships and sort out squabbling. Clearly in poorer communities the impact of austerity is greater, the educational opportunities reduced and need to focus on getting children into school and learning is almost insurmountable . Middle class parents can offer funds to schools via fetes, raffles, sweatshirt sales, voluntary donations, paying for exciting school trips and extracurricular activities. Poorer schools can only dream of the majority of parents sending in £100 each term or buying a book for the new library.
What any government needs to do is address poverty. Sadly, the current government wants to put more families (and others) into poverty. Their votes are not generally from the poor - apart from the Brexit vote won by projecting immigrants as being to blame for poverty and failing services.
Part of addressing poverty is to level the playing field. If Ryde Academy wasn’t indirectly subsidising Ryde School, was getting the support of more middle class parents, was getting those parental donations, behaviours and expectations then one can only imagine how well they would serve all our children.