THIS mornings news Minister Gove is making 200 primary schools go Academy next year. Any views

[GabbyLoggon]

Some of you know more about this than me. They are said to be 200 failing primary schools. Is it an answer or at least an improvement?

News Article

Is it an answer or at least an improvement?

It depends

Depends on why so many kids were leaving the school unable to read and write

and

Depends on who takes over and what changes they make..........

Doesn't make sense to me.

Not everyone can be the best. When these 200 have improved, then there will be another 200 schools waiting to take their place as the 'failing' schools.

Striving to improve is one thing, but there will ALWAYS be children who don't learn to read or write, and who don't get the SATs result the schools wanted.

These are schools that for 5 years in a row have failed to get 60% of their students to a L4. Those are pretty bad statistics........

There should be very, very few children who leave primary school unable to read and write.........

These are also schools which are generally in deprived areas where the majority of children don't get the same input or support as other children. This all helps to reach the magical 'L4' in SATs, which to be honest are seen by most to be as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Have been listening to a debate about this on R5, and one of the people they talked to said it much better than I could have - is it really that the poor teachers and poor headteachers, only teach in schools in deprived areas? No. These 'failing' schools are often schools with good teachers, good headteachers and hugely variable cohorts. Pumping money and extra support and facilities into these Academies is all well and good, but what happens when the money isn't there, or the goalposts are moved again? What happens when someone decides that a failing school is now one that doesn't get 80% to L4, or 60% to L5?

Flisspaps - I fail to see your points.

When these 200 have improved, then there will be another 200 schools waiting to take their place as the 'failing' schools.

If these schools turn into academies and results improve, then it was a good thing.

Then why not turn the next 200 worse performing schools into academies?

If however these schools turn into academies and results don't improve, then it was either a neutral or bad thing.

These 'failing' schools are often schools with good teachers, good headteachers and hugely variable cohorts

Being an academy doesn't mean you have to fire good teachers and good headteachers..........

These schools may have good HTs, and they may not. Getting someone else to review the situation and ask the hard questions does not seem like a bad idea....... It is very hard to fire HTs or teachers. Out of these 200 schools, some of them will have bad HTs, and some of them will improve by becoming an academy.

Whether lots of them will improve - I have no idea......

I agree with anything which genuinely wants to give the children in poorer schools a better chance. It is obviously true to say that many children start at school from a different base. A different learning level

Turning a school into an Academy removes it from Local Authority control. It's run by the governors,the sponsors have an automatic majority. So who do you complain to f it goes wrong? Why, Michael Gove, who just staked his political career on it being OK. Things like SEN funding is kept by the school, not shared round all kids by need. Dd's (grammar) school became an Academy to keep that money and not have it shared round the kids who really need it. Most of whom are not grammar school girls, surprise. Not at all sure about this, the secondary experience has not shown general improvements for kids.

The SEN funding is not kept by the school - it's the administrative type funding which is kept by the school. (Pay roll, Occupational Health, building maintenance, catering, HR, EWO....)

Your DDs grammar of course will have kids on the SEN register also, and they will still be able to access the EP and other SEN services same as they always have.......

Have you ever tried to complain to an LEA about a maintained school? It does no good.... So what's wrong with complaining to somebody else who won't listen

Indigo -you may be right, but that's what we were told (after the event). I know complaints to lea are pointless, but been told that academies are even bloody worse...

One thing is for sure: we need to keep our critical gaze as to what is really happening in schools. Dont be bamboozled by crafty politicians or people with vested interests.