The DfE website profile of each school now gives quite strong indicators of the strength of education on offere in terms of the level of progress made by students in high, medium and low ability groups. It gives results in terms of exams and tests. The actual outcomes. There is a Value Added score giving the level of a child's progres against baseline levels.
In terms of the demographical info they give, FSM and EAL, surely all that does is give a generalised stereotyped view of how the school 'ought' to be doing? If the children go in with low base scores (which may or may not be to do with demographic background) the relevance of that, and the school's success in addressing it will be demonstrated in the VA scores and progress charts.
I see so many posts on MN where people are concerned about the demographic stats for a school and don't look at the VA or achievement stats, or make assumptions based on stereotypes from the demographic stats. The assumption is that a high FSM ratio will mean a low committment to learning - tell that to the refugee family whose kids are highest performing in their classes, such is the value they put on education. Tell that to the Jamaican grandmother bringing up her 4 grandchildren and supervising their homework with an eye on a future beyond their estate.
It feeds the frenzy to get into a school with a demographic of 'mc people like us'. It feeds a fear of people with less money. It enables people to focus on vague characterisation of 'problem' instead of looking at the actual effectiveness of a school. It's patronising - 'they do SO well, especially with all those FSM children'.
Can you imagine having to tick a box saying whether you are a higher rate tax payer and then the school using that in it's stats? Telling the school that you are no longer eligible for child benefit? And the results published on the website? It would arguably be outrageous, and yet people are asked to declare themselves wrt to EAL or FSM.
If the government want results to be what schools are judged on, then let those results be the key source of information. In the context of a child's ABILITY, not their personal circumstances. If WE want to judge a school, let us do it on the same indicators - progress and results.
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Education
Is it time to scrap demographical information on a school's profile?
18 replies
Blu · 21/11/2012 16:51
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