Michael Wilshaw tells private schools to do more for the state sector

[muminlondon]

www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/oct/02/ofsted-michael-wilshaw-independent-schools

He's not afraid of being disliked, is he? He gave a speech to the heads of private schools telling them to sponsor academies in deprived areas - only 3% do so.

My favourite quotes are:

'... think less globally and more locally, "less Dubai and more Derby"'

'What might you say to parents who think that noblesse oblige is the latest perfume from Chanel?'

'Your pensions, many of the public may be surprised to learn, are subsidised by the taxpayer. Most of your teaching staff were educated at public expense. The independent sector gains 1,400 teachers from state schools every year.'

Leadership? If my girls ht ever starts getting 'lead' by a private school head, I'll find another bloody school. How incredibly patronising.

I'm still giggling at the thought of all those private school teachers who love the social diversity injected by poor scholarship kids, because they really like a mix. Yes, that'll be why they teach in private schools, I guess?

I looked round a local really not very fabulously achieving comp on Thursday. I was really struck by some of the teachers. Really lovely, engaged, interesting people who clearly knew how to teach and enjoyed teaching and had a terrific rapport with the kids.

Not convinced that the private sector can provide those things, just trying to guess what he has in mind.

'Inspiring teachers, who have mortgages to pay, are unsurprisingly attracted by better pay and conditions in indie schools'

But there are plenty of these in state schools who before Gove were attracted by the rewarding nature of the work, career progression opportunities and ethos of their school. With PRP if they get judged on results, rather than progress of that one boy who scraped 4Cs despite arriving at Level 3, they will leave.

If I struggle with poor behaviour it's because I'm a poor teacher? How about because a fair number of the pupils I teach live in poverty, and many will not have the role model of working parents, and some are carers, and some (a bigger proportion than at private I would bet) have ADHD or ASD with not enough support in the classroom, and a few are practically feral due to home backgrounds? Seriously, an engaging lesson is all those children need to turn them around? MOST children are keen to learn, but it only takes a proportion to really slow down and disrupt learning.

Take 2 children with the same level of ability, give one their own bedroom, desk, laptop etc and parents who tell them to do hours of homework a night, and give the other a shared room with noisy neighbours and homework being done on the bed while your brother plays on the xbox - there are lots of ways in which the richer child will find it easier to do better than a poorer child, even if basic "ability" is the same.
The state of our education system is a mirror of the state of our society. I don't think it's the schools which are the ones letting children down.

I find it very hard to agree that teachers SHOULDNT have performance related pay. At present you get pay rises for just being their the longest. Your performance doesnt come into it!

I agree our schools reflect our society. If there are lots of failing schools...

handcream - it really depends how you measure performance, though, doesn't it? Government does so like messing things up by discarding anything difficult to measure as irrelevant and making everyone obsess about ticking bloody silly little boxes.

igg teenagers are teenagers and have the same 'behaviour' issues - the difference is that state school teachers tend to whinge and excuse them, while the better teachers find ways to differentiate. There is no reason why they couldn't be found in the state system, and often do start here, but the endless whinging in state schools, and better pay etc in the indie sector means that better teaching is found there. I have witnessed it. Have you actually seen any teaching in the Indie sector, or are you just going by hearsay?

If I struggle with poor behaviour it's because I'm a poor teacher? How about because a fair number of the pupils I teach live in poverty, and many will not have the role model of working parents, and some are carers,

Both me and my son are classed as carers and yet my son is achieving well beyond expected levels and his behaviour is impeccable at school. Being a carer or living in poverty does not always mean underachievement or poor behaviour.

Norude well said. I hate the arrogant and lazy assumption that children in poor circumstance should be expected to behave badly
Some of the most disadvantaged children I know are the politest and most hardworking - they do not deserve the slur they get from underperforming teachers.

You can reward the best teachers through promotion and additional responsibilities and a good headteacher will do that. If it's by the number of A/A*s or even number of levels of progress reached our children could suffer even more by being withdrawn from exams in subjects they struggle in but enjoy. We wouldn't know if it was the whim of the teacher.

I agree there are badly behaved pupils and parents in both sectors but the way the two sectors deal with it are different. In state schools they too readily excuse poor behaviour and once the dcs and parents know there are no real consequences they rarely change their behaviour. In ds1 indie there are no excuses everyone is expected to behave and the consequences are spelt out in no uncertain terms. if you dont you're punished and given an opportunity and strategies to improve ,including peer mentoring, however if the behaviour persists then you're out.

Phew! Have just read all 13 pages.

Seems to me Wilshaw is huffing and puffing at private schools because he hasn't a clue how to improve the 93% of schools which are actually his bailiwick. IMHO, the notion that private schools are responsible for state school failings is a red herring meant to distract all us simple minded state school parents so we don't notice it's the government, the bureaucracies and the unions who have let us down.

In a world where we aren't politically capable of:

1. Spending more, or
2. Dividing children based on ability, or
3. Taking an unbending line against bad behavour

We need to be realistic, and expect that managed mediocrity is the best we are going to get.

As a state school parent, who couldn't afford to be otherwise, I still appreciate the private sector schools. Why? They operate as a reality check. They are a foil whenever we are told it is not possible to do better, that we are living in the best of all possible worlds. I expect this us why Wilshaw has his knickers in a twist.

What an interesting viewpoint Missing. You are right. The gov could easily claim this is the best they can do. The private's show them that it isnt.

Missinglalaland

+1 from me.

PS well done for reading this epic thread.

Miswinglala - + 2 from me.

The funding thing is an interesting one because lots of less affluent countries have very high standards of education.

Yes, they could achieve much better results if they took a few leaves from the private schools' book.

They need to accept fewer children who won't do well at 16. They need to accept fewer children with difficult backgrounds. They need to be seen as a status choice, with lovely buildings and grounds, where anyone who can't pay can essentially fuck right off.

That should do it, but, O WHY WON'T THEY LISTEN?

For fuck's sake.

Aw shucks!

I have to go now. Have a great weekend everybody.

People are very quick to judge what happens in state schools e.g. poor behaviour with no consequences; "endless whingeing"; better teachers in independent schools. Of course selective independent schools get better results than non selective comps. However, I am not sure how many state schools would welcome assistance from the private sector.

Norudeshit of course it is possible to do well, overcoming the odds. But is it easier/more likely that you'll win a race if you are running on the flat, or if you have extra burdens to carry and a hill to get over on your side of the track? I was not viewing children who are carers as badly behaved ( apologies if I put it that way) but as those who are potentially disengaged, and might require more than a whistles-and-bells lesson to overcome their barriers to learning.
SDhopeful I have made no comment on the teaching quality in private schools, not sure what you mean? I know there are fewer discipline issues teaching more able, better motivated students as I (like most teachers) have taught "top" sets as well as others. I hope you were not labelling me as an "underperforming" teacher by the way, as you know nothing about my achievements (or lack of them)!

I missed this in the news until today. I think forcing private schools to run additional state schools is essential a tax levied on the fee paying parents. :|

Haven't read whole thread so apologies if this has already been said, but NO NO NO to mower assisted places at private schools for very bright children from poor backgrounds. The children who hoover up these bursaries are the very ones who do well in the state system.

YES to assisted places for less able, less well supported poor students, who sink like stones in the state system because of large classes.

I think it getting rather old hat that because I am poor the rest should be bought down to my level. I think we are all aware that Communism is dead. I work on the adage your rich and successful how do I get to eat your pie.

I'm not saying the poor are not disadvantaged because they are. I don't see the reason why If I can afford a decent education for my child by working hard first at school then in my area of expertise. So that my child has the environment to thrive in an independent school setting. That somehow I am a capitalist villain. Who wants to tread on the poor .

Lets face facts If I was a teacher I would teach in a private school. Why? because the kids know they have to behave and thus teaching is an interaction rather than a holding action.

Is it fair for the poor kids? No it isn't. I was top streamed in a local state school. I am BBC (British Born Chinese) So I endured the endless taunts of being ethnic Chinese. The occasional thump in the back for coming top of the class in which I replied with breaking his arm. The endless fights against not one but a gang of children who didn't seem to like an ethnic beating them academically....BTW I got an A for all my O'level and A'level they didn't come close. That is with working in the kitchen whilst doing my homework. Most of the time it comes down to desire. I wanted out of a 24/7 menial job...So I worked hard at school.

So as a parent do you think I would risk sending my daughter to such a school?

The onus is on the child..My friend who also attended UCL with me came from a family. Where both parents are drug addicts. They in his words have fortunatley died so his son would never need to meet them. His son is now in a private Indie school. Why ? in his words "because I can afford it and I want a better future for my child."

I hate it when people blame a section of society for all the ills that are in theirs. The onus is on you to work...Yes the work ethic is better in a private school....but I am sure even if your brother is playing Xbox if you wanted it. You can play but still get your work done.

Stop blaming the rich for being rich......Work out how to get rich...instead...

As for Private vs State....If you had the money go Private the teachers are better and the school dinners are fantastic.

O if this offends you I do apologize but I will not apologize for working hard making money. So my daughter can go private. It is my choice as a parent.

If this affects you in state school because we have paid and taken all the teachers that are in it for the cash and not for the lofty ideal of actually teaching children...Then we are doing a service to the state sector leaving only those that stay because they want to teach. There is always a positive somewhere.

All that goes to show that our own personal experiences have a huge effect on us. If you enjoyed your own school experiences and have done well in life, you will feel no great need to find something different for your own children. If you were miserable, you will cast around for something different if you can. It certainly doesn't mean that 95% of children have whingeing teachers who can't control their classes and 5% of children are all having a jolly time being taught by truly magical beings.