Whitehall “braced for private schools collapse” 4

[ICouldBeVioletSky]

Continuing the discussion about the impact of VAT on independent schools…

I’d be happy to help crowd fund Sinclairs to the tune on 5 KCs along with many other private school fee paying parents, I imagine.

It’s like David and Goliath. How can Sinclairs win?

We could reflect on how Starmer, Reeves and now Lindsay Hoyle's conduct meets, or fails to meet, the Nolan principles :

Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
1.2 Integrity
Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
1.3 Objectivity
Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
1.4 Accountability
Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
1.5 Openness
Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
1.6 Honesty
Holders of public office should be truthful.
1.7 Leadership
Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life/the-7-principles-of-public-life--2
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I think they are really scared of losing because it is potentially about more than just kids with SEND in private schools and the VAT? Is it potentially a breach of human rights of all kids with SEND in the state system that could go all the way to the European Court of Human Rights, meaning they have to spend billions and billions sorting the SEND crisis out? If so, good! Serves them right. It is time to prioritise the education system and sort the mess out for children post Covid.

If only there was somewhere else they could have found some money to help schools

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/10/27/lindsay-hoyle-oversaw-seven-million-speakers-house-refurb/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14474771/extravagance-commons-lindsay-hoyle-250k-travel.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14500889/The-36-000-portrait-Commons-Speaker-YOU-paid-for.html

The crowd funder for the parents' legal representation is here:

https://educationnottaxation.org/legal/

More background here

https://www.change.org/p/stop-labour-from-adding-20-vat-to-private-school-fees-and-forcing-kids-to-change-schools/

Why is the Government going to such enormous lengths to force children out of their schools? Really concerning.

I can only imagine that those behind it have no experience of schools beyond having non-SEN children in good state schools where they have been in top sets and achieved good grades and progressed on to university.

I know that having had a SEN child go through state education that I have had my eyes opened in a way that would not have been the case if she had been NT and no dyslexia. Would have been plain sailing and I'd have wondered why anyone wanted to even look at private beyond having shiny facilities and smaller classes.

SEND even in outstanding state schools is a complete mess - and not because the staff don't try. They're under resourced and under staffed and drowning. There are so many children with complex mental health issues that are not being dealt with by NHS and CAHMS that it is falling on school to pick up the pieces. There is nothing left over for those with more educational issues unless you have an EHCP with very specific arrangements.

Just in my own experience - DD is very dyslexic and ADD, but her issues are academic and not behavioural.

In primary they spotted the dyslexia (was rather obvious as she couldn't read by Y2) and did all the testing. None of the things in her Ed Psych report happened - after lots of complaints, her primary said that they had 35% SEN in the class. Most were boys with behavioural issues and they had no resources. So she couldn't be sat at the front of the class - she and the other girls were used as separators between the 'naughty' boys. Too much time was spent controlling bad behaviour - so no time to spend scaffolding, pre-teaching or even just explaining concepts more than once. How do you learn effectively if lessons are spent in corridors because children are throwing chairs? How do you learn when the teacher spends most of the lesson trying to shout over children who are running riot?

Lock down then screwed up her year group - they spent half of Y6, all of Y7 and half of Y8 in various bubbles and lockdowns. So no real way for teachers to see them face to face in an appropriate way before Y9 when they were starting GCSE courses. Even with good online provision there are huge gaps for all children when education is this disrupted let alone those who need extra support above the norm.

I have fought and fought for help for the dyslexia and it has been pretty much said that as long as she passes English and Maths then it's considered job done as there aren't enough resources to support a child capable of top grades to get those when they are passing, as there are so many others with similar difficulties who are not going to get the 4 or 5 they need. Resources are limited and have to be allocated according to need rather than want.

My experience has been that you spend years trying to get information, being fobbed off with vague promises that never actually happen, told not to apply for EHCPs, told that all staff are trained and will be delivering the SEN plan. And that even as an articulate, interested parent who will fight for their child you end up drowning in the system - endless waiting for meetings, for follow ups and then more disappointment. Months and years go by and you wonder why you are still at the same starting point.

I totally understand why many parents remove their children from state in desperation. Especially if the school isn't good to start with, or they have nothing but endless cover teachers, or the behaviour is such that no child could ever learn.

We've been lucky - DD will come out with the grades she needs for her chosen path. She's been in top sets with good behaviour and great teachers where she can learn even if there is nothing extra to help her specific difficulties. The school excels in their provision for her specific interests. She's happy. I can also afford to prop things up with tutors and tech and educating myself on how to help her.

But I have come away realising that our school system and our exam system caters for only a subset of children. If your child is one of those then you have won the education lottery. If your child is not, then it is a very stressful and demoralising experience.

Yes - I imagine what seems like a currently bad situation, will look far worse as the academic year draws to a close. Many have already shut down, with many more on the brink behind closed doors. Watch this space...

Agree! The number of kids at Nottingham train station travelling into Lincolnshire for the grammar schools is eye-watering!

Doesn’t that show you that there is a massive demand for grammar schools from some parts of society?

And that parents/students will travel when the school is worth it and it is their choice.

If you start busing kids all over to stop people choosing the school, who is funding this?

And can you imagine the number of appeals if there is a school 100 metres away that was first choice and child has been sent 7 miles away?

It's not as if absentee rates are exactly stellar at the moment.

It is almost as though offering families proper variety and choice in education is the answer. Rather than trying to shoehorn everyone into a one size fits none model.

Fair banding and a ballot will retain the perceived advantages of a selective system without the disadvantages.

It doesn’t look like we will see banding rolled out anyway. Thankfully

That makes it even more of a mess outside cities.

You end up with children who don't get allocated any place at all.

Not that I am against banding tests - DD is at a school that uses them.

However, a recent thread showed the disadvantages with a child who didn't get a place because she placed in the top band and all the places for top band went to siblings.

You end up with parents gaming the system by working out that if Little Johnny only completes half the paper that should get him comfortably in the lowest band and more chance of a place.

Why on earth would they want Little Johnny in the lowest band if that’s not where he belongs?

Because you may be more likely to get a place at the school you want.

As per the previous thread where child would have got a place if they had not been in the highest band.

Camden School for Girls is one school which uses a combination of banding and distance and it is definitely advantageous to not be in the highest band for certain combinations (as many parents have worked out).

It comes down to how the bands are split.

DD's school has around 4.5k children sit the banding test. The results are ranked and split into 3 equal size groups and places allocated in equal numbers within those three bands.

Other schools rank the results and split into anything up to 9 bands based on national distribution (that may not be in synch with a particular area). Some schools take more from the middle band and fewer from top and bottom bands.

If Little Johnny gets a place via the bottom band having only completed half the questions, and would actually have been top band it will get picked up pretty quickly once the schools do internal assessments and CATs, and based on their SAT scores.

Ah. Well, there will always be people who try to game the system. At least this way they won’t be able to game it by being rich. Unless there will be a new “reverse tutoring” industry!🤣Personally, I doubt if many people would run the risk of their top set child spending Year 7 in the bottom set….

You definitely would if you run the risk of 5 years in sink comp that is an hour each way on public transport!

No reverse tutoring needed - just don't do half the paper.

The extraordinary lengths some people would go to to try to prevent parents from doing their best for their children. What a race to the bottom.

@OhCrumbsWhereNow we are discussing a new system under which Little Johnny will go into the appropriate set at the school he’s allocated. There won’t be “sink comps”.

@WithTheFairiesfair banding and a ballot would do the best for all children.

And how do you make that happen?

Are you saying there will be a magic new system by which every comprehensive in the country will be outstanding and have the identical facilities, quality of teaching and amazing behaviour?

Are they all suddenly getting music facilities on a par with my DD's comp?

Playing fields galore for every inner city school? How about horse riding, fencing and archery... standard in every one?

What happens for children who live very rurally with only one state school currently an option? Are they restricted to that or will they have the option of the really good ones that are 90 minutes away? Who is funding travel?