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Richmond Borough Schools Chat 8

999 replies

muminlondon2 · 28/02/2016 20:25

This thread follows on from Richmond Borough Schools Chat 7.

News and opinions on all the changes to schools in Richmond borough.

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ChrisSquire2 · 17/07/2016 20:27

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

Professional Life
Director New Schools Network Jan 2013 - May 2015
Chief Operating Officer New Schools Network Mar 2011 - Jan 2013
Deputy Director Policy Exchange

You don't have to do much to become a life peer these days.

auntieC75 · 25/07/2016 20:40

Who watched the Channel 4 Dispatches programme about Academies/free Schools tonight? Everyone with a child should be very concerned about the way some Trusts are run and how taxpayers money is being spent and how some Trusts are funded. School uniforms purchases IT arrangements and other such items clearly need some investigation over tendering for these services.

ChrisSquire2 · 26/07/2016 15:28

Now on the Council planning website: Planning application: 16/2777/FUL: Ryde House 391 Richmond Road Twickenham TW1 2EF: Demolition of existing building. Construction of a new mixed use development comprising a food store (1,123m2 sales area) and primary school with associated car parking (55 spaces allocated to foodstore and 1 space allocated to school); alterations to site entrance, landscaping, and associated works.

Jellytoto · 27/07/2016 23:30

I saw that programme Auntie and apart from the guy who was the American consultant flying over to visit his schools on expenses I don't think there was anything that couldn't also apply to maintained schools. All public bodies need to be audited and there were school expenses scandals long before academies were on the scene. At least these days people can put in foi requests to see what schools are doing, as well as them being audited.

muminlondon2 · 29/07/2016 07:56

It makes me nervous that you defend such wastage and the involvement of international profit-making businesses (including Swiss bankers) in state education, jellytoto.

I've just been reading the latest article in the Guardian about alleged activities of Petrosaudi and its directors - who helped fund the private school chain behind Deer Park School.

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Jellytoto · 29/07/2016 21:40

The programme wasn't about that sort of thing muminlondon, it was mainly about dodgy expense claims and awarding contracts to relatives and I wasn't defending them, I was saying they can happen in maintained schools too. My cousins kids went to a school where the Head was sacked for tanking up dodgy expenses and that definitely wasn't an academy!

MrsSalvoMontalbano · 01/08/2016 09:52

A level results out on the 18th.
I wonder how many of the new 6th forms will dare publish?

ChrisSquire2 · 02/08/2016 12:14

Schoolsweek has: Flagship free school trio found guilty of defrauding DfE: The principal, financial director and teacher at a flagship free school have been found guilty of defrauding the Department for Education (DfE) out of around £150,000:

. . Peter Mann of Yorkshire CPS, said Raza’s “motive” was clear: “He was in considerable financial difficulties as his buy to let business had been running at a considerable loss. In setting up Kings Science Academy, Raza deliberately set about defrauding the [DfE] of approximately £150,000 by creating false invoices, submitting fraudulent expense claims and paying himself an inflated salary. Far from being a model school, Raza treated the academy like a family business, employing his relatives there and, for at least the first 12 months, operating with no proper governance. His co-defendants were also drawn into this criminality.”

He said Hussain received “unlawful payments” and Khan helped to falsify documentation, saying the trio “treated public money as their own” and fabricated documents to cover their tracks when challenged . . ‘

Some interesting comments.

ChrisSquire2 · 10/08/2016 18:34

Schoolsweek has: schoolsweek.co.uk/gibb-becomes-school-standards-minister-in-dfe-reshuffle/ - the new division of labour at the DfE.

LProsser · 15/08/2016 09:40

I see on FB Whitton Village that Lib Dems now have a petition to put Turing House School on Council owned land next to David Lloyd in Uxbridge Road. Taking it to Council meeting on 13th September.

Jellytoto · 15/08/2016 21:46

That's interesting but its a shame they didn't do it sooner because people have been talking about the David Lloyd site for ages. From what we were told at school meetings last term the Whitton site is agreed but there was just some sort of sign off needed so maybe they think they can influence it.

bluestars · 15/08/2016 22:38

Too little, too late. Hope I'm wrong though as it's a much better site than Whitton.

LProsser · 16/08/2016 09:11

I dont think there's even been a planning application for the Whitton site yet but I expect the school was referring to the purchase by D of Education? The planning application ought to be a lot more than a formality as they will be applying to build on Metropolitan Open Land but no doubt the Council will grant it. Needs to show there were exceptional circs and no other suitable sites. Despite all the moaning from people in Whitton there doesn't seem to be an organised campaign against it.

Jellytoto · 16/08/2016 20:12

LProsser yes, the purchase. That has to be complete before planning starts.

twick13 · 18/08/2016 12:39

Orleans have posted their A level results. Not sure if the other schools have as well

muminlondon2 · 18/08/2016 13:26

The RTT has a live feed with results from Richmond and Kingston. As expected, Waldegrave has done as well as local independent girls' schools. Great news about 100% pass rate at Waldegrave and Teddington, and all the individual success stories.

Average pass rate in the country for top grades (A*/A) is 25.8%; but there's a big variation between subjects, and entry criteria and numbers for each subject/school, so comparisons just on these statistics are not really fair. Best of luck for all students in their plans for the future.

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sheilafisher · 19/08/2016 09:01

The council have very kindly collated the results. 2016 A Levels State Schools It is a pity they decided not to include the student numbers though, which would have made it more interesting.

bluestars · 19/08/2016 09:05

Full table of results is here www.richmond.gov.uk/2016_alevel_results_table.pdf

Richmond College is not included, they are reporting:
Overall pass rate was 93% with 58% of students gaining A-C grades.
*International Baccalaureate Diploma, where students achieved an outstanding 97% pass rate, well ahead of the global pass rate of 79%.
*Technical and professional courses for 16-18 year olds, with a pass rate of 96% for Level 3 programmes, an increase of 9% from last year.

LProsser · 19/08/2016 11:06

Agree it's unclear without the numbers at school and also not clear how many students took less than 3 A-levels. Presumably you can get onto some post A-level courses with one or two A-levels (possibly plus AS levels which will no longer be an option from next year)? Teddington School reported that all students got into the degree or other courses of their choice which is good news.

FrustratedofTW1 · 20/08/2016 10:56

You can get into some courses with 2 Alevels but more to the point some pupils may have taken BTECs or a mix of A levels and BTECs and BTECs are also recognised for entry to university courses.

Waldegraves results are very creditable and I am glad to see that
pupils have been enabled to get As in all the sixth forms, which I would tend to see as the important indicator of the quality of teaching, as well as the overall standards. The same is true at St Catherine's, the girls' private school I assume you are referring to mum as being outperformed by Waldegrave. It isn't really an even comparison though, since for this cohort at least it was not selective (apparently it has become more so) and many of the families of bright girls would tend to chose more selective private schools. It is a school parents chose for it's supportive ethos and you would expect it not to have the overall ability range that you would find in Waldegrave just as you would not expect Waldegrave to have the same proportion of high attainer's as LEH which with a more selective intake not surprisingly did better. Or indeed that Twickenham Academy probably had fewer capable of A/A than Waldegrave. Much more important is that the schools are enabling the individual pupils to achieve their potential and I haven't heard anything to suggest that the new sixth forms are not doing so?

muminlondon2 · 20/08/2016 13:16

Was also thinking of Surbiton High School as results were similar. However, we don't have subject names or numbers so comparisons purely on proportion of A-grades will tell you very little.

Only Orleans Park gives a subject breakdown so far - subject choices are broadly in line with the national average but that does mean few/no entries in languages or music. Tthe question is whether schools can afford to run small classes or not as funding has been cut so much. Presumably private schools always run such classes where there are parents paying fees, but the alternative for those of us without the money to make such demands is to keep Esher College as an option. I can't see there would be a lot of swapping around between sixth forms.

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FrustratedofTW1 · 20/08/2016 14:37

Surbiton got 85% A*/B which was impressive given it is somewhere between St Cs and LEH, in terms of selectivity. I assume the larger six form entry intake evens out the usual fluctuations in other private girls' schools results.

There is a actually a lot of swapping around in private school sixth forms. 16 year olds are almost rational adults and the girls' schools in particular can have up to a third of the cohort move on including into state schools and sixth form colleges, for a variety of reasons e.g. for a coed more university like environment, for subject offerings/strength in certain subjects, tutorial group size (there is a minimum number with which you can generate decent A level standard ideas and discussion even if it is economic to run a subject course, losing almost all its sixth form for that reason was what led to the demise of St David's), for economic reasons or some just fancy a change. Subjects like music and art are particularly susceptible to pupils moving to specialist schools/ departments (private schools may have flashy art and music departments with lots of exhibitions and performances to impress parents but academia is still their focus and their conventional approaches are not necessarily the best preparation for those who actually want to go on to the best art /music schools ). There are even some misguided parents who think shifting into the state school at 16 gives an advantage in Oxbridge / university entrance, though unis can see where a pupil was to 16 and wouldn't distinguish between good private and state schools, just between underperforming and good schools.

muminlondon2 · 25/08/2016 16:06

Had a quick look at school websites and many have achieved 'best ever' results for 5 A-C GCSEs including English and Maths. Grey Court is best mixed comp, its 85% pass rate on that measure having finally matched Waldegrave. Good news, especially as there has been a drop in results nationally.

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MrsSalvoMontalbano · 27/08/2016 11:47

GCSE full comparison table
here