Lord Adonis: live webchat about education, Friday 21 September, 12noon to 1pm

[RachelMumsnet]

Lord Adonis is joining us this Friday, 21 Sept, at noon until 1pm to answer your questions and discuss his latest book Education, Education, Education, Reforming England's Schools.

Tony Blair said his three priorities were Education, Education, Education. Andrew Adonis played a decisive role in turning this slogan into a reform programme. His book describes his quest to transform England's schools, and his ambition to make English education world class.

Andrew Adonis was an architect of education reform under Tony Blair, serving in the No. 10 Policy Unit and then as Minister for Schools from 1998 until 2008. He went on to become Transport Secretary under Gordon Brown.

Join the discussion on Friday 21 September at midday or post a question to Lord Adonis in advance of the webchat here.

Also, don't forget to have a look at Lord Adonis' guest blog over on the Bloggers Network, where he explains why he thinks academies can raise aspiration and achievement in some of our most deprived areas.

Mumsnetters can grab a copy of the book for the special price of £7.99, by clicking here and entering the promo code 'mumsneteducation' in the box on the bottom right. If you'd like Lord Adonis to sign it with a personalised inscription, email [email protected]!

[strandednomore]

Thank you Lord Adonis for the chat and answering my question, unfortunately I couldn't stay for the whole time because I had a double school run with my youngest just starting school and therefore only on half days.....

[jennycrofter]

What a nice chap. Any Jaffa Cakes left?

[HelenMumsnet]

Thanks so much, Lord Adonis

[AndrewAdonis]

@Asmywhimsytakesme

Another question, do you think children in the uk start school too early? Mine will be 4.2 when he starts

It is entirely up to parents whether or not their children start school before the age of 5. Which is as it should be. In my experience, most parents of four year olds are keen for their children to start school but, of course, some take a different view and that's entirely a matter for them. It is often said that the Scandinavians start school much later but, in practice, the children's centres that their 4, 5 and 6 year olds attend do much the same job as our nursery primary schools. And on that note, after an hour and a quarter - in which I have really enjoyed answering your questions and engaging in a bit of debate - it's time to hop back onto the Northern Line and head back to Westminster. Thank you very much for all your questions and comments and thanks too to the brilliant MumsNet team who will now be flooded with applicants for internships!

[AndrewAdonis]

@Themumsnot

You say
I'm particularly concerned that many schools are simply converting to academy status in order to pocket £25,000 of government money.

I think that is way too simplistic. The funding issue is very complex and the huge regional inequalities and the inconsistent and simply unfair way that many local authorities have dealt with schools mean that many schools feel that taking finances under their own control has been a lifeline in terms of being able to spend their allocated money in the best interests of pupils. lMy question is do you think funding reform is necessary and how should it work?

I'm slightly worried that any answer I give to this you will also think simplistic given the huge complexity of the school funding system! However, I take your point to be that some schools are converting to become academies so that they have more control over their financial management and can get better value for money from their state funding. If that's what you mean then I entirely agree that this is a benefit in becoming an academy. As for wider reform, I support the pupil premium to give additional funds to schools based on deprivation and I'm confident that a future Labour government with maintain this.

[AndrewAdonis]

@LindsayWagner

And - if I can have one more - do you agree with the argument that the education system in this country will never be equitable until private schooling is abolished? Why has Labour never adopted this as policy?

If we were starting form scratch, I obviously wouldn't want to see a separate system of private schools. But abolishing private schools is completely incompatible with a free society so we have to do our best to build partnerships between private and state schools. I have a whole chapter about this in my book, including the proposal that successful private school should sponsor academies in the state sector so that they become state-private federations and don't just educate children who can afford expensive fees. My office, in Westminster is around the corner from Westminster School which calls itself a charity but does little more than educate boys whose parents can afford to pay £31,500 per year. It is high time Westminster School, and other schools like it, took seriously their responsibilities to wider society including supporting local state schools in more than tokenistic ways. I have said this fairly bluntly to the headmaster...

[AndrewAdonis]

@LindsayWagner

Thanks for coming on Lord Adonis.

What do you say to those who allege that academies are 'selection by the back door?', and that the main reason that academies are doing well is because pushy middle class parents are making sure they get their children into one?

Academies are not allowed to select unfairly by the back door or the front door. They are required to have all ability admissions. If you've got any evidence that the rules are being broken then let me know!

[AndrewAdonis]

@strangerwithmyface

With the growing ubiquity of breakfast clubs and after school clubs are schools being used as a babysitting service for a society that has no time to raise its children?

Also, you've said you want to make teaching the foremost profession in the country. Do you think the best and brightest graduates are put off teaching by the negative narrative around teachers? We're told we are slipping behind other countries when it comes to education because of poor schools and poor teaching with little mention made of poor / constantly shifting educational policy and problems in the home lives of UK school children that can't be fixed by teaching alone.

I think the image of teaching is steadily improving which is great. There are far more applicants for teacher training places than there were 20 years ago and the quality of teaching in schools is going up and up. But I'm sure we both agree there is more that could be done to raise the popularity of teaching further still. In my book I set out some proposals for this including paying new maths and science teachers higher starting salaries, because these are particularly hard subjects in which to recruit given the competition for graduates in these areas. Teach First is also great and I'd like to see that expand too.

[AndrewAdonis]

@Missyqueen

Hi,
My daughter just graduated from LSE with a politics degree. She's always been a fan of your work and used your research in her dissertation.

I would like to know are there opportunities for young graduates to shadow you or intern. If so how do they go about doing so?

Congratulations to your daughter on graduating from the LSE, one of England's best universities. She is clearly a very wise person if she's a fan of mine ! As it happens, I'm sitting here with my brilliant new (paid) intern, Adam - he is typing this with some embarrassment - and he also graduated this year. Alas, I can only take one intern at a time but why not contact other MPs or Lords who you like the idea of helping and see if they've got any opportunities. MumsNet tell me they also take on interns - even better, they pay them! Good luck! p.s. What was your daughter's dissertation on? If she'd like me to read it, I'd be glad to do so.

[AndrewAdonis]

@Frakiosaurus

If you have time to respond - do you think PHSE is sufficient up teach those skills or should they be integrated across the curriculum?

Yes I do think they should be integrated across the curriculum. For example, financial skills should be taught as part of maths.

[AndrewAdonis]

@strangerwithmyface

With the growing ubiquity of breakfast clubs and after school clubs are schools being used as a babysitting service for a society that has no time to raise its children?

Also, you've said you want to make teaching the foremost profession in the country. Do you think the best and brightest graduates are put off teaching by the negative narrative around teachers? We're told we are slipping behind other countries when it comes to education because of poor schools and poor teaching with little mention made of poor / constantly shifting educational policy and problems in the home lives of UK school children that can't be fixed by teaching alone.

This is really difficult one. How do you get the balance right between work and home? The reason why all those breakfast clubs and after school clubs are there is because working parents can't suddenly leave work at 3.30 or arrive late in the mornings. But equally schools can't be expected to take on a large part of the parents' role beyond the school day. I think this is made easier by the fact that children often enjoy breakfast clubs and after school activities and don't see it simply as childminding.

[Frakiosaurus]

If you have time to respond - do you think PHSE is sufficient up teach those skills or should they be integrated across the curriculum?

[AndrewAdonis]

@cm22v077

What's a typical day for a Lord?!

You probably think that we get up in the morning and don the ermine robes and coronets as a prelude to dining on quail's eggs and champagne. But, alas, I suspect my day is pretty similar to yours. I get up, have a very rushed breakfast, see that the kids get off to school in one piece (preferably with their homework and sports kit) and then fight my way into the overcrowded tube to get into my office.

The rest of the day isn't much more exciting either! Although the chamber of the House of Lords itself is immensely beautiful with lots of elaborate carvings, paintings and statues. It's like being in the V & A and is straight out of the middle ages. It has a hugely calming influence!

[AndrewAdonis]

@Frakiosaurus

How do you think the education system can give young people life skills such as managing money, basic employment rights, creating and sustaining relationships etc?

There is a subject in schools called PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education), which covers all these areas. But it's not always well done. For example, too many school leavers don't have much idea about how to manage money or even how to open a bank account. There is no excuse for schools not to be teaching these basic skills.

[strangerwithmyface]

With the growing ubiquity of breakfast clubs and after school clubs are schools being used as a babysitting service for a society that has no time to raise its children?

Also, you've said you want to make teaching the foremost profession in the country. Do you think the best and brightest graduates are put off teaching by the negative narrative around teachers? We're told we are slipping behind other countries when it comes to education because of poor schools and poor teaching with little mention made of poor / constantly shifting educational policy and problems in the home lives of UK school children that can't be fixed by teaching alone.

[Themumsnot]

Ahem!

[AndrewAdonis]

@Hamsterswheel

Lord Adonis - How far do you think Tony Blair achieved his plans to reform education? Do you look back now and see things he/you should have done differently?

I think almost everyone accepts that education in England is better now than it was 15 years ago. But could we have done more? Yes, of course. We all look back on the past and think about how much more we could have done if we could have our time again but at least we moved decisively in the right direction for the country.

[AndrewAdonis]

@MrsMicawber

Lord Adonis - thank you for replying. However, I am talking about vol aided state schools discriminating between Jewish parents for Jewish places, choosing to give places to children of likely donors - not choosing Jewish students over none Jewish students.

Please also respond to my point about the lack of a secular education in many private faith schools, particularly in Hackney and Haringey, particlularly within the Ultra Orthodox sector.

I'm really concerned about what you have just said. It is absolutely against the law for a state school - including a voluntary aided school - to give preference to parents on the basis of financial contributions. Indeed, they are not allowed to make financial contributions of any kind a condition of entry. If you have reason to think that this is happening at a school, then you should write to your MP and to the Education Secretary, Michael Gove immediately.

[AndrewAdonis]

@BlimeyRiley

Hi Andrew - nice to e-meet you! My question is what are the plans for the future education curriculum and how should they be delivered to an ever increasing diverse society? Or how can education preserve English heritage and allow the new generation to explore their full potential?

Nice to e-meet you too. That's a big question you've asked, which is why I wrote a whole book trying to answer it! But I agree with you, what we need is to preserve the best of the past while embracing the best of the future. I'm a historian so I love studying the past and I'm really proud of the fact that Britain does such a good job preserving its heritage. The National Trust is one of the best heritage organisations in the world - not just those stately homes but the brilliant job it does maintaining so much of Britain's coastline and wild places. I'm glad that so many children get to see these on school trips which is a great way for them to learn about the past.

[champagnesupernova]

My DS is just starting his education journey -he has been in reception for a fortnight.
What would be your advice for me to ensure that he gets the best out of it, given it looks like the next few years are going to be full of change ?

[AndrewAdonis]

Since answering about my favourite biscuit. The wonderful staff at MumsNet have presented me with a packet of very superior Spanish jaffa cakes. Something about 'premium 70% chocolate' but I can't read the rest. Languages not being my strong point!