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Secondary education

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Private schools should be taxed at 25% to fund teachers for Blackpool says Lord Adonis

275 replies

noblegiraffe · 09/12/2017 12:16

Private schools should be taxed at 25% to fund extra pay for teachers in hard-to-recruit areas like Grimsby or Blackpool says Lord Adonis. This £2.5 billion fund could also be used to fund tuition for those in danger of failing maths and English. I'm sure some people on here might have opinions on that?

And he doesn't think pupils should be expelled unless they've broken the law (not sure what he thinks they are currently expelled for but even breaking the law is often overlooked).

"He said whole towns and cities are affected, referring to reports of how doctors in Blackpool use the "Shit Life Syndrome" description.

"Deep poverty, pervasive drugs, obesity, anti-depressants and mental illness in a large isolated town exhibiting alarming signs of disintegration – including the largest encampment in Britain of children expelled from school.

"...For Blackpool today, read also Hull, Grimsby, large parts of the North and the Midlands, and large towns in the South, including Hastings, Dover and Folkestone.""

www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/lord-adonis-calls-ban-expelling-pupils-unless-they-break-law

OP posts:
user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 00:19

ocsock I am still reading just. But I think I might just give up on this thread. I feel battered and bruised, bit like my car. Though there was good news at 1200, as repair company confirmed insurance will pay to repair.
But I really feel like I never should have posted on here, I read it was meant to be supportive place for parents to listen and support others. But according empress and others it's only for southern east private school users. So I suppose I shouud butt out now. I wondered if I had put parent of 2DC desperately trying to find private/boarding school to avoid shit schools money no object how many different replies I would of got. Probably hundreds. But hey ho. My boys don't count because we don't have money. I would never not have 2 DS, so fucked. Both are at schools with children like your nephews, or where in DS1 case, but thats alright because he only a kid from Holderness.
Before I go to bed to join Dwife , who will work 0700-1900 tomorrow in pnc dept in local police force. Job she has done for 28 years. Can I tell you about DS1 and why its important for all kids to have a decent education not just private educated ones please. It may be the last time I ever post on mumsnet and I like you all to know about 1 DC who will never have our's, happy's empress or iseenodust's childs chance.
DS1 was virtually non verbal until he was 5. It was planned he would use a specialist speech unit for 3 days a week and mainstream primary for 2 days. Luckily for us by 7 he was signed off. He was a good boy and only ever in trouble once, then not really his fault. His 3 closest friends at that point all left our village for the prep which leads to hymers and all but one cut him off straight away. Other only kept in touch as rhey both played football and the rugby league together and looking back we where usefully for lifts. At primary school, with no pe staff and no male teachers, he lead the school cricket team in years 5 and 6 to holderness champions and to regonial asda finals. He also in year 6 took his schools high5 (netball) team to Humberside finals. He was player of year for netball. Still the only boy to win it. At secondary he was predicted d grades with the odd c, though his reading was 6 years in advance. He can still read 300 word books in a night. He has played cricket, always losing to hymers in quarter finals. Finally how Hymers.and Collegiate never play each other till the final. Both private schools, Hymers host Yorkshire CC matches, our school relies on parents to buy the whites and has 3 sets of pads, 4 2nd helmets and.4 bats for the team. Guess where Yorkshire CC used to and still puts development money into. Its not us by the way. His school friends and he for 2 years set up an American Football for the team. Playing a team from Wales, London and Leeds uni. But that crashed when school budget cuts lost 2 pe taechers and no would take them on. But he is a national schoolboy rugby champion and went back and defended their title, first only team ever to do this losing to siruis academy Hull. He got man of match for his team. He lead a left and the right side defence from centre against scholarship players, he isn't one, and his wing never conceded a point all game. He has played for 2 league teams and sacrified his own scholarship future by playing in all but one position on the pitch, even though he was the league's best fullback. Whilst we watched fellow players from Hymers refused to move position due to it fucking up their futures. Now plays union, plays second row/ flanker even though he a full back, beacause he their best tackler and rucker. People at Beverley believe he continues to develop as he has in last 3 years he will be devastatly good in his early twenties.
Back at school in year 10 he did a weeks work placement in the engineering department at Crown paints. He learnt to weld in less than a hour. They said at end of week, he was a credit to him, his parents and school. Plus if he ever applied for a job they would look favourably in him. Unluckily they have a job freeze ever since. GCSE lead to 3 B's 4 C's and a D and a E. But this is a schools which progress 8 scores suggest most kids go backwards. He went form d/c to c/b. But dreams if chemical engineering went out of window. He was offered an apprenceship, which could lead to a hnc/hnd they do exist empress. But it was too far to travel. Beat 30 others to job offer though. So he went down A levels, he lost chemistry due to school and child cock up. CAHMS assisted him all this summer and we think we are slowly winning again. So in track for a possibly B in history, against a C and 2 c/d in geograhy/ world development. He is doing an AS in crimnology and working at A against a c.
He volunteers for Humberside volunteer cadets and in their first ever year has done amazing well. 50% of his group have dropped out as they have got what was promised them. They are all DC of police employees. He has help train new recruits, improve stop and search techniques, how to interview vulerable children/ yound adults, firearms officer training and twice invovled in riot training. He is promottional videos and leafets. He help take 2 18 year in care DC away to lake district as an award for winning a challenge(them not DS1) ge went with 3 serving and ex police officers who where doing for the 10th time. He came back to tales of a bloody nightmare, 2 Kids Hated each other and there had been fights and numerous difficulties, which even the police officers wished thay had been there. But Ds1 youngest in trip dealt with it all. We have 3 brilliant thank you emails and he was mentioned to both the assistant and chief constable of Humberside. On top of this he was only one of 12 to correctly solve a murder inquiry evening they and has been to loads of community outreach sessions to contect with troubled youths, elderly, force open days, local blues and 2 day. Plus sessions with local muslins, sikhs and buddahs. He was also nominated for cadet of the year. He as already agree to spent 12 hours on 24 March 2018 helping out 150 disadvantaged kids do the Humberside Police night challenge.
So Ds1 isnt some feral no hoper, who deserves to live his life with the oc nephews of the world he and we bloody care. He wants to be a police officer, because he wants to have a chance to help people change too. But since looking at crimnology degrees I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to do youth offending or prison service, so he can try and help people. One of his best friends at primary , and now on facebook, is a foster care girl. Her mumis an alchololic , recovering thankfully and her dad a domestic violence offender. She went back to mum in year 8. They reconnected once Ds1 got facebook. She came to watch a couple of his rugby matches. There 5 lads all playing against Ds1 and I with Ds, who go to Hymers, local private., who basically abused the girl because she had spent last 48 hours looking after her mum. Ds was asked if he often hung out with prostitue's daughters. Only time I have seen Ds react to gobby kids, he turned round told them all girl was better then any off them and he rather spent a life time with her then a hour with them. He as taken stick over it for last 4 years, but he still has her as a facebook friend but the hymers lot don't appear on his friends list.
So one day you or our DC may need someone like my son to become that caring police officer or the person who uses his crimnology degree to work with vunerable kids to stop the next Rotherham or Manchester bombing. But if doesn't get his chance because the people like you and your DC keeping voting in private school users in too government who couldn't give a shit over kids like Ds1 then he won't be there to help/prevent. Then you might lose someone/thing precious to you and it will be too late. Because in less than 6 months Ds1 sits life changing A levels against kids who like iseenodust Ds1 have a twice as much spent on them and have twice as much chance off forfilling their dreams than by equally lovely Dc and that true breaks my heart. Britain isn't equal it a place where you buy a better life and people don't give a shit about others less than.them. As mumsnet proves.

happygardening · 20/12/2017 00:40

"its important for all kids to have a decent education not just private educated ones please."
I haven't reread everyones comments but has anyone actually said this should not be the case? I personally couldn't agree more but I don't see what difference it actually makes to your DC's education where I chose to educate my children (one of which was educated in the state system from yr 9).
"I read it was meant to be supportive place for parents to listen and support others. But according empress and others it's only for southern east private school users."
There are a huge variety of posters views on MN and on the MN education sections. I for one don't think its just for "southern east private schools" and I'm pretty sure most others would agree. But you will find that people wont always agree with what you are saying. I believe in boarding and am happy like you to details my experiences but there are many on here who are vociferously opposed to it. I accept this, you cannot post on an open forum on a thread that's bound to be controversial and not have some disagreeing with what you say and some of those views will be extreme and upsetting so user1471450935 please don't take offence, you make some interesting and valid points but you just can't expect everyone to agree with everything you say.

If its support you want you might be better to start a operate thread its inevitable that this one will attract controversial opinions especially from those who pay for education.

happygardening · 20/12/2017 00:42

separate not operate.

EmpressoftheMundane · 20/12/2017 08:31

But according empress and others it's only for southern east private school users.

You are miss-reading my words. I am trying to explain that people talk about what they know and there are 25M people living in the orb of the south-east, so you end up with a lot of traffic online from this area. It's not a conspiracy, or a deliberate snub just the result of objective reality.

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 08:52

Good morning. SORRY about last night's rant. happy I only came on this thread to try and explain how it is to live in one of Lord Adonis areas. I hoped that seeing there is staticatically a greater chance of your Ds every having the ears of a future head of civil service or prime minister and the lkes of the empress DC too, that it would be nice if knew about how other kids grow up in Britain. Sorry, once again I don't want a fight, I think you are the only parent who as suggested anyway and that was tax rises and I think you are correct, but others have pointed they already pay loads of tax, so not holding my breath. I really love reading your posts and I think the likes of you, issenodust , ta1kinpeace and BertandRussel keep my coming back to these educational threads. I have learnt loads from all of youBrewCake.
In real life I am just a struggling parent who often, in private cries when I feel I have let me boys down. It may be too late for Ds1 I don't know. But I will continue to support and help in anyway I can.
iseenodust I think you and DH sound brilliant and if your DS goes to Hymers, I know not every child/parent ARE LIKE THE DESCRIBTION like outlined in my last post. I coached Holderness Vikings with a Hymers dad and Ds1 and I spent many enjoyable hours and days with them. I love my life and my boys and will continue to try our best for them. In a minute i will answer.your ideas in a new post. mine are too long . Sorry and merry christmas to every one

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 09:03

empress sorry you are right. It been a shit 6 months in our house, CAMHS involvement with Ds1, DWife and I lost one of her best friends and work colleque of 12 years, he was her works DH, to bike accident on his way to work. He had 8 hours at our new house trying to sort inherited fish and their pond and we helped put up his tent, he was going on holiday 2 days later. Work had its memorial service this week. Then my car, plus numerous calls to school chaaing up why UCAS allication kept been sent back. School clerical error. So I hoped to turn the usual mumsnet bunfight on private schools into a postive thing my looking for better solutions. I totally accept Lord Adonis was a idiot and playing to the grandstands. Sorry I know I had rights to ask that and once again sorry. I am honestly nice and normal in real life.

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 09:34

Iseenodust you sound brilliant and congraulations on doing so well for your DS. governor was one at boys primary, quite soul destroying at times. Allowing 3 teachers to progress to becoming deputy heads at othe state schools and knowing we would struggle to replace them. Losing 2 to retirement but only having funding for 1 replacement. Years 1&2 and Years 3&4 are now taught as single classes. Council wanted years 5&6 to go same way, but we fought to gain a bit of EU funding, we are classed as a deprived area to EU due to low educational outcomes and that as saved those as ssparative classes. I not sure what will happen in 2019. I wss also on fundraising committee for friends of school until Ds2 left. I have painted walls, dug out gardens, help set vegatable and fruit areas, teachers and wife and I bought seeds cheaply in bulk of internet. We raised £6000 for play equipment. Wife voluntered for years reading with the kids. Plus helping out with rock challenge etc. I have rugby coaching badges so helped year 1&2 teacher, brilliant young local lad, coach football and rugby and the cricket team. All for free. I even used annual leave to take teams to matchs. Wife did an open university course on developing children in early years, at our cost, ao she felt like she could help ours and the poor kids she read with..secondary much harder. Plus my brother died when I was 21, dad at 24 and my mum had PSP for 10 years. She died 5 years ago with £3500 to her name and debts of nearly £10000. We didn't get on. D WIFE AND I SPENT OVER £2000 ON PRIVATE DOCTORS TO GET HER DIAAGONSISED. Wife has always worked part time as we both work shifts and we have no real child care. Mother in law worked run a tenant farm which broke even in good years and looked after brother in laws kids too. Yes I earned £43000 last year, but my salary is £31000. I work 100 gours of overtime to buy a home for family and the citigo is our first ever new car, I was 47, wife was 43. It is on a.PCP so not even ours yet. It replaced a 15 year old clio worth £300. I am too tired to fight any more. I may try again once Ds2 leaves school. Sorry I am really nice in real life, ignore my nasty posts about Hymers. I am sat in tears right now, after reading back my horrible post of last night. I apologise if I hurt anyoneCake. Thank for your suggestions.

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 09:37

Finally for now I have to sort out house and then go to work, but I will continue to read any one elses.posts and may be back. Have a lovely day and christmas and new year

Whinberry · 20/12/2017 09:39

My dc private school made a loss last year. It is a modest private school and has to rent space off the council for indoor sports (they only have a small gym hall) and swimming lessons. The buildings themselves are not as good as most of the state schools in the area - her catchment state school is only a few years old. So if we include buildings in the budgeting then evening out expenditure might result in funding going into her school.

iseenodust · 20/12/2017 10:17

user I know you will keep fighting for your sons, in that they are very lucky. Your DS1 sounds awesome. Your DW will know that there are many in the police / public services who went in without great qualifications and have gone on to get degrees and masters degrees while on the job. It's not easy (I know as I didn't get mine until mid-30s) but your guy has drive and compassion. I predict he will go far whatever career he chooses.

I hope you have opened some people's eyes to what it is to live in a bit of an educational wasteland.

Now I'm off for a new name as so much personal info has been shared.

iseenodust · 20/12/2017 10:22

user Just seen your post about all that you have given to your schools and community. Can see where your DS1 gets it from !

OCSockOrphanage · 20/12/2017 12:22

Doffing my cap in admiration of your energy and enthusiasm, user. And nodding in agreement at ^^. I too would be astonished if your DS1 doesn't end up with multiple degrees and a distinguished career.

And you, have you thought of entering politics?

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 13:02

iseenodust I am sorry to out you so much you need a new name. I will miss your friendly name. Hopefully you Ds will prove you proud, with parents like you the world is his oyster. Not sure the world is bothered about Holderness sadly. Have a great Christmas and New Year and keep up the good work.
Futher reasons I fight for DC is I spent my years at same secondary, as DC attend, on FSM. We had to queue for a lunch time token and always missed all the good food. Also great way to identify you to the bullies. I left home with a £450 car and £300. I never left Uk until I was 21. I never left Yorkshire apart from school trips. DWife very similar, and only one family holiday, when she was 15. She left school in 1989 with 4 GCSE's then YTS with police and then PNC since 18. Me 1 O level, 2 CSE grade 1. Extra O level at night school, I left school in 1985. YTS milking cows, 3 year ND in agriculture and milking cows until 31. Then Ds1 arrived I swapped to signalling trains. Wife lived at home till we married in 1997 and then we lived in tyed cottages. She lived at home when on nights.
We used all our life savings to buy a 3 bed semi in holderness in 2001. We moved 2 miles last year. We have increased our mortgage by 5 times to live here. But it gives us more room for boys and their cars. We will be 64 when it is paid off. Boys will inherit all, hopefully..
I spent much of my life subsiding my parent and my mum. We paid off her debts. Wife and I have cried in front of bank managers trying to sort it out.
At present my DC have been to Disneyland Paris when 5&3. Fuerentura twice when 8/9 and 6/7 friends appartment. Plus I got £5000 and we took them to Florida at 10 & 8. It will probably be the only time. Other than that it has been a free week in a caravan in Whitby. Two trips to Devon, 1 to Dorset. Wales twice and yearly trips to centre parcs if cheap enough. My wife refuses to let boys miss out like her.
We have managed to save roughly £6000 each for boys to give them a start in life we didn't get. Ds1 gets £25/mth in a helpto buy ISA from us.
So I believe education is there way out, empress may say I am wrong, but I won't give up. We where discussing with Ds1 that he join specials if he goes to Hull uni to give back to police/community. Then he may leave Humberside for London or West Midlands police to further enhance his career and then return to Humberside. So back to your original idea iseenodust
Have to go to work now. Once again thanks for listening

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 14:41

Sorry that should be used all our life savings to put deposit on 1st house. We sadly aren't that rich.
At 1300 I left Ds1 working from his 20 year old school issued Geography book, trying to complete set work and replace another Geography lesson which has been cancelled. Running at something like 35 to 40% this year. Not rerun just action plans given to class on what to try and do. WHY? you may ask, well sixth runs extra lesson 1510 to 1610, which main 11-16 school doesn't do. Because of Ofsted rating 4, all teachers have to attend meetings on how to improve and numerous improvement courses, these just happen to be in Ds1 timetable slots. So school will improve hopefully for Ds2 and his cousins, not great for Ds1.
He is also planning to work on History assessment in tomorrow, just needs more analysation. The history are with his conclusion Martin Luther King wasn't important to most Black people, much more important to White people. Ds1 never follows the crowd, though his Black refugee friends seem to back his theory up.
He was delighted at lunchtime, he scored 36 out of 40 on his Criminology test, this plus his 4 assignments marked A all count to 50% of his AS level. We keep encouraging him to push on. His UCAS paperwork is signed by school too, so just £27 to be paid to school and then that can go forward. then the dread wait, he may get no offers and we will back to square one.

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 15:18

ocsock not sure I am any different from most parents on this thread. I just gave loads of free time away. It was partly selfish as my DC gained opportunities to play sport and use all the things I helped with.Governors no one else wanted it, I now know why, thank less task, small school which kept covering a larger area as other small schools closed. I think I gave up 10 rest days to savage school furniture from buildings before they where auction off/demolished to help improve ours. Wife did open university course because both our Ds's where non verbal to 5/6 and Ds2 had speech therapy until he was 10. Noticed once again last night/today that when Ds1 is stressed he reverts back to rushed, mumbled and quiet speech, and even we need to ask him to repeat it back. He is quite shy, Mum and I are too, so it has been a real struggle for him to achieve what he has. we are very proud of him.
I really not sure about politics I may end up ranting as above and upsetting lots of nice people. But I hope later to possibly come up with a couple of ideas which may help
I know I have promised this before and failed to produce so I am desperate to do it this time, as I shouldn't ask you if I can't come up with my own ideas. I work alone and in a busy location so it maybe today or may be Friday, can I ask the likes of you iseenodust if still here and talking to me, no worries if not or any other poster what they think of them. I promise happy and empress they will be no private school bans or stupid vat charges. I am not a loony leftist/communist honestly. Let me try and think of my reasoning please. Thank you all for ideas and patience these last few days

EmpressoftheMundane · 20/12/2017 16:21

I'm not cross with you user.

I wish you and your children all the best.

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 17:13

empress Thank you

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 17:43

God here goes you may all regret this and it may take lots of or numerous posts. Also feel free to ignore all of it. It's just my random ideas. A none to bright parent in Holderness. I would be willing to start a new thread if anyone thinks it would be of interest to others in the wider mumsnet community, but please note A) I don't know how to do this and B) I would like to do it under a proper username, not because I have outed myself but so you could not call me user, but I don't know how to do that either. So I would need help I am truly shit.
Firstly not education, but I would like a royal commission to look at tax and simplify it. But it would need to prioritise A) how to fund a free to use NHS properly for happy, B) funding for social care of all people all political parties have ignored this for too long and C) proper state funded education. I would hope to remove unnecessary tax burdens and closure loop holes but it would need to be fair on everyone. Probably a pipe dream.
EDUCATION firstly set up another royal commission and temporarily remove state education from the governments' control and give it Ofsted until the commission reports. Not sure Ofsted is right place but I can't think of any other body, if you can please feel free to say.
I am aware posts go on to long so I will start a new one. Thanks

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 17:54

The royal commission would be to find an affordable nation rate for all state schools and pay all schools, yes grammars, secondary moderns and comprehensives the same per pupil. But there would be a continuation of pupil premium to disadvantaged students as of now. It could also look a provision of state boarding and special schools and their funding. I would like it to guarantee no future government spending freezes on state budgets and at least minimum inflation equally rises. I think I would reduce MPs to around 500 and half the house of Lords to pay for this, Sorry I need to find savings.
Continued.

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 18:08

To replace the DfE and Ofsted I would like the state schools to join together and form a board of control, so all MAT's, Grammar school association, secondary associations and maintained schools, plus special schools, I think the head teachers associations would be a good start, teacher's unions please feel free to add.
Once formed I would like it to approach the ISC, I think that covers a lot of private schools, again feel free to add I am pretty clueless. If possible I would like them to form A NATIONAL SCHOOLS BOARD which would be totally independent of any government what's so ever, by law. I would like this board to set nation educational policies, if necessarily different for state and some private. It could also form the inspection duties, previously with Ofsted, but all schools would judged on the same scale. Child welfare comes first obviously and they could agree rest. I would like them to review worldwide best practice and pay for research into future improvements.
Continued

juneau · 20/12/2017 18:40

minifingerz you sound extremely bitter and angry and if your DC are at a shit school I'm not surprised, but your anger is misdirected. Not all private schools are better than state ones, for a start. In my area, where several of the state schools are great, the results are on a par, or better than, the private ones. In addition, I know plenty of people who send their DC to state school who vote Tory and others using private schools who don't. To make such blanket assumptions is to assume that every private school is like Eton and every parent is a Tory voting toff - which is very, very far from the truth. I suggest you widen your social circle a bit - you might be pleasantly surprised.

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 18:43

For private schools I would extend charitable status to all schools and ban introduction of VAT on fees or parents, by law forever. BUT only if the following occurred:-

  1. They agree to form The National Schools Board thorough ISC etc.
  2. Eton, Winchester College and the likes including St Pauls/Westminster agree to go needs blind, in a reasonable time for both the schools and the state, So possibly 2025, add own date please. They would need to report to an independent judge on how it is progressing annually. If they fail to meet their own targets they would be FINED, but that money would pay for bursaries at the school until they become needs blind. So not really fines just making sure the bursaries happen.
  3. smaller non big names for charitable status could form proper two way partnerships with local state schools or teachers to help kids or increase bursaries.
  4. I would like all private schools to assist the grade 3/4 schools, if they do I think the schools board so reimburse the pro rata costs of either teacher salaries involved or in the cost of their expertise. State schools would have to exchange any help or assistance they, Might not help Eton etc, but may help lesser privates with sixth form teaching etc .

For parents like the brilliant iseenodust and others like I think Hillington if they are standard rate taxpayers and pay tax through PAYE so hopefully no tax evasion, I would introduce a tax rebate of up to 50% of national schools funding, so to reduce the burden slightly. I WOULD LOVE TO DO IT NOW but I will never rule UK.

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 19:07

For Teachers I would ban any more changes for next 5/6 years. I would also like all teachers to work together state and private and development new training schemes and development packages for both sectors and to work with the National Schools Board to develop the career of teachers. I would like the likes of noblegiraffe and others to be in charge of their futures and all teachers both state and private to work together for the good of our children in Britain.
From my slashing of MPs and the Lords, I think I would give a £1500 pay rise and then guarantee inflation matching pay rises, with a possible extra 0.5% for 5 years. I would extend teach first and encourage private and state schools to exchange/loan teachers to each other. Once again Private costs covered pro rata by National Schools Board. Virtually all teachers I know, Sister in Law is a teacher and lots of her friends are, and I have met at DC school and visits to the UTC and other schools, including the odd private, Hymers and Chethams are know to us thorough friends are hard working, brilliant caring people just look at nobleg on here. They totally want what's best for their students and I want to empower them, a body like the GMC to deal with poor teachers in both sectors. Plus proper funded and researched training for both sectors, with fast tracks for specialists?.
to be continued

user1471450935 · 20/12/2017 19:47

odds and sods
Like I said friends Ds is at Chethams, that's a school. I would love to extend the Music and Dance scheme that funds it, but in to different areas if that's okay.

  1. Special schools I would ever region to have a state funded special school, See the royal Commission proposals. But I recognise their are sadly children even these wonderful schools can't help. So as a stop gap and to help spread the cost to all those wonderful parents who can't get LEA help, I would introduce a similar scheme, but parents would only start paying once their incomes where over £100000. I seriously don't know if this would help , I out of my depth here, but I feel I should try something. feel free to rip to pieces
  2. the super bright. proved by educational therapist, like SEN, same sliding scale as music scheme but extra to the needs blind scheme of Eton, Win Coll etc, not sure they would be happy, but feel the state should help really bright kids too.
  3. Sports, same scheme as music, but paid by a levy on worldwide tv coverage and advertising revenues on all sports, the schools and sports governing bodies deliver the scheme. Finally properly funded PRC for the troublesome students to rehababate them with full mental health services and numerous other educational options for them. They are my humble thoughts and ideas thought thorough in the last week or so, they are a bloody pipe dream and probably totally unworkable and unaffordable too. But I tried over to you now Feel free to ignore or pull to pieces I am totally ready for that and big enough to know I know nothing really. If it would be better as a new thread I would try, but I refer back to the first post to do with this though. I will continue to watch for any feed back, not expecting any. I check mumsnet daily, especially education boards, and think it is on my watch list. Thanks for listening and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all
happygardening · 21/12/2017 09:45

“I would like them to form NATIONAL SCHOOLS BOARD .... I would like this board to set national education policies”
Why? The whole point of independent schools is that they are exactly that; independent. They are driven by their customers, most are pretty similar TBH most offer the usual GCSE’s and A levels but there is some there are schools that are a little different Winchester for example only offers the Pre U it has a daily non examined lesson with no fixed curriculum, no boy does Eng Lit at IGCSE and up until recently no boy did history at IGCSE although both are offered at Pre U and results are excellent both subjects are studied in this daily non examined lesson instead or there’s Summerhill or there are Steiner Schools, you may not like what they offer but some parents choose these and pay for them because they feel they do like the education that’s offered.
I agree with your vision for bursaries and you may be pleased to know that Eton Winchester and St Paul’s are aiming to have a needs blind admission policy but as remember we are only talking about 450 (approx) places a year and all three are heavily over subscribed and they will take the best candidates some of whom will come from outside of the UK and some still will come from wealthy homes. Sending your DS to The first two also requires a change in mindset from parents as both are full boarding only. So we have to ask how much of a difference is this going to make to those living in deprived areas like Hull or Blackpool, obviously the individual will benefit enormously and I’m in favour of a needs blind admissions policy but in the grand scheme of things? Little I suspect . So what is the answer? It’s obvious improve our state schools, learn from what schools like Eton offer, raise taxes to pay for it. Dont give us a tax rebate because we pay fees it’s our choice, increase basic income tax with the guarantee that it will go to our public services, (the NHS first IMO) and not fight any more pointless wars. And properly address poverty, and everything associated with it poor housing, zero hours contracts, long term unemployment substance dependence illiteracy, food poverty fuel poverty, chronic poor health etc.how can the average person have aspirations for themselves and their families if they live in appalling housing are unable to pay the electricity bill or put a meal on the table every night? It’s hardly surprising significant MH concerns is more prevelant amongst those living in poverty. We as a country need a mind shift most are not benefit scrounges they are living in a poverty trap. It is only luck that we are not living like this.