This morning the Secretary of State for Education addressed
the Confederation of School Trusts online conference. Responding,
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT,
said:
On academisation:
“Schools have been at the heart of the national response to
Covid-19. We have seen how both LA maintained schools and
Academies have gone above and beyond to keep children safe, fed
and educated. Over the last year there have been many examples of
different types of schools working together to ensure the best
possible response to the crisis. We have seen how being part of a
network of schools can be hugely beneficial and those networks
come in a range of different forms, including working within a
Local Authority.
“For some schools converting to academy status can be a positive
step and we continue to support the right of schools to choose to
convert where it’s in the interests of the school and the
community it serves. But we remain strongly opposed to forced
academisation. Now is not the time for the government to begin
obsessing about different types of structures again – there is
already enough to do without additional distractions. The most
important thing the government could do now is to properly fund
and resource all schools, regardless of the name over the gate,
and to invest in and support all teachers to deliver great
teaching in the classroom.
“There also needs to be recognition that nearly half of all
pupils in this country are still taught in LA maintained schools,
and while the government can choose to emphasise the benefits of
one particular model and argue for Trusts over LAs, it cannot -
must not - be to the detriment of all pupils being taught in
non-Academy schools. Investment in schools must be fair to all,
irrespective of governance structures.”
On intervention:
“Moving schools that are struggling from one form of governance
to another can be costly and by itself is an ineffective solution
for improving standards. This proposal could have precisely the
opposite effect to that intended. Increasing the stakes of
inspection further - by introducing a ‘three-strikes and you’re
out’ rule - will serve only to dissuade good teachers and leaders
from moving to work in the very places that need them most,
thereby making the challenge of improving schools even more
difficult.
“Schools are more often part of the solution not the problem. We
need a concerted, cross-government commitment to improving the
life chances of young people in our most marginalised and
deprived communities, and addressing the root causes of
under-performance. Rather than reaching for the same old
solutions, it's time for a fundamental re-think of how we support
all young people in this country, irrespective of where they
live, to achieve their full potential.”
On behaviour:
“Ofsted recently increased their focus and reporting on pupil
behaviour, to give information to parents and provide precisely
this national overview of effectiveness. These inspections show
that the overwhelming majority of schools in this country are
calm, orderly places, conducive to learning and where pupils feel
safe. In the small number of schools where standards of behaviour
fall short, Ofsted do not pull their punches in reporting this.
If the government does not trust these judgements then it should
say so. It is very hard to see the announcement of a termly
behaviour survey as anything other than a stunt designed to
secure some quick, easy headlines. It is likely to prove a costly
and unnecessary distraction to schools.”
