Stories + Views: My Local School

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Richard Hatcher: Clegg claims he’s stopped for-profit free schools. He hasn’t.

Nick Clegg claims that he has thwarted plans by Michael Gove,to allow "free schools" to make a profit. This is not true. The front door might remain closed for the time being but the back door remains wide open for companies to run free schools for profit. There are two ways to profit from running free schools. One is for a ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by josh: "Thanks. I have the Diane Ravitch book. Essential reading. I wasn't concentrating when I wrote "charter" - i meant to write history of the English state schools...."

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Radhiika: Schools are often inspirational places where children and young people’s opportunities are transformed.

I work in education, specifically helping schools to be at the heart of their local community. I am a governor of Buxton All-Through School in East London, where I was a Senior Leader until 2010. read more and comment →

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Francis Gilbert: My story is proof that state schools are better than the private sector

The publication of the Key Stage 2 results of the tests taken by 11-year-olds this May has resulted in the customary "state school" bashing in the press. The Daily Mail claims that the brightest pupils are being failed by primary schools, while The Telegraph has pointed out that one in three pupils have not mastered the basics by the time they've left school. ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Andy: "One story is an anecdote. 'Proof' is something entirely different...."

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Nigel Ford: Class Divide

An article in the Mail on Sunday which is to be televised on BBC 3 emphasises the divide between two groups of young women. I can't help concluding that if everyone attended comprehensive schools then naivety, social barriers, prejudice and misconceptions would be broken down a lot earlier. read more and comment →

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Francis Gilbert: Do novelists have a duty to present state schools in a positive light?

Somewhat to my surprise, my new (and first published) novel, The Last Day Of Term, was reviewed on Front Row tonight together with a TV play, Double Lesson, and documentary, Classroom Secrets, both of which sound very good indeed. My novel, many years in the writing, is about a teacher who is accused of child abuse and effectively has one ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Francis Gilbert: "Yes, Henry I take your point about my next book! I do feel a bit uneasy about the portrayal of the school in the book -- it's very much a fictional portrayal of a nightmarish Kafka-esque institution, and filtered by ......"

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Janet Downs: Disadvantaged pupils do worse in schools containing a large number of disadvantaged children, new research reveals

Research by the Education Endowment Fund (EEF) published this month seems to confirm what the OECD revealed: that disadvantaged pupils do worse in schools which contain a large number of similarly disadvantaged children. The research looked at children eligible for free schools meals (FSM) in schools that failed to reach the floor standard (EEF target schools). The report ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Alan Gurbutt: "Causation, no, but a positive linear relationship should infer that there’s scope for further investigation, a multi-factorial analysis of issues associated with educational pathways, for example. There should be a focus EYFS, health, income and parent’s ability to raise expectations ......"

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Marianne Harman: Pushy parents shun our local school not because of teaching but because of intake.

I live in Honiton, a market town in East Devon and our school has recently had a "good, good" in Ofsted, is improving, has academy status and has an excellent head and community links. However, it used to be a secondary modern and suffers from a reputation that "the right sort of people don't send their children there." In order ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Melissa Benn: "Yes - can I add my experience to this thread. We sent both our daughters to the local comprehensive about which there was enormous nervousness and even greater prejudice, in the local area. Below average results, an intermittently fearsome reputation ......"

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sarah: Whatever happened to the James Review?

On 8 April Sebastian James produced his extremely overdue report on schools capital (having originally promised an interim report in September 2010 and final report in December. So far the government have made absolutely no response to it - nor undertaken any consultation with local authorities or schools about its contents. Here we are in July 2010 with absolutely no ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Janet Downs: "Toby Young was the most entertaining speaker at the Policy Exchange conference although for most of the time only his shoulder and one whirring hand were visible. His description of his attempt to lease a school from the Saudis ......"

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Francis Gilbert: How the other half is educated: a video tour of Wellington College

Wellington College's grounds are overwhelming; absolutely massive. Going there makes you realise that life there is far removed from the realities of much of Britain -- but this is true of many private schools. I guess this is there USP: they are very definitely making a virtue of the fact that they are segregated from the rest of the community.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGA-VUKPJRM read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Melissa Benn: "LSN readers might be interested to know that I have based part of my discussion of modern private schools - in my forthcoming book on the the state of education in this country - on Wellington School, where I ......"

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Keith Turvey: A popular vision for inner city schooling?

Katharine Birbalsingh’s vision for successful inner city schools goes like this according to her latest blog in the Telegraph today (25th June 2011): ‘They have an extended day; they encourage fierce competition amongst their pupils; they benchmark and put the results up on the wall where all gather to see how they have done in comparison to their peers. They have ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Allan Beavis: "Much of the claims made by them is unsupported by evidence and if they do, it is highly selective. In this respect they are doing just as Michael Gove does, when he promotes the Swedish and American models as successful ......"

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