Stories + Views: My Local School

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Janet Downs: Lincolnshire County Council says proposal for academy conversion has support of councillors but it doesn’t seem to have been debated

Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) has responded  to my FoI request about lack of transparency surrounding proposals for Lincolnshire primary schools to become academies under the aegis of CfBT Educational Trust. The Council confirms that it has a confidential paper from CfBT but has not made it public because it might “prejudice the commercial interests of CfBT”. CfBT is a ... read more and comment →

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Francis Gilbert: The state school Maths teacher who gives up his Saturday mornings to teach

I am excited about my son going to his secondary school in September. We had the first of a few transfer meetings this Thursday and met an inspiring young maths teacher who told us that he gives up his Saturday mornings to work with GCSE students who are scoring E and F grades in order to bring them up to ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Janet Downs: "Finland is one of the highest scoring countries in the OECD PISA education league tables. Yet their pupils spend less time in the classroom than children in other countries. When teachers are not teaching they are assessing, evaluating and ......"

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Allan Beavis: How successful have Charter Schools, the US version of Free Schools, been in improving education?

There have recently been quite vociferous calls on this site for “evidence” to support criticism of the free schools and academies policy. With more news this morning of a last minute education budget slash of £155m and fears that the impact will disproportionately hit the poorest parts of the country coming so soon after the DfE announced an allocation of £35m ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Allan Beavis: "Here is a new piece by Diane Ravitch on the Cathie Back debacle in New York and Washington's obsession with private sector companies and individuals running schools. It is easy to say that this is happening in America, but very ......"

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Georgina Sait: Opposing proposed free school

I live in a small market town in Suffolk where we have a very good high school, the county have undergone a programe of closing middle schools which is now in its last couple of years. A group has got together an are proposing a new free school to act as an alternative to the local high school. This free ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Paul Reeve: "http://www.saxmundhamfreeschool.org.uk/ The consultation document from this site makes interesting reading. Some of the advantages to the local community are listed.... The proposed School may create additional career opportunities and/or an enhanced career paths for teachers by making available a greater breadth and depth ......"

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Nigel Gann: Our “satisfactory” and improving rural community secondary school has decided to apply for academy status before consulting with students, parents, staff and the wider community. I have therefore stood down as chair of governors.

Somerset LA is seeing a flood of schools applying for academy status, particularly because they have understood that they will get £569 per pupil if they convert before September 1st (and half of that if they convert shortly after). We have not done the sums, but the governing body and the headteacher are frightened of "being the last ones left" ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Sarah Dodds: "Nigel - I am currently running an anti-academy campaign in Lincolnshire, in what seems like very similar circumstances. DO tell the staff and parents to fight back, especially when it comes to putting a balance of information across. Feel ......"

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Francis Gilbert: Toby versus Zadie: cuts are fine as long I’m not denied £12m for my vanity school

I woke up today to hear Toby Young talking about the necessity of cuts to public services. He was replying to a talk on the Today Programme given by Zadie Smith, the talented, prize-winning novelist. She is campaigning for her local library in Kensal Rise, London to stay open. More than 450 libraries and mobile services across the country are at risk ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Rosalyn: "The entire policy on free schools has, at least until now, focussed on the soliciting and provision of new schools rather than look into whether concentrated investment into the expansion of and consolidation of existing schools provided a better outcome. ......"

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Francis Gilbert: Teachers go on strike to protest against hundreds of teaching jobs being cut — my vodcast

On Wednesday, because my son's school was closed due to strike-action, he and I went down to Weavers' Fields, and took some "amateur" footage of teachers protesting against the cuts to education services in Tower Hamlets. Kevin Courtney, a NUT representative, spoke particularly eloquently; I've filmed his key points here. As has been noted before, Tower Hamlets has to cut ... read more and comment →

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Francis Gilbert: I applaud Cameron’s plan to send his children to his local secondary school

The Sunday Times' scoop today was that David Cameron is planning to his children to his local secondary school, a new state sponsored academy Kensington Aldridge academy which will be built near his old home in West London. From what I can see the academy will be non-selective and non-religious and be in line with other community schools in Kensington ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Fiona Millar: "This comment reminded me of a post by one of our earliest supporters here expressing her dismay that the Camerons had rejected their local primary school without even going to look at it , instead preferring to drive his children ......"

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Sarah Dodds: To Boldly Gove….

One thing I have learnt since running our local anti-academy campaign is that when you are passionate about something, and communicating and talking to like minded people, it is easy to assume that the whole world will just fall into line and MUST feel the same way. So when I do find someone who has a different perspective on academies, it ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Janet Downs: "Mr Gove seems unwilling to listen to anyone who challenges him. None of my letters to the DfE about Mr Gove's misuse of OECD data has been answered. Letters sent directly to the PM on the same subject ......"

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Francis Gilbert: Tower Hamlets’ response to union claims that 200 teachers are losing their jobs across the Borough

I have just received this statement from Tower Hamlet's council about the cuts to teaching services that are occurring across the Borough. This is their statement in full, responding to claims made by the East London Teachers' Association, ELTA, the Tower Hamlets' branch of the National Union of Teachers. Statement As a direct result of huge central government cuts to our funding, ... read more and comment →

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