From the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/10228868/Academy-school-receives-just-three-applications.html
Two academies, Wheatfield Primary School and Windmill Primary in nearby Woosehill, were due to open this September in partnership with GLF schools.
As academies, the schools will be funded by central Government and no longer controlled by the local authority.
Both schools initially had 70 expressions of interest from local families but only 19 children received offers for the 60 planned places.
Only three had actually put their names down for Wheatfield.
Tuesday 27 August 2013
Academy gives financial incentive to pupils
From Halesowen News:
John Martin, headmaster of Oldbury Academy, hit the headlines when a Birmingham University fellow (Christopher Hill) complained to Education Secretary Michael Gove about the incentives.
http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/local/10631692.Oldbury_headmaster_hails_pupil_incentives_a_success_after_GCSE_results/?ref=nt
http://www.halesowennews.co.uk/news/local/10631692.Oldbury_headmaster_hails_pupil_incentives_a_success_after_GCSE_results/?ref=nt
Local Schools Network: Academies as vehicles for investors
Local Schools Network
blog: How many academy trusts are a "vehicle" for investors wishing to profit from running England's schools?
http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2013/08/how-many-academy-trusts-are-a-vehicle-for-investors-wishing-to-profit-from-running-englands-schools/
Schools and companies mentioned:
Breckland free school: management to IES (Internationella Engelska Skolan), a Swedish for-profit provider which has been bought by a US private equity firm - TA Associates as mentioned in this TES article -
Kunskapsskollan and its not-for-profit subsidiary, Learning Schools Trust.
GEMS Learning Trust - non-profit arm of GEMS Education. (Ex-Ofsted chair, Zenna Atkins, was at the helm of GEMS for a few weeks before joining Wey Education.)
Wey Education subsidiary Zail Enterprises Ltd has Wey Education Schools Trust aiming to open its first school in 2014.
Prospects (www.prospects.co.uk) or Prospects Improve (www.prospectsimprove.co.uk)
http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2013/08/how-many-academy-trusts-are-a-vehicle-for-investors-wishing-to-profit-from-running-englands-schools/
Schools and companies mentioned:
Breckland free school: management to IES (Internationella Engelska Skolan), a Swedish for-profit provider which has been bought by a US private equity firm - TA Associates as mentioned in this TES article -
Kunskapsskollan and its not-for-profit subsidiary, Learning Schools Trust.
GEMS Learning Trust - non-profit arm of GEMS Education. (Ex-Ofsted chair, Zenna Atkins, was at the helm of GEMS for a few weeks before joining Wey Education.)
Wey Education subsidiary Zail Enterprises Ltd has Wey Education Schools Trust aiming to open its first school in 2014.
Prospects (www.prospects.co.uk) or Prospects Improve (www.prospectsimprove.co.uk)
Debate about the degree to which English education is being privatised:
Debate about the degree to which English education is being privatised:
The Guardian's original piece by Seumus Milne: Crony capitalism feeds the corporate plan for schools (February 2012).
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/feb/14/crony-capitalism-corporate-schools?commentpage=all#start-of-comments
Followed, the morning it was published, by a response from Toby Young in the Telegraph:Left-wing journalist gets almost every fact wrong in hysterical attack on Michael Gove.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyyoung/100137539/left-wing-journalist-gets-almost-every-fact-wrong-in-hysterical-attack-on-michael-gove/
And then followed up by Janet Downs on Local Schools Network: Academies, free schools and profit – blog fails to debunk “hysterical” article with facts.
http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2012/02/academies-free-schools-and-profit-%E2%80%93-blog-fails-to-debunk-%E2%80%9Chysterical%E2%80%9D-article-with-facts/
The Guardian's original piece by Seumus Milne: Crony capitalism feeds the corporate plan for schools (February 2012).
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/feb/14/crony-capitalism-corporate-schools?commentpage=all#start-of-comments
Followed, the morning it was published, by a response from Toby Young in the Telegraph:Left-wing journalist gets almost every fact wrong in hysterical attack on Michael Gove.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyyoung/100137539/left-wing-journalist-gets-almost-every-fact-wrong-in-hysterical-attack-on-michael-gove/
And then followed up by Janet Downs on Local Schools Network: Academies, free schools and profit – blog fails to debunk “hysterical” article with facts.
http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2012/02/academies-free-schools-and-profit-%E2%80%93-blog-fails-to-debunk-%E2%80%9Chysterical%E2%80%9D-article-with-facts/
Independent: 93 flavours of free schools
The Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/special-report-the-changing-face-of-education--michael-goves-school-project-runs-wild-and-free-8783637.html
"A veritable kaleidoscope of new state-funded schools will open their doors for the first time next month – 93 of them part of the Government's free school programme."
It mentions Hackney Free School (or Hackney New School?)
Hackney Citizen: three free schools in Hackney given the go ahead:
http://hackneycitizen.co.uk/2012/08/20/three-hackney-free-schools-to-open/
two part of existing chains, one set up by parents led by former investment banker Andreas Wesemann (older Independent article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/an-11hour-schoolday-in-hackney-even-the-parents-arent-sure-its-a-good-idea-8191500.html)
20 % of free meals not being claimed in North Devon
In North Devon 20% of eligible families not claiming free schools meals - schools losing out on £900 per child.
North Somerset uptake is higher than the national average:
"Eighty per cent of children who are eligible for school meals in the district currently sign up to free dinners – around 1,500 children.
School meal uptake in North Somerset is slightly higher than the national average, but the council is striving to reach its target uptake of 90 per cent."
http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/education/school_cash_budgets_miss_out_when_pupils_fail_to_claim_for_free_meals_1_2351925
North Somerset uptake is higher than the national average:
http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/education/school_cash_budgets_miss_out_when_pupils_fail_to_claim_for_free_meals_1_2351925
National Audit Office looks at capital funding - academy view
The word academies appears 14 times in the 42-page NAO report:
http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/10089-001_Capital-funding-for-new-school-places.pdf
It appears a few times in graphics like these:
http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/10089-001_Capital-funding-for-new-school-places.pdf
It appears a few times in graphics like these:
(Click to enlarge)
GCSE 'floor standard' broken at academies, what next?
A number of Norfolk schools, including existing academies, have fallen below the government minimum 40% of pupils achieving five or more A-C grades in their GCSEs (floor standard).
According to a story in EDP24:
http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/education/what_next_for_schools_that_missed_key_government_gcse_target_1_2352472
"The Department for Education yesterday said it could not yet work out whether the schools were below the floor, as it needed final school-level data to calculate expected progress measures for 2013.
"For schools that are below the floor, it said it would consider the effectiveness of any academy sponsor, taking into account how long they had had to turn around a school.
"Ofsted will also consider the floor when deciding when to inspect a school, but is expected to look at the trend in performance over a number of years, and not necessarily inspect a school just before it dropped below the floor."
The article also said: "The government is aggressively pushing academy conversion in its bid to improve standards, but that is not an option for the Open Academy or City Academy, Norfolk’s two longest-standing academies. Cliff Park High is already due to become an academy next January. "Neither are new Ofsted inspections likely at Open Academy, which is still awaiting the outcome of an inspection this summer, or Cliff Park, which has had three monitoring inspections since it was declared “inadequate” last year. However, City Academy has not been inspected since it was judged “good” in 2009.
The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/aug/22/gcse-results-2013-record-fall-c-grades-higher
Monday 19 August 2013
AC Grayling ditches plans for Camden free school
From the Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/ac-grayling-ditches-plan-to-open-new-free-school-in-camden-8770906.html
Philosopher AC Grayling, master of the controversial New College of the Humanities - which charges fees of up to £18,000 a year - has had to ditch his plan to open a new free school because of difficulties in finding a site.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/ac-grayling-ditches-plan-to-open-new-free-school-in-camden-8770906.html
Philosopher AC Grayling, master of the controversial New College of the Humanities - which charges fees of up to £18,000 a year - has had to ditch his plan to open a new free school because of difficulties in finding a site.
Suffolk council seeks provider for schools development
From Bury Free Press:
http://www.buryfreepress.co.uk/news/local/latest-news/council-bosses-seek-providers-for-new-secondary-school-in-bury-st-edmunds-1-5392206
Suffolk County Council is looking for approved providers to set up the 11-16 school in Moreton Hall for September 2016 to accommodate up to 1,200 pupils and a sixth form. The move is part of the proposed closure of middle schools in Bury in three years’ time and development of almost 6,000 homes in the next 20 years.
http://www.buryfreepress.co.uk/news/local/latest-news/council-bosses-seek-providers-for-new-secondary-school-in-bury-st-edmunds-1-5392206
Suffolk County Council is looking for approved providers to set up the 11-16 school in Moreton Hall for September 2016 to accommodate up to 1,200 pupils and a sixth form. The move is part of the proposed closure of middle schools in Bury in three years’ time and development of almost 6,000 homes in the next 20 years.
Ofsted setback for Quest in Croydon
From Croydon Advertiser
http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/Ofsted-setback-hard-line-academy/story-19667946-detail/story.html#axzz2cPj4E0jQ
Quest Academy - included in a list of the 100 best improving schools in the country by the Minister of State for Schools in January - was rated poorly for its high exclusion rate, weak sixth-form mock exam results and teaching inconsistencies. http://www.thequestacademy.org.uk/our-staff
Coloma Trust: http://www.coloma.croydon.sch.uk/the-quest-academy
http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/Ofsted-setback-hard-line-academy/story-19667946-detail/story.html#axzz2cPj4E0jQ
Quest Academy - included in a list of the 100 best improving schools in the country by the Minister of State for Schools in January - was rated poorly for its high exclusion rate, weak sixth-form mock exam results and teaching inconsistencies. http://www.thequestacademy.org.uk/our-staff
Coloma Trust: http://www.coloma.croydon.sch.uk/the-quest-academy
Return of Section 28 via academies?
All from Pink News:
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/08/17/three-schools-reintroduce-section-28-style-ban-on-promotion-of-gay-issues/
Two British schools have recently come under criticism for reintroducing terminology from Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Section 28 by banning the “promotion of homosexuality” in classrooms.
Castle View Enterprise Academy in Sunderland, Swindon Academy have reintroduced anti-gay language from Section 28, which banned the “promotion of homosexuality”, into their Sex and Relationships Policy. The schools’ policies state that while “objective discussion of homosexuality may take place in the classroom, the governing body will not permit the promotion of homosexuality”.
Update: It has emerged that the policy at Colston Girl’s School in Bristol was withdrawn in late June, and the school announced it would review the policy. It has emerged, however; that more free schools have introduced similar policies than originally reported. More to follow.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/08/17/three-schools-reintroduce-section-28-style-ban-on-promotion-of-gay-issues/
Two British schools have recently come under criticism for reintroducing terminology from Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Section 28 by banning the “promotion of homosexuality” in classrooms.
Castle View Enterprise Academy in Sunderland, Swindon Academy have reintroduced anti-gay language from Section 28, which banned the “promotion of homosexuality”, into their Sex and Relationships Policy. The schools’ policies state that while “objective discussion of homosexuality may take place in the classroom, the governing body will not permit the promotion of homosexuality”.
Update: It has emerged that the policy at Colston Girl’s School in Bristol was withdrawn in late June, and the school announced it would review the policy. It has emerged, however; that more free schools have introduced similar policies than originally reported. More to follow.
Tuesday 6 August 2013
ProgressHSE: limitations of a market approach to schooling
http://www.progress-hse.org/2013/08/05/the-limitations-of-a-market-approach-to-schooling/
by James Park at Human Scale Education (on the blog roll).
This piece mentions Centre for Market Reform of Education C RE
Gabriel Sahlgren https://twitter.com/gabrielsahlgren
by James Park at Human Scale Education (on the blog roll).
This piece mentions Centre for Market Reform of Education C RE
Gabriel Sahlgren https://twitter.com/gabrielsahlgren
Monday 5 August 2013
LSE academies research
May 2011: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/cp325.pdf
Joan Wilson: "In this paper the effectiveness of the Academies model of school improvement through institutional transformation is assessed with specific reference to whether the scheme has been capable of delivering inclusive access for disadvantaged pupils in poor areas (aim (3))."
April 2011: http://cee.lse.ac.uk/ceedps/ceedp123.pdf
stephen machin, james vernoit: "Our results suggest that moving to a more autonomous school structure through academy conversion generates a significant improvement in the quality of their pupil intake and a significant improvement in pupil performance."
Autumn 2010: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/cp325.pdf
Stephen Machin and James Vernoit.
FT on London Schools
Chris Cook at the Financial Times.
His stories on education in London:
http://blogs.ft.com/ftdata/tag/london/
as linked to by his story the London schools mystery: http://blogs.ft.com/ftdata/2013/04/18/the-london-schools-mystery/
His stories on education in London:
http://blogs.ft.com/ftdata/tag/london/
as linked to by his story the London schools mystery: http://blogs.ft.com/ftdata/2013/04/18/the-london-schools-mystery/
Education finance blog from Devon
http://new.devon.gov.uk/educationfinance/
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:6enIwWKWpWIJ:new.devon.gov.uk/educationfinance/&hl=en&gl=uk&strip=0
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:6enIwWKWpWIJ:new.devon.gov.uk/educationfinance/&hl=en&gl=uk&strip=0
Law firm comment on academies setting up overseas fee-paying schools
http://www.law-less-ordinary.co.uk/wordpress/2013/07/31/academy-chains-could-set-up-international-schools/
From the blog of law firm Browne Jacobson by Julian Green: "who specialises in education law advice to schools, academies and colleges including statutory conversions of all types and property issues ranging from easements to development agreements."
From the blog of law firm Browne Jacobson by Julian Green: "who specialises in education law advice to schools, academies and colleges including statutory conversions of all types and property issues ranging from easements to development agreements."
Council warns protest puts academy in peril
The Shropshire Star claims the council has told residents (in Telford) that their demand for more access to the site of a new 900-pupil academy school could jeopardise the whole project:
http://www.shropshirestar.com/education/2013/08/02/funding-for-a-900-pupil-telford-faith-academy-in-peril/
"It forms part of the council’s £200 million Building Schools for the Future programme. Plans for each individual school will need to be signed off by Government officials before work can proceed. It has not been revealed how much the Holy Trinity Academy development will cost.
"The main access to the new school will be via a cul-de-sac – Teece Drive. Pupils from BRJ, currently the only Catholic secondary school in Shropshire, will be bussed in to the new campus."
http://www.shropshirestar.com/education/2013/08/02/funding-for-a-900-pupil-telford-faith-academy-in-peril/
"It forms part of the council’s £200 million Building Schools for the Future programme. Plans for each individual school will need to be signed off by Government officials before work can proceed. It has not been revealed how much the Holy Trinity Academy development will cost.
"The main access to the new school will be via a cul-de-sac – Teece Drive. Pupils from BRJ, currently the only Catholic secondary school in Shropshire, will be bussed in to the new campus."
Applications: will Diaspora High School change the rules?
Newsshopper: THE Department for Education has been "backed into a corner" over its three-time rejection of a Lewisham free school championing young black boys.
Education Secretary Michael Gove has been forced to change the free school application process after accusations that the rejection of Diaspora High School exposed a lack of equal opportunities.
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10568030.Lewisham_free_school_forces_government_equality_change_after_being_rejected_three_times/
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10568030.Lewisham_free_school_forces_government_equality_change_after_being_rejected_three_times/
Guardian data blog: where are the new schools
New schools data mapped:
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/may/23/academies-england-schools-local-authority
"Some 1,070 academies are now open. The figure was just 704 in June, but a spate of schools turned into academies this month, during the summer holidays."
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/may/23/academies-england-schools-local-authority
"Some 1,070 academies are now open. The figure was just 704 in June, but a spate of schools turned into academies this month, during the summer holidays."
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