Monday 28 October 2013

New Oxford schools will not be run by town's existing schools

Oxford Times: http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/10713179.Town_headteachers_fail_to_make_the_cut_to_run_schools/
 A shortlist of four organisations set to run the two primaries and secondary for 1,200 pupils has been revealed.
The shortlist includes Barnfield Schole Academy Trust, Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth, Glyn Learning Foundation and The GEMS Learning Trust.

Al-Madinah Islamic free school closed down

BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24360100 


A Muslim free school accused of imposing strict Islamic practices, such as segregated classrooms, has closed following an inspection by Ofsted. The BBC understands Ofsted's findings were so damning that the acting head of Al-Madinah, in Derby, had little choice but to shut it down immediately.


Interim principal Stuart Wilson said: "Owing to a health and safety issue, I have taken the decision to close the school... until I am confident that all children are safe on site.

Newspaper reports had alleged that girls were forced to sit at the back of the classroom and unnamed female staff members had claimed they were forced to conform to a strict dress code including wearing a head scarf or hijab - whether or not they were Muslim.

£14,000 uniform bill to achieve 'level footing'

From BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-24297494 


A school in Essex has spent £14,000 on new uniforms for all its students in an attempt to "raise aspirations".
 Ravens Academy in Clacton gave each of its 158 pupils five polo shirts, two jumpers or cardigans, shoes and a book bag following parents' wishes.
 The Academy Transformation Trust said it wanted its pupils to have a "level footing" when the ex-Ravenscroft Primary began life as an academy.

Another: http://tyburnmail.com/2013/10/02/greenwood-academy-to-provide-free-school-uniform-for-pupils/ 

Radical Islam in UK schools

IB Times (based on Sunday Times article) Ex MI5 agents investigation radicalisation of schools via governors - http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/509880/20130929/michael-gove-education-islam-muslim-extremist-mi5.htm 


Grade inflation claim at Harris Academy

From the Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/insider-claims-top-academy-inflated-grades-8846573.html

" A flagship academy is facing allegations that teachers inflated their pupils' GCSE coursework marks in this summer's English exams.

"A complaint against the Harris Academy Beckenham, in south London, has been lodged with the exams regulator Ofqual claiming that there is a "drastic discrepancy" between the grades awarded for coursework marked internally by teachers – especially for the paper's speaking and listening section – and the externally marked written exam at the end of the course."

Academies have no obligation to provide teacher cpd

Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/poll/2013/oct/09/professional-development-schools-poll 

Continuous Professional Development CPD: chief executive of the Teacher Development Trust, David Weston, said this lack of regulation has "pulled the rug out from under headteachers". He says that, although maintained schools are required to have five days of training every year, there are no real rules on what they do with this time, and academies need not comply at all.

Pimlico free school head quits

Guardian version of Annaliese Briggs resigning from Pimlico primary, sponsored by Future Academies a project set up by junior schools minister Lord Nash.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/oct/09/free-school-head-no-teaching-qualifications-leaves-job

BBC version: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24466928 

Nottingham - academy heads' high pay questioned

From Nottingham Post: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Heads-Notts-academies-earn-PM/story-19840343-detail/story.html


Financial records for the 2011-12 school year of academies seen by the Post reveal that:

John Tomasevic, chief executive of the Torch Academy Gateway Trust, which runs Toot Hill School in Bingham, was paid between £172,000 and £176,000.

Susan Jowett, executive principal at George Spencer Academy in Stapleford, earned between £170,000 and £175,000.

The highest-earner at the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust, which runs Nottingham Academy, in Sneinton, and Nottingham Girls' Academy, received between £190,000 and £200,000.

The amounts include pension contributions.

In comparison, Prime Minister David Cameron is paid £142,500 a year for running the country, while the salary cap for head teachers in state schools is £106,000.

Reference: united learning trust does not disclose senior management pay in accounts

BBC:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20669621 

Martin Rausenbaum, BBC FOI specialist, wrote in December 2012:


Earlier this year United Learning received an FOI request asking for details of the pay and employment packages for its chief executive and other senior management. When it did not supply the information, the requester complained to the Information Commissioner's Office.

United Learning told the Commissioner that its senior management were actually employed and paid by a charity, the United Church Schools Trust. This is a separate but linked charity which is not publicly funded and does not come under FOI.

In a decision released today the Commissioner upheld United Learning's stance that it did not hold the requested information on how much its chief executive and senior management are remunerated. The Commissioner was told that they were not paid out of public funds.

I had hoped to ask United Learning to explain this unusual state of affairs, but the organisation's spokesman told me: "United Learning Trust has no view to express on the case".

VAT thoughts for academies

From the Nottingham Post: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Academy-schools-given-warning-VAT/story-19840424-detail/story.html


Giles Calverley, business services manager at international accountants and business advisers Mazars in Nottingham, says that where academies do go for registration, large areas of their activities will be not be subject to VAT – such as donations, grants, hire of property and meals provided to students. VAT registration, he stressed, is an option even if the academy does not exceed the threshold – currently £79,000 a year. This is because registration could enable increased VAT recovery on business expenditure and reduced compliance costs.

Reference: bond aggregator for PF2

From Building.co.uk: http://www.building.co.uk/efa-to-procure-body-to-raise-finance-for-new-schools/5054356.article

The body in charge of delivering the government’s £2.4bn Priority School Building Programme (The EFA) is to look to procure a financial “aggregator” to raise private capital for the schools planned under the PF2 element of the programme. Working with HSBC - Daniel Rudley, deputy director of private finance at the Education Funding Agency

Hull 'forced' to convert school to academy for excluded pupils

From: http://legacy.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Land-deal-new-free-academy-school-approved/story-19836890-detail/story.html#ixzz2j1xQYOTo


The Aspire Academy Free School is due to open in September next year on the former Isaac Newton School site in Preston Road.


Deputy council leader Councillor Daren Hale said: "It's sad we don't have any choice in the matter but it's still important that we get the best deal possible for the authority and the young people who will be going there."

Milton Keynes free school for entrepreneurs

From MK News: http://www.mkweb.co.uk/Education/MK-Education/Bid-to-set-up-new-free-school-in-Milton-Keynes-20130923200000.htm#ixzz2j1wQvuhv


 Sherry Gladwin said:  “It would be a school grounded in Christian ethos, but will not focus on any particular denomination. We want to work with all faiths to strengthen community cohesion. The school would cater for children aged four to 19, with special emphasis on business and enterprise. “We want children to be confident about starting their own business when they leave school."

Stephen Twigg on future of academies and free schools

From The Evening Standard: http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/stephen-twigg-more-academies-more-freedom--my-plan-to-keep-london-top-of-the-class-8834554.html

"Twigg is clear too about the growing role of chains run by charities and private sector. “There is clearly an important role in the future for chains like Ark and United Learning,” which now respectively run 18 and 25 academies. “I think we have to judge them by evidence, outcomes and results.”"

Telegraph's most exclusive state schools

From the Daily Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/10322429/State-schools-the-top-50-most-socially-exclusive.html 

A table showing which schools are the most exclusive based on the number of pupils on free school meals compared to the average in their catchment areas.


Council anti free school squatter conspiracy

From the Islington Tribune: http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2013/oct/ashmount-squatters-are-%E2%80%98not-against-free-school-%E2%80%A6if-it%E2%80%99s-really-free%E2%80%99


"THE Town Hall is being accused of deliberately attempting to scupper a planned free school by removing security at former Ashmount primary in Archway, resulting in more than 100 squatters moving in.


Councillor Joe Caluori, Labour executive member for children and families said: “At a time of severe government funding cuts, the council could not afford to keep paying in the region of £40,000 a year to maintain a vacant building which may well be taken from us by the Department for Education.

 "Nor do we wish to have to pay for an eviction action, which can be avoided by the co-operation of those on-site.

 “The former Ashmount School site remains vacant because of the spectre of a free school hanging over it.
 "Despite having 18,000 people on our housing waiting lists we are not allowed to proceed with plans for affordable housing on the site but instead have to wait for the government to decide whether they intend to give the site to private companies pushing for a free school we neither want nor need.
 “We have no need for a new school in the north of the borough, but a desperate need for family homes.”


Checks on free school heads scrapped

From BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24653574

"Checks on inexperienced staff who want to be head teachers at free schools have been scrapped, despite warnings from civil servants. Candidates without headship experience had been required to attend assessment centres to ensure they were "capable" of "setting up and running" a school.

"The government insists it closely monitors all head teacher appointments. But a leaked Department for Education document, seen by the BBC and the Guardian, reveals that civil servants were concerned that a lack of checks may lead to unsuitable candidates, referred to as principal designates, being appointed to run schools. Safety It says: "Without the Principal Designate Assessment Centres some free school projects may appoint inexperienced principal designates who are not suitable which would significantly undermine the success of the school."

£3 million free school opens with 8 pupils

From Yorkshire Evening Post: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/3m-flagship-leeds-free-school-has-just-eight-pupils-1-6064728


"Campaigners have questioned why the Department for Education has supported a new secondary school with such low numbers in a city facing a major shortage of places in many areas.

"However the Leeds Jewish Free School said its population will rise to 175 over time and that the scheme was providing the city’s Jewish community with the school it has wanted for decades.

"The school is based on the site of the existing Jewish Brodetsky Primary, in Alwoodley, with the same head teacher, Jeremy Dunford. Teaching staff are being brought in from Rodillian Academy to provide secular teaching."

Ofsted forces primaries into becoming academies?

From The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/sep/19/ofsted-inspections-primary-schools-academies

A closer look at claims that Ofsted is playing a part in forcing primary schools into becoming academies - looking at King's Stanley Church of England primary school -  based on article why is Ofsted lashing out at schools: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/16/ofsted-lashing-out-against-primary-schools

Also look at: http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6348178110570813467#editor/target=post;postID=6661291883304735854;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=2;src=postname
From the Yorkshire Post: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/education/councils-seek-academy-powers-1-6058094

Councils want powers to close down free schools and academies without needing the support of Education Secretary, according to a survey by the LGiU (local government information unit) think-tank and the National Union of Teachers (NUT).

It found that 91 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that local government needs the power to open a new school without “reference to the Secretary of State.”

The majority of those questioned believed councils need to be able to close down, merge or reduce the size an academy or a free school without the approval of Government.

It found that a “middle tier” was required to provide strategic oversight of all schools, including academies and free schools, and that local government was best placed to perform this role.

LGiU think tank chief executive of the think tank Dr Jonathan Carr-West said: “Local authorities have a duty to ensure that there are sufficient and sufficiently diverse school places available to meet the needs of their communities. Too few places and the community is ill served, too many and public resource is wasted. “Failures in school place planning have many and complex causes, but research for this report suggests a correlation with the number of academies: schools in which the local authority has no direct power to increase or decrease the number of places available,” he added.

Snaresbrook primary forced to become and academy?

From: http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/10682090.School_could_be_forced_to_become_academy__even_if_governors_reject_proposals_/



A primary school could be forced to become an academy even if governors reject the proposals, it is claimed.

Governor and councillor Chris Cummins said: "Technically it could happen, but if the governors do vote against we will have to present a strong case explaining why and they have to listen to that. 

"What the governing body wants to do next is have a meeting with parents to discuss the case for and against and to get a feel for what the parents views are. "My own feeling is that I don't think we should be forced into it if we don't want it."

UPDATE: http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/rbnews/10686987.School_becoming_academy__heavy_handed_and_unnecessary___says_MP/

Church of England multi-academy trust in the North West

From: http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/education/schools-consult-on-academy-future-1-6061119 


"A church school is consulting on converting to become the Fylde coast’s latest academy. St George’s School, Marton, is consulting on becoming a Church of England academy.

A new Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) is to be established, called Cidari Education, which St George’s School could join.

Headteacher Dan Berry has said the move is not about “being anti-local authority” but looking at “opportunities” available to the school on Cherry Tree Road. Governors of the school, and its headteacher, have said the consultation is responding to the changes to education.

“The decision to create MAT and to engage with the academies agenda is not about being anti-local authority but is about working positively with the opportunities we are provided with. “We have to recognise the world of education is changing significantly and we have to be actively involved if we are to make the best of these challenges.”

Cambridgeshire multi academy trust expands

From: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge/Cambridgeshire-academy-trust-takes-over-another-school-20130917153036.htm#ixzz2iyMuvZYx

One of Cambridgeshire’s top-performing state schools is expanding its academy empire. Comberton Village College is taking Melbourn Village College under its wing as part of the Comberton Academy Trust. Stephen Munday CBE, who is the chief executive of the trust, said: “This is good news for pupils and staff at that village college and will also bring benefit to the other academies in our trust. We will be working together to ensure educational excellence for all pupils in all of our academies.”

Monday 14 October 2013

UCL-backed academy resits AS after subcontractor liquidation


The Telegraph reports pupils at UCL Academy have to resit AS exams but results have not been published.


UCL Academy opened four months later than expected after a subcontractor went into liquidation. The building was lauded as a school for the future, where classrooms are replaced with "superstudios".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10310582/Majority-of-pupils-forced-to-resit-at-flagship-academy.html 


council backs one of rival bids for grammar school with £75,000

Kent on-line reports:


Kent County Council has signed a legal agreement with Valley Invicta Academy Trust in Maidstone. The agreement commits the authority to cover the school’s costs for submitting a formal bid to the Department for Education to sponsor the new grammar annexe planned for Sevenoaks. Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Trudy Dean said: “I do not think it is appropriate to financially support an application from a school independent of the council. The council should not be supporting one school when it has had interest from others.”

 http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/school-behind-kcc-backed-grammar-bid-6002/

Mark fixing investigation

Guardian
reports school headed by Professor Sir George Berwick CBE being investigated for mark fixing
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/sep/14/ravens-wood-school-marks-investigation 

New academy = bigger class sizes at existing schools

BBC reports new academy in Devon has led to larger class sizes at existing state school - loss of 11 pupils equivalent to £45,000 per year - David Fitzsimmons, head of Holdsworthy Community College. Joss Glossop, Route 39 Academy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-24093963

PFI adds legal costs to Islamic academy transfer

The Lancashire Telegraph reports:


Blackburn with Darwen Council’s member for schools Dave Harling said: “We don’t have a choice, we have to transfer it over under government rules. “As it is going to happen, we want to work with Witton Park in a positive way. “Because there are Private Finance Inititiave contracts to hand over, the legal costs are more than usual. It is frustrating to have to find £27,000 but the important thing is that every child has access to quality education.”

Plans to transform Witton Park High School into the ‘flagship’ of Blackburn-based Tauheedul Sponsored Academies group, will cost nearly three times as much as the usual £10,000 academy transfer costs.
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/blackburn/10673509.Transfer_of_Blackburn_school_will_cost___27_000/

ARK opens free school in Enfield - longer hours

Enfield Independent reports first intake of  pupils and quotes head teacher Jerry Collins


Taking over from the former Albany School, which stood on the site, John Keats is one of 93 new ‘free schools’ being set up by ARK across the country and Mr Collins spoke of the benefits of not only starting a new school from scratch but having children from infants until they are 18. He said: “When you start from the beginning, it’s like starting your own fantasy football team; you can build it up as you want it and we have had tremendous support from ARK. It is a chance to get down into the real nitty gritty of each individual aspect. “What you often see when children change from primary school to secondary school, they go backwards as they familiarise themselves with new teachers, friends and surroundings. However we will already know our students; their strengths and weaknesses and their personalities which gives us a real edge.”

http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/10674484.Ambitious_headteacher_relishing_the_opening_of_new_Enfield_school/

Worcestershire county council to cut IT, financial and HR support to schools

Labour councillor claims the move to cut IT, financial, property and HR support for schools will force them to become academies.

http://www.bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/2013/09/13/news-Rubery-councillor-hits-out-at-county-council-plans-84083.html 

Local Authorities need to check academies

BBC quotes Ofsted inspector:


(Medway) council said since the government allowed schools to opt out of local education authority control its budget had been slashed by £76m. Senior Ofsted inspector Bradley Simmons said: "You can't just give up and say 'I'm sorry, you're nothing to do with us'. You actually have to be proactive. "Sometimes that's going to mean actually knocking on the door of an academy and saying 'I don't think you're doing well enough, can we help you, can we put you in touch with another school, another academy that's doing better in similar circumstances?'"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-24073519