- Schools Week

NYE ON
New 16-19 league
tables made simple
Pages 16 and 17
ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014 | EDITION 5
OFSTED AND THE
EARLY YEARS
P8
GENETICS
AND GCSEs
P10
More academies
as Hunt gives
new conversions
the green light
OUTSPOKEN AUTHOR
AND TEACHER
P12
COMMISSIONER
IN THE SOUTH
Shadow Education Secretary pledges to allow good and
outstanding schools to convert to academy status
In an exclusive interview with Academies Week he also comes clean on that ‘funny oath’
P4
P14
2
ACADEMIES WEEK
@ACADEMIESWEEK
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK
EDITION 5
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014
NEWS
EDITION 5
NEWS
ACADEMIES WEEK TEAM
Improvement plans ‘not fit for purpose’ School Direct places soar as institutions face cuts
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PHILIP NYE
@PHILIPNYE
Birmingham schools named in the Trojan
Horse scandal have brought in new
turnaround plans, following sharp criticism
from Ofsted.
The five schools had unannounced
monitoring inspections last month, after
being placed in special measures earlier this
year. Up to two days’ notice is normally given
for first monitoring visits.
In all five cases, improvement plans
were judged to be not fit for purpose, with
changes to governance and leadership slow.
Ofsted also said there had been “very little
change” in the “unbalanced” curriculum
offered at the schools.
The schools inspected were Golden
Hillock School, Nansen Primary School
and Park View Academy — all part of
Park View Educational Trust – and
Oldknow Academy and Saltley School.
Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael
Wilshaw was personally involved in the
inspection of Park View.
New improvement plans have now
been produced for some of the schools.
In a letter to parents published on its
website, Park View Education Trust
said: “Within 48 hours of the monitoring
visit, the trust had created a new
interim improvement plan which was
put in place immediately to replace the
previous ones.”
At Saltley School, the only
maintained school of the five,
there was disagreement about the
inspection.
Birmingham City Council said
that a new action plan for the school, sent to
Ofsted before the inspection, had not been
considered.
Councillor Brigid Jones, cabinet member
for children and family services, said: “We
Truants stay in the
classroom as termtime holidays lose
their allure
SOPHIE SCOTT
@SOPH_E_SCOTT
The Department for Education (DfE) has
revealed record low numbers of children
persistently missing lessons.
The government said the statistics, which
were released this week and which cover the
autumn and spring terms of the last academic
year, show 176,850 fewer pupils persistently
missed school than in 2009 to 2010, dropping
from 439,105 to 262,255.
A “persistently absent” pupil misses 15 per
cent or more school time.
The DfE said the overall rate of absence has
dropped more than a quarter since 2009-10,
from six to 4.4 per cent.
School Reform Minister Nick Gibb said:
“Missing lessons can be hugely damaging to
3
had actually sent a new action plan
for this school before Ofsted came,
but for some reason Ofsted did not
read it and instead reported on the
old one.”
The inspectorate, however,
said that it was not given a new
plan before the inspection. A
spokesperson said: “The local
authority had not submitted an
original plan in advance of the
inspection.
“Ofsted was given the most
up-to-date plan on the morning
of inspection. However, senior
leaders at the school had decided that the
plan needed to change quite dramatically
SOPHIE SCOTT
@SOPH_E_SCOTT
and had just started this process.
“Therefore, it was not fit for purpose. The
local authority was informed of this at the
time and had accepted the decision.”
Oldknow did not respond to a request
for comment.
The inspections were carried out between
September 8 and 12 – with both Birmingham
City Council and the Department
for Education (DfE) highlighting in
statements that this was only a matter of
days into the new school year.
In an education select committee on
Wednesday, Education Secretary Nicky
Morgan (pictured) said that DfE officials
had been into the schools since the
inspections and that “huge improvements”
had been noted.
Birmingham City Council was also
singled out for criticism in an advice note
produced by Ofsted that accompanied the
inspection reports. The inspectorate said the
council had yet to share an integrated plan
setting out how it was responding to issues
that the affair had raised.
The council said that this had now been
produced, but needed to be signed off by the
education commissioner for Birmingham,
who only started in post two weeks ago.
Speaking to Academies Week, Shadow
Education Secretary Tristram Hunt said
that the Birmingham findings exposed
“systematic failure” in government policy.
“It is not feasible for eight regional school
commissioners each to monitor and support
2,500 schools,” he said.
a pupil’s education, but today’s figures show
more pupils than ever before are getting the
best preparation for life in modern Britain.
“The figures also reveal that teachers can be
increasingly confident in the behaviour and
commitment of their pupils in lessons.”
The DfE said the change in the law
last September to headteachers only
granting leave from school in “exceptional
circumstances” meant that “thousands” fewer
pupils went on term-time holidays.
In total, for the two terms since the law
change and for which figures are available,
4.6 per cent of recorded absence was due to
family holiday which had not been agreed by
the school.
Amy Sippitt, education lead at independent
fact-checking organisation Full Fact, said:
“These figures only cover two terms but
show persistent absenteeism is still going
down.
“Overall absence rates are falling, thanks
in part to fewer authorised holidays and to a
much larger extent, to fewer days off sick.
“There’s also been a small increase in
unauthorised holidays, so it’s possible some
families might just be going against school
rules instead.”
Karen Wilkinson, of campaign group
Parents Want a Say, said the group believes a
blanket ban on term-time absence is unlawful
under human rights legislation and counterproductive.
“The DfE appears to place great store
by attendance figures on the basis of a
statistical correlation between attendance and
attainment.
“However, its own analysis in 2011 made it
very clear that no causal link one way or the
other was proved and that, in fact, absence for
family holidays had no effect on attainment at
key stage 2.” She said it only had an effect at
key stage 4 when there was pupil absence of
more than 4 per cent.
“Underlying the unhappiness with the
current attendance policy, and a range of
other education policies, is parents’ deep
disquiet that their children are being used
to further other people’s agendas whilst
they are told that they cannot be trusted
to have their own children’s best interests
at heart.”
Figures released this week show that teacher
training places at outstanding providers are
to be cut 10.6 per cent, while the number of
in-school training places has soared.
Department for Education (DfE) figures
show that the number of places on Initial
Teacher Training (ITT) courses during
2015/16 dropped almost 3,000 at the bestperforming institutions. No places were
allocated to institutions rated as less than
good.
For the past two years, outstanding
institutions have been protected from any
cut, but the DfE said that the reduction was a
result of outstanding institutions dropping to
a “good” rating this year.
The figures also confirm the government’s
continued commitment to School Direct, a
school-led training programme, in which
participants are recruited by and work in
a school throughout their training. The
number of places for this programme rose 15
per cent.
While School Direct places increased, only
74.5 per cent of places requested by teacher
training institutions were granted, down 5.6
percentage points on the previous year.
The overall number of places on university
courses, however, remains almost the same,
with just a 0.3 per cent increase.
Professor John Howson, a senior research
fellow at the University of Oxford, has raised
concerns that School Direct places were
undersubscribed last year, whereas many
university providers were substantially
oversubscribed.
He also raised the prospect of the cut in
places impacting elite universities: “It looks
as if subjects that Russell Group universities
traditionally offer, such as training in
English, history, maths, and languages, have
taken the biggest hit.
“Some of those universities will say they
will not be able to continue those courses as
they will no longer be financially viable.”
The DfE figures estimated an increased
demand for secondary teachers in the
coming year. Last year 14,000 teachers were
needed; this year that figure reaches 18,000.
However, Professor Howson points out
that last year about 10 per cent of training
places were not taken.
“If they have failed to fill those places this
year in secondary, how are they going to fill
them next year?”
The DfE is optimistic about the growth of
School Direct. A spokesperson said: “The
School Direct programme is a key part of our
plan for education.
It is proving hugely popular with schools
and teachers with a record numbers of
requests – more than 23,000, up a third in
one year.
“It not only gives headteachers more
influence and control over the way teachers
are trained and recruited, but it is also
helping to drive up standards across the
profession.
“Universities will continue to play an
Initial teacher training allocations by
Ofsted grade
important role in the delivery of ITT,
working closely with schools to shape and
deliver training and continuous professional
development that more closely matches the
needs of the school, its pupils and teachers.”
2014/15 2015/16
% change
Outstanding
26,559
23,750
-10.6%
Good
13,381
17,911
33.9%
280
0
-100.0%
0
0
n/a
851
1,855
118.0%
41,071
43,516
6.0%
Requires improvement
Inadequate
No recorded grade
Total
Initial teacher training allocations by
type
2014/15 2015/16 % change
Provider-led places
25,817
25,907
0.3%
School Direct places
15,254
17,609
15.4%
Total
41,071
43,516
6.0%
Source: DfE initial teacher training allocations for academic years 2014/15 and 2015/16
Ofsted obstruct the sharing of
teacher observation notes
SOPHIE SCOTT
@SOPH_E_SCOTT
A data protection expert has said Ofsted is
being obstructive by using copyright law to
prevent teachers publishing their own lesson
observation notes.
Under the Data Protection Act, teachers
are allowed to request lesson observation
notes written by Ofsted during their
inspection.
One teacher, writing on his blog earlier
in the week, outlined how he went through
the process to access observation notes on
his lesson from an Ofsted inspection earlier
this year. However, one he received the
information, the inspectorate said he must
not share or publish it due to the rules of
‘Crown Copyright’.
Speaking with Academies Week, Ofsted
said it was unable to make a decision on
whether the copyright could be waived – as
it rests with the Controller of Her Majesty’s
Stationery Office – and would not comment
on individual cases.
Tim Turner, of 2040 Training and who
specialises in data protection law, said the
quoting of these rules usually prevents the
publishing of material in its original form,
but discussing the information could be
possible.
He said: “Technically, yes, the Crown does
own the copyright but I have never heard of
a case in this context.
“It is a defensive move, precisely to inhibit
people from sharing information. But there
is no public interest in preventing the
sharing of this information, and it would be
of no loss to Ofsted is this was published.
Sharing is usually only challenged if it is
used to make money out of the information.”
Ofsted has also recently removed a form
on its website which previously enabled
teachers easily submit subject access
requests – a process enabling individuals to
find out what information an organisation
holds about them.
Explaining why the request forms were
removed, an Ofsted spokesman said: “There
was a brief period when this was available
but it is not there anymore. It is to do with
the work Mike Cladingbowl has been doing
to show we don’t grade lessons.
“It gives the wrong impression if it looks
like we are looking at individual teachers.”
The remarks relate to the recent changes
in Ofsted’s procedures for grading individual
teacher’s lessons during school inspections.
Since the start of September, lessons are
no longer individually graded, although
inspectors can and do still visit classrooms.
Mr Turner found the removal of the form
to be unusual. He added: “It seems very odd
to remove something which is helpful.
“The Information Commissioner
has encouraged organisations to make
information like this much easier to obtain.
It does seem like a very unusual step.”
For the latest school jobs turn to page 20
or visit academiesweek.co.uk/jobs
4
@ACADEMIESWEEK
ACADEMIES WEEK
EDITION 5
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014
5
NEWS
NEWS
Exclusive INTERVIEW WITH shadow education secretary tristram hunt Gender salaries gap ‘widens’ in academies
More academy conversions given the green light
PHILIP NYE
Labour would continue to allow good and
outstanding schools to convert to academy
status, Shadow Education Secretary Tristram
Hunt has said for the first time.
While he has previously said that a Labour
government would allow local groups to set up
new “parent-led academies”, he has not to date
set out his position on converter academies.
In an exclusive interview with Academies
Week, Mr Hunt provided more details on
Labour’s plans – which he called a “much
more value-neutral approach” than policies
implemented by the Coalition.
“We want all schools to have the same kinds
of freedoms that academies enjoy so there is a
level playing field,” he said.
“In terms of schools wishing to convert, that
should be up to them, but I am sceptical about
the use of public funds in terms of some of the
subsidies for the process.
“So when you look at the primary rates,
and incentives being offered for conversion,
is that a good use of money – when there is
no direct correlation between single academy
conversions and improvements in attainment?
deemed to be “performing well” allowed to
move out of the maintained sector. Previously,
the academies programme had focused on
getting sponsors to take over schools that
needed urgent turnaround.
Schools that do convert are eligible for
additional funding, with a start-up grant
of £25,000 provided to help with the costs of
changing status.
Additionally, primary academies that set up
multi-academy trusts of three or more schools
can receive a one-off grant of £100,000, plus
£10,000 per additional school.
Robert Hill, an education academic at King’s
College London, said the change in Labour
policy provided useful clarity, and would help
to prevent schools from rushing to convert to
academy status.
“This confirmation that Labour would not
turn the clock back on academies is helpful.
“The clarity should stop a mad dash
to convert in order to meet a pre-election
deadline; it would be much better for schools
to make reasoned decisions.
“But we do need to see what the broader
landscape of policies from Labour is,
particularly on primaries. Taking away
incentives for primaries to convert in clusters
“We need a rebalancing of interests but still
allow schools to make that decision.”
However, he raised the prospect of subsidy
cut for schools that do convert.
Mr Hunt also said that he wanted schools
to be able to leave under-performing chains –
which they cannot do at present.
Converter academies were introduced in the
Coalition’s 2010 Academies Act, with schools
could have the perverse impact of having
primaries convert individually rather than as
a federation.”
Hunt also said that he would be clarifying
the party’s position in more detail over
the next two months, particularly with
regard to forced conversions and the role of
academy brokers, with a greater emphasis on
collaboration and partnership among schools.
@PHILIPNYE
Quick reunion for A and AS-levels
PHILIP NYE
@PHILIPNYE
Tristram Hunt has brushed off concerns
over his plan to “recouple” AS-levels and
A-levels, saying “parliament is sovereign
and if we are elected, we’ll do it”.
He was responding to questions over the
feasibility of his plan, if elected, to quickly
reverse the government’s decoupling of the
qualifications, due to take effect from next
September.
His comments follow an intervention
from Glenys Stacey, chief regulator at
Ofqual, earlier this month, in which she
said it would take two years to recouple
the qualifications.
But Mr Hunt has vowed to carry out
the change quickly if elected, and cited
two recent interventions on the topic as
support for his plan.
Professor Richard Craster, the chair
of the A-level Content Advisory Board’s
(ALCAB) maths panel, last week said
that effectively scrapping AS-levels could
seriously affect take-up of the subject at
university level.
And in comments to The Daily
Telegraph, the head of admissions at
the University of Cambridge, Mike
Sewell, recently warned that the
government’s reform could mean that
students apply for universities that they
will not be qualified for – as they would no
longer have the “reality check” that ASlevels provided.
Asked about his plans to recouple the
qualifications, Mr Hunt said: “I am going
to do it, and I am going to do it quickly.
“Given that Cambridge say our
policies are right, given that [on Sunday]
ALCAB said our policy is right, my
view is that if it is good enough for one
of the best universities in the United
Kingdom and one of the top five in the
world, then it’s good enough for the
Labour party.”
Turning the AS-level into a standalone
qualification, with no bearing on A-level
results, is expected to significantly reduce
the number of students sitting it.
The government argues that decoupling
the qualifications will increase rigour and
free up more teaching time.
SOPHIE SCOTT
@SOPH_E_SCOTT
Men get paid more than women in equivalent
roles, and the gap is widening in primary
academies, claims NASUWT general
secretary Chris Keates (pictured).
Giving evidence to MPs at the education
select committee inquiry into academies and
free schools Keates said the “gap is widening
in terms of pay advantage for men”.
She appeared alongside three other union
representative – Kevin Courtney, deputy
general secretary of the NUT, UNISON’s
national education and children’s services
secretary Jon Richards, and GMB’s national
officer for education staff Avril Chambers.
Last year’s school workforce survey,
published by the Department for Education
(DfE), showed men in state maintained
primary schools earned on average £38,600
and women earned £36,200. Meanwhile, in
primary academy schools that changed to
£38,700 for men and £35,200 for women – a
pay gap £1,100 wider than in the maintained
sector.
A new workforce census is due to be
carried out next month.
Committee member David Ward, Lib Dem
MP for Bradford East, asked: “About your
members, you say that you support members
within academies as well.
“Just what has been the impact on your
members in terms of pay, in terms of
conditions of service? What’s the evidence
that you have to date?”
Ms Keates said: “We have got the DfE’s
own figures . . . that show that in primary
schools classroom teachers are paid about
three per cent less in academies, and in
secondary schools, two per cent less than the
comparators in the maintained sector.
“What we are seeing is not what I think the
DfE describes as negligible difference. That’s
actually quite a significant difference.”
She added: “Our concern is that if you just
look at the DfE figures, not only is there a
disparity between what teachers are earning
in academy schools, but . . . that the gap is
widening in terms of pay advantage for men
in the academy schools.
“We have real concerns about what
is happening to pay in general, but pay
particularly in academies.”
A DfE spokesperson said: “Pay
discrimination is unlawful and equal pay
AN
legislation applies to academies in the same
way as any other employer. The overall trend
in the gender pay gap continues downward
but we are clear more must be done. That
is why we have changed the law so any
employer who breaks the rules on equal pay
must publish an audit of their pay structures.
Ms Keates also raised concerns about the
representation of black and minority ethnic
(BME) staff in academies.
Last year’s DfE workforce survey showed
that in state maintained primary and
secondary schools, respectively, 5.7 and 9.6
per cent of staff were not classed as white,
while in academies that fell to 5.2 per cent
and 7.9 per cent.
Ms Keates added: “Academies are whiter,
if I can put it that way, than you would get
in the maintained sector . . . and that’s in a
context where those teachers anyway are
under-represented.”
The DfE spokesperson added: “We value
diversity in the workforce but want the best
people in the classroom, regardless of their
gender of ethnicity. We continue to work
with the National College of Teaching and
Leadership to increase the numbers of black
and minority ethnic teachers.
“This includes research to understand the
low conversion rate of applicants to teachers,
and working with groups like the Network
of Black Professionals, and Teach First
to keep hold of good candidates from that
recruitment process.”
Average pay of fully qualified regular teachers of all ages (primary schools and nurseries)
State Maintained
School
Men
women
£38,600
£36,200
Academy
Men
women
£38,700
£35,200
Less for women
£2,400
2.2%
Less for women
£3,500
9.0%
Source: School Workforce Census in England – November 2013
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Right: Academies Week deputy
editor Laura McInerney
interviewing Tristram Hunt
Truth behind the ‘funny oath’
PHILIP NYE AND SOPHIE SCOTT
@PHILIPNYE | @SOPH_E_SCOTT
Teachers will not have to swear “some
funny oath”, Tristram Hunt has said after
comments he made led to speculation that
a “Hippocratic oath” for teachers could
become Labour policy.
But he still thought a voluntary oath
could help in raising teachers’ status.
Mr Hunt made the clarification after
receiving a stream of criticism when news
of his proposed oath for teachers emerged
on the BBC.
At the weekend he said that he had been
inspired by a visit to Singapore, where
graduating teachers recite a five-point
oath and are given a symbolic compass.
But he told Academies Week this week
that he would only bring in such an oath
on a voluntary basis. “We don’t want to
impose it; we’re not going to make all
teachers today swear some funny oath,
but if we can have a symbolic moment
that celebrates becoming a teacher and
the importance of teachers in society, that
seems to be a good thing.”
Mr Hunt compared the idea with
citizenship ceremonies, now a very
important part of becoming a British
citizen.
“Anything that promotes a public
debate about how we raise the status and
standing of teachers is a good thing by
me, whether it’s about licensing or about
a voluntary oath that would celebrate the
moment of qualification and becoming a
teacher,” Mr Hunt said.
In Singapore, some reports suggest
its teachers’ pledge is not respected
within the profession. In 2012, one
national newspaper quoted a teacher as
saying staff did not know the words. “We
are too preoccupied with our day-to-day
activities. The teachers’ pledge is even
harder to remember than our national
pledge.”
Singapore is not the only country
that has an oath for teachers. More than
250 schools in India, run by the Bharti
Foundation, in August adopted an
11-point teachers’ oath, penned by the
country’s former president A. P. J.
Abdul Kalam.
Look out for Laura McInerney’s profile interview of Tristram Hunt in next week’s edition
Schools are magical places, full of creativity and opportunity. But what makes
your school so magical?
Academies Week is on the hunt for the best picture representing the “magic” of
school.
The Academies Week team will select its top ten and then put the selection to a
public vote before December.
We’ve teamed up with education marketing & PR experts, EMPRA to offer the
winning school a brand new prospectus and photo-shoot!
Magic could mean witches and wizards, but also: illusions, magical occasions,
something unexplained, it’s up to you!
EMPRA will design and print a lovely new prospectus for your school and our
resident photographer Ellis O’Brien will spend the day at your school making sure
you have some great photos to include.
All you have to do is email us one photo before 5pm on Monday,
November 3, illustrating the magic of your school.
Please visit academiesweek.co.uk/competition for more information.
C O M P ET I T I O N
TIME!
DE A DL INE E NT RY: monday 3r d nov e me b e r 2014
to e n te r e m a i l : co m p e ti ti o n @ aca d e m i e s.co.u k
in
partnership
with
6
ACADEMIES WEEK
@ACADEMIESWEEK
EDITION 5
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014
NEWS
NEWS
Tories plan for RSCs to oversee all schools
PHILIP NYE
@PHILIPNYE
Cameron plans rescue squad of 1,500 top teachers
BILLY CAMDEN
@BILLYCAMDEN
A rescue team of teachers in the shape of
a National Teaching Service (NTS) were
proposed this week by Prime Minister David
Cameron.
The new centrally funded body would be
made up of high-quality teachers who could
be deployed where they were most needed.
The teachers would be employed by the
service, rather than individual schools, and
could be sent to under-performing schools
anywhere in England.
Mr Cameron wants 1,500 teachers in the
NTS by 2020, making enough to place two
teachers in every failing school in England.
NTS members would receive a ‘National
Teaching Fellowship’ financial supplement
on top of their salary on the condition they
taught in a “failing or coasting school” for
anything from two terms to two years.
This announcement echoes the National
Service Teacher concept outlined by Ofsted’s
chief inspector in June 2013.
Sir Michael Wilshaw called then for a
team of ‘good teachers’ to be deployed in
rural and more remote places to challenge
complacency and poor standards in
those areas. Teachers were to be offered
incentives, such as bigger pay packets,
higher status and faster career progression.
Around the world there are similar
examples of deploying teachers elsewhere.
For example, Australia run a scheme called
‘The Remote Teaching Service’.
It is made up of a group of more than 200
teachers living and working in 38 remote
communities in Western Australia.
France also have system whereby
a secondary school teacher could be
transferred anywhere in the country
throughout their working career.
The announcement from the Tory leader
regarding a National Teaching Service
in England has however been met with
concerns from members of Voice the Union.
General Secretary, Deborah Lawson
said: “It can take considerable time to turn
a school around, depending on the nature
of problems, and we do not want to see
EDITOR’S COMMENT
In the office we were concerned
to hear that the gap between
men and women’s earnings in
schools is widening.
Chris Keates, general secretary
at the NASUWT raised the issue
this week at an Education Select
Committee, and we’ve published
the latest official statistics (see
page 5).
The difference is particularly
acute in primary academies,
with figures from last November
showing female teachers
earning on average 9 per cent
less than men in those schools.
Next month the official salary
count will take place again, and
there are fears the gap may have
widened further.
And how will the
performance-related pay regime
impact on gender equality?
As the DfE have rightly said:
“Pay discrimination is unlawful
and equal pay legislation applies
to academies.”
So compliance is not an
option or a freedom to ignore,
it’s the law.
outstanding teachers taken out of good
schools to help in others, only to be sacked
for failing to ‘deliver’ in an unfeasibly short
time scale.”
Teach First, a scheme that already
recruits high-achieving graduates to teach in
challenging schools predominantly in urban
areas, has welcomed the proposal.
Brett Wigdortz Founder and CEO, said:
“We welcome today’s announcement and
any scheme that seeks to attract and support
talented teachers to those classrooms that
will most benefit, whilst developing teachers’
leadership potential.”
Detailed plans of the proposed NTS will
be contained in the Conservative party
manifesto.
Regional schools commissioners (RSCs)
would have their powers boosted
significantly by a Conservative government
with the power to “intervene immediately”
in all state-funded schools.
The government introduced RSCs as a
“middle tier” between central government
and academies as their numbers soared.
Currently their powers are limited
to overseeing academies and free
schools.
Eight commissioners cover regions
across England, with a remit to monitor the
performance of academies and free schools
in their area, support academisation and
make recommendations on free school
applications.
Under the proposals, which will not be
implemented before the general election,
they will be able to intervene in any school
graded inadequate by Ofsted.
Such interventions, the party said, could
including bringing in new behaviour
policies and making “immediate” changes to
governing bodies.
A spokesperson for the party said the new
powers would be developed in consultation
with Ofsted and the Education Endowment
Foundation.
were deemed to be inadequate.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said:
“We will not tolerate failure, and where
we find it we will use tried and trusted
interventions to turn things around in the
interests of young people everywhere.”
Russell Hobby, general secretary of
the NAHT, said the plans were “the first
reverberations of UKIP on education policy.
Today’s announcement may make good
politics to some, but it makes lousy school
improvement.
“It seems that the Conservatives have
learned little or nothing about schools
during their tenure in office. Their only
strategy for school improvement is to crack
the whip; no matter that such punitive
tactics make it difficult to recruit talented
people to take on tough schools.”
Mr Hobby also said that the plans
were “aimed at the instant dismissal of
headteachers”.
Responding directly to the criticism, the
Tory spokesperson said: “While we are
unapologetic in supporting measures to
transform failing schools it simply isn’t
true to suggest this proposal would see
headteachers instantly dismissed.
“On the contrary, we look forward to
The plans would not change the role of
Ofsted, but RSCs and local authorities would
work together where maintained schools
working with unions such as NAHT to
develop the toolkit of interventions to
support failing schools.”
The eight RSC office locations
D
response to the claim that colleges were rejecting GCSE failures. A
spokesperson told us: “The government is spending £7.2 billion to make sure
G H
every young person who wants an education or training place gets one and we
expect all post-16 providers to make sure no-one is denied this opportunity.” To
read the response in full, see our online article at www.academiesweek.co.uk
Last week’s Research Review (page 10) was reviewed by Katherine Richardson,
a lecturer in chemistry education at King’s College London.
In our story on the takeover of Hawthorne’s Free School (page 3), the
Great Children for All Children trust should have been the Great Schools for
All Children trust.
To inform the editor of any errors
or issues of concern regarding this
publication email
nick.linford@academiesweek.co.uk
with Error/Concern in the subject line.
Please include the page number and
story headline, and explain what the
problem is.
B
A
SIR DAVID CARTER
South-west England
Based in Bristol
B
TIM COULSON
East of England and
north-east London
Based in Cambridge
C
JANET RENOU
North
Based in Darlington
D
DOMINIC HERRINGTON
South-east England and
south London
Based in Croydon
E
F
PAUL SMITH
Lancashire and West Yorkshire
Based in Manchester
G
C
Contact the team
To provide feedback and suggest
stories please email news@
academiesweek.co.uk and tweet using
@academiesweek
South central England and
north-west London
Based in Hemel Hempstead
West Midlands
Based in Coventry
F
Corrections
MARTIN POST
PANK PATEL
@nicklinford | nick.linford@academiesweek.co.uk
In last week’s front page story, we omitted the Department for Education’s
THE REGIONAL SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS
A
JENNY BEXON-SMITH
E
East Midlands and Humber
Based in Sheffield
H
In each of our first eight editions we’ve profiled an RSC
Read more about Dominic Herrington on pages 14 and 15
7
8
ACADEMIES WEEK
@ACADEMIESWEEK
EXPERTS
Parents look beyond Ofsted’s
result when choosing childcare
A
for Education and Childcare Liz Truss
suggested that higher ratios would make
childcare “more affordable”, the sector
quickly mobilised with the #rewindonratios
campaign. Under intense pressure, the
government backed down.
Despite the loud calls from Ofsted head
Sir Michael Wilshaw for the sector to ensure
children are made “school ready”, early years
providers are not clamouring to do what
Ofsted says. They are not focused on “what
Ofsted wants”, because Ofsted is only their
regulator. It is the parents and their children
who are their clients and the stakeholders.
Inspectors
must accept the
day-to-day reality
of running an early
years setting
Private, voluntary and independent settings
cannot be “academised”, as schools can be,
if they fail an Ofsted inspection. However, if
the children stop coming, or a setting runs
out of money, it closes. Plus, parents typically
look beyond Ofsted’s result when choosing
childcare.
Unlike in schools, early years inspections
are already conducted with no-notice
– the inspector drops in unannounced.
Interestingly, this seems to decrease, not
increase, the pressure on providers.
If Ofsted can come at any time, there is no
point in worrying about when they will come.
Ofsted rightly wants to see what goes on every
day; therefore, inspectors must accept the
day-to-day reality of running an early years
setting. They should look carefully, ask the
right questions, ensure the children are
safe and happy – be a good regulator,
basically.
But with the government needing to expand
supply in the sector, yet paying well below
cost for places, they are not in a position to
say how settings must be run. This, then,
is a salutary lesson for government about
how supply and demand works outside the
public sector: that there is always the chance
providers will tell government to take their
£3.50 an hour, and give it to someone else.
SUE SHORT
CHARLY
YOUNG
Educational author, trainer and chair of her local
pre-school committee. She writes at
www.suecowley.co.uk
s someone who volunteers in an
early years setting and works with
schools, I am struck by the differences
between the two, particularly where Ofsted is
concerned.
The early years foundation stage (EYFS)
is a non-statutory part of a child’s education:
there is no obligation to send your child to an
early years setting until she or he is five. Even
then, there is the option of home schooling.
But many parents do use early years
provision, particularly since the introduction
of early years funding in the late 1990s.
The EYFS has regulations, and a
curriculum, but the wishes of parents and the
needs of their children are central, not the
government’s priorities. Many parents pay for
extra hours on top of the funded time, which
creates a different balance of power.
The only limitations to parental choice
on childcare are supply, how much money
they have and where they live. While there is
notional “choice” in the state school sector,
the government is responsible for supply, and
government effectively decides which school
place parents receive.
The early years sector has grown up
organically in response to a need. There are
private daycare nurseries, mostly local, small
businesses, with some run as chains. There
are voluntary-run pre-schools, often charities,
many set up as playgroups by parents or faith
groups decades ago. There are state nursery
schools (a handful) and nursery classes in
schools. And there are childminders and
nannies working individually and through
agencies.
What has all this got to do with Ofsted?
Well, despite the diversity of the early years
sector, it has a strongly united voice.
Laura Henry, an early years trainer and
consultant, set up the successful #EYTalking
Twitter chat, where practitioners share ideas
and quiz politicians on what they can do for
the sector. June O’Sullivan, chief executive of
the London Early Years Foundation, posted
a message online after a spate of complaintsdriven inspections. This led to demands from
providers for better communication between
Ofsted and the sector.
When former Under Secretary of State
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014
9
EXPERT
SUE COWLEY
Ofsted is consulting on a single inspection
framework covering all education
institutions but Sue Cowley argues they
are not in a position to say how early
years settings should be run. Instead, they
should focus on being a good regulator
EDITION 5
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK
Director and co-founder of
The Girls’ Network
How to raise confidence
and aspirations in girls
Last week we reported that many fewer
girls are studying vocational subjects
than boys. Mentors benefit everyone,
but maybe they can play a particularly
important role in developing confidence
in girls
D
on’t you think feminism is going too
far? I mean, shouldn’t everybody
have equal opportunities, regardless
of who they are? What about the boys?” This
question was asked by an articulate 17-yearold girl at a conference for young women.
For her, feminism was not associated with
equality but with giving women the upper
hand. There has been much recent discussion
about this; it perhaps might be argued that
the word “feminism” has too much stigma
attached to it, but that isn’t a reason to deny
that a problem exists.
Research suggests that there are variances
between boys and girls – and as a Teach
First teacher I saw that girls really do face
palpably different challenges.
So what are the differences, and how
can schools help? Research carried out by
professors Becky Francis and Christine
Skelton of Roehampton University on the
differences between boys and girls in the
classroom found that:
•Girls are quieter and talk less, asking
fewer questions
•Risk aversion is more prevalent in girls
•Boys dominate speaking time and teacher
attention – girls can become “invisible” as
a result
•Boys have higher self-esteem and fewer
worries than girls
•Girls hold on to negative criticism more
•Boys tend to be over-confident, girls
under-sell themselves.
Neurologically, there is very little
difference between girls and boys at birth
- certainly nothing that pre-determines
aptitude, attitude or character. So why is
there a difference when they reach school?
Outdated stereotypes and misconceptions
in society certainly don’t help but, at an
individual level, I think it boils down to selfbelief and lack of role models.
Maria, a 17-year-old girl on The Girls’
Network’s mentoring programme,
summarised the predicament when she said:
“There are girls who want to go out and get
a career but some of us have stuff holding us
back, like money or family, religion
or culture. We don’t know how to get where
we want to.”
It would be too simplistic to suggest that
this is the only problem. However, it is one
that schools can help to eradicate and so
break the cycle of under-representation and
lack of self-value faced by girls and women.
Providing female role models, mentors
and opportunities to develop skills to help
overcome the obstacles that girls face is
having an impact in many schools in the UK.
Arranging a mentoring programme is an
excellent way to educate girls on how to get
where they want to, and to encourage them to
pursue their dreams.
After a year of working one-to-one with
a professional woman on our mentoring
programme, girls spoke about the skills and
confidence that they had developed and the
opportunities that their mentor exposed
them to. Perhaps surprisingly, many felt that
simply travelling across London on their
own, entering a “big, scary glass building”
and meeting their mentor had a marked
impact on their confidence.
We live in a
world where girls
sometimes do need
more support and
do have to fight
that bit harder
Mentors can benefit everyone, but they
play a particularly important role in
developing confidence in girls. They enable
them to see themselves in careers that they
may not have imagined before, and equip
them with the skills, confidence and knowhow to take the steps to get there.
So, what I think I might have said to that
young woman at the conference, if I’d had
a chance, is that while, in an ideal world,
everyone would have access to the same
opportunities, with the same support and
many role models to challenge and inspire
them, the reality is that we live in an
unequal, unfair world. A world where girls
sometimes do need more support and do have
to fight that bit harder. And, since young
people are at such a formative age during
their school years, it seems schools and
mentors are a good place to start.
Modern foreign languages teacher. Taught
for 26 years as an MFL teacher. Consultant
with Rushey Mead Language Consortium
Real language skills need to
deal with the unexpected
Unlike in many other subjects, the
new modern foreign languages GCSE
is retaining a listening and speaking
component. This will keep students
interested and help develop these crucial
language skills
O
fqual says that the ability to speak
the language is a key aspect of a
modern foreign language GCSE. No
one could argue with that – now.
Back in the 1930s my mother was told by
her girls’ grammar school French teacher
that they wouldn’t be doing any oral work
because it made the girls speak in a silly
way. In contrast, by the 1970s I spent
many a happy French lesson acting out
plays we had invented from a rich input of
exciting language (including helicopters
and poisonous mushrooms), complete with
authentic exclamations and marvellously
exaggerated intonation, plus liberal use of
the phrase “Suivez-moi au poste de police!”
Our speaking imitated our listening (to
a tape recorder and the teacher) and was
spontaneous but rehearsed. I strongly
suspect that had I continued to learn in this
way I would have done better in my
O and A-level oral exams. Instead the focus
switched to the written word and top grades
for translation and composition.
Until I spent a year in France when I
was 21, I didn’t really begin to develop the
listening and speaking skills required “to
communicate and interact effectively and
confidently” let alone to “make creative
and more complex use of the language … to
express and justify [my] own thoughts and
points of view” – that is, some of the skills
the new GCSE proposes to assess (and what
good teachers always make central).
The new GCSE replaces teacher-marked
“controlled assessments” with more tightly
controlled “speaking tasks” to be externally
assessed by the exam board. Ofqual reported
earlier this year that most modern foreign
language (MFL) teachers welcomed the
demise of controlled assessment as they
Join us at the
found it reduced teaching time, narrowed
learning, tested memory rather than
language, and resulted in students being less
well prepared for A-level studies.
This is the latest in a long line of everchanging approaches to examining oral
proficiency. From the stranger-examiner
with notebook-and-pencil in a corner of the
school library, through the technological
advances of cassette recorders and dodgy
microphones, to digital voice recorders and
sound files.
A fantastic
opportunity
to develop
spontaneous speech
that has been (or
will be) built up
from age seven
Still, whether the assessment is conducted
by a familiar teacher or external examiner;
whether the recording is wrapped in a
Jiffy bag or assessed “live”, there are some
clear principles which should be taken into
consideration.
Over-preparing long lists of “answers” to
set questions kills the real language skills
needed to initiate and develop a conversation
PROBLEM SOLVER CREATIVE
RESILIENT EMPLOYABLE CRITICAL THINKER CURIOUS
KNOWLEDGEABLE
RESILIENT
TEAM PLAYER
EMPLOYABLE
INNOVATOR CREATIVE
TEAM PLAYER
CREATIVE CURIOUS KNOWLEDGE
RESILIENT
ENTREPRENEURIAL
INNOVATOR
PROBLEM SOLVER CURIOUS
EMPLOYABLE
CURIOUS CREATIVE
CRITICAL THINKER
KNOWLEDGEABLE
ENTREPRENEURIAL
RESILIENT INNOVATOR
CRITICAL THINKER RESILIENT
CREATIVE TEAM PLAYER
PROBLEM SOLVER INNOVATOR
ENTREPRENEURIAL CREATIVE
ENTREPRENEURIAL
RESILIENT CRITICAL THINKER
INNOVATOR KNOWLEDGEABLE
RESILIENT CREATIVE
CRITICAL THINKER CURIOUS
CURIOUS EMPLOYABLE
TEAM PLAYER KNOWLEDGEABLE
CURIOUS KNOWLEDGEABLE CRITICAL THINKER
KNOWLEDGEABLE
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVER ENTREPRENEURIAL
RESILIENT TEAM PLAYE
PROBLEM SOLVER CURIOUS RESILIENT
EMPLOYABLE INNOVATOR
CRITICAL THINKER CREATIVE TEAM PLAYER
KNOWLEDGEABLE
INNOVATOR ENTREPRENEURIAL
PROBLEM SOLVER
KNOWLEDGEABLE TEAM PLAYER
EMPLOYABLE
CRITICAL THINKER CURIOUS RESILIENT INNOVATOR TEAM PLAYER
KNOWLEDGEABLE PROBLEM SOLVER ENTREPRENEURIAL
ENTREPRENEURIAL RESILIENT KNOWLEDGEABLE
PROBLEM SOLVER TEAM PLAYER CURIOUS KNOWLEDGEABLE RESILIENT
INNOVATOR TEAM PLAYER
TEAM PLAYER
PROBLEM SOLVER RESILIENT
INNOVATOR
CREATIVE CURIOUS INNOVATOR SSAT NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2014 CURIOUS
TEAM PLAYER PROBLEM SOLVER MANCHESTER CENTRAL CREATIVE EMPLOYABLE
EMPLOYABLE RESILIENT KNOWLEDGEABLE 4-5 DECEMBER ENTREPRENEURIAL
CRITICAL THINKER ENTREPRENEURIAL CREATIVE EMPLOYABLE INNOVATOR
SSAT National Conference 2014:
The Learner
4-5 December, Manchester Central
The conference for school leaders who
believe that student outcomes are more
than just exam results.
and deal with the unexpected. There is a
difference between memorising large chunks
and building up a repertoire of useful
language through rehearsing its use in a
meaningful context.
GCSE specifications will be cumulative
and progressive in content and language,
and will take account prior learning in key
stages 2 and 3. What a fantastic opportunity
to develop all that spontaneous speech that
has been (or will be) built up from age seven
(MFL is compulsory for key stage 2 students
from September this year).
We must take seriously younger children’s
generic language learning strategies,
encouraging secondary school students to
take a proactive role in conversation, to use
“repair strategies” and interact without a
script.
The role of the teacher-examiner is
crucial and requires investment in time and
money, preparation and training. Unlike
other performance assessments such as
the driving test or a ballet exam, the MFL
student’s speaking performance centres on
interaction with the person conducting the
test, and that conduct must be consistent and
fair.
There’s also the potential of video
technology. In real life we use paralinguistic
clues (facial expression, gesture) to aid
understanding; filming the speaking tasks
would enable the exam boards to see whether
(or not) a student is reading from notes.
Whatever the new GCSE specifications
bring, let’s hope that they promote real
listening and speaking skills in contexts that
interest the students.
RESILIENT
CRITICAL THINKER
KNOWLEDGEABLE
PROBLEM SOLVER
EMPLOYABLE
TEAM PLAYER
ENTREPRENEURIAL
INNOVATOR
CREATIVE
CURIOUS
THE LEARNER
Book now: www.ssatuk.co.uk/nationalconference2014
Keep up to date with the latest conference news by following SSAT on Twitter @SSAT
#SSATNC14
10
ACADEMIES WEEK
@ACADEMIESWEEK
REVIEWS
TOP BLOGS
OF THE WEEK
This week’s research reviewer is Stuart Ritchie, PhD student, Centre for
Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh
Research: The high heritability of educational achievement
reflects many genetically influenced traits, not just
intelligence
Authors: Eva Krapohl, Kaili Rimfeld, et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
K, I know that intelligence is really important for
education, and that intelligence is genetic, so we
can’t do anything about that. But what about hard
work, social skills, and well-being? All these things lead
to better school results too, and we know we can improve
them!”
The problem is that this statement gets almost everything
wrong. It forgets that, whereas it is true that intelligence is
strongly heritable, nobody has ever claimed that it is 100 per
cent genetically determined. More importantly, it forgets
that characteristics such as conscientiousness, sociability
and happiness are themselves genetically influenced.
This is the topic of a new paper by King’s College London
geneticists Eva Krapohl, Kaili Rimfeld, and colleagues,
published in the high-profile journal PNAS. They use data
on more than 13,000 identical and non-identical twins from
the UK-based TEDS (Twins Early Development Study)
sample, comparing data from both types of twin to calculate
the proportions of genetic and environmental influence on
behaviours and traits.
Starting with the observation that educational
achievement is heritable — in TEDS, genetic differences
explain 62 per cent of the variation in GCSE results —
they asked whether this is just another way of saying that
intelligence is genetic. That is, are genetic studies of school
results and of intelligence just measuring the same thing?
The answer is emphatically no. The authors found that a
large chunk of the heritability of education is not explained
by intelligence; in a complex statistical model, they showed
that IQ score accounts for a quarter of the heritability of
GCSE scores. Twenty-five per cent is a substantial chunk:
indeed, IQ score makes the single largest contribution to the
GCSE heritability of any trait measured in the study – and
they measured a lot of traits.
Not including the two IQ measures, the twins filled in no
fewer than 81 different questionnaires to tap educational
self-efficacy, personality, well-being, behaviour problems,
health, and school and home environment (bear in mind
that most studies measure just one or two of these). These
factors collectively accounted for a further 50 per cent of the
heritability of education.
So we are at 75 per cent: three-quarters of the heritability
of education can be explained by the heritabilities of a mix
of all the factors above. Genes for education are, in large
part, genes for intelligence, but also genes for personality,
plus genes for motivation, plus the rest. So what accounts
for the remaining quarter of the heritability? The authors
don’t really speculate, but we might expect that even longer,
more detailed questionnaires for each trait — as well as
intelligence tests that cover more areas of cognition than the
reasoning and vocabulary skills tested here — would do an
even better job.
Because so many variables were studied, both the article
itself and its online supplementary material section (both
freely-downloadable at the PNAS website) are packed with
information on the genetics of education: they should and
will be used as a point of reference for years to come. The
discussion towards the end on what our knowledge of
genetics might imply for personalised learning (elaborated
upon at more length by study co-authors Kathryn Asbury
and Robert Plomin in their recent book G is for Genes)
deserves to be read and debated by scientists, policymakers,
and teachers.
Another view one often encounters when discussing
genetics and education is this: “psychology is really
complicated – isn’t everything a complex conjunction
of genes and environments, too messy for science to
disentangle?” Studies such as this one should dispel
this kind of pessimism. We can put reliable numbers on
the effects of genes versus environments on important
high-level outcomes such as education, and then begin to
examine the underlying recipe of lower-level traits that
explain them.
We most certainly don’t have all the answers yet, but largescale, comprehensive analyses such as this one show that the
answers are not outside our grasp.
A week in Westminster
Your regular guide to what’s going on in central government
thursday:
Thursday began with Sir Michael
Wilshaw formally opening an eightweek consultation on Ofsted’s ideas for a
common inspection framework across all
education providers - early years through
to adult skills - and shorter-but-morefrequent inspections.
Schools have barely batted an eyelid at
the prospect of integration frameworks
– presumably because they think other
sectors will simply fit in with them. Early
years providers may be less chuffed (see
page 8).
In a spot of good news, two Hartlepool
schools hosted “turf-cutting ceremonies”
as work began on their new school
buildings funded by the government’s
“Priority School” programme. The
press release about the event said the
schools were being delivered “two
years earlier than planned”, but forgot
to mention that both were originally
due to be rebuilt under the last
government until the Coalition axed
BSF in 2010.
Had the original plans continued, the
schools would already be open.
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 11
REVIEWS
RESEARCH REVIEW
O
EDITION 5
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK
FRIDAY:
MONDAY:
Friday was the deadline for ‘free school’
applications. Nothing else happened.
Monday saw another teacher barred from
teaching for sexual offences against a
pupil. As mentioned last week, the NCTL
have already dealt with 14 cases of sexual
abuse so far this year – all of which ended
in prohibition orders. This incident was
also historical, with offenses dating back to
the late 70s.
On a lighter note, the DfE used Monday
to try and get people into educational
psychology with information released
about a training scheme offering £43,900
to those wishing to become ‘ed-psychs’.
Sounds decent, but you do have to hand
over £25 to apply to the scheme. And,
when finished (after five years of training),
you have to work in the field for at least
two years in England – or reimburse the
government if you don’t.
Lord Nash also continued his round of
contacting school governors – this time
with a letter to the Diocesan directors
of education stating that people who
treated the transition of governors as a
“paper exercise” were wasting an ideal
opportunity. Given the number of letters
Nash has sent out lately, he appears to
be doing enough paper exercises for
everyone.
TUESDAY:
On the day when various union leaders
butted heads with MPs in the education
select committee hearing on free schools
and academies, the DfE published a letter
by new Secretary of State Nicky Morgan
saying how pleased she was about her
meetings with the union heads
The letter also included the 28-page
guidance for schools and local authorities
explaining how to use evidence and reduce
bureaucracy when making pay decisions.
WEDNESDAY:
The rain held off as Nicky Morgan made
her first appearance at the education select
committee, ostensibly to discuss the Trojan
Horse investigations though she found
herself faced with questions on schools
admissions, the inspection of academy
trusts and cooks spoiling broth. Morgan
stayed calm, only occasionally becoming
flustered. Next Wednesday she’ll face the
crowds again in the final meeting of the
Academies and Free School Inquiry.
Late in the day we spotted a press release
entitled “Spam emails appearing to come
from Ofqual”. Apparently spammers have
been spoofing Ofqual email addresses and
using them to send junk mail. Ofqual say
they are doing all they can to stop this
from happening. A stern look from chief
regulator Glenys Stacey will surely sort
that out.
CHECK OUT @AWONLOCATION FOR
LIVE TWEETS OF WESTMINSTER EVENTS
To view individual blogs visit
www.academiesweek.co.uk/reviews
assumptions of need, but by a leap of faith.
This is the place we imagine the students can
get to in the future, however hard this might
be for them.”
Playing politics with pupil premium
by @Jack_Marwood
Our guest blog reviewer of the
week is Emma Hardy, primary
school teacher and union activist
@emmaannhardy
The Hunt for a teacher’s oath
by @Surreal_Anarchy
On Sunday morning teachers reacted to
Shadow Education Secretary Tristram
Hunt’s proposal for a teacher oath (see page
4). Posts on social media ranged from horror,
disbelief, anger and a few voices questioning
if it could be made to work. Some saw an
opportunity for satire — one of my favourite
oaths was to “swear to develop an iron
bladder and never finish a cup of tea”. In this
satirical blog, Martin Robinson highlights
the tasks, worries, ridiculous workload and
stresses teachers face as he invites fellow
professionals to place “right hand on the
school development plan and swear in the
following way…”
The dangers of differentiation…and what to
do about them
by @atharby
With Lord Nash arguing that teachers
should use standardised plans (not
differentiated to suit our classes) as a
reaction to funding cuts and increased
workload, it raises the question about
why there is growing consensus against
differentiation? I have questioned whether
I have differentiated too much and who
has it helped, something unheard of only
a couple of years ago. Controversially, as
pointed out by blogger and tweeter Tait
Coles, despite the universal condemnation
of standardised plans, many teachers will
be downloading the same lesson plans from
websites this week. Andy Tharby highlights
the “differentiation dilemma”, arguing that
“differentiation should be informed not by
In another highly detailed and well-argued
blog Jack Marwood looks at the way that
Ofsted has taken the pupil premium policy
and “made an absolute mess of it”. His
condemnation of the award holds no punches
as he identifies the fact that: “£4,350,000
[is] given away to schools which have to do
absolutely nothing whatsoever to be in with
a shout.” The anger is tangible and makes it
a must read.
“Instead of a fancy dinner, and few
uncritical puff pieces in the media, the money
used to pay for this daft publicity stunt could
be used elsewhere, rewarding something
which someone, somewhere has actually
done to help the disadvantaged in our society.
Congratulations to the schools given the
money. I hope they have spent it well. But the
pupil premium awards are a sad indictment
of politicians playing politics with people’s
lives.”
What sort of person do you want teaching
your child?
by @HendryMich
This passionate blog written by a supportive
parent is a rallying call for teachers to be
given time to collaborate and treat teachers
in the same way that we are told to treat
students. The obstacles teachers face in terms
of workload, accountability and hierarchical
systems are recognised with a plea for
equality and respect. You can’t read this blog
and not feel supported.
Blinded by visions
by @oldprimaryhead
As with all of Old Primary Head’s posts,
this first made me giggle and then made
me think. I laughed out loud when reading
the introduction where he shares an
embarrassing first impression made during
an induction meeting! He then goes on to
demolish one of the golden calfs in primary
schools, the school vision statement, to offer a
realistic alternative:
“To have more children passing English
and maths SAT exams than the school up the
road…
To not get RI [requires improvement] in
the next Ofsted…
To not lose any more children because they
like the trendy new school up the road…
To have a roof that does not leak…
To not get spat at the next time I walk out
on to the playground
To survive!”
BOOK REVIEW
The School Governors’
Yearbook 2015
Author: Stephen Adamson
ISBN-10: 0948543051
ISBN-13: 978-0948543050
Publisher: Adamson Books
Angela McInerney Local councillor and
school governor.
S
o, here I am, reading this book
in the hope that I can improve
my knowledge of being a school
governor. I’m one in a primary school, and
a novice at that, so I’m hoping that I will
learn at least one thing. What I actually
find is that I learn more in one afternoon
than at any training session - where
someone reads verbatim from a slide show,
while I gradually fall asleep at the back of
the room.
What is different about this read?
First, it is easy to understand and it is
informative. After reading the preface,
which highlights the new national
curriculum and changes to the support for
children with special educational needs, I am
ready to read on to learn more on what those
changes are and how it will affect our school.
The book also helps you to understand the
changes with the pupil premium, religious
education, and responsibilities.
One of the most frustrating things about
being a new governor is a meeting in which
unknown acronyms are bandied about,
leaving me to fumble through my paperwork
to understand what it all means. In the back
of this book, however, are three pages with
common terms, acronyms and abbreviations
- all extremely helpful, in one place and
updated each time it is published.
There is also a chapter on possible
changes after the election in May next year,
depending which party comes into office.
I have no doubt that I will purchase this
booklet in future so that I can keep up to
speed with any changes, new government
or not.
The twenty key questions on page 78 were
also great. As a Governor it is helpful to
check whether we are asking the correct
questions and are operating in a sufficiently
professional manner. The twenty questions
give you examples of gaps or pit falls that
you can ask yourself to check you are up to
the job. For example, question 12 asks: How
effective is our performance management of
the head teacher? I found myself wondering
how many governing bodies would know the
answer to this?!
Highlighted boxes also provide some
good “food for thought”. These Talking
Point sidebars give succinct case studies or
questions related to a topic. For example, it
questions how would you react to a child not
being given a place because it is a Church
of England school and the child is Jewish,
even though he lives a few yards from the
gates. These deeper questions encourage you
to think beyond the routine paperwork and
data of governance, which can sometimes
feel so overwhelming, and remind you that
there are important educational values to
ponder.
I am fortunate that my governing body has
a good chair and committee structure. The
school received an outstanding Ofsted this
year, after a lot of hard work by everyone
involved. But whatever the current status of
your school, you have a huge responsibility
in the future education of its pupils;
understanding what knowledge you require
as a governor is fundamental in assisting
with results. This book gives much of it
to you, as well as highlighting additional
toolkits and websites that you may also find
useful.
I find it odd that I have never been
made aware of it before. I asked six fellow
governors if they had read it, or a previous
edition, and five hadn’t. It is so helpful that,
governor or not, if you are interested in
education you would be interested in
reading it.
I am now definitely going to encourage my
school to buy some for the library. For my
part I’m looking forward to taking my copy
in my handbag to our next meeting, so that
I can swap fumbling around for acronyms
with being the new “most informed”
governor on the block.
The eagle-eyed may have guessed that
Angela is Deputy Editor Laura’s mum.
This made us certain she knew little about
school governance before reading the
book. Laura now plans to set her a test
12
@ACADEMIESWEEK
ACADEMIES WEEK
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 13
EDITION 5
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK
PROFILE
IT’S A PERSONAL THING
What do you do to relax?
Swim. I do yoga as well. But when I get in the pool and set off
I don’t think about anything but getting to the other side. Just
to have 30 or 45 minutes when you are not thinking about
anything else is liberating.
Favourite book?
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. It’s about a
missionary teacher who takes his wife and four girls to the
Congo to try to convert the natives, and is a really searing
account of how our attitudes towards other people are so
misaligned.
You obviously have a strong passion for music, what’s
your favourite album?
Girnhill Infant School, 2007
Oh God! My favourite album? Two things really jump out at
me. That first Stone Roses album will always be a favourite:
it is from when I was younger and it was the whole kind of
Manchester music scene.
But when I was 15, my music teacher took me to see the
Hallé Orchestra. I had never heard any classical music, ever,
and they were playing Rachmaninoff Second Concerto. It
was like a whole new world. I still love that piece of music
because it takes me back to that moment where my brain was
ripped open to this amazing thing.
What’s your favourite place and where do you want to go?
I do some work for the International Schools Theatre
Association, so about three or four times a year they will send
me to different places in the world and I work with children
for three or four days to put a piece of theatre together. In
January I am going to the Urals in Russia. I’ve been to several
DEBRA KIDD
SOPHIE SCOTT
@SOPH_E_SCOTT
I
meet Debra Kidd, outspoken author and former teacher,
in a café off a bustling main road in Manchester’s West
Didsbury. It is a far cry from when she lived here more
than 20 years ago.
“It’s changed so much . . . it has definitely gone up in the
world and the schools in the area have probably helped to
mould that change,” she says in her soft Lancashire accent,
as ever passionate about the influence education has on
everybody’s future.
The former teacher, turned blogger and author, is known
for her outspoken views, not least after an open letter she
wrote almost 18 months ago to then education secretary
Michael Gove about his reforms gained more than 4,000
signatures. In her words, it “went a bit mental”.
Her desire to stand up for her views is clearly embedded in
her school life and childhood.
She grew up in Burnley, “on the football terraces mostly”,
and was in the first cohort to miss the 11-plus and go to Ivy
Bank High School in its first year of comprehensive status,
in 1979.
“All the children older than us were doing things like
hairdressing courses and mechanics, lots of vocational
courses and CSEs, and I am not quite sure the school really
knew what to do with this new group of children they had
which was much more of a mixed ability.
“But it was a really good grounding because it meant that
I grew up being able to mix with all kinds of people and I
understood that people have different strengths. It toughens
you up. I also learnt to play hockey and defend well,” she
says, laughing.
Asked whether it was this background that made her want
to stick up for others, she says: “I think so. I spent quite a lot
of time being bullied at secondary school. I played the piano
– that was a big mistake, so was doing well in a maths test.
“I learned by the end of it that you should still say what
you think and you should just take what comes to you on the
chin.
“Ultimately
people respect
you more
for being
consistently
gobby, than for
compromising on
the ideas or the
thoughts that you
have. So yeah, I
did learn to speak
up and stick up
for myself.”
Debra did not stay in the state system to do her A-levels.
Her father had set up a business so could afford to send her
to a nearby private school for her sixth form studies.
“I am sure that he thought he was “saving me” from the
state system.
“But in terms of quality of teaching there ended up being
very little difference and, in fact, it was probably better on
places in China, really enjoyed that, and I went to Singapore
last year. But I just love turning up somewhere that I have
never been before, meeting a group of kids and making some
theatre based around the place that we are in.
the whole at the comprehensive because the teachers were
used to having to keep people engaged.
“I felt like I saw both spectrums in society in a way and I
had to integrate at both ends.
“Now when I think about the private/state divide, I see
people thinking that they are buying a bit of safety and
social networking for their children. It’s not really about the
quality of education at all.”
After school she headed “down south” to London, for the
first time, to
study English
and drama
at what was
then Westfield
College
(now part of
Queen Mary
University).
The young
Debra wanted
to be a music
teacher. She
was the first in
her family to go to university and had aspirations to be like
those teachers she had met at school.
“The only graduates I had ever met in my life were
teachers. So, if you were going to be aspirational, then
becoming a teacher was an aspirational goal. My music
teacher, I loved her, so to look up to her and think I could be
her was really inspiring.”
“People respect you more
for being consistently
gobby, than for
compromising on ideas
or thoughts”
But her tutors were not keen on her plans, a derogatory attitude that
pushed her into the world of PR and advertising. But her strong spirit
prevailed.
“I felt like I was selling my soul,” she says, again laughing. No
matter what the subject, Debra looks at it with a positive attitude.
“I remember working on a water privatisation campaign for the
Conservative party. I had gone from the Lynx anti-fur campaign,
which felt like it had validity, to something that I was vehemently
opposed to politically. I realised I didn’t want to be in a profession
where I would compromise my principles like that.
“So I applied to become a teacher. Then I fell pregnant and had to
defer for a year.”
But teach she did, and it is where she spent the past 21 years until
July year — in every tier of the school world, starting in a sixth form
before moving to primary and secondary schools, and university.
The mother-of-three stuck to schools in the Oldham area, wanting to
move back close to her parents when her oldest son was born and to do
her PGCE at Manchester University in the 1990s.
But despite her clear love for the profession, she stopped teaching in
July, exhausted, stressed and disillusioned.
“I suppose one side of it was me thinking that I have to step out and
do something, I have to have some kind of effect, and the other thing
was that I was just starting to feel the relentless treadmill of chasing
data.”
It is here where you can really see Debra’s passion, and her selfproclaimed gobby-ness, come to the front. She worries that children’s
other talents – in drama, sport, and art – are being looked at as only
secondary to academic accomplishment.
Was it triggered by her letter to Michael Gove? “I got home on
the first day of that Easter holiday and sat down and wept, and just
Working with middle school children at the
Eden Project 2014
thought I don’t know if I can carry on doing this job. Then I saw him
on BBC’s Question Time with the ‘yadda yadda’ and ‘enemy of promise’
and I just thought how dare you. I sat down and wrote the letter and it
went a bit mental,” she chuckles.
But the Michael Gove incident cannot be solely responsible for her
exit from teaching.
“It was after a particularly difficult week at work where I had spent
about 15 hours putting data into a computer, and I knew that none of it
was really honest data because we were being told to make charts turn
from red to green. The children had just done a Shakespeare unit and
had struggled with it a little bit, so to try show any kind of progress
was just fictional, everything was fictional.
“I think that was the trigger that really pushed me over the edge. I
was thinking ‘I am not doing this for children any more, I am doing
this for the school and to make everybody look good’.”
Since taking a step away from teaching, Debra has taken on a
number of roles – including writing a book describing her concerns
about education. With a following of almost 5,000 people on Twitter,
and a popular blog, the impact of the book is likely to be strong – but
her willingness to speak out does, occasionally, get her in trouble.
“I do get carried away. Rather than me thinking that I have lots of
influence, sometimes I feel like I am in a private conversation and
forget that there could be up to 5,000 people following it.”
She says her only regrets are jumping on those who aren’t capable of
“looking after themselves”, such as young teachers, but adds: “I don’t
regret the thumping of heavyweights. I’m from Burnley!”
It is this outspoken streak that she feels would put heed to any
future in politics. “I could never be measured enough not to speak my
mind if I felt something needed to be said.”
@debrakidd
Year 12 - 1984
Curriculum Vitae
Born: April 26, 1968
Education: Ivy Bank High School (11-16) and
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (16-18)
BA (Hons) Queen Mary and Westfield
College, London
PGCE Manchester University
Masters in Education, Open University
Doctor of Education, Manchester
Metropolitan University
Work: Teaching from 1994 to 2007 in
various schools
2007 - 2011 Manchester Metropolitan
University, PGCE and Masters senior lecturer
2011 - 2014 Saddleworth School, Oldham
Current - Education Consultant
Other: RSA Associate
Independent Thinking associate
ISTA (International Schools Theatre
Association) consultant
Author of “Teaching: Notes from the Frontline”
14
ACADEMIES WEEK
@ACADEMIESWEEK
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 15
EDITION 5
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK
FEATURED: the new regional schools commissioners
South-east of England and south London
F
The board
RSC
MY HISTORICAL
ADVANTAGE
WON’T COUNT
FOR ANYTHING
SOON
A
21
16
Dominic Herrington
B
Rhona Barnfield - elected
1
12
RSC
LONDON MAGNIFIED
3
Executive headteacher,
13
DE
Ian Bauckham - elected
Headteacher, Bennett Memorial Diocesan School,
C
C
Andrew Carter - elected
D
Denise Shepherd - elected
Executive headteacher,
F
Nikki King - appointed
8
Honorary chairman and former managing director,
Primary schools that wish to apply for
academy status will be encouraged to do
so in groups says Dominic Herrington, the
regional schools commissioner for southeast England and south London.
Speaking to Academies Week, Mr
Herrington said that the majority of schools
applying to become academies, both
nationally and in his region, were primary
schools, and that his headteacher board
(HTB) was keen to see them apply with
partners.
“I think one of the priorities for our board
is going to be to encourage, and promote,
and ensure that primaries that apply for
academy status do so either with a partner
or in a group so that there’s robust capacity
in the primaries that become academies.”
Mr Herrington said that nationally primaries
looking to convert to academy status
generally were doing so with the support of
other schools or an existing trust, but that
his HTB was particularly keen to see that this
was the case.
contribution to raising standards, and
that is something that this role allows me
to do because I’m in and out of schools,
meeting sponsors and talking to academies
constantly,” he said.
As a region with a large coastline, Mr
additional ways in which they could be
supported, including through things such as
the DfE’s new Talented Leaders programme
which encourages high-performing
headteachers to consider working in lowerperforming parts of the country.
Isuzu Truck UK Ltd, Chatham
SOUTH-EAST OF ENGLAND AND SOUTH LONDON
No.
Angela Barry - appointed
Executive headteacher,
20%
NORTH
LANCASHIRE
AND WEST
YORKSHIRE
EAST
MIDLANDS
AND HUMBER
EAST OF
ENGLAND AND
NORTH-EAST
LONDON
WEST
MIDLANDS
SOUTH
CENTRAL
ENGLAND AND
NORTH-WEST
LONDON
SOUTH WEST
5
15
20% across
england
Herrington said that the big challenge for
the area was to tackle underperformance
in coastal towns, where factors such as low
participation in higher education and high
joblessness have been seen to create barriers
to aspiration.
“You’ve got parts of the coast where you
have a combination of factors that make
them really challenging situations for all the
people working in those areas,” he said.
“So I’ve been down to the Kent coast; I’ll be
going along the south coast; I’ll be going to
the Isle of Wight; I’ve been to Portsmouth.
“One of the challenges I’m going to
have is to galvanise efforts and to help do
whatever I can do to make education in
those academies in those areas first class.”
Mr Herrington said that such efforts may
involve pairing struggling schools with
others, but would also involve working with
academy sponsors to find out if there were
9
2
The Woodland Academy Trust, Erith
“I think that’s something that we want to
further develop.”
Mr Herrington previously worked as
director of the academies group at the
Department for Education (DfE) — though
when asked about this, he downplayed the
advantage this would give him in the role.
“Obviously I understand academies
and some of the reasons why some of the
previous decisions were made.
“That maybe helps with the first period in
the job but I’m pretty sure the other regional
schools commissioners have started off in a
hurry and my historical advantage - if you
like - won’t count for anything soon,” he
said.
Asked why he decided to strike out from
the central DfE machine and take the new
job, Mr Herrington said that the chance to
take a more hands-on role appealed.
“I wanted to help make a more direct
B
19
22
17
Rochester Grammar School, Rochester
E
A
7
Headteacher, South Farnham School, Farnham
open academies**
Regional schools
commissioners (RSCs) are the
government’s ‘middle tier’,
introduced as a new layer
between individual academy
schools and trusts, and the
Department for Education.
Announced in December
last year, RSCs have a remit of
monitoring the performance
of the academies in their area,
making recommendations on
free school applications and
of supporting academisation.
Each RSC will be supported
by a headteacher board, made
up of elected, appointed and
co-opted members.
Over eight weeks we
are profiling each of the
RSC regions.
4
6
20
Tunbridge Wells
Regional schools commissioner for the
south-east of England and south London
@PHILIPNYE
18
Howard of Effingham School, Leatherhead
Dominic
Herrington
PHILIP NYE
14
10
Regional schools commissioner based in Croydon
11
SOUTH-EAST
ENGLAND
AND SOUTH
LONDON
Statistics provided by
www.Watchsted.com
(@Watchsted), which is
owned by Angel Solutions Ltd based on data
published by the Department For Education in
September 2014
Local authority
Open school count*
Open academies**
1Bexley
79
33
2
75
55
3Bromley
100
53
4Croydon
116
46
5
193
32
6Greenwich
83
8
7Hampshire
533
45
8
54
8
9Kent
590
155
10
49
12
11Lambeth
85
14
12Lewisham
86
5
13Medway
102
39
14Merton
56
6
15Portsmouth
63
12
16
54
10
17Southampton
75
21
18Southwark
100
25
19Surrey
399
70
20Sutton
63
17
21Wandsworth
80
14
22
284
45
3,319
21,648
675
4,418
Brighton and Hove
East Sussex
Isle of Wight
Kingston upon Thames
Richmond upon Thames
West Sussex
TOTAL
South-east of England and south London
England
*The open schools total includes all types of state-funded school, including special schools and alternative
provision schools.
**The academies total includes all free schools and non-free school academies, including special schools and
alternative provision schools.
16
ACADEMIES WEEK
@ACADEMIESWEEK
NYE ON
@PHILIPNYE
part 2
The 16-19 accountability measures are
changing. As the government releases its
(very dense) guide setting out how the new
measures will work, Academies Week’s Philip
Nye, a former National Audit Office auditor,
takes on the gruelling task of guiding you
through the key features
The new accountability measures will give a
significant refresh to the performance tables
published for school sixth forms and colleges.
Headline measures will be pulled out,
displaying the key indicators of a school or
college’s performance more clearly.
Additionally, new indicators will be published,
with information about retention and student
destinations among the headline measures.
We make it simple: how the government’s
new 16-19 league tables are calculated
attainment
STUDENT attainment ENGLISH
AND MATHS
PROGRESS
GCSE
+0.5
Students
average more
grades per
academic
qualification
compared to
the national
average
B
Students
average this
grade in their
academic
qualifications
RETENTION DESTINATIONS
+0.2 93% 80%
Students
average this
many more
grades in maths
compared to
others with the
same results at
16 who had also
not achieved A*
-C at 16
% of all students
retained to the
end of their
studies
% of all
students
going on to
sustained
education,
employment,
or training
at the end of
their course
(Example)
HOW WILL IT WORK?
There are a number of stated aims of the new
accountability measures, with informing
student choice and helping schools and
colleges better assess their own performance
key among them.
The government has also said that the new
data will help Ofsted in its judgments.
Although not explicitly stated in the
guidance, it should also make it easier to
compare school sixth forms and colleges,
by broadening the range of performance
indicators reported.
The new accountability system will come into
force in 2016 (with the exception of Substantial
Vocational Qualifications at level 2 which will
be factored in 2017), with the first performance
tables under the new system brought into
the new measures in January 2017. Students
starting two year courses from September 2014
will therefore fall under the new system.
The Department for Education has said
that it plans to share pilot results under the
new accountability system with schools and
colleges in summer 2015, based on 2014 exam
results, but not to make these publicly available.
Perhaps the biggest change under the new system is the
introduction of headline measures that will be published
for every school and college. These are intended to provide
a snapshot of performance, that make it easy to absorb the
key indicators of a sixth form or college’s performance.
Five headline measures are being brought in: progress,
attainment, progress in English and maths, retention and
destinations.
And a separate score will be
published for these measures
for each type of qualification
offered by a school or college:
academic programmes,
Applied General programmes
and Tech Level programmes
at level 3, and
Substantial Vocational
Qualification programmes at
level 2.
Alongside these headline
measures, national averages
will be published.
And the DfE has said
that additional measures
and underlying data
on performance will
also be available to
students, parents and
other interested parties.
Additional measures will
provide details of specifics such as attainment
in qualifications below level 3 and A-level attainment,
while underlying data will be allow people to explore
things such as attainment in specific subjects.
Download the document from:
http://tinyurl.com/o2jchc4
SECTOR REACTION
Siôn Humphreys, policy adviser at the NAHT union,
said: “We broadly welcomes the new accountability
measures but with some reservations.
“We do not feel that the attainment of students
working at entry level or level 1 is adequately reflected
in the new measures. The association would like to see
a more inclusive approach that recognises the notion of
‘stage not age’.
“Our major concern rests with the
intention to employ destination
data as an accountability
measure.
“Worries include both the
methodological challenges
of making this a sufficiently
robust basis upon which to make
judgements about the effectiveness
of a school or college and the
degree of subjectivity involved, in
determining the extent to which
an individual pathway is deemed to
represent progress.”
Ian Toone, principal officer
(education) at the Voice union said:
“The 16-19 sector is too diverse and
complex to be strait-jacketed into
five standardised and homogeneous
performance measures.
“Many schools, colleges and
independent training providers
depend for their recruitment on unique
selling points that differ from the proposed measures.
Such institutions are often reaching out to the most
disadvantaged and marginalised young people in our
communities, and many of them achieve the
seemingly impossible, but will receive scant
recognition under the new system.”
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 17
EDITION 5
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK
ATTAINMENT
Unsurprisingly, a simple attainment
measure will feature among the five
headline indicators – though there will
be changes from how this features in the
current performance tables.
The DfE says that this will be something
“which parents can easily understand and
use to compare providers”.
For academic subjects (for the purposes
of this explainer, the focus will be on
this type of qualification), the headline
measure will give an overall “A-level style”
grade, ranging from A*-U, albeit with plus
and minus grades available (e.g. B-).
As with other elements of the new
accountability measures, however, more
detailed underlying information will be
available to those who want it, including
attainment in academic qualifications
below level 3, and in A-levels alone.
The calculation of the headline
attainment measure will come from
averaging out the grade achieved in all
qualifications completed.
Withdrawals will not be counted as fails
B
in the calculation.
Compared to attainment measures
published currently, however, there will
be a change, with different weighting being
given to grades achieved (see table right).
This has the effect of removing the “cliff
edge” at the pass/fail boundary.
The removal of the cliff edge, the DfE
says, means the failure of a single student
no longer has a disproportionate effect on a
sixth form or college’s score.
Despite these changes, the DfE says
that it expects the impact on sixth forms
and colleges to be smaller than the annual
fluctuations generally seen in performance
tables.
“We do not expect that the new point
score will create wholesale changes in
how schools and colleges perform on
attainment measures in performance
tables,” guidance on the changes says.
“The impact is expected to be smaller
than the year-on-year variation in
institution performance that is typically
demonstrated in performance tables.”
In this fictitious example, Sanctuary Sixth Form has nine students, who
each take one A-level. The sixth form’s attainment under the existing,
and the new system, are as follows
Point scores under the existing and new systems
FailE
D C
B A A*
Existing system
0
150
180
210
240
270
300
New system
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Calculation of an institution’s attainment score
Existing system
New system
Student
Grade
Student
Grade
Nicky
A270
Nicky
A50
Michael
C210
Michael
C30
Ed
A*300
Ed
A*60
Alan
B240
Alan
B40
Ruth
B240
Ruth
B40
Charles
U0
Charles
U0
Estelle
D180
Estelle
D20
U0
Gillian
U0
Total1,440
Total240
Average = 1,440/8
Average = 240/8
=
180
Similarly, if a student were taking an AS-level only
programme, they would only need to complete the one-year
course for one of the subjects studied to count as retained.
Where a student studies AS-levels followed by A-levels, the
DfE has said they would only be counted for the purposes of
the retention measure at the end of their A-level course.
The measure also feature what is effectively a six week
“cooling off” period – any withdrawals from a course during
this time will not affect the measure.
As with other headline measures, supporting information
will also be available – among them, the number of level
3 students who are retained but not assessed, meaning it
should be clear if sixth forms are attempting to game the
system by getting them to complete a course of study but
then not entering students for the final exam.
Calculation of an institution’s retention score
210
students
begin
courses
14
10
fail to complete their course
186
out of
200
are counted
as retained
drop out within the first 6 weeks
Point score
Gillian
93%
186 students complete their course
Point score
DavidWithdrawn
DavidWithdrawn
retention
RETENTION
This represents an entirely new metric that will be
published in performance tables for sixth forms and
colleges, and reflects the importance being put on retention
as the school participation age rises to 18.
It is, however, in line with the way that funding is
provided.
Calculation of this measure is done on a whole student
basis, rather than at the level of individual qualifications.
That means students need to stick to their core aim to
be recorded as retained in this indicator – so for a two
year A-level programme, a student needs to complete both
years of only one A-level, for example. (Core aims are the
‘substantive’ qualification being undertaken in a student’s
programme. In the case of academic qualifications one
A-level would be designated as such by their sixth form or
college.)
Calculation of an institution’s attainment score
93%
retention
GRADE D
=
30
GRADE C
Withdrawn students do not count for attainment
measures under either the existing or the new systems
destination
DESTINATIONS 80%
Of the five new headline
measures, destinations is the
one with the biggest question
mark still hanging over it.
It is intended to show
how many students go on
to “sustained education,
employment or training” at
the end of their course, though
a number of hurdles remain
to be cleared – indeed, the
new guidance on the 16-19
accountability measures states
that this measure will not be
included in the performance
table until the data is “robust”
enough.
The difficulty arises because
– inevitably — the measure
relies on information about
students some months after
they have left college or sixth
form. Specifically, the period
that matters is the six month
period from October to
March following completion of
s
a course.
To qualify as being
in sustained education,
employment or training, a
young person must spend at
least five of these six months
in employment or training, or
complete the first two terms
of that academic year in
education.
The government has
published data on this measure
as an “experimental statistic”
for the 2011/12 academic
year, but it says that “high
percentages of activity are not
captured” in the measure. The
DfE says that, when published,
data for this measure will
come from matching National
Pupil Database records to
records held by HM Revenue
and Customs and Department
for Work and Pensions – but
that is not as likely to be as
easy as it sounds.
18
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FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK
SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 19
EDITION 5
FEATURE
Interested in being featured by School Assembly?
Email us: news@academiesweek.co.uk
Keen gardeners take top prize Local author helps to open library ‘We wanted to show it doesn’t matter what kind of person you are’
P
rimary pupils at
a Bristol academy
welcomed a local
author as the star guest at the
launch of its new library.
Author Jack Challoner,
who has written more than
30 books on a variety of
scientific and technological
subjects, such as Hurricane
and Tornado, was
at last week’s opening
of Begbrook Primary
Academy’s library.
The library, which is at
the heart of the academy,
is stacked full of new books
that children can read in
comfort, either under the
shade of a giant leaf, under a
circus canopy or even inside
a castle.
A pupil from each class
from nursery to Year 6 cut
the ribbon, with principal
Duncan Cruickshank and
Rachael Symons, Reading
Recovery teacher.
Mrs Symons said: “Over
the past few years, our
library has moved several
times as our academy
has grown. Now that our
amazing new buildings have
been completed we have a
beautiful new home.”
Winning pupils from the Gardening club with their prize shield
G
reen-fingered pupils at a Cumbrian
school have scooped first place at
this summer’s Royal Horticultural
Society’s Tatton Park Show — about 18
months after their gardening club got going.
Pupils aged between seven and 11 at
Kendal Castle Park primary meet every week
after school to plant, weed, tend and water
their school garden’s vegetables and flowers.
The school entered the RHS School
Gardening Vegetable Trug Competition - and
to their surprise, won.
Fiona Barrett, gardening club leader,
said: “The children showed incredible
commitment coming to the club every week
and learning a great deal about gardening.
“They were gobsmacked when they found
out that they won the award. Everyone at the
school is very proud of their achievement.”
The school received a shield, presented
in assembly last week, and a £50 gardening
voucher.
Cornwall’s geothermal warders on show
Haley Proper, aged 10, reading in Begbrook’s new library
Practice makes perfect for Maltings
BILLY CAMDEN
@BILLYCAMDEN
S
tudents from a Nottinghamshire special
school have been crowned winners of
a national artwork competition judged
by fashion consultant and TV presenter Gok
Wan (pictured below).
A class of Year 12 pupils from Dawn House
School were announced as overall winners
of the 2014 Arts and Minds competition, an
annual UK-wide contest aimed at promoting
race equality and diversity in schools.
Dawn House teaches children and
young people with severe or complex
communication difficulties.
The awards ceremony at London’s St
James’ Court hotel, organised by teachers’
union NASUWT, took place last week during
Black History Month.
Competitors were divided into early years,
primary, secondary and special school
sectors and judged in two categories — art
and creative writing.
The winning entry from Dawn
House — out of the more than 1,000
that flooded in this year — was a
photograph entitled “What’s The
Problem?”, which explored faith in
the community.
Thomas Hitchen, one of the
winning pupils, said: “We wanted to show
it doesn’t matter what kind of person you
are, what you look like or how you dress
because it doesn’t change who you are. I feel
privileged to win.”
Andrew Metcalfe, a teacher at Dawn
House, said: “We are amazed to be the overall
winner. Our school is big on diversity and
difference — and we all celebrate it here.
These pupils are really good at photography
and I am really glad that has been
recognised.”
The entry had already been selected from
hundreds of entries from across the UK as a
winner in the special schools section.
Gok Wan said of the winning entry: “It is
striking, I love the relationship between the
characters, the proportions, the composition,
the line work and the lighting. It is stunning.
“It is really relevant to today. The message
behind the picture is about unity, community
spirit, forgiveness and acceptance, regardless
of where you are in the world. That is why
I think it is absolutely beautiful and
brilliant.”
Chris Keates, general secretary of
the NASUWT, said: “The standards of
the entries were very high, displaying
incredible talent and creativity.
“Huge congratulations to
the pupils at Dawn House.
Dawn House School winning students. From Left: Alex KendrickAllen and Thomas Hitchen. Inset: Teachers at Dawn House School
Andrew Metcalfe and Yasumin Alkattan, winning pupils from
Dawn House School Alex Kendrick-Allen and Thomas Hitchen
and NASUWT President Geoff Branner, who presented them with
the award
“Their powerful artwork perfectly captures
the competition’s message of celebrating
equality and diversity. The image is clearly
designed to challenge prevailing stereotypes
about race and gender by pupils who
themselves admit to often feeling excluded
and isolated.”
Dawn House School will receive £1,000
and every winning child across each division
will receive a gift voucher.
Tongues will be wagging…
Making sure you get seen and talked about in all the right places is crucial.
Whether that’s through the material you produce or the stories you tell.
And it’s even more important that you have the right support from
an organisation that really understands your market...
We are an award winning marketing communications company who have been helping schools and colleges get
the best results from all their marketing communications for more than 10 years, whether that’s branding, design, PR,
marketing campaigns, websites or social media and all the bits in between.
Peter Ledingham, Director at Geothermal Engineering Ltd pumping water into a borehole at Rosemanowes
A
group of South Korean students
visited a Cornish academy last
week as part of an international
programme.
Camborne Science and International
Academy (CSIA) hosted guests from The
Korea Science Academy of KAIST, based in
Busan, who stayed with local families for 10
days.
They participated in various cultural and
scientific activities, such as excursions to a
Genetics in Conservation Workshop at the
University of Exeter.
Malting’s Academy sports pupils
Local students also showed off Cornwall’s
underground geothermal properties on a trip
to the famous Rosemanowes quarry.
Kelly Hendrick, acting deputy of science
and outreach facilitator at CSIA, said:
“With South Korea being at the forefront of
scientific and technological advancement,
our visitors were overwhelmed with the
possibilities that Cornwall has to offer . . .
in terms of renewable energy and limiting
carbon emissions.”
CISA will next host an international
exchange trip with students from Singapore.
A
n Essex school is taking top honours
in a range of sports as a result of its
extra-curricular clubs.
More than 100 students from Maltings
Academy in Witham come in at 7.30am and
stay after school every day to develop their
skills.
Ranging from rugby to athletics to
badminton, the clubs are paying off with
the school entering and succeeding in more
tournaments than ever.
This year both the Year 7 girls’ sports
hall athletics team and the Year 11 boys’
basketball team have become district
champions.
Head of PE Ray Bias said: “I have never
seen anything like it, with so many children
wanting to be in school when they don’t have
to be.
“They are doing far more than many
other children around the country. And
that is why they are now competing
against some of the best schools in sporting
competitions.”
And because we only work in education we understand the language, issues and pitfalls you face, so we can
help steer you in the right direction and make sure you’re seen and talked about in all the right places,
for all the right reasons!
Exclusively Education
Call 01264 729581 Email hello@empra.co.uk Visit empra.co.uk
@empra
20
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FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK
jobs
Mrs T Young, Headteacher
HMC Co-educational 978 pupils: 266 in the Sixth Form
Tettenhall Road, Wolverhampton, WV6 0BY Telephone: 01902 551515 | Fax: 01902 551516
Wilton Road, Southampton SO15 5UQ
Web: www.kes.hants.sch.uk
Academy 11-18 girls’ selective school.
783 pupils | 232 in Sixth Form
Vice Principal – Flegg High School
Leadership range L17 to L21
WOLVERHAMPTON GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL
CURRICULUM LEADER FOR MATHEMATICS
Teachers’ Pay Scale +TLR 1a – £9775
Required for January 2015
Exciting leadership opportunity at vibrant Norfolk Academy
Deputy Head (Pastoral)
As a result of the planned retirement of the current post-holder, Flegg High School is seeking to
recruit an outstanding Vice-Principal from September 2015 to assist in leading the next phase of the
Academy’s improvement journey. This role will provide an exceptional opportunity for an aspiring
Principal to develop the full repertoire of school leadership skills.
Required for September 2015
The Governors are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic and inspirational teacher to lead this highly
successful department and team of talented teachers. The successful candidate will bring to the post
a proven track record of excellent teaching and examination success and will have a vision for the
future of the subject. The post carries with it responsibilities for Whole School Strategic Leadership
and Management. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a school •
•
•
which has been judged by Ofsted as outstanding in every category;
whose examination results regularly place it high in national performance tables;
which has strongly motivated students who achieve at high levels.
Flegg High is a lively and vibrant 11-16 independent convertor academy of around 800 students
located in the busy village hub of Martham, 25 minutes east of Norwich. The Academy works closely
with a range of partners and local providers ensuring that as an institute it continues to grow and
expand its influence in a range of areas. The school has moved on rapidly in the past two years and
is looking for the successful applicant to help maintain this pace of improvement.
Following the retirement of Mrs Jane Thomas as Deputy Head, we wish to appoint another outstanding individual
for this critical role. You will have significant management experience and first rate leadership, management and
communication skills. You will report to the Head as his principal deputy and will share with him the responsibility
for promoting the vision, ethos and values of this leading HMC independent day school.
The successful candidate will have responsibility for and will manage the pastoral system throughout the School.
A clear focus on the promotion of the School as a centre of educational excellence, particularly with regard to the
maintaining of high academic standards, co-curricular achievement and pastoral welfare is essential.
King Edward’s has its own generous salary scale and private medical insurance is offered.
The Vice-Principal role is also critical to the successful operation of the Academy. The post-holder
will support and assist the Principal with all aspects of school organisation at both management and
strategic levels, including deputising for the Principal as required. They will lead on significant areas
of the academy’s work such as school improvement, student achievement and safeguarding.
The successful applicant will be an inspiring, optimistic and resilient school leader with a relentless
commitment to raising the achievement of every learner.
Further details and application forms are available from our website:
http://www.kes.hants.sch.uk/job-opportunities
To request an application pack, please:
or contact the Head’s PA on 023 8079 9204 or email: hm@kes.hants.sch.uk
Visit our website www.wghs.org.uk and download the application form and employment pack
By e-mail jobs@wghs.org.uk
Closing date: Friday, 24 October 2014.
Prospective applicants are welcome to visit the academy and meet the Principal in advance of
submitting an application. Please contact the Principal’s PA Diane Spooner on 01493 749207 or
email recruitment@flegg.norfolk.sch.uk
Closing date for applications: 9am on Wednesday 22nd October 2014
Interviews will be held on:
24th October 2014
This School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff
King Edward’s is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children; applicants must be willing to
undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with the Disclosure & Barring Service
and past employers (where applicable).
Closing date: 3pm Monday 24th November 2014
Interviews: Thursday 4th December / Friday 5th December 2014
and volunteers to share this commitment.
Teacher of Creative Arts (1 year Maternity Cover)
Salary: Main Scale/UPS
Location: Essex
School: Harwich and Dovercourt High School
Contract type: Full time
Contract term: Temporary for 1 year
Start date: January 2015 or earlier
INSPIRE • ENCOURAGE • CREATE
Director of School:
Teaching & Learning
Ramsden Hall School
Job start As soon as possible
Ramsden Heath, Billericay, Essex CM11 1HN
Location: Essex
Tel: 01277 624580
Contract type: Full Time
Email: finance@ramsdenhall.essex.sch.uk
Contract term: Permanent
www.ramsdenbillericay.co.uk
LPS with NRDA allowance (Orange Book)
We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic Creative Arts Teacher with a
commitment to outstanding teaching and learning to join our Creative Arts
Faculty. The successful candidate will be required to have a specialism in one
of the subject areas of Drama/Performing Arts/ Dance/Music, with the ability
and desire to deliver lessons in all 3 subject areas to KS3.
The successful candidate should:
• Be a strong, engaging and well-organised classroom practitioner
• Have good interpersonal skills with the ability to establish strong
relationships with all stakeholders
• Be enthusiastic, a team player, self-motivated and committed to further
professional development
• Be creative, innovative and experimental in classroom practices.
The school is a rapidly improving school. GCSE results and our recent
OFSTED report reflect this. Harwich and Dovercourt High School is an 11-18
Academy with 1200 students. It belongs to the North East Essex Education
Partnership Trust of 7 local independent academies committed to collegiate
working and providing shared development. This is an attractive part of the
country with excellent links to London and the Continent.
The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our
students and all posts are subject to enhanced DBS checks.
We reserve the right to close the post before the date stated above once
sufficient applications have been received. We therefore advise that you submit
your completed application form as soon as possible.
For further details and to download an application form please visit our website: http://hdhs.org.uk/staff/vacancies/
Deadline for applications: Thursday, 6 November 2014
Please submit your application to The Personnel Manager, Lindsey Clark by email to Lindsey.Clark@harwich.essex.sch.uk or by post
to Harwich and Dovercourt High School, Hall Lane, Dovercourt, Harwich, Essex. CO12 3TG.
Ramsden Hall School Billericay is seeking to appoint a Director of
School: Teaching & Learning as soon as possible to work with the
Executive Head Teacher and IEB (Interim Executive Board) to further
develop the vision and direction of the school.
You will be expected to take responsibility for the operational
running of the Billericay site and deputise for the Executive Head
teacher when she is not on the site and where appropriate or
necessary. You will be expected to lead and be accountable for the
curriculum throughout the school and be responsible for effective
and timely data management and reporting. Housing maybe
available for the right candidate.
Ramsden Hall School is a community residential special school for
boys who have a statement of special needs for behaviour, emotional
and social difficulties aged 11 - 16. The school is situated on two
sites. One in Ramsden Heath Billericay and one in Langham near
Colchester. The Billericay site comprises a large victorian country
mansion build in 1854 in which residential house and administration
offices are situated. There is a newly constructed academic provision
situated close to the original building which has been furnished and
resourced to a high standard. The buildings are set in 14 acres of
grounds including a playing field, swimming pool mature gardens. A
number of staff live on site ensuring support and safe supervision for
pupils at all times.
Ramsden Hall School is committed to safeguarding and promoting
the welfare of children and vulnerable young persons and expects
all staff, governors and volunteers to share this commitment. All
appointments are subject to safer recruitment procedures including
satisfactory references, medical and enhanced DBS clearance and
previous employment verification.
To arrange an informal visit please call the school office.
For an informal discussion please contact Emma Paramor Executive Head Teacher at the school or email eparamor@ramsdenbillericay.co.uk.
22
ACADEMIES WEEK
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EDITION 5
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 ACADEMIESWEEK.CO.UK
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 2014 23
jobs
Headteacher (Designate)
Barnet, London
Salary: Highly competitive
Starting: April 2015
Headteacher: Mr Christian Cavanagh
11 – 16 Mixed Comprehensive On Roll: 900
A Specialist School in the performing arts
Designated Teaching School
Academy status
NOR: Initially 60, reaching 420 by 2021
Debden Park High School, Willingale Rd, Debden, Loughton, Essex IG10 2BQ Tel: 020 85082979
Debden Park High School
OUTSTANDING TEACHER OF SCIENCE
Full/Part Time
Required January 2015
We are looking to appoint an exceptional professional who will join a highly successful, enthusiastic and talented team and work with us to inspire our students. We have a
creative and energetic Science team who are well resourced and dedicated to developing the full potential of our students. The successful candidate will be someone who is
visionary, innovative and committed to moving learning forward in an exciting and active way; someone who is prepared to go ‘beyond outstanding’.
At Debden Park High school “Classrooms are exciting places for young people, and teachers lead lessons skilfully and generate an enthusiasm for learning that is infectious.”
(Ofsted 2009).
We lead a family of schools as part of the Kemnal Academies Trust, as a national teaching school we provide exceptional career progression and bespoke CPD experiences for
our staff.
For further information or application pack please email Josie Wood jwood@dphs-tkat.org or call her direct on 02084181202.
Apply by 9.00 am, Monday, 20th October 2014.
Salary
Leadership scale 12 – 16 (£50,119 - £55,398)
Location
Full Time
Contract Term
Permanent
Fir Vale School provides an exciting and fulfilling challenge to dedicated, well-qualified
professionals who believe in the philosophies of school improvement and school
effectiveness.
We are looking to appointment an enthusiastic and dynamic member of the Senior
Leadership Team to raise standards and drive forward the teaching and learning of
English. The successful candidate will be an energetic and innovative English Specialist
with successful middle or senior leadership experience and a proven track record of
outstanding classroom practice. Applicants should also be well qualified, versatile and
enthusiastic teachers who can meet our plans for the ongoing development and evolution
of this successful school. A full induction, mentoring and CPD programme is in place for all
employees.
be vital in promoting the school to the community, including a large number of parents
who have already registered their interest in a place for their child(ren).
Education Funding Agency on plans for development.
While you will benefit from the support of high-level expertise within the Proposer
group, you will be expected to build an outstanding team of professionals to deliver
A non-fee paying, non-selective, non-denominational, co-educational school, Watling
Park School will welcome children of all abilities from all backgrounds. Bellevue Place
the vision and as such, a keen eye for talent and well-developed personal networks
would be advantageous. Furthermore, you will need to build collaborative relationships
Education Trust schools are the result of a ground-breaking joint venture between
Bellevue Education, operator of eleven outstanding preparatory schools and Place
with other local schools, the local authority and the wider community and as such, will
be politically aware, with relevant personal attributes including gravitas, influence and
Group, a market-leading education and school services company. The Trust has
successfully opened three schools, and Watling Park School will be among a third wave
creativity.
of new schools the Trust is opening in 2015.
In return, you will get that rarest of opportunities: the chance to shape your school
An experienced senior leader in the Primary or Preparatory phase, you will have a strong
track record in leadership and core learning. Capable of interpreting, developing and
from day one of its existence and ensure that every element is optimised to deliver
outstanding teaching and learning. Furthermore, you will receive unparalleled access to
support and to career advancement through the two parent organisations.
To arrange an informal discussion with a member of Bellevue Place Education Trust, please email careers@watlingparkschool.org.uk
The Trust takes its safeguarding responsibilities seriously and is following ‘Safer Recruitment’ guidelines. The Trust is
committed to fulfilling its duties under the Equality Act 2010.
Closing date for applications: 6pm, Monday 27th October 2014 | Interview date: Week starting 3rd November 2014
NOR: 46
Age Range 4 – 11
Salary: L6 – L11
Sheffield
Contract Type
implementing the Proposers’ education vision, your excellent communications skills will
in September 2015, in the Burnt Oak area of Barnet. A suitable site has already been
found for the school and we are working closely with the Department for Education and
Headteacher
Assistant Headteacher with
responsibility for English
Dates
Bellevue Place Education Trust proposes to open Watling Park School, a 4-11 free school
We are…
>
Oversubscribed, highly successful, ethnically diverse comprehensive school. An
exciting place to be!
>
Constantly improving results
>
Committed to an ethos of high expectations and outstanding student behaviour
>
Expanding to 1050 students by September 2015
>
Business and Enterprise specialism renowned for very high levels of progress and
innovation
>
A happy school with a very supportive, friendly and motivated staff team
For further information and to obtain an application pack, please visit www.firvale.com. Telephone enquiries can be made to Cath Chapman, Admin & HR Manager on 0114 2439391.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 9.00 am, Monday, 20th October 2014 interviews will be held on Thursday, 23rd October 2014.
If you are excited by this opportunity, we want to hear from you. Is this the challenge for you?
Fir Vale School, Owler Lane, Sheffield. S4 8GB
Our vision: To inspire learners to be aspirational independent citizens who have the skills to contribute positively to, and succeed in, an ever-changing world.
Due to the planned retirement of our highly regarded
Headteacher, the Governors are seeking to appoint a strong
and effective leader for our Church of England school who will:
• have a clear vision on how to lead our ‘good’ school into its
next phase of development
• build on our already high standards
• inspire and work in partnership with pupils, staff, Governors,
parents, other schools and the community
• embrace the Christian ethos and values
We are proud to offer:
• enthusiastic and well-behaved children
• a highly dedicated staff team
• a fully supportive and active governing body
• a high quality building in a village setting
• growing pupil numbers
We would be delighted to hear from you. Visits to the school are welcome and can be made by contacting Julie Jones on 01508
499271. Application forms can be downloaded from www.norfolk.gov.uk/schooljobs.
Please send completed forms, together with a covering letter to office@saxlingham.norfolk.sch.uk or directly to the school.
Interview Date: Early December
Closing Date: 4th November 2014
Saxlingham Nethergate V.C. Primary School, Church Hill, Saxlingham Nethergate, Norwich, NR15 1TD
Tel: 01508 499271
Email: office@saxlingham.norfolk.sch.uk
24
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7
6 7
9 2
4
4
2
6
8
4
9
4
3
1 7
8
3
9
MEDIUM
2
7 4
3 6
8 9
6
7 4
8 2 6
7
2
7
2
4
3
8
6
5
1
9
1
9
3
7
5
8
6
4
2
4
5
7
6
1
2
9
3
8
2
8
6
4
3
9
1
5
7
3
4
8
1
9
7
2
6
5
5
7
2
8
6
3
4
9
1
9
6
1
2
4
5
7
8
3
7
8
5
9
3
6
1
2
4
3
4
9
7
1
2
6
5
8
6
2
1
8
5
4
9
3
7
5
6
4
1
2
3
8
7
9
9
1
3
6
8
7
5
4
2
2
7
8
5
4
9
3
1
6
EASY
5
9
8
1
5
9
2
4
3
7
6
Difficulty:
Difficulty:
6 9
6
3
9
5
7
1
8
2
4
8
3
6
4
7
1
2
9
5
1
9
7
2
6
5
4
8
3
4
5
2
3
9
8
7
6
1
Solutions:
Difficulty:
Next week
MEDIUM
Spot five differences. First correct entry wins an Academies Week mug. Tweet a picture of your
completed spot the difference using @academiesweek in the tweet.
This week’s winner is Naureen Khalid from Orpington who tweets as @5N_Afzal