January 2011

The know zone

  • Unconditional glove
    Business managers and governors need to be aware of the full extent of responsibility schools and colleges must bear when staff carry out physical tasks, says Richard Bird. More
  • Reform's black mark?
    Will the Coalition’s planned reforms to training, pay and inspection inspire a new generation of outstanding teachers? Unlikely, says Sam Ellis. More
  • Lead vocals
    Quotes from Martin Luther King, George Lucas, Steve Forbert, Walt Disney and Thomas Hardy More
  • Into Africa
    Lynne Barr, deputy head of Diss High School in Norfolk, turned to teaching after a short career in accountancy. In 2009, she went to Rwanda with the Leaders in International Development programme for a stint as an education management consultant, and received the full-on celebrity treatment. More
  • Facial recognition
    The National Portrait Gallery has added to its extensive collection of online teaching resources with a new website dissecting what makes a successful exhibition. More
  • Adding value
    The use of technology has become deeply embedded to enhance pupils’ learning, but it also has an important role to play in helping schools deal with much tighter budgets. More
  • Reading between the lines
    Education Secretary Michael Gove has introduced an English Baccalaureate to give greater recognition to ‘traditional’ academic subjects – languages and humanities in particular – as a measure of school success. Is it a retrograde step or a way to re-inject more rigour into judging how a school performs? Leaders share their views. More
  • Leaders' surgery
    The antidote to common leadership conundrums... More
  • Good in parts
    ASCL’s response to the education white paper dominated discussion at December’s Council meeting, with plenary debate divided into themes led by the committee chairs. On many topics there was strong agreement but on others, such as school improvement partners and provision for excluded pupils, reaction was mixed. More
  • A marathon task
    There are some welcome ideas in the long-awaited schools white paper but, says Brian Lightman, the proposed pace of change is too great. More time should be given for debate before rushing to implementation. More
  • Painful extraction
    Hell hath no fury like a mother in search of justice when she believes her offspring has been attacked in school. But there are two sides to every classroom story, says Christopher Martin. More
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Education Secretary Michael Gove has introduced an English Baccalaureate to give greater recognition to ‘traditional’ academic subjects – languages and humanities in particular – as a measure of school success. Is it a retrograde step or a way to re-inject more rigour into judging how a school performs? Leaders share their views.

Reading between the lines

‘Narrow’ proposals limit choice

Notwithstanding the need to provide robust and rigorous qualification streams for young people, I fail to understand how being prescriptive by introducing the English Bac gives school leaders the freedom that Mr Gove seemingly wants and we desire.

The narrow proposals do not in any way address the full range of needs of a 21st century society. ‘Languages for all is a nonsense’, especially given the withdrawal of funding for the Primary Languages Initiative.

Paul Eckersley
Headteacher, Selby High School, North Yorkshire

What counts as ‘humanities’?

“One point of uncertainty that is particularly exercising curriculum managers like me is the definition of humanities in the English Baccalaureate. The guidance currently says only history or geography will be included – to date there is no mention of religious education, for example. It will be great for history and geography teachers but may lead to colleagues in other option subjects becoming surplus to requirements. It also seems to work against the idea of a broad and balanced curriculum.

As a Catholic school, we have an understanding of ‘humanities’ that includes any subject that explores the many dimensions of what it means to be human.

Fr Michael Hall
Deputy head, St John Fisher Catholic High School, Dewsbury

Bac is a bar to personalisation

The introduction of the English Bac is profoundly disheartening and entirely contradicts Michael Gove’s statement that the government wants “every school to be able to shape its own character, frame its own ethos and develop its own specialisms.”

Our school’s curriculum has been judged outstanding in two consecutive Ofsted inspections because it is flexible and personalised to engage students. In May Ofsted judged us good with outstanding features, but from next year, it seems, we could be judged inadequate, because (based on the subjects they take) only a handful of our beautiful, bright students will have achieved the English Bac.

Liz Logie
Headteacher, Beaumont Leys School, Leicester

‘Infuriating, but I agree with Gove’

The pernicious effect of league tables was to encourage schools to discourage students from taking ‘harder’ GCSEs, so only 25 per cent of A*-C grades in languages are awarded to children from state schools. Highly competitive universities use GCSE languages as a filter so doors are closed to children by choices made – doubtless – for the good of the school.

Yes, languages are hard, but teachers are great and you can get good results from all kinds of kids if you’re determined. Yes, league tables forced us all to make unacceptable compromises. Yes, the English Bac might keep a few more doors open longer for children. Yes, it’s infuriating to agree with Gove.

Carolyn Roberts
Headteacher, Durham Johnston Comprehensive, Durham


Creatives need our niche curriculum

We offer a diverse Key Stage 4 curriculum that allows all students to find their niche. It is genuinely personalised learning. The potential loss of choice at KS4, as a consequence of the English Bac, is a grave concern.

The Bac, coupled with our desire to promote the arts, might bring an end to subjects like textiles, construction, hair and beauty, product design, health and social care and catering. It might see the demise of business studies, RE and sociology. It will stifle our curriculum.

In the north west, the arts and creative industries are the second largest private sector employer. The English Bac is going to damage our ability to produce the creative, adaptable, problem-solving, technically-adept, excellent communicators that 21st century employers need.

John Pout
Headteacher, Rainhill High School, Prescot, Merseyside

Reading between the lines

LEADING READING