Improve or be closed plans under attack

Jul 4 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

HEADTEACHERS last night launched fresh attacks on Government plans that could see schools closed if GCSE marks do not improve.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said just a quarter of the £400m earmarked for the National Challenge Initiative will be used on the front line of teaching, learning and study support.

Of the remaining £300m, £40m will go to official advisers and national “leaders of education”, and £260m will go to establishing new academy schools and trusts to replace the schools deemed to be under-performing.

Twenty schools in the region are part of a national list of 638 named by the Government for the programme, because fewer than 30% of their children achieve five or more GCSE grades A*-C, including maths and English.

Among those “named and shamed” on the list are All Saints College, in West Denton, Newcastle, at 17%, Sunnydale Community College, in Shildon, County Durham, at 19%, and Sandhill View School, in Thorney Close, Sunderland, at 23%.

Their inclusion on the list does not take into account their catchment area or ratings from Ofsted inspectors.

Ministers have warned that schools which do not achieve the 30% target by 2011 could be closed, merged with top-performing schools or replaced with privately-backed academies.

Yesterday John Heslop, NAHT North East regional officer said: “Without a shadow of a doubt, where the money should be directed is at the teacher-learner interface. Teachers need more opportunities to teach and less opportunities for people to be hired to tell them how to teach.

“The whole thing is absolutely mad. If the Government has got this money to give towards education, why don’t they put it in the hands of the people who know what they’re doing?”

Last night a spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: “All of the £400m will improve the teaching and learning and be used on the front line in these schools.”