ACADEMIES AND TRUSTS NOT PANACEA

30 November 2006

The General Secretary of the Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) has warned against academies, specialist schools and trust schools being seen as a “panacea” to transform education.

Philip Parkin commented ahead of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust annual conference, at which the Prime Minister is expected to announce a major expansion of the academies programme and his wish for 100 trust schools by the Spring, and where SSAT Chairman Sir Cyril Taylor is expected to repeat his comments about the number of ‘underperforming’ schools and for some schools to be closed and some teachers sacked.

PAT General Philip Parkin said: “Reports on the number of ‘underperforming’ schools are exaggerated. Yes, some schools have problems, but talk of closing schools and sacking teachers is unhelpful scaremongering.

“The vast majority of teachers are doing an excellent job. Comments like this are very demoralising for all those working very hard to raise standards.

“Becoming a specialist school, academy or trust is not necessarily the answer. Investment, leadership, management, ethos and support for social and family problems are what matters, not the status of a school.

“The key to the success of a school is the quality of the leadership. Changing the way schools are organised and governed is not a guarantee for success or better education, and the mixed results from the academies established so far supports this.

“The ethos of a school is more important than its organisational status. Leadership and ethos are areas where academies can be a good example, setting high standards in terms of core values, school management, uniforms and of behaviour.

“However, we are concerned about the influence and control that sponsors would have over trust schools and do have over academies, and remain unconvinced that choice – and therefore competition – is the way to produce an education system in which high quality provision is available to all.

“The groups that will establish trust schools will have their own agendas – be it political, religious or making a profit. PAT is worried that providing high quality education and care may not be their overwhelming priority.

“PAT is also concerned about what will happen to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, or those with social, behavioural or educational problems or special educational needs. Will shiny new Trust Schools, promising the best results, want to admit these pupils? We fear not.

“We believe all families should have access to good quality local education and all schools should benefit from the sort of investment that is being made in the buildings and governance of academies and will be made in trusts.”

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