Half of academies still falling short
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Independent Minds
More than 30 academies have failed to clear the minimum hurdle of getting 30 per cent of pupils to obtain five A* to C grade GCSE passes including maths and English.
The figures – in exam league tables covering A-levels and GCSEs published today – prompted the Schools Secretary Ed Balls to warn that he would not "go softly" on academies. Headteachers and governors of those academies failing to hit the target within the next two years could be removed from their posts, and a new governing body imposed.
At present the number of academies failing to reach the benchmark amounts to nearly half of those in the programme – 34 out of 73. The first privately-sponsored academies – the Unity Academy in Middlesbrough and Bexley Business school in south-east London, which were launched seven years ago – still fall short. Unity scores 18 per cent and Bexley 29 per cent.
In addition, the seven academies launched in 2005 have – on average – seen their GCSE results worsen since they were set up.
The figures prompted teachers' leaders to raise renewed doubts over the effectiveness of the entire programme. Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union, said: "We don't need all this emphasis on new structures of education when we should just be concentrating on making sure every school gets the assistance it needs."
The Government produced figures to show that – despite the numbers failing to reach the benchmark – academies were on average improving at a faster rate than the rest of the sector. "They exist in areas with some of the toughest challenges and have not only outperformed their predecessor schools but as a group have also seen improvements above the national average," Mr Balls said.
However, he added: "There is no intention to go softly, softly on academies. We have the powers to intervene and we will use them if necessary." He also said there was still "a culture of excuse" operating in some schools.
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Comments
who studies the woes of British education at primary and
secondary levels, and as a father of a son who went to a local
comprehensive school to which Blair did not send his sons,
I see three problems in the following order in the system which
are perennial: i) badteachers. There are significantly large number
of bad teacherslike bad GPs who are not removed from the system
ii) the government and the local authorities have no joined up focus
and are more willing to accept medicrity and throw money at
problems which cannot be solved iii) the pupils and parents
who have such low expectations and most of them are so
irresponsible.
I am afraid, we need to grasp the above three which I do not see
happening. Good schools in the league table are the ones who
despite all odds solve problems i) and ii) effectively. Teachers
and their unions should accept that there are a large number of bad
and very bad teachers who should be removed. Instead of wishing the
league table to go away to hide their inefficiency, they should use it
to work to improve their schools. There are too many sink schools
which is a disgrace.