Becoming an academy is first step in helping pupils to thrive
SKILLS or qualifications? A diploma or a degree? In Britain, we have been talking about the academic versus vocational divide in schooling for more than 100 years. And there is little sign of it being resolved soon.
In Westminster, the debate is especially active as Education Secretary Michael Gove, pictured, cracks down on semi-vocational courses in favour of more traditional subjects.
Out go 'horse-care' and hairdressing and in their place comes the so-called English Baccalaureate – history, modern languages, and the sciences.
In Tipton in Sandwell they are pursuing a less divisive approach. In a tough neighbourhood, facing similar problems of post-industrial transition as Stoke-on-Trent, the Royal Society of Arts has sponsored a new academy school.
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And last week I was lucky enough to get a tour of the campus from its deputy head and proud Stokie, Daulton Redmond.
The first thing Daulton told me was that the catchment area doesn't offer any excuse for low attainment. Overwhelmingly white, British and from historically working-class backgrounds, their 1,075 pupils have a free school meal eligibility rate way above the national average. That is a challenge for the teachers, not grounds for a cop-out. And while their results are not stellar, they are up markedly on the predecessor school and heading in the right direction.
OFSTED has graded the school as 'good', but 'outstanding' when it comes to capacity for sustained improvement.
As you would expect, they have the basics right. The pupils wear uniforms, there is no running and shouting, teachers are respected. There is a sense of structure and discipline – which is vital for children who come from often chaotic backgrounds.
Certainly, the school's design helps. Funded by the Labour Government's Building Schools for the Future programme, it cost near £30 million and is built to last. There is colour-coding for the different Houses to give a sense of individuality. Classrooms open on to outside corridors which look out over the gardens – some of which are being used to grow vegetables for the canteen. Cleverly the toilet blocks – often places for bullying and smoking – have private cubicles which lead into an open plan washroom. Of course, they have the latest kit. There are computer suites and music rooms and the kind of media facilities to make a BBC Newsroom jealous. There is also a well-stocked, well-used library.
And that gives you a sense of the RSA Academy's strengths – a willingness to engage with both vocational and academic courses. On my visit, there was an Opening Minds morning in session – when pupils get to choose a range of diverse, extra-curricula activities. It could be rugby, or designing a new App, or cookery, or technology, or it could just be extra teaching on Spanish. The syllabus is developed by both teachers and pupils to encourage a more innovative approach to learning.
In these classes, there is no teaching to the test. Instead, there is a broader appreciation of learning and development. What is more, classes last three hours. To my mind, a frighteningly long time but if broken up and taught effectively, I was told it can produce better results than the traditional 45-minute class and avoids all that lost time moving between classrooms.
But as well as the vocational, the school offers the International Baccalaureate. This is the Gold Standard qualification which demands pupils mix an array of humanities and sciences.
The IBac pupils I met were smart, motivated teenagers who were well taught and full of ambition. Indeed, the school is attracting international students from as far afield as Austria and Mexico. And let's be frank, Tipton is not an obvious destination.
Not everything is rosy. The school's results have some way to go. I would think they need to get more of their pupils educated in the academic basics.
But attendance rates are up and the sense of aspiration is obvious.
So what can our schools learn? First of all, that simply becoming an academy is not the answer: you need ambitious leadership, a flexible teaching approach, and a good relationship with parents and community. But perhaps we can also develop a curriculum which provides academic rigour as well as vocational options. This should not be about putting poorer pupils on 'easier' courses. It should be about encouraging them to learn and thrive in the 21st century.
And I think Tipton might provide a better way to do that than Westminster.
Comments
by mole10
Tuesday, March 06 2012, 11:28AM
“It should be noted that the article promotes Sandwell (naturally and of course) as a prime example of success.
Answer that one Tristram, if you dare.”
by Richie_78
Monday, March 05 2012, 10:12PM
“Well said Nicky Davis. I was berated on the other thread for daring to criticise academies, when it is quite clear that Gove is determined to push on with these bullying tactics; not to mention the numerous headteachers who have already been given huge bonuses as their schools become fast tracked. You are right, he does seem to want to trash teachers, and of course they do not even have to be paid the same salary as their counterparts.”
by Nicky_Davis_
Monday, March 05 2012, 8:27PM
“What's atrocious is Gove's bullying tactics, wanting to turn all schools into academies. He takes away the conservative's so-called localism, takes away communities and parents choice, he is a disgrace. And he seems to want to get rid of teachers, trashing them rather than giving opportunities to excel. Does he not realise how difficult it can be to get teachers, especially in certain subjects, so kicking them out isn't going to do the pupils any good when there's nobody left to teach them.
I'm with mole10 on noticing the shining example given doesn't even have the pupils doing well! Oh well, that's ok just so long as they've got nice toilets. Studies have shown that the gap between the advantaged and disadvantaged is wider in academies, nothing to brag about.
Have a read of this:
http://tinyurl.com/6m2da49
Comments in a personal capacity.”
by Alberus
Monday, March 05 2012, 5:07PM
“A new building is not the complete answer, that is true. However, the impact on humans of their surroundings can't really be underestimated. As in the workplace, output has been shown to improve immeasurably when the surroundings and provided equipment are of high quality. Mr Gove appears to be a sincere Education Secretary with some persuasive ideas. He can't, however, achieve his targets working alone. If parents want their children to succeed, then their input and time are vital ingredients to be added to the mix. It also goes without saying that the training and quality of teachers is a subject that requires root and branch attention.”
by mole10
Monday, March 05 2012, 9:48AM
“Lovely spin for an Academy.
Two lessons per day and an apology somewhere in the small print down at the bottom for lack of success because of it.
No one is denying that hrowing millions into a new building gets you anything less than a new building and if it is built in the 21st Century, it would have been some plonker who didn't design it 'fit for the 21st century'.
Justification by a spin doctor for a big money spend is not needed. What is needed are academic results for our children that justify your current political intrusion for past political mistakes.
Putting a Morris Minor engine into a Ferrari doesn't give you the right to say you drive round in a Ferrrari, Tristram.”