Headteacher: We must act together to make sure SATs pain does not happen again

This plea from a primary headteacher appeared on Facebook about 12 hours ago and has received much attention. The Green Party has a long-standing policy in favour of the abolition of SATs and opposition has strengthened amongst parent groups and teachers.  
 

I am a primary head teacher and have taught in primary schools for the past 26 years. I started teaching when SATs were first introduced and have never thought they were a good idea but this year has been a disaster from start to finish. Before I explain why that is I want to apologise. I want to say sorry to my staff and my children. I am sorry that I didn’t act sooner, that I wasn’t brave enough to stand up at the start of the year and say no. We all knew it was going to be bad but I really couldn’t have imagined it would be this bad.

The year has been chaotic from start to finish. The testing regime being just one part of that. From the Key Stage 1 SPAG test published on line for several months without the DfE noticing, to the terrible Year 6 tests which have left nearly half of our Year 6 pupils being told they are not good enough.

So to those young people moving on to secondary school I say to you well done for working hard and trying your best. Your school and your teachers have not failed you – this government has.

Over the past few days I have heard some terrible stories – head teachers sent home and told not to return, Year 6 teachers blamed for the results and told they can no longer teach in Year 6 – these are people’s lives, people’s livelihoods – teachers went in to the profession to make a difference – we have a system set on destroying them.

To my staff and my children – again I am sorry – you are amazing – each and every one of you – you are individual, you are unique and no child should ever have to be tested on a standardised test because you are not standard. No teacher should be made to feel they have failed when all they have done is work as hard as they can - often too hard to implement something which shouldn’t have been implemented.

So now a request to all of you – parents, teachers, head teachers, school staff. If you agree that these tests are wrong and should go. If you really believe as I have heard many of you say that this year must be the last year that we put our children through this then please do not allow the 6 week holiday to numb your pain. Please remember what this has done to our schools and our children and please do something – write to anyone and everyone, put pressure on politicians and let us all together build a campaign to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Our children should leave primary school confident learners who are looking forward to secondary school, keen to learn and develop their skills but also people who have respect and understanding for those around them and who will grow in to well-grounded young people who can contribute positively to our society.

I for one cannot do this again I hope others join me to say enough is enough. Our children deserve so much more.

Unions hail 'new era of stability' for Sudbury Primary Academy

In a joint statement today the ATL, GMB and NUT in Brent announced that the suspended headteacher of Sudbury Primary Academy has resigned.

The unions had threatened joint strike action if headteacher Uma Pandya returned to the school. LINK

Hank Roberts, an ATL Executive member and Branch secretary, said that a 'punitive Ofsted system' and lack of local authority oversight of academies was leading to an increase in allegations of headteacher bullying.

He said that the abandonment of the government's academisation programme and a more supportive inspection system would greatly improve matters.

The statement said:

All the unions congratulate the staff for standing up for themselves and the pupils. We also thank the new Chair of governors, Ian Phillips, for his professional approach throughout this difficult period and helping to get the school back on track. We look forward to a new era of stability for the school where everyone will be working together to deliver the very best for the children.

Another meeting about Sudbury Primary School on Thursday

 

Teacher and non-teacher unions have called a meeting for parents and carers of Sudbury Primary School pupis at the Partyman Play Centre at Vale Farm on Thursday at 4.30pm - a time they say was chosen to enable the maximun number of parents to attend to find out what is going on at the school.

The unions say they hope for a big turn-out of parents, with some governors and councillors too, and that the meeting will lead to a solution that will avoid strike action.

Why a retired headteacher and current governor supports today's teachers' strike

It is simple really: teachers have no choice but to strike if they are to stop education spiralling into a crisis that will damage thousands of children. A one day strike is inconvenient - Michael Gove and the Global Education Reform Movement is a catastrophe.

The DfE and Ofsted would have us believe that the quality of education our children receive is dependent on tough 'super' head teachers and their senior management teams following government diktat. It is not.

What is important is the quality of the teaching force, their creativity and their commitment. At a day to day level is is important that they should not be tired, frazzled, over-burdened with paperwork and fearful of the next monitoring visit.

Labour and now the Coalition have put the teaching force under incredible strain in terms of workload and have accompanied this by attacks on their professionalism and their conditions of service. Pensions have been cut and contributions increased, take home pay has declined 17% since 2010 and they are now expected to work until the age of 68.

Imagine for a moment  teaching a class of  lively 5 year olds as a 68 year old! The fact is that it will be a huge strain and  bad for teacher and child. Governors and parents must realise this is something they cannot countenance. Teachers will end up retiring early due to ill-health or will be subject to 'competency' procedures that will end their careers on a sad and sour note. 

Teachers are leaving the profession in increasing numbers with many young teachers giving up exhausted and frustrated after five years. Recruitment of headteachers is in crisis. Morale is plummeting.

The introduction of performance related pay will tie teachers ever closer to target driven lessons related to spurious data based on testing. 'Standards' may go up but in reality will reflect more 'teaching to the test'.

But worse is waiting in the wings. The employment of unqualified teachers by free schools and academies is a wedge that will be used to increase the employment of unqualified teachers in local authority schools faced by declining budgets. This deskilling and deprofessionalisation is no accident because corporations such as Murdoch (Gove's ex-employer) and Pearsons are on hand to supply schools with ipad based curriculum packages for individualised learning - much cheaper than teachers and supervised by low paid teaching assistants.

I respect teachers and have seen their commitment over the years and now in the schools where I am a governor. I am not surprised that the research shows that they work a 60 hour week to keep up with the planning and paperwork. I am impressed that despite this they find time to organise and supervise residential visits with children, organise sleepovers at the Science Museum, run afterschool clubs and fund raise at the School Fair.

Their commitment to children and their learning is immense but continually undermined by government interference and bullying and an inspection system that induces fear rather than positive partnership for improvement.

Support the teachers today for a better tomorrow for our children.