Jonathan Savage

Good question – you might ask? One key thinker behind this Government’s education policy is Anthony Seldon – Master (that’s Headteacher to the rest of us) at Wellington College. His report for the Centre for Policy Studies (An End to Factory Schools), lists twenty recommendations for education policy for the next ten years. Here they are and, as we go through them, I’ll try to work out how many have been implemented (or in the process of implementation) by this Government already:

1. Genuinely independent state schools. Done – Academies Bill on its way through Parliament.
2. Curriculum autonomy. Schools should be free to decide their own curriculum, and the way that it is taught. Done – key plank of academies and free school reform.
3. Intellectual rigour. Not sure – Seldon thinks that ‘intellectual depth is lacking in too many schools’. I disagree.
4. Active learning not rote learning. Not sure – again, Seldon states that ‘in too many schools there are insufficient opportunities for students to think and learn independently’. This is not my experience.
5. Holistic development. Not sure – Seldon believes that ‘few state schools offer the same opportunities for holistic education as independent schools’. Not sure where he’s been recently.
6. Behaviour and wellbeing. Fine – difficult to argue that this is not important for all schools.
7. Service. Not sure – is the provision of ‘combined cadet forces’ really the answer? Other outdoor challenges, adventures, expditions would be great though.
8. Pupil responsibility. Fine – but many schools give students position of responsibility and leadership already.
9. Diversify public examinations. Being done – QCDA to be abolished; OfQual will be wondering; lots of encouragement for schools to diversify here but little thought about consequences on a National Curriculum and what we might loose in the process.
10. League Tables. Seldon’s key message here is to simplify. In the case of academies, it will be simplification to the point of not having to publish data. So – done!
11. Inspection. Done – several of Seldon’s points here are adopted in the revised role of OfSTED and the targeting of schools that are, apparently, not doing well.
12. Facilitating teacher recruitment. Seldon states that ‘pathways into teaching must be made easier for able and highly committed graduates. There should be less emphasis on theory for postgraduates, and easier entry into teaching for those who have already built careers outside the profession’. Done – very worried about developments in this area.
13. Make schools more congenial for teachers. Not many teachers would argue that bureaucracy should be slashed, etc.
14. Discipline. Who is going to argue that all schools shouldn’t be safe and secure for all pupils?
15. Teaching professionalism. Seldon wants the General Teaching Council (GTC) abolished. Done. What will replace it? Seldon has some ideas here about what he calls a more ‘rigorous, self-funded professional body’.
16. More leadership by heads. Will quote at length here. Seldon says ‘Heads should have more freedom to run their schools without constant oversight and reference back to governors and local authorities. But when heads show themselves to be unworthy of this autonomy because they are failing to give clear and visible leadership, governing bodies need to intervene, and either help the
heads stand on their own feet, or promptly replace them if they are not going to make the grade. The aim of a good governing body is to appoint the head and to oversee the finances efficiently’. In respect of headteachers – done. I am very worried about Seldon’s views about school governors who remain the only group with the power to challenge headteachers.
17. School size. Seldon believes that schools over 600 should be broken down into houses. Not done. His general points about every pupil needing to feel valued are important for all schools.
18. Active parents and the community. This includes schools being more proactive about their community involvement and open for longer hours. Extended schools? Partially done.
19. ICT. Seldon argues for greater use, but ‘schools should be free to choose to use IT’. BECTA – abolished. Harnessing Technology Fund – cut significantly to fund free school agenda. The jury is out on this Government’s commitment (or lack of commitment) to ICT within education.
20. The education ‘establishment’. Again, worth an extended quote. Seldon writes that ‘the DCSF, QCDA, Ofqual, Ofsted, the TDA, SSAT, GTC and ISC should all undergo radical restructuring before 2015. They need to decentralise power, to facilitate rather than drive change and to work collaboratively rather than dictatorially. They should be far slimmer. They need to trust schools more and let creativity and individuality blossom, rather than be stifled by central blueprint’. Done – and watch out for further cuts in the autumn.

So, by my reckoning Seldon scores 9/20 in terms of his recommendations that have been adopted already by this coalition (either completely or partially). Of the remainder, it seems that at least 7 or 8 are aspirations that the majority of schools would either aspire to anyway or are, in my experience at least, doing. There are a few aspects of his recommendations (e.g. the role of school governors) which haven’t been take up yet. But who knows that the future holds!

On that basis, I’d recommend that you read his study. It may wind you up but you’ll probably end up better informed about what, to my mind, seems like the sheer lunacy of some of these educational polices.