This morning the Secretary of State for Education addressed the Confederation of School Trusts online conference.  Responding, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

On academisation:

“Schools have been at the heart of the national response to Covid-19. We have seen how both LA maintained schools and Academies have gone above and beyond to keep children safe, fed and educated. Over the last year there have been many examples of different types of schools working together to ensure the best possible response to the crisis. We have seen how being part of a network of schools can be hugely beneficial and those networks come in a range of different forms, including working within a Local Authority.

“For some schools converting to academy status can be a positive step and we continue to support the right of schools to choose to convert where it’s in the interests of the school and the community it serves. But we remain strongly opposed to forced academisation. Now is not the time for the government to begin obsessing about different types of structures again – there is already enough to do without additional distractions. The most important thing the government could do now is to properly fund and resource all schools, regardless of the name over the gate, and to invest in and support all teachers to deliver great teaching in the classroom.

“There also needs to be recognition that nearly half of all pupils in this country are still taught in LA maintained schools, and while the government can choose to emphasise the benefits of one particular model and argue for Trusts over LAs, it cannot - must not - be to the detriment of all pupils being taught in non-Academy schools. Investment in schools must be fair to all, irrespective of governance structures.”

On intervention:

“Moving schools that are struggling from one form of governance to another can be costly and by itself is an ineffective solution for improving standards. This proposal could have precisely the opposite effect to that intended. Increasing the stakes of inspection further - by introducing a ‘three-strikes and you’re out’ rule - will serve only to dissuade good teachers and leaders from moving to work in the very places that need them most, thereby making the challenge of improving schools even more difficult.

“Schools are more often part of the solution not the problem. We need a concerted, cross-government commitment to improving the life chances of young people in our most marginalised and deprived communities, and addressing the root causes of under-performance. Rather than reaching for the same old solutions, it's time for a fundamental re-think of how we support all young people in this country, irrespective of where they live, to achieve their full potential.”

On behaviour:

“Ofsted recently increased their focus and reporting on pupil behaviour, to give information to parents and provide precisely this national overview of effectiveness. These inspections show that the overwhelming majority of schools in this country are calm, orderly places, conducive to learning and where pupils feel safe. In the small number of schools where standards of behaviour fall short, Ofsted do not pull their punches in reporting this. If the government does not trust these judgements then it should say so. It is very hard to see the announcement of a termly behaviour survey as anything other than a stunt designed to secure some quick, easy headlines. It is likely to prove a costly and unnecessary distraction to schools.”

Press and Media contacts:

Steven George
NAHT Head of Press and Media
01444 472886
07970 907730

Rose Tremlett 
Senior Press Officer 
07545 354363

Email : press.office@naht.org.uk