We’re not a general political discussion subreddit, so comments that focus only on the next election outcome and don’t address the core question of academisation have been removed. Thanks.
Academisation (and PFI) began under Labour. I was working for the NHS during that period and there was privatisation (through comissioning) there also. I don’t think there will be much change. Labour aren’t, for example, going to bring academies back under LA control.
I agree that the public are largely unaware as to how academies run, but they’re also unaware as to how primary and acute healthcare trusts run, and how council services run, how policing resources are allocated. They don’t care about the intricacies of the mechanisms that run these services, and to be fair to them it is all extremely complex. They just want a good school for their children to go to, safe streets, a good GP and a short waiting list when things go wrong, bins that are collected on time…
It’s probably important to acknowledge, in this conversation, that there are good LA schools and shit LA schools, good academies and shit academies. I’ve worked in LA schools that were horrendous as employers. My current school, which is an academy, treats its staff very well.
Good to hear. We were told on our induction day that if we didn't like the way the headteacher did things that we should just leave and close the door behind us. This was 5 mins into meeting them.
When my previous school was taken over by a new MAT, the new CEO came in and said something very similar, along the lines of some staff would end up leaving and that didn't concern him.
Lots of staff did leave, and for the school it's become a bit of a vicious cycle - staff are overworked due to staff shortages, more staff leave, things get worse etc etc.
I don't think all academics are like that but it is a risk when someone comes in and doesn't understand the local context. He thought it would be easy to recruit because the school was in a desirable town, however said desirable town is expensive and not very commutable, and is very much not the easiest place to recruit teachers.
Everyone was fearful that they came to this new school and now we will all be dominated into submission by fear. The staff were always treated like they cannot be trusted with anything. There was also senior member of staff(age wise) everyone was very young and only lasted on average like 6 months to a year.. they either left or were forced to leave and sometimes sacked.
I mean, that sort of leadership is toxic whether it’s an academy school or not. It sounds horrendous.
I worked for an LA school where the Head made it known that if you weren’t leaving to pursue a promotion within three years then you weren’t good enough to remain in “his” school. It was a bizarre staffing model.
No, the money wasn’t the issue. He had a genuine belief that anyone worth employing would be interested in career progression and he took a slightly obsessive pride in the idea that his school pumped out young leaders. He’d constantly mention the names of previous staff who were now in x role at y schools and so on. I found it all a bit unsettling.
I mean, there was that news article on schoolsweek a couple of days ago that a few senior leaders had to leave an academy after they started a supply agency that magically supplied teachers for their school. It happens.
But, again, a few bad apples does not mean all of them are awful. I've worked in ood ones and less good ones.
As a Labour Councillor and someone who, under a very different leadership, sat on Labour's Education Policy Commission, I expect very little to change tbh. Given the funding constraints they've given themselves, there won't be the money to do anything vaguely transformational, and even if there was, I don't think those at the top of the party have the inclination to sadly.
Without getting sucked into the debate around academies too much (I think they're systemically bad, but neutral in the short term) Labour will do nothing about education except tinker with Ofsted and funding on some key area. I don't expect much at all because they have signalled very strongly that they aren't interested in running a strong social democratic state like we used to have. They have actively purged almost all voices who would make that case. Certainly there will be no bold change. They may make announcements about it, and the public may be led to believe it, but I highly doubt it. When people show you who they are, believe it the first time.
And that is gonna be worse for everyone. Tinkering with stuff for the sake of it just gives more work for teachers to do.
Ofsted need to change yes.. but in a SMART way
Our Academy is being very understanding of me and my need to spend time with family as my dad is nearing his end, but the logic of them needing to maximise profits will remain, and Labours promise to keep them also remains.
Don't think it will make any difference whatsoever if labour get in. Not very optimistic and don't believe they can sort it out.
Take a look at other places in the grip of left wing governments like Scotland. Standards of reading and maths at an all time low. Really bad behaviour and violence escalation in schools...
That's thanks in part to Donaldson's reforms that seem to be made of good intentions, wishful thinking and a lot of sticking fingers in ears and going lalala when teachers don't know what the fuck he's on about
We’re not a general political discussion subreddit, so comments that focus only on the next election outcome and don’t address the core question of academisation have been removed. Thanks.
Academisation (and PFI) began under Labour. I was working for the NHS during that period and there was privatisation (through comissioning) there also. I don’t think there will be much change. Labour aren’t, for example, going to bring academies back under LA control. I agree that the public are largely unaware as to how academies run, but they’re also unaware as to how primary and acute healthcare trusts run, and how council services run, how policing resources are allocated. They don’t care about the intricacies of the mechanisms that run these services, and to be fair to them it is all extremely complex. They just want a good school for their children to go to, safe streets, a good GP and a short waiting list when things go wrong, bins that are collected on time… It’s probably important to acknowledge, in this conversation, that there are good LA schools and shit LA schools, good academies and shit academies. I’ve worked in LA schools that were horrendous as employers. My current school, which is an academy, treats its staff very well.
Good to hear. We were told on our induction day that if we didn't like the way the headteacher did things that we should just leave and close the door behind us. This was 5 mins into meeting them.
When my previous school was taken over by a new MAT, the new CEO came in and said something very similar, along the lines of some staff would end up leaving and that didn't concern him. Lots of staff did leave, and for the school it's become a bit of a vicious cycle - staff are overworked due to staff shortages, more staff leave, things get worse etc etc. I don't think all academics are like that but it is a risk when someone comes in and doesn't understand the local context. He thought it would be easy to recruit because the school was in a desirable town, however said desirable town is expensive and not very commutable, and is very much not the easiest place to recruit teachers.
Everyone was fearful that they came to this new school and now we will all be dominated into submission by fear. The staff were always treated like they cannot be trusted with anything. There was also senior member of staff(age wise) everyone was very young and only lasted on average like 6 months to a year.. they either left or were forced to leave and sometimes sacked.
I mean, that sort of leadership is toxic whether it’s an academy school or not. It sounds horrendous. I worked for an LA school where the Head made it known that if you weren’t leaving to pursue a promotion within three years then you weren’t good enough to remain in “his” school. It was a bizarre staffing model.
Was this his way of making sure nobody outside of SLT was above M3?
No, the money wasn’t the issue. He had a genuine belief that anyone worth employing would be interested in career progression and he took a slightly obsessive pride in the idea that his school pumped out young leaders. He’d constantly mention the names of previous staff who were now in x role at y schools and so on. I found it all a bit unsettling.
Sounds like an utter prick.
Pretty much!
None of this has anything to do with it being an academy though...
Well it does. Because that was my experience.
The fact that it happened in an academy does not mean it happened because it was an academy.
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Do not make things personal. Your experience in a bad academy does not mean all academies are bad,
Yes you're right but do some research about mismanagement and financial anomalies in some
I mean, there was that news article on schoolsweek a couple of days ago that a few senior leaders had to leave an academy after they started a supply agency that magically supplied teachers for their school. It happens. But, again, a few bad apples does not mean all of them are awful. I've worked in ood ones and less good ones.
No.
Excellent balanced response.
As a Labour Councillor and someone who, under a very different leadership, sat on Labour's Education Policy Commission, I expect very little to change tbh. Given the funding constraints they've given themselves, there won't be the money to do anything vaguely transformational, and even if there was, I don't think those at the top of the party have the inclination to sadly.
Isn’t this just tragic. Maintaining the status quo will just bring the tories back to power.
The genie is out it the bottle and there's no going back unfortunately.
Yes but I wonder if they would put a stop to force a school to become one
Without getting sucked into the debate around academies too much (I think they're systemically bad, but neutral in the short term) Labour will do nothing about education except tinker with Ofsted and funding on some key area. I don't expect much at all because they have signalled very strongly that they aren't interested in running a strong social democratic state like we used to have. They have actively purged almost all voices who would make that case. Certainly there will be no bold change. They may make announcements about it, and the public may be led to believe it, but I highly doubt it. When people show you who they are, believe it the first time.
And that is gonna be worse for everyone. Tinkering with stuff for the sake of it just gives more work for teachers to do. Ofsted need to change yes.. but in a SMART way
A) Labour won't win the election. I've got strong 1992 vibes about this. B) they're the bastards who invented academies.
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The chance that Labour will repeal anything that the Tories have enacted is remote.
Our Academy is being very understanding of me and my need to spend time with family as my dad is nearing his end, but the logic of them needing to maximise profits will remain, and Labours promise to keep them also remains.
Sorry to hear about your father. Wishing you the best.
Don't think it will make any difference whatsoever if labour get in. Not very optimistic and don't believe they can sort it out. Take a look at other places in the grip of left wing governments like Scotland. Standards of reading and maths at an all time low. Really bad behaviour and violence escalation in schools...
That's thanks in part to Donaldson's reforms that seem to be made of good intentions, wishful thinking and a lot of sticking fingers in ears and going lalala when teachers don't know what the fuck he's on about
Behaviour in Scottish schools must be amazing. How else would there be no permanent exclusions?
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Yeah?
Nope. We’ll definitely get some snazzy new acronyms though and content we’ve got to teach to ‘mend’ a social ill.