NUT: Labelling schools in this way is derogatory and insulting
Wednesday, 18 January 2012 11:19 AM
Commenting on Ofsted’s plans to remove the satisfactory judgement for school inspections and replace it with a ‘requires improvement’ grade, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union said:
“All teachers and school leaders want nothing but the best for their pupils and no school willingly sits on its laurels as far as pupil attainment is concerned.
“First we had ‘underperforming’ schools, now we have ‘coasting’ schools. Labelling schools in this way is derogatory and insulting to pupils, teachers, school leaders and governors. The Government’s real agenda behind this change is of course inventing yet another category of schools that it will then seek to force into academy status.
“It is a pity that tomorrow’s Downing St summit is not discussing what measures the Government should be putting in place to support schools at a time when local authority and school budgets, along with capital spending on schools, are being cut.
“The Government’s focus should be on identifying and providing the resources that schools need to provide the best possible education for all children. To be constantly changing the goal posts for measuring a school’s success is destabilising and demoralising for the whole school community”.
END Pr07-2012
For further details contact Caroline Cowie on 0207 380 4706 or 07879480061
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