Academies were a Labour idea later embraced by the Tory LD coalition. Seems a bit like privatising education and have remained suspicious. So when a local millionare stated one I was curious to see what would happen.
The John Madejski Academy was inspected by the education watchdog in January and a report published this week said it was failing in every area assessed. It was judged to be "inadequate" - the lowest possible mark - in all four areas. Madeski seems to be in denial.
Inspector Maria Dawes said: "This school requires special measures because it is failing to give its students an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement."
In a letter sent to parents of children at the school on Tuesday, principal Nicola Maytum, who took up her role in January, wrote: "I would like to reassure you that I, staff and governors, are absolutely dedicated that your child receives a good education, that they will receive every opportunity to achieve at the John Madejski Academy and that we are focused on securing rapid improvements. We also must not forget that the Academy has many strengths."
Parents have been invited to a meeting on Wednesday at 6.30pm to talk to staff.
Green Party Policy on Academies:
ED130 Academies are often introduced to deprived areas as the only chance the school has to attract funding. Buildings and land which belong to the state are leased to a private sponsor or outside body. In the case of an Academy this private sponsor decides what the school’s specialism will be, what the curriculum will be and what wages individual teachers receive. The sponsor does not have to know anything about education yet has the power to make these crucial decisions.
ED131 The sponsor has the power to appoint the Board which appoints the Principal and the Governors. In some academies the parents have the right to vote for as little as one parent governor. This also removes the democratic control by local authorities of institutions that are financed by national and local taxation.
ED132 Academies can often take power away from parents, teachers and pupils regarding how the school is run. As with Specialist Schools the funding being offered can only be spent on certain things, for example in the case of an Academy the money is released for a new building so the school cannot choose to have a cheaper building or retro-fit existing buildings instead and spend the remaining money on, for example, more teachers.
Anti Academy Alliance
1 year ago
2 comments:
It is the system of education that lets down large numbers of students. The basic 3 Rs should be taught to a proper standard in the early years in the same way that they used to be before 'modern' teaching methods were adopted. The linked article refers to pupils coming to the school with literacy problems.
Teaching the basics at an early stage is absolutely essntial and without this the student is doomed to failure in the education system. This applies to all schools, not just JMA.
Like other schools JMA gets our tax money. Unlike them local education authority seems to have little to do with their agenda.
Education theory changes over time, look up phonics. Im not saying everything now is good but there are some change that would make sence.
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