why are bucks uppers so unreliable?
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why are bucks uppers so unreliable?
One school comes out of special measures, another goes in, and two more wobble dangerously close.(just those I know of)
There seems to be a continual cycle of instability with our uppers, particularly with staff leaving ill fated schools following management shake ups, or disagreements.
Fern Britain is in the bucks free, bemoaning the latest yoyo school, holmer green senior:
http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/archive ... s__school/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Why are they so unstable when many of the grammars seem to be a rock solid ofsted rated outstanding?
This just adds to the whole feeling of children not passing their eleven plus in the area being fobbed off with not just a restrictive but also second rate education. This cycle has been happening to uppers for as long as I can remember, why hasn't something been done about it. Surely the level of disparity between school types is screaming out that a two tier system is simply not working?
We live in an area where 75% of our children are educated in upper schools and 25% in grammars, why are the schools that are serving the majority not managing to keep the title "good" or "outstanding" when those serving the minority of the population are?
Is there an easy read chart of regional schools ofsted results, like there is for gcse results?
All these yoyo schools seem to manage to get somewhere in the region of 60%+ of their kids to pass 5 gcse exams inc. maths and english, it seems to be the level of a child's improvement that is often criticised, or management methods. I am aware that ofsted inspections have changed and toughened up very recently and some grammars may also get a bit of criticism when they are next inspected, but like I said this has been happening since the 80's to my knowledge!
Ideas?
There seems to be a continual cycle of instability with our uppers, particularly with staff leaving ill fated schools following management shake ups, or disagreements.
Fern Britain is in the bucks free, bemoaning the latest yoyo school, holmer green senior:
http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/archive ... s__school/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Why are they so unstable when many of the grammars seem to be a rock solid ofsted rated outstanding?
This just adds to the whole feeling of children not passing their eleven plus in the area being fobbed off with not just a restrictive but also second rate education. This cycle has been happening to uppers for as long as I can remember, why hasn't something been done about it. Surely the level of disparity between school types is screaming out that a two tier system is simply not working?
We live in an area where 75% of our children are educated in upper schools and 25% in grammars, why are the schools that are serving the majority not managing to keep the title "good" or "outstanding" when those serving the minority of the population are?
Is there an easy read chart of regional schools ofsted results, like there is for gcse results?
All these yoyo schools seem to manage to get somewhere in the region of 60%+ of their kids to pass 5 gcse exams inc. maths and english, it seems to be the level of a child's improvement that is often criticised, or management methods. I am aware that ofsted inspections have changed and toughened up very recently and some grammars may also get a bit of criticism when they are next inspected, but like I said this has been happening since the 80's to my knowledge!
Ideas?
Last edited by southbucks3 on Sat May 17, 2014 11:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?
Sorry no ideas ...
The grammars have more money - full roles, parents happy to make donations (cheaper then paying school fees ). I wonder also if the Ofsted inspection model is really appropriate for uppers as it wasn't designed for schools which have (theoretically) had the top 30% skimmed off. Mr Gove also hasn't helped ....
The grammars have more money - full roles, parents happy to make donations (cheaper then paying school fees ). I wonder also if the Ofsted inspection model is really appropriate for uppers as it wasn't designed for schools which have (theoretically) had the top 30% skimmed off. Mr Gove also hasn't helped ....
Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?
I fully agree.kittymum wrote:I wonder also if the Ofsted inspection model is really appropriate for uppers as it wasn't designed for schools which have (theoretically) had the top 30% skimmed off.
I do wonder how much private tuition skews the results too. A large proportion of children gain entrance into Grammars off the back of extra tuition and I do know children currently attending semi-selectives who are continuing to use private tuition to keep up in what is a very competitive environment.
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Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?
True..pupils and oarents obviously play a part, but what about poor management and high staff turn over?
Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?
It's an interesting question, SB3.
I think part – though by no means all – of the answer is that when one of the Upper Schools is on the up and up, it attracts families who are keener to be involved in the school life and their children's education, so it becomes something of a virtuous circle. For example, when my two were still at primary school, people tried to avoid Amersham School like the plague and get their children into the Misbourne or Holmer Green.
In more recent times, though, Amersham has improved and is now over-subscribed for the first time in many years while the Misbourne had a few dodgy years but is now doing well again. In Amersham School's case this is down, I believe, to a very strong HT and deputy HT who have raised expectations and recruited well.
I think part – though by no means all – of the answer is that when one of the Upper Schools is on the up and up, it attracts families who are keener to be involved in the school life and their children's education, so it becomes something of a virtuous circle. For example, when my two were still at primary school, people tried to avoid Amersham School like the plague and get their children into the Misbourne or Holmer Green.
In more recent times, though, Amersham has improved and is now over-subscribed for the first time in many years while the Misbourne had a few dodgy years but is now doing well again. In Amersham School's case this is down, I believe, to a very strong HT and deputy HT who have raised expectations and recruited well.
Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?
My opinion, for what it's worth, is that there was about a five year period where no were Uppers in special measures a few years ago then they became Academies ...
Some have used that status well - others clearly haven't kept up to speed with the Ofsted changes. Also it is hard to recruit quality staff to Bucks because houses are so expensive - a strong field for a teaching post is a rarity even in Grammars.
Few Grammars have hace an Ofsted since the changes in 2012 and I think some might find the new standards a challenge ...
Some have used that status well - others clearly haven't kept up to speed with the Ofsted changes. Also it is hard to recruit quality staff to Bucks because houses are so expensive - a strong field for a teaching post is a rarity even in Grammars.
Few Grammars have hace an Ofsted since the changes in 2012 and I think some might find the new standards a challenge ...
Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?
Below are the 2013 figures from DFE for the % of pupils making "expected progress" in English and Maths (and also most recent Ofsted overall grade). Taking a quick look at these, I think that none of the Upper Schools matched any of the Grammar schools in their average "expected progress". The averages for the two types of school are: 67% and 71% for Upper Schools, and 96% and 97% for grammar schools.
Upper Schools:
Grammar Schools:
Upper Schools:
Code: Select all
The Grange School Good 71 70
Cressex Community School Requires Improvement 60 76
The Wye Valley School Inadequate 55 59
St Michael's Catholic School Good 65 75
The Misbourne School Good 71 80
The Aylesbury Vale Academy Satisfactory 62 69
Buckingham School Requires Improvement 60 71
Burnham Park E-ACT Academy Requires Improvement 83 58
The Mandeville School Inadequate 58 39
Highcrest Academy Requires Improvement 58 70
Princes Risborough Requires Improvement 65 84
John Colet School Requires Improvement 64 80
Holmer Green Senior School Requires Improvement 64 73
The Beaconsfield School Satisfactory 63 71
Sir William Ramsay School Good 85 72
Amersham School Good 69 80
The Chalfonts Community College Good 72 84
Waddesdon Church of England School Outstanding 86 77
Great Marlow School Good 80 86
The Cottesloe School Requires Improvement 71 65
Code: Select all
John Hampden Grammar School Outstanding 91 90
Burnham Grammar School Good 85 90
Aylesbury High School Outstanding 97 98
Dr Challoner's High School Outstanding 100 99
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School Good 94 98
Chesham Grammar School Outstanding 94 95
Aylesbury Grammar School Outstanding 97 98
Royal Latin School Outstanding 98 100
Wycombe High School Outstanding 98 98
Dr Challoner's Grammar School Outstanding 98 99
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School Outstanding 99 100
Beaconsfield High School Outstanding 100 100
Royal Grammar School Outstanding 98 99
Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?
'Outstanding' schools are inspected less often than those judged to be 'good' or 'requiring improvement'. It may therefore be that these schools haven't been inspected for a while and may no longer actually be 'outstanding' under the new framework ...
Just a thought ...
JD
Just a thought ...
JD
Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?
I would be sacked if my students only made 3 levels of progress in a GS! A level 5 to a grade B - hardly challenging ..
All school are compared to national three levels of progress ... in 2013 this was 69% in English and 70% in maths. Indeed Ofsted dig a bit deeper than this and look at progress from starting points.
Nationally in 2013 (data from RAISEonline):
3 levels of progress from level 3 - En 55%, Ma 44%
3 levels of progress from level 4 - En 71%, Ma 77%
3 levels of progress from level 5 - En 79%, Ma 81%
So the higher you achieve at KS2 the more likely you are to make expected progress - now there's a surprise ... not!
All school are compared to national three levels of progress ... in 2013 this was 69% in English and 70% in maths. Indeed Ofsted dig a bit deeper than this and look at progress from starting points.
Nationally in 2013 (data from RAISEonline):
3 levels of progress from level 3 - En 55%, Ma 44%
3 levels of progress from level 4 - En 71%, Ma 77%
3 levels of progress from level 5 - En 79%, Ma 81%
So the higher you achieve at KS2 the more likely you are to make expected progress - now there's a surprise ... not!
Last edited by Guest55 on Sat May 17, 2014 3:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?
I have to say Great Marlow with its 80 and 86 is impressive - yes not as good as it's close neighbour but considering it's different pupil makeup I think v good.