Education Leader and Manager December 2009
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In this issue
Employment matters
Colleges in Wales
ACM/AMiE President
ACM at the TUC
Education for all: the Nuffield Review
AMiE is a partnership between ACM and ATL
The Nuffield Review of 14–19 education, conducted over the last five years by Richard Pring and his team, released its report in May. Education for All provides a detailed and considered discussion of some of the key issues relating to this important phase of education.
The review considers teaching, learning, qualifications and performance management, and how devolution in Wales is enabling the Welsh system to move in different directions from England although it is constrained by the need to maintain progression routes into higher education throughout the UK. Education for All* starts with two key questions: ‘What counts as an educated 19 year old in this day and age?’ and ‘Are the models of education we have inherited from the past sufficient to meet the needs of all young people as well as the social and economic needs of the wider community?’
The Nuffield Review
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How you answer the first may well impact on your views in relation to the second.
Cover story by Bob Vesey, AMiE National Council member, and Director of Learner Services, Harrow College
Current models, however, are not simply inherited from the past. Ministers, almost continuously it seems, modify the system, funding, the curriculum, the qualification framework and the performance measures against which we are all judged, in order to try to find a better match between what the system delivers and current ministerial expectations. In the last decade or so, much of the change that governments have brought about has been beneficial – the age of participation in learning has risen and is set to rise further, and staying on rates have improved, as have levels of attainment. Further, there have been recent major steps by government to improve inclusivity in the education system. Every Child Matters, described as ‘radical’ by the Review, is an innovative attempt to bring together the local social, health and educational services so that professionals can work in partnership to meet the needs of all children. While it is too early to evaluate this, like the ‘No Child Left Behind’ programme in the United States, it is certainly a significant shift in the right direction. Yet for all that has been achieved, there is still a sense that the system cannot escape from a past in which it was thought that the majority of young people who were not in grammar schools ‘were thought not to be able to benefit from any further general education’. While few today would defend that view, much of the history of the development of educational policy for the 14–19 phase since the 1980s has been about trying to devise a curriculum suitable for those young people for whom an academic programme of study is not deemed suitable.
Education and training should be guided and inspired by aims and values which are relevant to all young people.
For those who have not lived through the plethora of initiatives, schemes, curriculum reforms and funding changes that have characterised the vocational curriculum since the 1970s, Education for All contains a brief summary of the changes that have meant that young people in vocational learning have almost always been involved in programmes that are relatively new, perhaps experimental. The current 14–19 reforms are also doomed to have a short shelf life and the authors ask, sensibly, ‘why the present reforms should succeed when so many of the ones in the recent past have failed’. Education for All contains a detailed discussion of the purposes of education and, while recognising that ‘there will not be universal agreement’, the issues raised will strike a chord with professionals who work with young people. The authors seek to shift the debate away from the Government’s narrow focus on ‘the need to develop skills for the economy’. While recognising that ‘a more prosperous economic future should be an aim of education’, they argue that such a focus ‘should not exclude the wider vision of education’. That wider vision needs to include much more than employability skills – the current preoccupation of ministers. For the authors, ‘education and training should be guided and inspired by aims and values which are relevant to all young people, irrespective of background, ability and talent. Such aims respect the young person as a whole, in need not only of intellectual development, but also of a wider sense of fulfilment, self-esteem and hope.’ The Review questions the appropriateness of the performance measures employed by government to assess the effectiveness of the system. At present Ministers require that these measures should aggregate easily in order to provide a fast overall national picture. The result of this methodology is that while these performance indicators are easy to work with, they often fail to gather the information that matters and that would give a truer picture of performance. For example even when the Government’s own advisers raise issues, such as the Chief Inspector’s concern about ‘teaching to the test’, the Government is unable to flex its thinking.
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Similarly, the Government is not able to recognise that national prescription does not always work for every local area. There is evidence, for example, that the ‘sixth form presumption’ may reduce participation in some communities. Where this happens, it is likely to be those young people who stand to gain most from the Every Child Matters strategy who will lose out. Thus while it is acknowledged that national government has a mandate, there is a sense in which it has centralised too much and ‘might be exercising more control than it can wisely manage’. There is one field in which it is relatively easy to argue that the Government emphasis on central control is simply mistaken, and that is the way in which a prescriptive curriculum undervalues the professional role of the teacher. The current framework largely sees teachers as ‘mere “deliverers of the curriculum” – something devised elsewhere for transmission to the learners’. Ironically, a current injunction from government requires schools and colleges to improve engagement with the learner voice, a perfectly laudable injunction. What a pity that government does not see a similar need to engage the teacher voice. Education for All contains a comprehensive set of recommendations relating to the aims and values of education, performance and its measurement, curriculum, qualifications and assessment and much more. It is well researched, readable and challenging. It encourages policymakers to make a step change in thinking and to engage better with professionals and local democracy. National prescription has not done as well as it might and there is a clear case for change, very well made in this volume. The future of a large number of young people may depend on whether policymakers are willing to take note and consider alternative strategies that might better meet the needs of those who get a raw deal from the present system. *Pring, R. et al. (2009) Education for All: The future of education and training for 14–19 year olds. London: Routledge.
Employment matters
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A political or philosophical belief? David Green, Director of Employment Services, AMiE
Can a person potentially suffer discrimination at work because they believe that carbon emissions must be cut to avoid the consequences of climate change? Apparently yes, according to a recent employment tribunal in London. The case arose after the claimant, Mr Nicholson, was made redundant from his post with property company Grainger plc.* He said his dismissal was due to his beliefs on climate change, and he subsequently took his case to a tribunal, arguing that his beliefs and lifestyle deserved protection under the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003.
Should we be forced to employ as a teacher someone who denies the occurrence of the Holocaust on the grounds that it is somehow a philosophical belief?
But like most employment cases, the devil is in the detail. Before considering the reasons why he was dismissed, the tribunal had to decide whether or not Mr Nicholson’s beliefs fell within the scope of the regulations. At a pre-hearing review, the tribunal accepted that his views on climate change affected most aspects of his life, being much more than just an opinion. They were also satisfied that his beliefs met the necessary legal tests of being sufficiently cogent, serious, cohesive and important, as well as worthy of respect in a democratic society. So on this basis, the tribunal found that his beliefs on climate change did fall within the scope of the regulations. However, this ruling is not the end of the matter. Having won the argument that his belief is covered by the regulations, the claimant will still have to prove that his dismissal was actually due to his philosophical belief.
This is an issue for a further hearing. Nor does this tribunal decision set a precedent: case law can only be established by a higher court, and it will be for the Employment Appeals Tribunal to make such a ruling (the employer has indicated an intention to appeal).
Controversial issues But the tribunal’s decision is certainly interesting. Indeed, since becoming law, the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations have looked at some controversial issues, including: whether or not in some occupations certain styles of clothing (such as the niqab) or religious symbols (such as a crucifix) should be permitted; whether an official can refuse to conduct civil partnerships; and whether a social worker can refuse to place children for adoption with a same-sex couple. But this particular case appears to blur the ground when it comes to political views. The Government has said that political beliefs are not covered by the regulations, and attempts to use them by BNP members have so far failed. But what if the belief were a fundamental part of a political party’s policy? Certainly a member of the Green Party could make the link with climate change. But, more alarmingly, what about a fascist? Could a BNP member argue that fascism is a cogent, serious, cohesive and important belief, worthy of respect in a democratic society? I sincerely hope not. This country may have sent two fascists to sit in the European Parliament, but should we, for example, be forced to employ as a teacher someone who denies the occurrence of the Holocaust on the grounds that it is somehow a philosophical belief? *Nicholson v Grainger plc and others, London Central Employment Tribunal 2203367/08
Books and words From the Editor
WORDS MATTER The word ‘college’, according to my Oxford etymological dictionary, comes from Latin and Old French words which translate to something like ‘a community gathering together with a common interest in reading and learning’. It is a serious word with an impressive pedigree. Even more importantly, perhaps, the word ‘college’ is widely understood and its meaning is clear to all and not at all obscure. The term ‘provider’ on the other hand is ill understood beyond esoteric policy conversations: it makes little sense to students, families or ordinar y employers. Maybe there are organisations – not colleges – which need to go by the handle of ‘provider’. So be it. But let our sector insist on our proper title: we are colleges!
A date for your diary
ACM/AMiE’S SECOND ANNUAL SEMINAR Date: Wednesday 12 May 201 0 Venue: Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS Keynote speaker: Professor Alma Harris, Pro-Director (Leadership) and Professor of Educational Leadership, London Centre for Leadership in Learning, Institute of Education, University of London (TBC). The programme will include a poli cy forum and the Association’s AGM .
And now you’ve got me started, I’d like to remind politicians that in colleges we teach and we train. Postal workers and parcel vans deliver.
By Jim Collins Random House Business Books (2001) ISBN: 0712676090 Review by Reg Chapman, AMiE/ACM Council Member This beautifully written leadership classic is the most influential book of the last 20 years on the pursuit of excellence – a major objective of many colleges and schools. It is based on a five-year research project to find out how US companies make the leap from good to great and sustain it over a 15-year period. It seeks to discover what it is that the gold medal winners do which distinguishes them from those who compete but win no medals. Many of its phrases have become commonplace in both the business and public sectors, including: ‘getting the right people on the bus’; ‘Level 5 Leadership’; and ‘confront the brutal facts’.
The FE sector is the most important part of the education sector in terms of race equality. Lord Herman Ouseley Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each. Plato
AMiE BOOKSHELF Good to Great
TALKING POINTS
It has even spawned its own acronym for good to great: ‘G2G’. Gordon Brown recently stated that his ambition for public services is to move from ‘good to great’. So what’s in this book for hard-pressed education managers? Thoughtful and provocative, some of its key findings ring true: leaders don’t need to be charismatic or larger than life, but rather should be humble and determined; they should focus on performance and results; and, above all, should set high standards and live by them. The central message is that greatness is never an accident, but a result of choices made by leaders. Whether the G2G principles can be easily translated to the public sector, as Collins thinks, is debatable. But any education manager setting out to lead a college or school to excellence will find a lot of powerful material in Collins’ work and in his associated pamphlet Good to Great and the Social Sectors (Random House, 2006). Perhaps they are best read in conjunction with the 2008 Ofsted report How Colleges Improve.
As a teacher I feel I have a moral obligation to help the children in my classroom grow toward becoming full human beings and to feel successful. Teaching cognitive skills is not enough. Jean Medick It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts ... it is to teach them to think, if that is possible, and always to think for themselves. Robert Hutchins
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Colleges in Wales
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The view from Wales Brian Thornton, AMiE Regional Officer for Wales
As we move into what may be difficult times politically and economically for the sector, it is perhaps beneficial to remember our Ps and Qs – being Positive about the Quality of the provision that we offer to our students. The sector has seen excellent enrolment numbers, with learners seeking to improve their skills and qualifications. This is against a background of a high-quality service. Estyn’s recent annual report found many reasons to praise the sector:
1 In further education, 84% of sessions
are good or very good. This is above the 80% target set by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) for 2007/8.
1 Standards had improved in all the
colleges that were inspected last year.
1 All the colleges inspected this year have some outstanding aspects of provision, especially their links with industry.
1 Providers of further education
focus on improving standards and have very good systems for monitoring and improving quality.
1 In further education, standards as
judged during inspections have exceeded targets set by the WAG.
Budget variations It cannot be fair that someone who takes a principalship qualification in England can move to Wales, but not the other way around.
Economically, the actual effect of the reduction in funding for post-16 education is at the moment unclear. The Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) has set a budget that will require ‘average’ efficiency gains across the post-16 sector of around 5%, although there are other factors, such as incremental drift, that may drive this figure up. Also, the figure is an average, so the actual effects on individual colleges will, we assume, vary around this figure.
ACM/AMiE has pointed out to DCELLS and the Minister that the large variations to expected budgets was one of the major problems in last year’s budget settlement. Thus we hope for minimal variations, so that particular colleges are not singled out for severe cuts. The WAG has stated that the budget includes funding to drive the changes in the provider network through the transformation agenda: there will be clear institutional advantages to be had by working closely to the WAG agenda.
The General Teaching Council for Wales The WAG is consciously setting out distinct policies and philosophies in its education agenda. This is, of course, important and sensible, if devolution is to make a difference. One issue that will shortly be debated within ACM/AMiE is the status of the General Teaching Council for Wales (GTCW). In Wales, where we arguably have a greater, growing coalescence between the college and school sectors, the GTCW is the professional body for school teachers only. The GTCW believes that it is the appropriate body to bring greater consistency and coherence to the issue of professional selfregulation in FE, and across learner settings. This is particularly true with transformation, leading to an increase in the sharing of students between institutions and their staff. The GTCW argues that it can improve professional development opportunities in the FE sector and bring about a harmonisation of opportunities in continuing professional development.
Principalship One particular issue of concern to some members is that of the disparity in training opportunities for those who are interested in principalship, or at least in the advantages that can accrue by undertaking such a course.
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AMiE is the leading trade union and professional association for leaders and managers in colleges and schools. In England, there is a recognised qualification of principalship, which has common currency. In Wales, there are several courses that those interested in principalship could take, but none of these is actually a prerequisite to becoming a principal, nor are they acceptable qualifications if one wished to move across the border. It cannot be fair that someone who takes a principalship qualification in England can move to Wales, but not the other way around. There is a useful debate to be had on this issue and the GTCW is to attend the Wales committee meeting of ACM/AMiE to discuss their views in detail. ACM/AMiE is seeking genuine parity of esteem across the education sectors in Wales; there is still a sense of FE being undervalued and not being understood for the vibrant, high-quality sector that it is.
Support for teachers Finally, there are times in almost all of our working lives when we may benefit from some external and impartial support. Teacher Support Cymru is celebrating its tenth year this year, and their Wales representative gave an excellent and informative presentation to branch representatives at September’s Wales committee meeting of ACM/AMiE. The network can help with difficulties that members may be having regarding work-related stress, as well as information on finance and benefits – online help, useful factsheets and telephone support are available. Useful websites are www.teachersupport.info (contact enquiries@teachersupport.info) and also www.cusn.info (specifically geared towards supporting FE and HE). Several members have fed back that the support or information that they have received has been first class and of great benefit to them.
To join AMiE Encourage your colleagues to join AMiE by passing on the enclosed recruitment flyer. For further copies of the flyer, please email or telephone us. Tel 01858 411 541 Email membership@amie.uk.com or visit our website www.amie.co.uk AMiE is a partnership between the Association for College Management (ACM) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL)
Our services Our services include:
1 representation, help and advice on all employment matters. Our casework service is recognised as simply the best offered by any trade union
1 publications and best practice guides on curriculum and management issues
1 policy influence in political circles 1 education news updates 1 pensions advice, including information leaflets on important topics such as improving your pension prospects
1 good deals on insurance and
many other services and products.
Our membership We welcome college managers at all levels in further education colleges, sixth form colleges and adult education provision; school headteachers, deputy headteachers, bursars and heads of department. We also have many members in national organisations, training organisations and other areas of the education sector, including higher education.
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Interview with Stella Mbubaegbu CBE
Nothing is impossible After an ambitious rebuilding project, Highbury College Portsmouth recently welcomed students to its new campus. Alex Tomlin, Editor of ATL Report magazine, visited Highbury and talked to Principal Stella Mbubaegbu CBE about how she made it all happen.
A man in overalls with a pot of paint and a brush wanders up and down the stairs looking lost, while the receptionist has to think hard before directing a visitor to the toilet. ‘It’s my first day in this building,’ she explains. ‘It’s all new to me.’ It’s new to everyone. The finishing touches are just being applied to this brand new Highbury campus, the main site of Highbury College in Portsmouth and the final piece in the jigsaw of an ambitious project that has rebuilt or revamped all five of the college’s sites.
Wow factor Overseeing this project is Stella Mbubaegbu CBE, college Principal since 2001, when she was widely lauded for being the first black female principal of an FE college.
Meeting her in her pristine new office, I comment that she must be very proud of the building’s completion. She thinks for a moment, closing her eyes in contemplation, before deciding: ‘Proud is not the way I feel. If anything I feel quite sober – a calm “well we did it, there it is”. Going from the hustle and bustle of it being planned, organised, designed and being immersed in it and living it to it being done ...’ She tails off and then, suddenly more animated, adds: ‘I’m more into the enjoyment phase, watching staff come back. It’s the first time they have been in here and they’re just like “wow!”, faces glowing. The next bit will be when the students come back, particularly the second years, who will see the difference from the old building. I’m vicariously enjoying other people’s enjoyment of it.’
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Making it happen That attitude served Stella well as she progressed from teaching English literature at secondary school to lecturing on various subjects in college, then to senior lecturer, then up to vice-principal at Croydon College in south London. ‘There was no plan. Absolutely not! It’s just grown that way. I’ve just been interested by doing different things, by doing things I didn’t know much about before I did them. I just had a belief that I could do it.’ Finally came her milestone appointment as Principal at Highbury College. Presumably she must be proud of being the first black female principal? ‘Not particularly,’ she retorts. ‘Why was I the first? It should have happened long before. I mean, great, I’m the first, now let’s get lots more in.’ As chair of the Black Leadership Initiative (BLI) advisory board, Stella is well placed to help make that happen. Part of the Network for Black Professionals, the BLI exists to introduce practical measures to improve career development opportunities for black and ethnic minority tutors and managers working in the education sector.
Given the current travails affecting building projects in further education, I suggest that they were quite lucky in completing before the funding crisis hit. I should have chosen my words more carefully. ‘I don’t agree with luck, because it takes away from the strategic direction we took,’ Stella states definitively. ‘It was a vision we had, and we’ve pinched and scraped, sold land, and taken a hefty bank loan. We weren’t part of the problems other colleges have. We’re not lucky – we planned it.’ Warming to her theme, she continues: ‘It’s a dream we’ve been working towards for years. Other people thought it wouldn’t happen. The obstacles: no money, planning permission, you can’t purchase land; all sorts of angles to the “it-can’t-be-done” story. “Impossible” is not a word I recognise.’
Managers need to be stronger and clearer about their role. Management is a key component of the work schools and colleges do.’
One of the original supporters of the BLI was ACM, ATL’s partner in forming AMiE. As recently crowned president of both ACM and AMiE, Stella extols the benefits of the alliance with ATL: ‘AMiE is a fantastic opportunity for ACM and ATL to form a strong partnership with the strength to make a difference to managers that’s required at this point in time. It’s exciting, particularly to have a combined voice and presence. Managers need to be stronger and clearer about what their role is in the world. Management is a key component of the work schools and colleges do.’
Passionate about her work Passion for that work is what drives Stella and her eyes light up as she waxes lyrical about education: ‘I’ve been in education my whole working life. I went into work in education and stayed and loved it. You have such an opportunity to make a difference to individuals. I’m particularly passionate about FE because of its diversity.
Interview with Stella Mbubaegbu CBE
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You think: what do I do now to put even more back? It’s raised the bar.’ Looking at the list of her current activities, it’s hard to see how Stella could fit any more in. In addition to AMiE and BLI, her other roles include board member of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service, council member of Lifelong Learning UK, and member of the Ministerial Expert Group on 14–19, to name but a few.
I don’t subscribe to the view that vocational is inferior to academic.
Providing education and training that transforms individual lives and makes a difference to the community. That’s the core of what the best colleges are about; meeting the community where it’s at, meeting each individual who comes through the door at whatever point they’re at. That is actually amazing. At school you do certain things at certain ages, and at university there is an expectation that you’re at a certain level. At college you have a diverse range of individuals and we meet them at their starting point and work with them. It’s always about transformation.’ Working with employers is another important connection with the community. ‘A college such as Highbury that is vocational is strong in providing skills required by the local economy. I don’t subscribe to the view that vocational is inferior to academic. We need those vocational skills or where will the next plumbers come from?’ Explaining the diverse role of colleges is a challenge, particularly when it comes to the Government. ‘The problem with politicians is that most of them have never been to college and don’t understand the shape of it. They need it to be a shape they understand, but it’s too diverse. You get one government person in and you teach them what it’s about, and then they go and someone else comes in and needs to start learning from scratch.’
Amazing and humbling Stella’s work has earned her a trip to see the Queen to pick up a CBE for services to further education. ‘That was amazing and totally humbling; I didn’t expect it. When you’re honoured for what you love doing ... it’s difficult to describe the feeling.
‘I’m passionate about making a difference to as many people as I have an opportunity to,’ she says. ‘I don’t want to let an opportunity to make a difference go by. There’s so much need and I think if you’re in a position to enable good, meaningful, worthwhile things to happen, then you should.’ Stella is careful about what she gets involved in, however. ‘I don’t have patience for things that aren’t going anywhere. The groups should be effective if I’m chairing them! If I don’t have anything to contribute, then there’s no point.’ Is there any room for relaxation in her life? ‘I listen to myself and if I’ve had enough, I will stop – it’s sensible to stop. I tell all the managers at the college to take their holiday, because it’s there for a reason.’ Resting involves ‘doing nothing, putting my feet up and reading a book. That’s how I escape. Of course, then I don’t sleep, because I want to finish the book!’
What’s the next frontier? Overall, Stella is happy with what she’s doing and has no plans to change direction. ‘If I had an opportunity to make the same kind of difference to as many or more people as I do now, I would do it.’ I venture politics as an option. ‘No, I said the same kind of difference! Politicians don’t do things!’ she exclaims. ‘They’re making policy and holding on to their seat. I need to be able to see and influence directly.’ So with politics not an option, what are Stella’s ambitions? She doesn’t set herself personal goals as such. ‘My ambitions are for what I’m involved in, which is a trite thing to say, but it’s true because it’s what makes me really happy. My ambition is for my students and for this college. Where can we go now? What’s the next frontier?’
Policy debate
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New FE league table proposed Bob Vesey, AMiE National Council member, and Director of Learner Services, Harrow College
It would be difficult to find time to read everything that is published from the multiplicity of organisations operating in the policy and oversight arena in FE, so it is necessary to be selective. Occasionally, however, one piece proves to be headline-grabbing and finds its way immediately to the top of the reading pile. Towards Ambition 2020* from one of the Government’s key advisory bodies is one such document.
5eleased in late October, the report is seen as a key piece of advice to government in advance of a skills White Paper. In it, Chris Humphries, who leads the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), grabbed attention with his suggested new league table for colleges, with universities included later. The new league table is so simple that it was immediately attractive to officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, who said: ‘We work very closely with UKCES and warmly welcome their valuable insight on improving the skills system’ (Guardian, 23 October 2009). So what will the new league table be based on? Every course will be ranked according to:
1 learner success 1 customer satisfaction 1 destination (further study or work) 1 wage gain 1 quality inspection. We don’t need another complex and bureaucratic performance management system.
Let’s take a straightforward example to illustrate some of the problems with Humphries’ thinking. A college runs a course in Care at NVQ Level 3. The course has a high success rate and high customer satisfaction levels. It is parttime and all learners taking it are already working in care, so it’s difficult to judge the impact in terms of destination. Wage gain, however, is limited, as jobs in care pay wages that are rarely much above the minimum wage. As a result of the poor wage gain, the course is marked down and undermines the college’s position in the league table. Rational behaviour could lead the college to close down its care courses, as college managers have no influence over wage rates in the local economy. Suppose, however, that customer or learner satisfaction with a course is not high. In the example cited above, NVQ Level 3 in Care is a requirement for management jobs in care settings. Many learners are therefore taking the qualification as a requirement for progression. Where there is dissatisfaction, how does the league table reflect the responsibility of the Sector Skills Council or the awarding body as contributors to that low satisfaction level, perhaps because of poor design of a qualification that may, in the customer’s eyes, be not quite fit for purpose? Leaders in the colleges sector acknowledge that there is a need for a robust accountability framework, but let us have one that is based on a self-assessment model that involves a focus on learning, learners and the community. We don’t need another complex and bureaucratic performance management system that reduces course or college performance to a single but ultimately meaningless indicator.
This sounds like a modified Framework for Excellence. Experience suggests that the Government will jump at such an attractive idea for a league table that fits so well into the thinking that values anything that can be measured, whether worth measuring or not. Consultation will reveal it is not workable, but the Government will go ahead anyway, though *Towards Ambition 2020: skills, jobs, growth. with a watered-down version that will take Expert advice from the UK Commission for yet more resource from front-line services. Employment and Skills, UKCES, October 2009.
New regulations on emergency cover in schools
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Under cover arrangements Martin Freedman, Head of Pay, Conditions and Pension Department, ATL
From 1 September 2009, teachers covering for absent colleagues – like hurricanes in Hertfordshire – should hardly ever happen. Since teachers have been calling for this development for many years, and since even PricewaterhouseCoopers (a solid management consultancy) declared that cover was not an effective use of a teacher’s time, you’d think that implementation of the new system would have caused few difficulties. You’d be wrong. Why has the new ‘rarely cover’ policy proved to be more problematic than we thought? Some of these difficulties stem from a misunderstanding of the new regulations. Now, schools must have a policy in place that doesn’t rely on teachers to routinely cover classes where the person timetabled to take the class is absent. Of course, this doesn’t mean that, in circumstances which are exceptional or unforeseeable, emergency cover arrangements can’t be made. But it does mean that, when teachers are off with colds and flu in the winter, this cannot be designated as an unforeseeable event. The paralysis of London by snow last February was, however, an exceptional occurrence, given that the weather hadn’t been that bad since 1947.
There are three keys to success for ‘rarely cover’: consultation, consultation, consultation.
Many schools were already making good progress towards ‘rarely cover’ before September. In others, teachers were still covering for 30 hours a year or more; that’s 30 hours when they were not teaching or preparing work and 30 hours when pupils may have been getting an unsatisfactory educational experience. Unfortunately, in this situation, the policy has to reflect the pace of the slowest. Schools that had acceptable systems may have to adapt their systems to comply with the new regulations. The driving force behind the changes is the need to reduce the hours that teachers work.
Following the National Agreement on workload in 2003, teachers’ working hours did start to reduce, but this decline has recently halted and has even begun to reverse. Currently, teachers in primary schools regularly work more than 51 hours a week, while for those in secondaries, the figure is 50 hours. For members of the leadership group, working hours are higher still, with primary heads working in excess of 55 hours and secondary heads over 58 hours. Deputy heads work on average over 53 hours per week in primaries and over 54 hours in secondaries. Clearly, all of these are well in excess of the European benchmarks. There have been amendments to the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2009) to reflect the changes to ‘rarely cover’. These have been accompanied by guidance on the process of implementing the policy, drawn up by the Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group (affectionately – or otherwise – known as WAMG), which is the grouping of unions, employers and the DCSF that updates policy on teachers’ working conditions. People continually ask me whether we can produce a national template for ‘rarely cover’. WAMG considered this when we were discussing the new policy but decided that, as the circumstances facing each individual school are different, a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach would be unsuitable. And we had no desire to interfere with locally agreed arrangements, provided these didn’t breach the new regulations. There are three keys to success for ‘rarely cover’: consultation, consultation, consultation. Schools should consult union representatives in good time over the annual calendar and timetables and discuss timetable changes with individual members of staff – particularly where there have been changes as a result of the ‘rarely cover’ regulations. In general, timetable changes should be made only for sound educational reasons, and in-year alterations should not be frequent occurrences.
13 HEAD OFFICE Tel 01858 461 110 Fax 01858 461 366 NATIONAL HELPLINE Tel 01858 464 171 Email helpline@acm.uk.com or helpline@amie.uk.com
We have heard of incidences where schools have stopped all educational visits; where continuing professional development has been put on hold; of the use of ‘split classes’ and unnecessary increases in contact time. I would emphasise strongly that the aim of the new regulations is to improve conditions for all teachers and to reduce working time. Indeed, the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document has a new clause stating that: ’[rarely cover] is not intended to result in a worsening of a teacher’s overall working conditions’. For any changes to be effective, the outcome for the pupils must be a paramount consideration. I suspect – and I hope – that the flurry of reports we have been getting where schools have introduced variations at the very edge of acceptability are the result of misunderstandings and will be corrected in due course. Naturally, such a major cultural shift will take time to bed in, and we had anticipated at least a term before things calmed down and that schools would gradually come to their own solutions. In cases of doubt, regional WAMG advisers have been fully briefed on the problems and can assist schools, while local authorities and local WAMG groups are also on hand to help. In accordance with the principle of not attempting to micro-manage schools, national organisations will intervene only where local resolution has proved impossible. During many years (perhaps too many) involved in education negotiations, I have very often been told that proposed changes – however desirable – would be impossible to implement. The vast majority of these are now perfectly normal parts of school life. I am entirely convinced that cover for absent teachers will fall into this category and that future generations of teachers will not understand why there was any difficulty. Teachers didn’t really believe that ‘rarely cover’ would ever become part of their working life; its reality is a huge achievement.
PETER PENDLE General Secretary, ACM and National Officer, AMiE Tel 01992 571 823 or 01858 461 110 Mobile 07810 481 467 NADINE CARTNER Director of Policy Tel 020 7254 1445 Mobile 07713 267 748 SUKHI CHANA Finance and Office Team Leader Tel 01858 411 543 NEHA D’SOUZA Finance Administrator Tel 01858 411 544 YVONNE FLEMING National Officer for School Leadership Tel 0191 370 9939 Mobile 07595 280 408 DAVID GREEN Director of Employment Services Tel 01858 411 540 Mobile 07711 929 043 JULIA PEARSON PA to Management Team Tel 01858 411 542 CHARLOTTE MARTIN Membership Coordinator Tel 01858 411 541 SARA SHAW Director of Corporate Services Tel 01858 411 546 Mobile 07545 438 061
CONTACT THE EDITOR Nadine Cartner nadinecartner@amie.uk.com Tel 020 7254 1445 If you’d like to see pictures of your students feature on the cover of ELM, or if you’d like to contribute an article, book review, quote or letter, please send these to the editor.
Union news
14
ACM at the TUC: giving college managers a voice David Green, Director of Employment Services, AMiE
Two ACM motions – for the standards of information, advice and guidance in the education sector to be raised; and for FE colleges to be given the flexibility to respond to local need – were overwhelmingly supported by delegates to the 141st Trades Union Congress, held in Liverpool during September. Speaking at her first Congress as an ACM delegate, Pauline Rodmell (AMiE Regional Officer, Northern) said that too often, guidance serves the institution rather than the student. She told delegates that the Diploma and the rise in the participation age require excellent information, advice and guidance for young people, adding that the lynchpin of educational success is for young people to be placed on the right learning pathway. The ACM motion called for standards to be lifted by supporting and resourcing a culture of excellence, ambition and impartiality, best practice benchmarks and high-quality learning.
The two motions from ACM were among a number focusing on education and skills.
ACM General Secretary Peter Pendle moved ACM’s second motion, which branded demand-led learning as sleight of hand. Pointing out that demand for learning is not the same as need for learning, Peter said that FE colleges are leaders of learning in their communities and are in the best position to understand and respond to the unique pattern of needs, of both individuals and employers. The motion called upon the Government to give colleges the flexibility and discretion to respond to local needs within the broad policy outcomes of employability, a highly skilled workforce, combating disadvantage and supporting social cohesion.
Congress also debated another major issue for anyone working in education or social services – the new Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). ACM contributed to a detailed composite motion on the subject, calling specifically for ISA assessments to be based on relevant criteria using up-to-date and secure information. We also called for assurances that information from enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks will be considered with due care, so individuals who have been the subject of false allegations are not unreasonably barred. Speaking to the motion, Pauline Rodmell highlighted some scenarios that could easily be wrongly interpreted and result in members being banned. She said: ‘We are not saying that unproven allegations have no place in the vetting process – nobody wants another Ian Huntley. But proper consideration needs to be given, based on workable guidelines.’ The motion was passed with overwhelming support. The two motions from ACM were among a number focusing on education and skills. Our AMiE partners ATL moved a motion on the bonus culture in the public sector and schools in particular. Meanwhile, the University and College Union (UCU) spoiled what was a powerful and well-considered motion against privatisation in education, by using it as an opportunity for a thinly veiled attack on college managers by the UCU president. Throughout the week, Congress delegates discussed a wide range of subjects, heard speeches from politicians and visiting dignitaries, and even watched videos of trade unionism in action. A small organisation like ACM could easily have been lost in the bigger picture, but our two delegates, and our two motions, ensured once again that college managers had a voice.
Pensions
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Today’s workers, tomorrow’s pensioners John Lowe, ACM representative on the National Pensioners Convention Executive Committee
The National Pensioners Convention (NPC) was founded by the retired union leader Jack Jones in 1979 to campaign for improvements to the quality of life of pensioners throughout the UK. It is an alliance of local and regional pensioner organisations with the TUC and individual trade unions. ACM and ATL are members of this alliance, which is based on the premise that today’s workers are tomorrow’s pensioners. On 21 October, the NPC launched the Pensioners’ Manifesto in the House of Commons. Between now and the General Election, the NPC will put the manifesto before prospective parliamentary candidates as a way of highlighting the concerns of Britain’s 11 million pensioner voters and seek their support for the policies in the manifesto.
Major concerns There are six major concerns that pensioners wish to see implemented:
1 raising the basic state pension above the
official poverty level (currently estimated at £165 per week, whereas a full state pension is about £95) and linking it to the higher of the earnings or prices index
1 introducing free long-term and social Why not join the campaign for a better future while you are still a worker?
care funded from general taxation and provided without means-testing, rationing or a postcode lottery
1 funding good-quality local
services through national income tax rather than council tax
1 extending free UK-wide travel to all
forms of public transport (buses, trams and local rail) to encourage independence and greater mobility, as well as to help the environment and reduce demand on care services
1 ending age discrimination
where it adversely affects the opportunities, goods and services available to older people
1 raising the Winter Fuel Allowance to
£500 per pensioner household to tackle fuel poverty and winter deaths.
In addition to this new campaign, the NPC has been very involved in responding to two current government consultations that will have major impacts on pensioners. Building a society for all ages (Department for Work and Pensions, 2009) contains a wide range of proposals to deal with the welcome fact of increasing longevity which means that for the first time in our history there are more pensioners than there are children under the age of 16. Shaping the future of care together (Department of Health, 2009) is a Green Paper setting out a range of proposals to ensure proper care for this increasingly elderly population. It proposes a National Care Service comparable to the National Health Service, but it does not envisage funding it through general taxation, the NPC’s preferred option. You can find out more about these and about the NPC’s activities in general at www.npcuk.org The chances are that you will be a pensioner sooner rather than later. Why not join the campaign for a better future while you are still a worker, rather than waiting until you retire? Jack Jones’ theme song was Keep right on to the end of the road. There’s a long road to travel before pensioners’ needs are properly met in this country: the sooner we start the journey, the sooner we’ll get there.
Supporting gifted pupils
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Yvonne Fleming, National Officer for School Leadership, AMiE
John Stannard, National Champion for Gifted and Talented (G&T) laid out the future for the ‘brightest and the best’ in our schools and colleges at the London Regional Conference for G&T in June.
GIFTED AND TALENTED: THE WAY AHEAD ) ? s d r a w k c a b t i s (or i Chequered history The history of this often controversial subject has been somewhat chequered, to say the least. The National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth, based at Warwick University, was the first real attempt to tackle this issue. Its summer schools were enjoyed by a number of students whom I taught. However, it wasn’t long before it was seen as being too elitist. Only the top 5% were included and it was not reaching far enough into the pool of talented young people. The Young, Gifted and Talented (YG&T) Learner Academy was then established in 2007, the programme this time delivered by the CfBT Education Trust. Its website, packed with interactive activities and opportunities for the brightest 10% to access in regional hubs, was claimed as the way forward. But it too has apparently fallen short of expectations after a relatively short period of time. So what does the future now hold?
Further redesign The YG&T Learner Academy is to be ‘scaled back’ and ‘redesigned’ to provide a more straightforward catalogue of opportunities available to G&T learners across local authorities, regions and nationally. It is difficult not to see this as a cost-cutting measure, although the stated arguments take a different view. Government fears that the Academy has had the unintended consequence of encouraging schools to ‘displace their responsibility for G&T learners’, as well as it being impossible to meet the needs of students nationally in its present form. The former observation, in particular, is clearly based on a total lack of knowledge of the many excellent examples of schools working individually and in partnership to provide as wide a range of opportunities as possible to extend and excite young people. In an example from my own experience, a project in collaboration with a university team used science, mathematics, and design and technology to build a very large scale model of the London Eye in the school hall. Over 100 girls took part and had an extremely enjoyable day, many finding skills and talents of which they were not even aware at the beginning of the activity. Schools, however, will bear the brunt of the changes, with expectations in the area of G&T being ‘strengthened’ – in other words, further bureaucratic hoops linked to accountability systems. In this case it will mean completion of an annual online self-assessment against the whole school quality standards, backed up by monitoring through school improvement partners. The sweetener will supposedly be a shift of funding to schools, as YG&T opportunities will no longer be offered directly to learners, nor will services be commissioned directly from providers. Instead, a catalogue will be produced with two strands:
1 a directory of externally provided opportunities approved by the regional partnerships, and
1 a collection of exemplars, templates
and tools to support activity provided by schools, either individually or working collaboratively.
There will also be clearer guidance, or so it is to be hoped, on identification and support for gifted learners on a broad definition of progression.
17
A particular focus will also emerge in terms of producing a support model for gifted disadvantaged 14–19 year olds, to be rolled out from 2010. Building on models such as the City Gates project (which aims to improve the chances of disadvantaged young people in securing a place at a competitive university), the following will be made available on an annual basis:
1 matched scholarships (2,000 at £250 has been mooted as the initial figure)
1 progression academies 1 needs assessment.
In my experience, it has always been a contentious issue when attempts are made to draw up a list of G&T students. There are immediate concerns from parents as to why their offspring have not been chosen, as well as anxieties among chosen pupils that it will mean extra work or, more importantly, will target them as ‘nerdy’ by their peers. Indeed, I have seen examples of pupils deliberately setting out to do badly, to ensure that they would be removed from the register. Moreover, what about the late developer and those whose talents are clouded either by circumstances or personality issues?
Uncertainty
Helping all learners flourish
It is interesting to note that as CfBT’s YG&T contract expires next year, National Strategies will be taking over its role. However, as has been already made known, that organisation will also cease to exist in March 2011. Therefore, the suggestions in John Stannard’s speech of developing a national network of leading schools and local authorities would seem to be the future pathway of choice. We seem to be coming full circle once again, with a great deal of uncertainty, especially with regard to the role of the primary sector.
In a climate where ‘Every Child Matters’ and personalised learning appears to be the key, should we not simply be ensuring that all children are helped to reach their potential, whatever that might be? Providing new challenges, and extra opportunities for learning, enhances everyone’s experience and has untold benefits on a wider scale. High aspirations and the resources and support mechanisms to back up ambitious plans are the key to helping all learners flourish and develop talents, both hidden and observed.
As well as this uncertainty, other major questions remain:
Before yet another set of initiatives is introduced – with the attendant costs and potential waste of resources if the previous two examples are anything to go by – perhaps some measured and careful thought needs to be given and decisions made by those who count: school leaders, parents and pupils.
1 How do you identify this group? 1 Do they remain static? 1 Why is 10% a better figure than 5% (or
indeed any other number) in deciding who should get the benefit of extra funding?
Should we not simply be ensuring that all children are helped to reach their potential, whatever that might be?
18
Union news
Why not join the ACM/AMiE Council? An open invitation to members Dear Member, May we encourage you to consider standing for the ACM/AMiE Council? The elections are coming up shortly (see the timetable on the right) and we are hoping to attract to our 2010 Council many college and school managers who have not previously served. Whether you are a highly experienced leader or someone new to their first management post, your perspective would be a very welcome and valuable addition to the Association. Our aim is to be as representative as possible of our diverse membership. If you would like to join the Council and your nomination succeeds, we promise you a warm welcome and plenty of support while you settle into your role. There are many benefits arising from council membership, and the commitments on your side are very reasonable. If you are interested, and wish to discuss council membership further, call Nadine Cartner on 0207 254 1445. A request for nominations will be sent to members on 11 January 2010 and the closing date for nominations is 5pm on 12 February 2010.
Benefits of joining the ACM/AMiE Counci Policy information and debate
Election timetable 31/12/09 Electoral Reform (Ballot Services) Limited (ERBS) instructed as Independent Scrutineer to conduct the ballot on behalf of ACM (if required) and Electoral Reform (Mailing Services) Limited (ERMS) to be instructed as the Independent Agency to distribute the ballot papers
An opportunity to influence our lobbying agenda and thus to help shape government policy
11/01/10 Letter from General Secretary to members advising of election timetable, Independent Scrutineer and seeking nominations
An asset on your CV
12/02/10 (5pm) Closing date for nominations to be received at return address
Enjoyable networking opportunities
15/02/10 Nominations checked and approved by Council and sent to ERBS
The potential to reach high office in the Association A voice in national pay bargaining and employment relations issues
Your commitments Three council meetings each year (thus three full days including travel) over a three year term of office To uphold ACM/ AMiE’s values of professionalism, integrity and fairness, together with a commitment to excellence for students
Feedback on inspection framework ACM/AMiE is collecting the views of members whose institution has been inspected under the new Ofsted inspection frameworks that came into operation at the beginning of this term. We intend to give feedback to Ofsted on the key issues that are emerging with regard to the new arrangements. Depending on what we hear from you, we may also develop a seminar event to examine the issues. Please email nadinecartner@acm.uk.com (colleges) or yvonnefleming@amie.uk.com (schools) with your views.
15/02/10 ERBS compiles and prints ballot papers for any categories requiring a ballot for council vacancies 22/02/10 ERMS distributes ballot papers, containing election addresses, to appropriate members 26/02/10 (5pm) Closing date for voting papers to be returned to ERBS 29/02/10 ERBS counts voting papers 02/04/10 ERBS declares the results to the Association’s Chief Executive & General Secretary and informs him of receipt and resolution of any complaint alleging breach of the election procedures 02/04/10 Scrutineer’s report posted at head office in a conspicuous place accessible to members; remains there for at least one month 12/05/10 General Secretary announces new representatives at Annual General Meeting June 2010 newsletter New representatives to Council and contents of Scrutineer’s report published in newsletter. Members are notified that the Association will, on request, supply any member with a copy of the report free of charge
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The last word
20
Peter Pendle, General Secretary, ACM and National Officer, AMiE
The choice is clear: confrontation or dialogue.
Delegates at this year’s Trades Union Congress conference in Liverpool witnessed a significant divide in the way different trade unions are preparing for the political challenges on the horizon. On one side of this divide are those unions that are critical of the current Labour Government, accusing it of abandoning its traditional supporters and selling out to the interests of big business. These unions are preparing for a possible change in government by adopting more militant and confrontational policies. They argue that there is little difference between this Labour Government and a Tory administration. This approach results in disputes such as that between the Communication Workers Union and the Post Office – disputes where there can only be losers all round. On the other side are those unions that recognise that Labour has many significant achievements to its credit during its three terms in office: increasing expenditure on public services, determined attempts to improve the quality and consistency of provision, and a purposeful approach to equalities issues. Of course, these unions also recognise the shortcomings of the Labour Government, not least the increase in bureaucracy and the excessive use of target setting. But they know that even a flawed Labour Government is far better for their members – and for students – than a Conservative one. Nonetheless, whichever government is in power, they understand that, on almost all issues, dialogue is likely to achieve better results than confrontation, even on matters as important as the future of public sector pensions. In such circumstances it is important for like-minded organisations to stick together and prepare for the difficult times ahead.
Observers of the various political party conferences will understand that whichever party forms the next government, in both colleges and schools we can expect funding cuts which will impact on education and jobs. This is likely to lead to an increase in reorganisations, restructuring and redundancies, including a withdrawal of union facilities time. For niche professional unions, such as ACM/ AMiE, as budgets tighten it will become increasingly difficult for us to serve our members to the level that they expect and deserve. That is why our partnership with the ATL is so important. That partnership makes both parties stronger and enables AMiE to call on the support of a larger like-minded trade union which shares our values and objectives; a union focused both on the professional flourishing of its members and on their terms and conditions of service; a union willing to work to influence the government of the day. ACM/AMiE members can be confident that they will continue to receive a high level of service over the coming months, whether that is representation by the Association’s excellent team of regional officers, or lobbying and campaigning on educational issues at the political level. Since September I have been seconded to ATL on a part-time basis, preparing the two organisations for an even closer partnership and the possibility of a more formal coming together at some stage in the future. Should that happen, I am confident that ACM/AMiE will continue to provide what our members already consider to be the gold standard of employment representation. ACM’s national council has warmly welcomed these developments. Of course, before any such partnership is finalised, members will be consulted through a ballot. In the meantime, it is going to be turbulent few years for all those working in public service. But the choice is clear: confrontation or dialogue. ACM/AMiE is firmly on the side of dialogue and will work with those professional associations that adopt the same approach.
Edited and designed by thingswedo (www.thingswedo.com). Photographs courtesy of Crossways Academy (page 1); Harrow College (page 3) Printed by Blackmore Ltd, Shaftesbury. © ACM 2009. All rights reserved.