Only connect
James Serjeant’s article about the impact of SATs (Year 6 can’t keep paying the price of data farming, 3 September) is sadly correct, but doesn’t go far enough. The problem is not just the focus on testing in year 6, but an entire system failing children who struggle academically, especially boys.
Schools squeeze interventions into their assembly times so that they don’t miss lessons they can’t engage in anyway because they are so far behind. What they really need is consistency: one trusted person to spend a little time with them outside of class each day.
I recently worked with three boys who were three years behind when they started year 3. I wasn’t asked to do it; I just made it my mission to get them reading. I made the time before lessons started and just after lunch.
By the time they started year 4, they could all read and they wanted to engage in lessons. Their parents’ desire to support them also increased.
It isn’t rocket science. We’ve just lost sight of the basics. Until we go back to those, children will keep relying on TAs with the time and the support to use their initiative.
Sherrie Paget, Primary teaching assistant, London
The Conversation comes to an end
I was saddened to find in last week’s edition that your long-running feature, The Conversation is no more.
I loved it. It was a weekly chance to find blogs from diverse perspectives, ignored by social media algorithms and echo chambers. Even the research schools publish each other’s blogs in a bubble. Often these are great, but how do we find new perspectives that challenge us?
The blogs linked in The Conversation were often perfect for this kind of discovery. Schools Week had us covered.
Sure, there will be many different perspectives on the letters page that replaces it. But can anyone really make you think deeply in 150 words? That would be a very rare letter indeed.
And who reads published letters anyway? Not me. They’re all ‘Outraged of Bury St Edmunds’ (not to judge Mr Outrage, of course) and I’m, like, ‘Slightly Miffed from Swindon’, and you’ll just cruise on past this like yet another turnoff on the M4 on the way to Bristol.
Dominic Salles, Education consultant, YouTuber, author, entrepreneur, and English teacher
Engagement farming
Thirty years ago, a friend taught maths at Chipping Norton High School. She probably taught Clarkson’s Farm star Kaleb Cooper’s dad. Or, judging from Kaleb, failed to teach him much about anything.
Kaleb is clearly bright. He is articulate and capable of thinking through serious and complex issues. And, judging from his conversations with Jeremy, he had no interest in most of the things teachers tried to teach him.
So, dare I say it, Reform have a point. (Farage: ‘Let’s start teaching trades and services at school’, 5 September). Some kids really know what they want to do, and I don’t see why we should not support them in that.
Why shouldn’t Chipping Norton High School offer a serious farming course at Key Stage 4? That would have directly helped Kaleb in his career, and I think he would have been a more engaged pupil more generally had they done so.
Tim Leunig, Director, Public First Consulting
SEND help
Splitting EHCPs into chunks seems to be inviting extra stress for already struggling families, who would surely end up having to apply for each segment separately. (Restrict EHCPs to pupils with most severe needs, says children’s commissioner, 8 September)
It would also inevitably create extra work for the agencies involved, and potentially create gaps for children to fall through.
On the other hand, a new national framework of need levels seems sensible. I just hope it comes with statutory compliance and support, like EHCPs do!
Jayne Cooper, Special education teacher and mother of two, North Yorkshire
Busted!
So, Lee Anderson has finally exposed our diabolical plot to “brainwash” children with dangerous propaganda like… [Checks notes] reading, critical thinking and the radical notion that treating others with respect is a good thing. (Reform government would ‘root out teachers brainwashing kids’ says MP Lee Anderson, 6 September)
I can’t wait to see how he performs as education secretary. After all, what could possibly go wrong with a DfE that treats education as a conspiracy and learning as suspect?
Yours in manufactured outrage,
Dan Morrow, CEO, Cornwall Education Learning Trust
To respond to anything you’ve read in Schools Week this week, comment anywhere on our website or email letterstotheeditor@schoolsweek.co.uk
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