Law of unintended consequences

[Paul Welsh]

At the risk of repeating myself, if anyone sees the prospect of St B's
being able to become a selective academy as a positive thing, be
careful.

The Diocese's agenda is to drop selection at St Bernard's.

They could convert St B's to a selective academy and then almost
immediately drop selection.

We need to put pressure on our MPs to ensure that selection at
selective academies cannot be dropped without parental ballot, thereby
keeping the current legal protections that exist for grammar schools.
It seems to me that the government is in a rush to get this
legislation through. It needs to be careful that it doesn't fall foul
of the law of unintended consequences.

As for this idea of the parents "taking over" the school, perhaps I
have misunderstood but I don't see how this could happen. The Diocese
owns the school and appoints most of the governors. It is not going
to walk away and allow anyone else to gain control.

['Phil]

Paul
I agree completely. We need pressure on MPs to keep parent ballot. Diocese will agree to keep selection if we solve their maintenance problem at st J and st B

Regards
'Phil

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[susy shearer]

I believe you are completely correct, Paul, on all these points. 

 

Yesterday's Daily Telegraph article (p. 10) mentioned Michael Gove's wish to see 

academies become the norm. It also reiterated the idea that, "All academies will

be expected to strike up partnerships with poor-performing state schools nearby

to drive up standards."  The independence of new academies and the cutting out of

local authority bureaucracy, resulting in cost savings for each Head, is seen as

another huge plus -- couple this with VAT-exempt new build on the SBC site plus

revenue from the sale of StJ's site and the Diocese is looking at a very rosy

picture...

 

The article also stated that 'outstanding' schools may be fast-tracked into the

scheme by September, "...while others would undergo a "quicker and less bureau-

cratic" application process."  This could mean any kind of timescale, depending

on how quickly the Diocese is able to negotiate. We should be prepared for this. 

 

There seems no possibility of SBC as it currently exists being taken over by parents

as the school is owned by the Diocese, and there seems to be no possibility for an

academy to retain selection as an entrance criterion as academies are by their nature

non-selective. It seems the two most likley possibilities could therefore be:

 

      - a non-selective Catholic academy allowed to operate on the SBC site, serving

             Slough children almost exclusively;

      - an 'old-new', completely independent, parent-operated selective faith-based

             but inclusive St.Bernard's school, located somewhere else.

 

 

Am I 'getting it'...?

 

Best regards,

Susy 

---

From: Paul Welsh <paul.w...@googlemail.com>
To: save-st-...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, 27 May, 2010 22:29:51
Subject: [ssb] Law of unintended consequences

At the risk of repeating myself, if anyone sees the prospect of St B's
being able to become a selective academy as a positive thing, be
careful.

The Diocese's agenda is to drop selection at St Bernard's.

They could convert St B's to a selective academy and then almost
immediately drop selection.

We need to put pressure on our MPs to ensure that selection at
selective academies cannot be dropped without parental ballot, thereby
keeping the current legal protections that exist for grammar schools.
It seems to me that the government is in a rush to get this
legislation through.  It needs to be careful that it doesn't fall foul
of the law of unintended consequences.

As for this idea of the parents "taking over" the school, perhaps I
have misunderstood but I don't see how this could happen.  The Diocese
owns the school and appoints most of the governors.  It is not going
to walk away and allow anyone else to gain control.

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[Phil Sage]

Suzy I agree with everything you write except selectivity as an Academy.  The admissions site states

My school is an outstanding grammar school - can I remain selective as an academy? 
Any outstanding school which is currently a maintained grammar school or uses partial selection (such as for aptitude in a specialist subject) will be able to retain its selective arrangements. 

http://www.education.gov.uk/academies/faqs#r1

We seem to be at the stage and with sufficient interest that it would be worthwhile organising a meeting to discuss and prioritise the various options.

I personally believe that we have a strong case to enforce the parental ballot given that the school would continue at SBC which means we hold an effective veto.

That said the best outcome for all is to help the Diocese get enough money to refurbish St Bernards and rebuild St J completely.

What I have no feel for is whether the Diocese want to drop selection at SBC out of ideology or just money.  Money we can cope with and work together.  To overcome the ideology we need the parental ballet on our side.

Regards

Phil

---

From: susy shearer <shea...@btinternet.com>
To: save-st-...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Fri, 28 May, 2010 8:41:23
Subject: Re: [ssb] Law of unintended consequences

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[Paul Dodgshun]

Susy,

I find this persuasive :-
http://www.education.gov.uk/academies/faqs#a1

My school is an outstanding grammar school - can I remain selective as
an academy?

Any outstanding school which is currently a maintained grammar school
or uses partial selection (such as for aptitude in a specialist
subject) will be able to retain its selective arrangements.

The question that arises is, "How do the parents make sure that the
governors and sponsor do not remove the selection at a later date?"

Regards,
Paul Dodgshun

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[ni...@cre.org.uk]

Absolutely!
At present, Gove needs the grammar schools to help drive his reforms
forward.
But to get academy status, they will have to link up with and help
under-performing schools. This may be, and probably is, comprehensivisation
by stealth. As grammar schools entries (and hence budgets) are reduced
wherever practicable by federations etc, and with an outright ban on more
grammar schools, the grammars are subject to a ratchet effect, which only
goes one way.
Best, Nick.