"School" TV programme

I have missed many of these and have been watching them on catch-up.

It is somewhat remorselessly depressing, and I just begin to wonder how schools can carry on like this. Also whether the current Ed Sec (goodness knows who that is now; they seem to change all the time) should be strapped to a chair and made to watch it.

This litany of cuts; and the staff uncertainty about their futures, depression over the impossibility of doing the job properly in the conditions they work under, and the pressure of OfSted visits - no wonder they are leaving. A bad OfSted no longer carries with it the help needed to improve the school - it just sets up a downward spiral of reduced staff morale, fewer pupils (as parents quite reasonably vote with their feet) which results in, less income, reduced ability to recruit good staff etc. etc.

I was deeply concerned by the pupils who were chosen to talk to the OfSted inspector - they knew very well that they had enormous power (too much for such young people) as the school was desperate to get out of special measures. What a burden to place on them.

The head of the "failing" school struck me as seriously inadequate with barmy ideas like "Care Bear week" to improve staff morale - unbelievable! The school where I am governor would have taken a far more professional approach to staff stress and anxiety.

And as for the head of the over-arching academy trust - the whole concept is sickening. He just seemed to waft about bearing bad news with very little true engagement with the problems the schools are facing.

I find it all deeply depressing.