Nicky Morgan - may the good lord preserve us!

I wasn't a head girl.and wasn't even a perfect. Too irresponsible apparently. Good job I stopped.listening to them . Nicky Morgan has let teachers down.Events Cooper was the best minister as she had been a teacher all its for a short time I suspect unlike all other since Baker ( he of the days).

Yvette....yet I do like Events too. Albeit not all its. Must remember to re-read before posting very time.

Was Yvette Cooper really a teacher?. I can imagine her being a good but firm teacher. It seems impossible for any government to put a teacher in charge of education. Each minister has to clear up the mess of his /her predecessor and find something new to make headlines with.
Its depressing.

There is a very interesting thread on MumsNet about "What's in it for academy trusts?" - it is basically asking what attracts them to the role. The answer seems to be in a nutshell, that although they are theoretically not able to make a profit, they are often connected with larger businesses from whom they buy in "consultancy" and thereby make a profit indirectly.

Shabby business - I would rather our schools kept their hands clean and just existed for the service of the community and the children.

Some have religious affiliations, not sure that's a good idea.

I am very sure it isn't!!

Estelle Morris taught in a comprehensive school for many years. I had a lot of time for her back in the day. I once wrote to her re my daughter's teacher training, and she replied with a personal and very helpful letter that showed she had a good understanding of the issues involved and was keen to try to make a difference. She resigned after only a year in post, saying that she thought she was not up to the job. I wouldn't know whether she was right in her own assessment, but I can't imagine many other politicians being honest enough to admit it.

What's in it for Academy Trusts? Well, for some of the trustees, a tidy salary. £370,000pa in the case of the chief executive of the Harris Federation, according to recent reports. They're non-profit organisations, but that doesn't mean their leaders are doing it for love.

schoolsweek.co.uk/academy-ceo-pay-how-the-biggest-trusts-stack-up/

Maggie. Did your research into the pay explain where the money for the salaries was coming from? If it is from the budget given for the running of the schools that surely must be detrimental to the schools and the pay of the staff.

The drive for Academies is probably partly an attempt to de-unionise the teaching profession, much as the Charter School movement in the USA was. This enables teacher's pay to be driven down, stops any political influence and generally gives teachers less of a voice. If you wonder about why they would do this remember Nicky Morgan addressed the more moderate of the unions. I doubt if she would even have dared set foot in an NUT meeting. (She was the first minister for 20 years to address the teachers which I suppose is something.)

They can only play around with the budget given them and yes, the salaries have to come from this too.

Yes, the MATs take delivery from the Education Funding Agency of all the funds allocated to the schools in their trust, then share it out amongst the schools (sorry, academies), after taking out their own costs, typically between 3% and 5% of the total. Of course Local Authorities have always top-sliced the education budget to pay for central services provided to schools in their areas. The issue would be whether the Trusts are providing better or worse value for money.

The issue round funding, that is. There are, of course, many other controversies re conditions of employment, curriculum, etc, etc.

Conditions of employment for teachers, hard fought for over many years, are not upheld in most academies. Too much power is in the hands of the HT, the SMT and governors.

Oh, yeah, Nicky Morgan teaching a group of 15-16 year olds, now that I would like to see. She should try it before lecturing professionals on taking a positive attitude.

This academy stuff is privatisation of the education system through the back door but resistance is building and I reckon it may never make the statute book. This government is really getting itself into hot water all round and I just hope it gets hotter and hotter.

Do any other ex-teachers think that taking parents out of the equation (academies may not need a parent-governor) may not necessarily be a bad thing? Perhaps I'd better duck behind the parapet now!

Just read the other thread on academies and I take back the flippant remark I made above about parent governors.

schoolsweek.co.uk/perry-beeches-academy-trust-paid-1-3m-to-private-company-run-by-superhead-liam-nolan/

interesting, dj. Can't you just see it all going t**s up?

Today we went to lunch with friends and Iwhile there I was asked what I thought about Academies - and I said I was not in favour etc. They then told me their daughter taught in a school which had been a failing one and was now an Academy and she says it is so much better. It seems the atmosphere in the school is now so good it is a pleasure to go to work and it would appear it is all a success. I was totally amazed to hear this as had only heard about teachers being against them.

I'm sure there are good and bad academies, Welshwife, just as there are with schools remaining under the control of LAs but I still think it is a government ploy for privatisation by the back door. Not all teachers are aware of the politics going on in the background. I hope you had a good lunch, by the way!

fullfact.org/education/academies-and-maintained-schools-what-do-we-know/

This is a fact check on academies and state schools.
As you say, NotTooOld, there are good and bad academies. There are also two types.
When they were brought in by the Labour party, the idea was to improve failing schools. Those are the sort of academies that do well.
I know of one failing school in Hull which became an academy. It was moved into a brand new building, new staff, new equipment, lots of good will.
It failed and had to be closed.

I think I meant Estelle Morris many posts ago.....sorry.

Not too old the lunch was great - we went to a restaurant in an old Priory on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales - wonderful well presented food etc. Interesting what you say about the Academies Jen - I wonder if there has been really independent assessment of why some failing schools are successful when an Academy and others not. I think that if a school is doing well it should be left alone. The ideology behind these Academies is I fear changing and it is highly likely to have a hidden agenda.
My feeling on improving standards is to put more resources into Infant schools in the form of many more teachers who are really good at teaching little ones - this may not be the people with the highest qualifications in ONE subject but an all rounder with empathy with little ones struggling with things - very different animals to these high flyers in secondary schools of whatever ilk. If children do not have a good grasp of the basic skills they are at a great disadvantage for the remainder of their school days. Please don't anyone who has not done it think teaching in an Infant school is easy - it is one of the most tiring and draining jobs possible - but also one of the most rewarding - small steps which can make your day or even week!

I think the most important things in the running of any school are the head teacher and senior management team. If they are working together they can lift a failing school either as an Academy or under the LEA. The problem is the numbers of people willing to undertake any of these roles is steadily falling and even successful schools can rapidly deteriorate when a head retires or the senior Management team begin to move on. I'm pleased your daughter is happy Welshwife. It is a great profession.

Nicky Morgan says that being a parent won't make you a good governor.
What qualifications does she have for being an education minister?
She says that many parents do not rate education as a political priority when voting. I bet they will now, particularly after seeing her performance at the NAS.

Can't wait for Hunt to say that patients do not think the NHS is a political priority.

I was Deputy Head girl when in 6th form. In my early days at secondary school I was the class clown and regularly in trouble. I suppose I could have gone either way at one point but finally sorted myself out and became "good". Most of the time.....