You will know I am not one to get onto a mildly political rant… but just for today…
I am getting horrendously pissed off by (amongst other things) the constant bashing of Academy schooling. There are streams of reports taking the ‘academies are failing our children’ stance yet I have seen nothing written of schools which are actually the better for it.
So for a moment, I want to talk about my own experiences of the academy system… nothing funny/entertaining in this… but if you prefer your arguments to have balance, then maybe you will read on!
Baby’s school announced they were contemplating ‘going academy’ and progressed to send home swathes of information explaining what this meant for the school, how the parents (and more importantly children) were going to be affected by the decision and dates of the many consultation events which were going to be held.
Now I am not an idiot (no, really, I am NOT!!) – I know if they want to give a persuasive argument what is sent home will only be positive so being a researcher… well, I researched… and read page after page of negativity deriding the move. I could see nothing before me which made me think this would be a good move; yet the school were promising rainbows and bunnies … what to do?
The entire process felt much like the run-up to an election: the school promising everything we could ask for whilst we, the voters, listened carefully thinking all the while “they probably won’t do that, but wouldn’t it be great if they did?!”
So after many well-planned consultations (some during the day, some evenings- even a couple at the weekends, so the only excuse for non-attendance would be your own apathy) a vote was taken. Having weighed up the evidence against such a move and heard the promises of the staff to the contrary, I voted YES.
As did the majority of others.
But having been shown accounts, sample academy accounts, seen school meal menu plans and outlines of new buildings which would be affordable only under academy status, it seemed the logical move.
And it has been.
• In complete contrast to a recent article by Jamie Oliver regarding academy meals being dire, ours are great. Good, wholesome ingredients are delivered fresh each day from local suppliers and turned into fantastic meals the kids love.
• Sports provision has improved greatly with the main focus being on outdoor activity, raincoats now being part of the PE kit and ‘manning up’ generally encouraged.
• A new library has been built and stocked with far more books than previously
• Music is featured more heavily on the curriculum, giving scope for children to develop more of an interest
• The school facilities have been fully renovated; toilet blocks, access ramps etc have all been developed beyond the crude stages afforded under previous funding
These are just a few of the changes to the school itself. In real terms though we have a school filled with happy children, confident in their surroundings, well-supported by a staff team who work together brilliantly. High standards are achieved by all, with most parents I speak with telling me their own children have increased greatly in achievement level since the changeover. The children take part in many enrichment activities and trips which have relevance to their learning as well as being fun, be it as simple as a walk into the town as part of an orienteering session, a two-hour coach ride for a city experience or a week in a foreign country (although I couldn’t bring myself to set my nine-year-old off on that particular journey!). Staffing levels are hugely increased, also. Whilst class sizes themselves remain at previous levels, there are more LSA’s, giving greater support to the teachers and helping pupils get the attention they might need.
All round, it has been the most positive move you can think of.
So don’t immediately knock the academies… they will work as well as those running them so should each be judged on their own merit.
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