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| Cuts could mean schools close early two days a week, say teachers | Cuts could mean schools close early two days a week, say teachers |
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| Schools in England and Wales are considering closing early two days a week because they cannot afford enough teachers to cover the timetable, a union has said. | Schools in England and Wales are considering closing early two days a week because they cannot afford enough teachers to cover the timetable, a union has said. |
| The warning came at the annual conference of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), where the education secretary, Justine Greening, was heckled by teachers over plans for more grammar schools. | The warning came at the annual conference of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), where the education secretary, Justine Greening, was heckled by teachers over plans for more grammar schools. |
| Cries of “no!” echoed around Birmingham’s ICC when Greening claimed that “we have to recognise actually that for grammars, in terms of the disadvantaged children that they have, they really do help them to close the attainment gap”. | Cries of “no!” echoed around Birmingham’s ICC when Greening claimed that “we have to recognise actually that for grammars, in terms of the disadvantaged children that they have, they really do help them to close the attainment gap”. |
| The heckles were not caught on camera because organisers banned filming in the auditorium “so that members felt free to ask questions and the secretary of state didn’t feel constrained”, an ASCL spokesman said. | The heckles were not caught on camera because organisers banned filming in the auditorium “so that members felt free to ask questions and the secretary of state didn’t feel constrained”, an ASCL spokesman said. |
| Before the conference began, Malcolm Trobe, ASCL’s interim general secretary, said some headteachers were talking about reducing the weekly teaching hours from 25 to 23. | Before the conference began, Malcolm Trobe, ASCL’s interim general secretary, said some headteachers were talking about reducing the weekly teaching hours from 25 to 23. |
| “What I have heard a number of people talking about is that they are considering reducing the number of lessons in a week, for example, if they currently have 25 one-hour sessions a week, going down to 23; having shorter sessions on a Wednesday or Friday,” he told reporters. “Teachers would have that [those two hours] as planning and preparation time.” | “What I have heard a number of people talking about is that they are considering reducing the number of lessons in a week, for example, if they currently have 25 one-hour sessions a week, going down to 23; having shorter sessions on a Wednesday or Friday,” he told reporters. “Teachers would have that [those two hours] as planning and preparation time.” |
| He added: “They are doing it because they haven’t got enough teaching time to keep the full whack going.” | He added: “They are doing it because they haven’t got enough teaching time to keep the full whack going.” |
| Schools in some areas had floated the idea of going down to a four-day week, but Trobe said that would be illegal. The Department for Education has decreed that schools must meet for at least 380 sessions or 190 days during any school year to educate their pupils. | Schools in some areas had floated the idea of going down to a four-day week, but Trobe said that would be illegal. The Department for Education has decreed that schools must meet for at least 380 sessions or 190 days during any school year to educate their pupils. |
| Early finishes have already proved controversial in England and Wales.There were protests from parents at Cottesbrook Juniors in Acocks Green, Birmingham, in 2012 when the head announced plans to close early each Friday to allow teachers to catch up on paperwork. The school was subsequently turned into an academy and now finishes at the normal time.The rules are different in Scotland, where the length of the school week is at the discretion of local education authorities. Though all schools have to be open for 190 days, some local authorities have allowed early finishes one day a week. | Early finishes have already proved controversial in England and Wales.There were protests from parents at Cottesbrook Juniors in Acocks Green, Birmingham, in 2012 when the head announced plans to close early each Friday to allow teachers to catch up on paperwork. The school was subsequently turned into an academy and now finishes at the normal time.The rules are different in Scotland, where the length of the school week is at the discretion of local education authorities. Though all schools have to be open for 190 days, some local authorities have allowed early finishes one day a week. |
| Since 2005 schools in Edinburgh have operated what they call the “asymmetric week”. The time spent in the classroom remains the same for pupils but the hours are spread over 4 ½ days, with a lunchtime finish on Fridays. Lunch breaks may be shorter than schools in other authorities and there are generally no breaks in the afternoon for pupils. The deal enables sports and arts activities for pupils to take place across the city on a Friday afternoon and allows planning for staff development, according to a spokeswoman from Edinburgh city council. | Since 2005 schools in Edinburgh have operated what they call the “asymmetric week”. The time spent in the classroom remains the same for pupils but the hours are spread over 4 ½ days, with a lunchtime finish on Fridays. Lunch breaks may be shorter than schools in other authorities and there are generally no breaks in the afternoon for pupils. The deal enables sports and arts activities for pupils to take place across the city on a Friday afternoon and allows planning for staff development, according to a spokeswoman from Edinburgh city council. |
| Geoff Barton, the incoming ASCL general secretary, and a headteacher at King Edward VI upper school in Bury, said his school was looking at reducing subjects in future rather than lesson time. | Geoff Barton, the incoming ASCL general secretary, and a headteacher at King Edward VI upper school in Bury, said his school was looking at reducing subjects in future rather than lesson time. |
| An ASCL survey found that 95% of members had had to cut back on support services for students and 68% said enrichment activities had been reduced because of budget pressures. Eighty-two per cent said class sizes had had to increase, with 20% of them saying there were between six and 10 more pupils per class. | |
| Trobe told the conference the National Audit Office had estimated that the impact of the extra cost pressures on schools over the duration of this parliament would mean an 8% increase in the cost of running a school. A report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies last week indicated that spending per pupil would drop by 6.5% by 2019-20. | Trobe told the conference the National Audit Office had estimated that the impact of the extra cost pressures on schools over the duration of this parliament would mean an 8% increase in the cost of running a school. A report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies last week indicated that spending per pupil would drop by 6.5% by 2019-20. |
| Greening did not respond to suggestions by Trobe that the government should pay off the student loans of graduates who became teachers to tackle the recruitment and retention crisis. | Greening did not respond to suggestions by Trobe that the government should pay off the student loans of graduates who became teachers to tackle the recruitment and retention crisis. |
| In his speech, Trobe said: “We believe one straightforward, practical step which would attract more of the brightest and best graduates into the profession would be for the government to commit to paying off the annual repayment of student loans for as many years as eligible teachers remain in teaching; writing off the loan completely after a certain period, say 10 years. | In his speech, Trobe said: “We believe one straightforward, practical step which would attract more of the brightest and best graduates into the profession would be for the government to commit to paying off the annual repayment of student loans for as many years as eligible teachers remain in teaching; writing off the loan completely after a certain period, say 10 years. |
| “It would serve as an incentive, not only in terms of recruiting graduates into the profession, but also in helping to retain them.” | “It would serve as an incentive, not only in terms of recruiting graduates into the profession, but also in helping to retain them.” |
| The new chief inspector of schools, Amanda Spielman, received a rather warmer welcome from delegates than Greening when she said the burden of Ofsted inspections was sometimes too great for overloaded teachers. | The new chief inspector of schools, Amanda Spielman, received a rather warmer welcome from delegates than Greening when she said the burden of Ofsted inspections was sometimes too great for overloaded teachers. |
| “Inspection should not be making your job unnecessarily difficult or laborious. Or, worse still, actually diverting you from the real task at hand – our children’s education,” she said, to murmurs of approval. She also promised not to impose her “personal prejudices” about how they should run their schools – a remark interpreted by many as a gentle dig at her predecessor, Sir Michael Wilshaw.She also said that changes to the exam system made it difficult to predict pupil performance. “For example, we know that it is impossible for schools to predict this year’s student outcomes in the new English and maths GCSEs with any accuracy,” she said. “That is why Sean Harford, our national director of education, has written to inspectors to ask that they do not request predictions from schools: in fact he described it as ‘a mug’s game’.” | “Inspection should not be making your job unnecessarily difficult or laborious. Or, worse still, actually diverting you from the real task at hand – our children’s education,” she said, to murmurs of approval. She also promised not to impose her “personal prejudices” about how they should run their schools – a remark interpreted by many as a gentle dig at her predecessor, Sir Michael Wilshaw.She also said that changes to the exam system made it difficult to predict pupil performance. “For example, we know that it is impossible for schools to predict this year’s student outcomes in the new English and maths GCSEs with any accuracy,” she said. “That is why Sean Harford, our national director of education, has written to inspectors to ask that they do not request predictions from schools: in fact he described it as ‘a mug’s game’.” |