Thursday, 19 July 2012

What 'School Success' Looks Like In 2012...

Back in Feb 2010, the Brighton 'Argus' announced:
Improvements at Patcham High School have been recognised through new CVA figures, helping the school into the top 200 most improved schools in the country.
Impressive! So, what improvements does the school trumpet - maths? English? Behaviour?
A secondary school’s pioneering project to help its students lose weight and get active has proved a success.
Oh.

Oh, well. Never mind if they can't read, write or add up, I suppose. So long as they aren't salad dodgers, we'll pat ourselves on the back..
at

8 comments:

  1. Trundlemaster19 July 2012 at 12:40

    From what I read elsewhere on the Argus site about this story it seems that the school was coming from a pretty low achievement level in the first place. It's a specialist Arts and Media school so academically it's probably a desert.

    This is appalling, here we have a school that is so useless and teaches so little of use, that the only thing they can boast about is the fact that their kids now know how not to be porkers.

    Check out the school governors letter to the Argus in 2006, it's a classic case of educational bullshit buzzword bingo. http://www.theargus.co.uk/archive/2006/11/24/Letters+to+the+Editor+%28argus_letters%29/1040323.Excellence_at_Patcham_High_School/

    It goes without saying that such a school would not be my choice for my child.

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  2. Anonymous19 July 2012 at 12:48

    A very deserving case for your force-fed raspberry treatment, JuliaM.

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  3. Trundlemaster19 July 2012 at 13:07

    Oh and another group of teachers who need removing from the profession.

    In Barking and Dagenham there is to be a merger of schools and the C of E school next door is going to take it over. The teachers, dear hearts, went on strike bleating about the change of status and concerned about the Christian ethos of the school, their minority pupils etc. However, during one interview with the striking teachers it appears that the unions grouch may be more to do with employment conditions. So it may not be about the kiddies welfare it's probably about the teachers wage packet.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18875638

    And what is the problem with the C of E? It's not like it's the taliban running the school is it?

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  4. Noggin the Nog19 July 2012 at 13:33

    It's not even a success in weigh loss terms, either.

    An average of 11 OUNZES per kid per week.

    Less than one small Jimmy Riddle.

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  5. banned20 July 2012 at 03:58

    @trundlemaster. Thank you for the fine example of bullshit bingo; I declined to click on their "I agree to cookies" but on checking there it was, now removed.

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  6. Furor Teutonicus20 July 2012 at 06:45

    XX concerned about the Christian ethos of the school, their minority pupils etc. XX

    Exactly MINORITY. Or are these "teachers" in some way anti demmocracy?

    Or perhaps they merely can not grasp the principal?

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  7. JuliaM20 July 2012 at 07:43

    " It's a specialist Arts and Media school so academically it's probably a desert."

    Oh, indeed!

    "In Barking and Dagenham there is to be a merger of schools and the C of E school next door is going to take it over. The teachers, dear hearts, went on strike bleating about the change of status and concerned about the Christian ethos of the school, their minority pupils etc."

    Ah! Yes, I caught this in the local paper and there was a spot on local news too.

    I did like the name of one of the quoted teachers - Yolanda Cattle!

    "Exactly MINORITY. "

    FT, I know this school (and the catchment area) well. Trust me, a 'minority' is not very accurate!

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  8. Furor Teutonicus20 July 2012 at 17:43

    "Gegen Demokraten, helfen nur Soldaten."

    ReplyDelete