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Education News

Time to put pupils above politics
says head

North Swindon headteacher so terribly sad that our children
Jo Garton has announced her are tested at every turn and the
departure from Bridlewood Primary system is geared to follow processes
School, citing the government’s when primary school, where the
‘hopeless’ assessment system, foundations of a child’s education
narrowing curriculum and the takes place, should be focussed on
impact of using children as guinea teaching and learning.
pigs for political ends. “To illustrate the effect on
In a letter to parents in late Bridlewood, we were in the top 6
September Mrs Garton writes: ‘The per cent of primary schools in the
continual criticism of schools by country for reading last year, yet
the media and the government, this year only 50 per cent of our
encourages a small minority to children met the expected standard
expect more than can possibly in reading.
be given, particularly with the “This is not because the children
shrinking amount of money coming are not able or because our
into the service. teaching was any less good, but
‘Children with special needs have because the government set
to wait years to be diagnosed, a standard for tests which is
putting unmanageable strain on completely unreasonable. In writing,
teachers and their parents. Added there is no way that using hyphens,
to which the mental health and dashes and semi-colons should be
social care services for children are more important than the actual
completely inadequate through content of the writing. I suspect
underfunding. than almost all great writers would
‘Most of all I do not believe that fail the government’s standard.
the government have the correct “What is shocking is that
curriculum. How can it be right secondary schools are telling us
in the twenty-first century that that they largely ignore the results
children are wasting time on Roman of all this testing and conduct their
numerals, but are not able to use own assessments so they can find
calculators? out about the children who start
‘The National Curriculum is 50 in Year 7. Even Ofsted have issued
per cent English. I have two English guidance that the data from writing
degrees, but even I think that this assessments should be ignored
cannot be considered broad and because it is unreliable.”
balanced. Added to this the interim Mrs Garton and her staff were
assessment framework in year six is ready for an Ofsted inspection in
absurd and further narrowing the the last school year, but as it has
primary curriculum.’ not yet happened and it is five years
The confusion in assessment of since the last, she has committed
Year 6 last year and early Summer to lead the school until next Easter
2016 draws her particular criticism. in order to ensure that Bridlewood
“I do not object to assessment, retains or exceeds its good rating.
let us be clear,” she said. “But In her letter to parents, she
the last straw for me has been commented: ‘I have always said
the unreliable and inconsistent that the children of Bridlewood are
testing procedures which has put wonderful. Thank you for sharing
enormous pressure on teachers and them with me - they have been a
children. We had children anxious complete pleasure.’
and sobbing which upsets the She also expresses her thanks to
atmosphere in school and at home. the teachers and support staff who
“Government says there isn’t a make Bridlewood a happy school
problem, but experienced teachers and the governors for their great
are leaving in their droves. It’s support of the school.
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