[SENco-forum] G&T- pressure

I may be wrong, but I think 'sink' schools were around well before
Ofsted? - I seem to remember 'sink classes' being applied to bottom sets
in comprehensives and sec mod schools - at least in 70's if not earlier?
Cheers
Judith

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Judith Stansfield
Farm Cottage, 24 East Road, Melsonby,Richmond DL10 5NF
stass at onyxnet.co.uk  
01325 718139   07990572365
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-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of
kngbrndn at aol.com
Sent: 20 March 2007 16:36
To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Cc: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk.
Subject: Fwd: [SENco-forum] G&T- pressure

Subject: Re: [SENco-forum] G&T- pressure

G&T is a notion that will definately have arisen from the upper echelons
of 'Middle England' -- the vote New Labour has always successfuly
pursued  -- so it is little surprise that, in the dimming of TBs PMship,
that he's pursuing this ultra-elitist, vote-seeking, Tory-clothed,
policy. As with Academies, which have been supported wholeheartedly by
the Tory shadow education spokesman -- so much so that the policy for
return to grammar schools and vouchers has been dropped in favour of the
New Labour elitist (tri-partite) schools policy.

One can imagine the outcry from Old Labour had M.Thatcher introduced
such policies back in the 80s. But, the notion of dyslexia was met with
cries of a 'Upper Middle Class' rant, at the time when it was barely
recognised 20 yrs ago. Now that it has a more or less a mainstream
acceptabilty rating -- perhaps we should thank the chattering classes
for the universally increased recognition of dyslexia. After all -- the
upper middle class are the most effective pressure group of all -- and
always will be.

BTW, many children are content to be average and ticking along quietly
without lots of attention being attracted to them. And I used to ensure
that the majority of a class I taught were well praised and rewarded for
their not too highly stretched efforts and pleasant reasonable demeanure
(as I'm sure most teachers do). 

Also, the most concerned, and dedicated to educational excellence,
parents in my schools were those of modestly successful Asian families
-- so the singularly "white" middle-class tag is not really approprite
in the  "real world" of parental search for the best possible education
for their children.

Also, "Barge Pole" schools was one of those indiscreet throw-away
comments (Estell Morris in 2002, when she commented that, when she was a
teacher, there were certain schools that she "would not touch with a
barge pole") that politicians make from time to time. Like the
'Bog-Standard" comprehensive comment of TBs notorious side-kick Alistair
Cambell. I'm not sure, however, that it is a frequently used New Labour
political slogan (Estelle was not exactly "Model" New Labour nor are her
comments particularly well remembered).

The notion of the "sink" school is however -- and is a term coined back
in the '80s when the Ofsted system of publicly transparent inspections
was introduced along with the ablity to identfy and, even, close down
'failing schools' by placing them into the system of 'special measures'.

And, unfortunately, sink schools do exist in the real world. And the
open recognition of failing schools, through open inspection, has
ensured that additional support is provided to ensure these schools
improve or change or close down altogether. I suffered from attending a
very poorly run and staffed school (when they were allowed to continue
to fail their children). I do not wish the same on any children at
school today -- so any measures to ensure that there are no failing
schools is welcome to me.

And that the classic 'titanic' community school is turned around and,
instead, acts as a 'flotation platfrom' for its socially deprived 'sink'
area. Schools, after all, will always tend to reflect the social
condition and outlook of the area in which they exist -- whilst, one
hopes, always  striving to rise above the social pressures placed upon
it to drag it down below he depths.  

Brendan King     