Educational Excellence Everywhere White Paper

[mundia]

For those who haven't seen this yet, the White Paper was published immediately after the budget which announced all school must become academies or on route to by 2020.

This will affect our EYFS colleagues working in the maintained sector, and who know how and if it will impact on the non maintained sector over time. It will also affect those of us that are parents/grandparents of children still at school.

 

The link is here

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/educational-excellence-everywhere

 

As ever its a long document but from what I've read so far, a few things have popped out, which you may not be aware of from reports in the press over the past few days.

 

• Obviously how all schools will become academies and LA role completely removed from running school
• The abolition of QTS in favour of accreditation by academy school HT/CEOs. You may want to think about the impact of this if you thinking about QTS as it is at the moment
• The removal of teaching learning and assessment grading for OFSTED...so that inspections focus much more on Outcomes. (will that then follow into EY as its a single framework?)
• Removal of requirements for Governing bodies to have to have parent governors.
• A slight hint (hidden at the back) that in addition to the 30 hours, some sort of reform in EY on improving quality focusing on developing the workforce.

 

Thoughts? Your own nuggets you have pulled out? Do share so that everyone interested gets sense of what the direction of travel for education is.

 

[FSFRebecca]

Thank you Mundia, that's great

 

Nursery World this week have highlighted this too, their article is here

 

There's a lot to keep on top of at the moment - we need to keep our eyes peeled and our wits about us ... good job there are so many of us!

[Stargrower]

Hmmm, improving quality in the early years by developing the workforce? Haven't I heard that somewhere before? Don't I remember the Graduate Leader Fund? Wasn't there a plan to have every setting lead by a graduate by er...2015? Or was I dreaming? Or was that just a different government? :rolleyes:

[Rafa]

Hmmm, improving quality in the early years by developing the workforce? Haven't I heard that somewhere before? Don't I remember the Graduate Leader Fund? Wasn't there a plan to have every setting lead by a graduate by er...2015? Or was I dreaming? Or was that just a different government? :rolleyes:

Yep! Think there's been a lot of "Blue SkyThinking" going on in government these last few years........

[sunnyday]

Thanks mundia and Rebecca - will have a proper read when time is less 'tight' :1b

[apple]

Thank you Mundia have shared the link with colleagues too. Hope all are aware of the petition to resist macadamisation here it is if you are interested

 

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/124702

[catma]

I see this as the start of the removal of Reception from the EYFS. Just watch.

The issue re Nursery schools is also important - they cannot be academised but with no LA structure to provide the HR, payroll etc they would become unsustainable.

Cx

Edited March 22, 2016 by catma

[thumperrabbit]

I see this as the start of the removal of Reception from the EYFS. Just watch.

The issue re Nursery schools is also important - they cannot be academised but with no LA structure to provide the HR, payroll etc they would become unsustainable.

Cx

Catma; Do you mean the maintained nursery classes in a primary school?

Gosh could all the 3/4year olds be sent back into the community settings??!

[grumpymum]

Hi Catma

 

Can you please explain why can't nursery schools be (part of) an academy? Do you mean independent nursery schools, as maintained nurseries that are part of a school can be included in an academy - I have one just round the corner from me.

 

Thanks

[catma]

Hi Catma

 

Can you please explain why can't nursery schools be (part of) an academy? Do you mean independent nursery schools, as maintained nurseries that are part of a school can be included in an academy - I have one just round the corner from me.

 

Thanks

I mean maintained Nursery Schools that operate as a single school. They could indeed become part of a larger school set up but they currently cannot academise as a nursery school in the same way any secondary or Primary school can/must. We have several maintained nursery schools and they are very concerned about their future survival as they want to remain as solely a nursery school organisation not become part of a primary MAT.

 

Cx

[catma]

Catma; Do you mean the maintained nursery classes in a primary school?

Gosh could all the 3/4year olds be sent back into the community settings??!

Schools would still have their nursery classes - they do that now as academies.

 

I mean the Nursery Schools that are a maintained school and are under increasing threat - and have been for a while now. Our nursery schools are important and for politics to force their closure, which has been happening is a national shame.

Cx

[Fredbear]

Hi Catma, can you please expand on your comment or thoughts on Reception removal within the EYFS.

So where would reception sit within the school structure in the future.

[catma]

Hi Catma, can you please expand on your comment or thoughts on Reception removal within the EYFS.

So where would reception sit within the school structure in the future.

I just feel that with the removal of the EYFSP at the end of the phase and the introduction of school baselines at the start, there is little to keep the EYFS inclusive of reception aged children. i think reception could easily come under the freedom of an academy to deliver a curriculum how they feel best without the protection of the Eyfs.

On the flip side we would still need something to encompass the range of places a child might be so maybe I'm wrong!!

Cx

Edited March 24, 2016 by catma

[Fredbear]

Thank you Catma.

Fx

Edited March 25, 2016 by Fredbear

[mundia]

This crossed my mind too as I thought more about it. If schools, sorry, academies, can choose their own curriculum, have freedom over who they recruit to teach, who is on their governing body etc,then, I can't see how the EYFS will remain statutory in academies some of which will also have 2 year olds. It therefore isn't a huge leap to imagine that the EYFS becomes optional and even though the white paper eludes to reform in early years being around up skilling the workforce, if academies can recruit pretty much anyone with or without any qualifications, then it's easy to see how the same could follow for early years. So at the moment it doesn't quite all add up, we'll see how it all pans out over the next few years.

 

Yes just speculation at the moment and perhaps my 'logic' is off beam, but EY I felt was conspicuous by its absence in the white paper, and this constant referral these days to 'childcare' rather than 'early education' perhaps is revealing in itself.

 

I won't be offering to eat my hat, however, if I'm completely wrong!!

 

Alternative thinking anyone?

[finleysmaid]

I haven't read the whole document as yet but in general I am really concerned that the government are trying to privatise our whole education system ...just like the did with the rail system etc (and that was a great success wasn't it????) yet no one appears to be making a fuss about this...why are our umbrella bodies not standing up and shouting out?

Is Cameron going to be the Beeching of our days ?

[catma]

They are starting...come out and join them ::1a

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35883922

 

plus

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35897430

 

Cxx

Edited March 25, 2016 by catma

[Pimms o'clock?]

She's not doing very well at all :angry:

[LKeyteach]

I am worried that the eyfs will disappear also about this up skilling.

Please don't get me wrong I believe training and qualifications are important. My setting is all but 1 member if staff qualified. However if we get into the "all settings must have graduates" will we get the ratio shot at us. 1:13 which then impacts on funding. Which then means that the learning & development of the eyfs becomes difficult to monitor and therefore the eyfs has to be reformed.

sorry this seems like a conspiracy theory or a mad woman's rant but I have worked with no curriculum and we "watered down " national curriculum. Then curriculum zero then quality thingy (which was good) foundation stage, birth to three. I do think we have to strive for improvements but the EYFS gives the scope for improvements, being principaled.

I haven't spoken to any head teachers recently about their wanting to become academies but think that if they had thought it a good idea they would have gone down that route already.

Can see it is going to happen - interesting times ahead.

[grumpymum]

Catma

Thanks for clarifying - all maintained nursery classes round here are part of a school, which is why I wasn't clear.

Think this one is going to run and run - if they want to privitise schools and keep PVI provision, they need to sort out the funding quickly or many of us won't be here!