The Chair of Governors at a Birmingham school has criticised the Government’s first White Paper in six years on the improvement of teaching levels at primary schools.
The Paper’s focus is for 90% of students to meet the standards required for Key Stage 2 maths and literacy by 2030. The Parent Pledge, a guarantee of achieving specified goals from the Government through schools to parents, will assist this goal.
The proposal offers plans to ensure every child reaches their full academic potential.
However, Ninna Makrinov, the Chair of Governors at Watermill primary school criticised the plans.
She said: “there are things that are out of schools control so there will be children with additional needs who will not reach standards that are set up by the Government.”
The education secretary Nadhim Zahawi has pledged that every child who is behind in maths or English will receive the necessary help they need.
Image of students working, courtesy of unsplash: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1588072432836-e10032774350?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=872&q=80
Schools will be identifying students who require assistance, give them targeted support through a variety of proven strategies such as group tutoring, and regular updates to parents.
Ms Markinov added: “There is a huge risk that schools will shy away from receiving children with additional needs if these unrealistic expectations are set on them.”
The White Paper states that by September 2023, schools will have a minimum week of 32.5 hours and all students will be educated by a strong multi-academy trust which will help change underperforming schools and produce the greatest possible results for students.
Geoff Barton, the General Secretary of the Association of School stated that “the plan of how these targets will be achieved is very vague.”
The Paper states there will be a minimum of £100 million funding that will go towards securing the long-term success of the Education Endowment Foundation which is a charity that helps less wealthy students achieve their goals.
This funding will help the EEF to continue to assess and in act effective educational practises across the UK, and by 2024, there will be 500,000 chances for teacher training and development, as well as a starting salary of £30,000 an increase from the current starting salary of £25,714 to tempt more people to take up teaching roles.
