So, as a flight of fancy, let’s imagine that one of my Year 6 students - a bright kid actively involved with our debating society - was given the opportunity to quiz the education secretary about what her reforms mean for his or her education.
What would my student want to find out from Nicky Morgan? Here’s a rough guess:
- Are you sure that these changes will make my school better?
- Will they mean that we still have a head who talks to us, looks through our work, loves the school and really believes in me? (He also taught my mum, you know.)
- Will the school also still be part of our community where I live?
- Will the head have enough money to spend on our school?
- Some of my friends from Scouts are in small schools - are they going to have to close?
- Will I still be able to go to the secondary school that I have chosen?
- Will the secondary curriculum be more interesting than the primary one?
- I like drama, art and music. Will I still be able to do them?
- Will I have to do endless Sats revision? I’ve heard that if I “fail” them I’ve got to do them all again in Year 7.
- Will I have to learn grammar skills that my mum and dad don’t understand?
- Will all the changes mean we have the same teacher in our classroom all the year? We’ve had four different ones already.
- Will the changes mean that there will be changes to learning? If so, why?
- Will it mean my parents will still have a role in school life? My mum’s a governor, you know.
- My mum keeps telling me these are the best years of my life - what’s in the White Paper that will help them continue to be?
- Why are so many of my teachers thinking about changing jobs?
- Will your changes mean that new teachers are as kind, funny and caring as those I have now?
I’m not convinced that Ms Morgan would have the answers to satisfy my pint-sized inquisitor. And that’s sad.
Colin Harris is headteacher of Warren Park Primary School in Havant, Hampshire
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