Your front-page article is at odds with what is going on in our primary school. This year we had an Office for Standards in Education inspection that detailed the positive effects that remodelling was having.
It praised the fact that teachers and teaching assistants were working together in teams and noted how teaching assistants supported individuals and groups of pupils. Each class has its own designated teaching assistant and the benefits of this to children and to the teachers is picked up by the report. Teachers, relieved of 24 tasks, now have less work and get a full half-day for all their planning and preparation activities.
In fact, Investor In People status was awarded to the school in July 2004 and a significant element within that judgement was the teachers’
appreciation of the changes to their lifestyle brought about by workforce remodelling.
The results are evident in the Ofsted report which recognises that teachers benefit, teaching assistants benefit and children benefit.
Finally, I have to add that HM inspectors visited the school in October as part of its workforce remodelling survey and recognised the immense impact on teachers following workforce remodelling.
Eddie Thomas Headteacher Cheetwood primary Waterloo Road Cheetham Manchester
