Ken Jones, head of High Tunstall school, Hartlepool, and an Ofsted inspector, on the new inspection framework: “Of course the bar has been raised. It has meant a higher proportion of schools going into special measures and serious weaknesses. In the game of raising standards perhaps that is right.”
Richard Wilkinson, head of Biddick school, Washington, Tyne and Wear: “It suggests flaws in Ofsted if one framework results in one outcome and another results in another. It should all be based on school self-evaluation with external monitoring and validation.”
John Pritchard, head of Rednock school, Dursley, Gloucestershire, on introducing performance pay to the main scale: “Heads should have had the power to make awards to staff based upon their performance years ago.”
Paul Butler, deputy head of Sir Charles Lucas arts college, Essex, on funding: “I don’t think the funding question will go away. Schools are always looking for pots of money to fund the things the Government wants them to do.”
Jane Bowman, head of Wintringham school, Grimsby, on the workload agreement: “It is one of the most exciting to come from the Government in recent years. I can see it transforming education.”
Isobel Bryce, head of Saltash community school, Cornwall, on David Miliband’s speech: “Last year when Charles Clarke spoke we all felt we were not being listened to. David Miliband seems to be more in touch, you don’t feel that he is waving a big stick.”
