So many times I’ve sat reading blogs or articles in which there is a call for action and I think “yes, I must get involved. I must do something to help that cause” and then the moment passes and it never happens. Life is just very busy.
Well I’m urging you to ensure that this isn’t one of those occasions. A petition has been set up by @MathsMrCox calling for the DFE to abandon their plans for resits in year 7 and I’m asking you to sign it and share with as many people as possible (you will get an email – check your junk items if you don’t – you have to click the link on this email to confirm).
The link for the petition is -> here
I believe in democracy and now is not the time to stand by and just let things happen to you – if you need persuading that this is the right thing to do (I also believe in people making their own decisions) the links to my previous posts on the subject are below
- Jan 10th 2016 – Year 7 Resits – A genius idea – best sums up my objections to the introduction and my views haven’t changed!
- Feb 25th 2016 – Resits – Calling for the DFE to publish their promised consultation
- May 18th 2016 – Curious and curiouser – post about the removal of information from the DFE “timelines” – subsequently the DFE denied the information had been removed and then declined to comment when given the proof by Schools Week
There are lots of media articles about this idea and the governments insistence that they are ploughing on despite not having completed a consultation – they are even saying that materials will be available for a trial in December, which suggests that they have already (or very shortly will have) commissioned Pearson (who does their KS2 tests) to write papers for the trial (I am doing an FOI on this!). If you have are of the mind that “oh the kids won’t even notice they’re taking a test” … that is all well and good but the reality is the government want to hold schools accountable for their £500 catch up funding and we know what comes with accountability … the threat of “heads rolling ” (BTW I’m not against accountability, having come from the corporate world … I get it!!!) Until we get the consultation we don’t know how the judgement about “expected progress” will be made – it is unlikely to be criterion referenced which means that inevitably there will always be students that don’t reach the golden “expected progress” (or whatever the fippin’ phrase is) and so will end up doing “resits of resits” … oh my! They may choose to say that students must achieve the same raw score as those that did “pass” in the previous Summer ….. who knows? I’m just thinking aloud and that is WHY WE NEED A CONSULTATION so that we understand what the government is planning instead of speculation. However, I do fear that it will be “reactively” put together and as a result, poorly thought through (like the fact that Ofqual are now on version 2 of “how we’re going to award grades at GCSE” – there is currently an open consultaton on awarding top end grades at GCSE … yes the GCSEs that are being examined in less than 12 months time!) which usually means that the execution of the ideas is destined to have issues too.
Anyway I’m attempting to build up some views from the blogosphere both FOR and AGAINST the idea so that I’m giving you access to a balanced view (the list will get added to as I come across more posts – send me links please!!). Seriously … do let me know if you find any articles/Blog posts (not written by the DFE) supporting the introduction: mail me, tweet me, flipping ‘eck I’m almost tempted to put my mobile number on here for you to call/text me if you find anything … or just leave me a comment below. Thanks!
- Sue Cowley has written a few posts:
- Pinkoddy
- Oh No
- Patcham Junior School
- Why not try doing too many things and not enough things, both at the same time? from @NSMWells
- SATs resit policy could be the most damaging yet from Pete Atkinson
If every one of you that subscribes to updates from this blog signed the petition we’d make a massive dent in the number of signatures required to get the government to listen to us. Once again I urge you to sign .. share it on Twitter, Facebook, at school (ask your gaffer if its ok to canvas staff and parents to sign it!), your feeder schools if you’re a secondary school, mumsnet, forums … basically everywhere you think you can get the message out to teachers AND parents.
On a final note, I sometimes wonder if people see me as “having a go” as a sign that I’m a “negferret” – you know the kind of person I mean – someone who drags you down! I sincerely hope not – I think I am one of the most passionate people I know when it comes to teaching – I love my job. Changing career was one of the best things I ever did. I do think though that part of my being prepared to challenge and put myself out there comes from having been the “gaffer” in my previous jobs. I struggle having things dictated to me, when they are obviously rubbish ideas and I don’t understand the point. With these resits I get that there needs to be a balance between accountability and making sure that KS3 really isn’t wasted and I hate myself for saying this but maybe, just maybe, a better compromise would be to bring in national tests at KS3 but at the end of year 8 possibly? That way “we” in secondary have time to make a difference … hmmmm … something to ponder.
