Councillor Geoffrey Samuel, the ex-Conservative spokesman for education, has been writing a number of letters and producing press statements attacking the council’s academy programme.
He has been trying to scare parents with misinformation. The target has been Kunskapsskolan, the council’s sponsor for Whitton and Hampton Community College (HCC).
Kunskapsskolan is a top Swedish operator of independent schools. It has developed a system of personalised learning that helps each child learn at its own pace. Each pupil has a weekly one-to-one discussion with their named teacher, who has responsibility for 25 to 30 children. Together they set goals and plan personal timetables. Pupils are stretched to achieve their full potential, and difficulties are picked up early. Parents are encouraged to follow and monitor the progress of their child.
The system works. In nine years Kunskapsskolan’s schools have become some of the most successful in Sweden, with no resemblance to the failed free wheeling experimental systems of the early 1970s. Kunskapsskolan will follow Richmond admissions policy, including children with special needs. The full UK curriculum will be taught.
In my experience parents want to send their child to a high-performing secondary school, rather than a theoretical wide choice of schools.
Stage one of our academy programme is now complete.
The council has signed off the joint expressions of interest with the sponsors for HCC, Whitton and Shene schools and they have gone to the Government for approval. Stage two will look at feasibility, the delivery of the curriculum and the re-design of the buildings.
We will not sign off the next stage until we are convinced these problems are solved.
Last year we put an extra £1m into the school performance budget to be spent on personalised learning. This summer’s GCSE results showed a big improvement.
The results for the three schools in the programme went up significantly.
Parents at the linked primary schools were sent questionnaires during the summer term. For HCC and Whitton, 82 per cent of parents who responded agreed with the proposals, or were neutral. The percentage for Shene was a staggering 91 per cent in favour. This provides encouragement that most of the parents want us to deliver on our educational promises.
COUNCILLOR MALCOLM EADY
Cabinet member for education and children’s services
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