21/04/2010 by Steve Barclay.

A visit this morning to Leverington Primary School  which was recently rated as outstanding by Ofsted. I met up with its excellent Headteacher Rosie Simmonds, and it is clear from the way the children respond to her that she is a hugely popular figure, a view backed up over lunch when chatting in the Rising Sun pub with one of the school governors.

What is striking is seeing the stacks of lever arch files from the recent Ofsted inspection in her office (you can see them on the shelf behind us in the photo).  Ofsted requires endless pages of self assessment, with separate grades required for the various sections of their report.  The documents for each of the five sections fills a separate lever arch file.  For example section 2 has 11 parts, each with a grade, policy statements, and evidence to support the grade.  Then there is section 3 with four parts, section 4 with nine parts, and section 5 a further four parts.  Five lever arch files to produce, for the management team to agree, for the governors to go through and sign off.  A vast amount of time which could be better spent in the classroom and around the school. 

However this is just the tip of the iceberg.  On top of these forms were even more requirements, like the Financial Management Standards in Schools.  This requires a host of policies, such as evidence of logging off computers, or a policy on internet access.  Then there are the documents to show financial management, like their ordering process, their petty cash systems, etc.  Other forms include the Safeguarding folder, where the school will be failed however good it is if an inspector is not asked for their ID and required to sign in when they turn up.  This folder covered health and safety policies, school structure, and so on.  And of course there are the forms for all the staff assessments which are required.  You might be forgiven in thinking this was the lot.  But that would miss the New National Curriculum Primary Handbook, which schools have to implement by 2011 (and for which they get one extra day of training provided).

One set of forms had been changed this year.  The information required was largely the same, but the heading, order and requirements for the sections had all been moved around.  So rather than simply updating last year’s form, the work has to be done almost from scratch.

There is no doubt that too much time is being wasted on all this paperwork, rather than setting Headteachers free to run their schools.  It is the same with funding, with money given with strings attached dictating how it is spent.  It would be far better to give the money direct to the headteacher and let them decide on what works best for their school.  The Extra Mile project money is a case in point.  The Conservative proposal to reduce form filling and give professionals greater freedom from the endless top down targets will make a real difference in our schools.  When parents on the doorstep say they are not going to vote, they might change their mind if they saw just how much time and money is being wasted in their child’s school.

After a tour of the school it was off to Whittlesey for meetings on anti-social behaviour, which is a growing concern in the town.  The day was rounded off in Benwick at the Annual Parish Assembly which I attended with Cllr John Clark.  A chance to hear the issues impacting the village and chat with parish councillors, before we all popped across to the pub for a well earned pint.

Steve is pictured with Rosie Simmonds,
Headteacher of Leverington Primary School

Posted in Benwick, Education, Leverington, Whittlesey | No Comments »

17/02/2010 by Steve Barclay.

The key issue at the forthcoming General Election will be the economy.  So I am fortunate this week to be able to hear from a wide range of figures.

The week started with a breakfast on Monday with the Lord Mayor of London at Mansion House.  Tuesday was the chance to attend a lecture by Irwin Seltzer, the economist and Sunday Times columnist.  This was followed by dinner with Irwin and a number of economic journalists and MPs.  Wednesday was a meeting with rural businesses, and this evening I am off to our Group Council meeting in Fenland to hear from councillors about local businesses within the constituency.  

Tomorrow I have one of my regular coffee clusters, this time in Leverington to listen to the impact of the recession on this area of the constituency, and in the evening the Chatteris Mayor’s Ball.  Saturday will be canvassing in Chatteris during the day to hear from voters, and in the evening meeting up with association members at our quiz, organised by Conservative Future.

Reading papers and surfing the web are all well and good, but speaking with a wide range of people provides a better understanding of the reality on the ground.  It should be an interesting week-end.

Pictured is Irwin Seltzer speaking at the Politea lecture

Posted in Leverington, General Election, Chatteris | No Comments »