martonschool.myfreeforum.org

frustemp · Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:32 pm Post subject: At what cost to other schools?

The Year 6 children at Marton who are under great pressure to improve the school's results to the levels under the previous head, have been taught booster classes during the Easter holidays.
Some Headteachers may be wondering why the Literacy Adviser, Shirley Earnshaw and the School Adviser weren't available to boost children in other Blackpool schools as they have done at Marton this Easter.
Mr Mascard who replaced Mr Colling as School Adviser is also now just as involved in trying to return Marton to its former glory under Mr Lund's instructions.
Everyone in Blackpool Education knows that if Marton's results do not improve this time there will be serious explaining to be done.
Whilst this massive effort and cost is being spent on Marton, other schools are left out. A School Adviser's job is to help all of his schools and not try and mask over the problem, through preferential treatment, to a school on its knees.

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The tide is turning

Giselle Rosseau · Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 1:00 pm Post subject:

Greetings Trustemp,

Its quite a coincidence that i met with the 2 advisors only Friday last week . after a lengthy unscheduled meeting I was left with the feeling that they were not remotly interested in the fact that my son had sat in his own excrement from lunchtime tues until i discovered it at 600pm . He was red raw and very distressed. Why wasnt he comfortable to tell anyone. This was a blantant lack of care in both the reception and after school enviroment. Of course the onus is being placed on my son. Even if he was the worst child on the the planet the school DO have a duty of care to our children collectivly. My other son a much quieter child has suddenly been involved in a fracas on Friday. It all presents a bit cute to me ,ever get the impression you are being played??? Giselle
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What cannot speak..... cannot lie!

Lisa · Reaching Full Speed Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 69

Hello Giselle,
I get the feeling that your son is not not the most perfect model pupil? So what? He is a child who needs care and help like any other. I can remember being sat in junior school and a friend of mine soiled herself in class. Pardon the pun, but sh*t happens! My teacher - a man - dealt with it sensitively and quickly. I went to a primary school in the middle of a rough estate. There were some 'scallies' there, and the teachers had a lot to deal with. But we received constant care and a good education from the teachers and staff, and believe me they saw some things.
I would recommend that you remove your children from Marton - my opinion only. But before you do that I would demand to speak to the Governors. Ask Mrs Thorley and Mrs Peacock whether they would like this to have happened to their children. You (and your children) deserve so much better.
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Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.

Albert Einstein

R. Thornton · Reaching Full Speed Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 99

I can understand your comment Lisa, and I think I have said before that parents need to put their children first. So perhaps Giselle, you may need to move your children. The problem is this is most likely what the school want and it seems that your child is being used as a pawn so that this happens. Over the last 2 years this has happened to other parents - raising issues and being ignored so that they have been forced to remove their children to get the best education and care for them. Good luck Giselle.

I agree with frustemp's post that other parts of the Blackpool authority must be asking questions about the input into Marton. While recently browsing the Ofsted website (yes perhaps I do need to get a life !) I discovered that the most recent figures about attainment in Primary schools were based on a study of improvement during the Labour party's time in office. They have compared the Sats results of KS 2 in 1997 to the most recent - Sats results of 2006. What is most interesting however, perhaps because of the upcoming council elections, they have based this data on Council wards.
There are, of course problems with the figures :- I know that wards in authorities can differ greatly, due to social deprivation, mobility, employment, housing etc. It is also not clear whether ward data is based on school adresses or children's addresses, but generally children do attend their local school which will normally be within the ward. The third problem of course is that groups of children do change so it only shows a broad view but I still believe that the figures throw up some questions which some Blackpool councillors may need to address, especially in the light of what has happened at Marton with the extra staffing and funding.

In England overall the % improvement in English has been 16%, in Maths 14%
In Blackpool overall the % improvement in English has been 15%, in Maths 15%

Now look at some individual wards.
Marton School is in Stanley ward which has figures of +13% for English and +14% for Maths. So just below average.

Claremont Ward has figures of 0% (no improvement) for English and -7% (backwards move) for Maths.
Jubilee ward has -1% for both subjects
Greenlands ward has -16% for English and -8% for Maths.
Highfield ward (near Marton) has +5% for English and +2% for Maths
Haweside ward has done amazingly well in English with 20% improvement but no improvement at all in Maths.

These are only a few examples, but these seem to me to be the areas where help is clearly needed. I don't know the schools in these wards, perhaps they have been helped and it would be nice to have a response on this forum from headteachers, councillors or the LEA to say that they have had just as much help and support to improve their standards that Marton have had. Some schools in these wards will no doubt be facing inspection soon, will they receive the same amount of warning and the same amount of adviser support that Marton had?

Mr Ivan Taylor, we know, actually publicly supported the work of Mrs Coupe at a council meeting. Has he given the same amount of support to the headteachers in his ward - Claremont - who are struggling to raise standards?

ALL councillors, you need to address what has taken place at Marton School and ask yourselves, in the light of these recent DfES figures, have the schools in your ward had a fair deal?