Some stats behind the hype re academy chains like Harris

[bornagain]

JB said - Ebacc scores, 18% of Harris students achieved the English Baccalaureate 2013, up from 8.8% in 2012.

Ah, the wonders of statistics! The reason that the Ebacc score is 18% is because this is the average for the entire chain. It is greatly inflated by the impressive 40% achieved by Harris Crystal Palace and the scores for the rest of the chain is not quite so impressive - see attached table.

Anyway 18% is nothing to boast about as the national average is 23%. As I said in my post above, only 4 Harris schools got national average or above. The rest (8 schools) got below, some in single figures. In comparison Charter, Sydenham School (girl's state), Haberdasher Askes, Elm Green all score higher than 30% (ie above national average). They are all state comprehensives on a par with the Harris schools. Sacred Heart in Camberwell scores a fantastic 58%.

There's lies, damned lies and statistics!

[James Barber]

Hi bornagain.

Most Harris schools were converted from failed Local Authority schools.

And yes they therefore have to work harder to beat the national average. But IF they make even half the progress they made last year with EBACC they'll meet the national UK average. I'm sure Harris are far from perfect but I don't get the determination to rubbish them.

Even as a Lib Dem looking at this Conversative controlled charity they do appear to do some remarkable work.

[intexasatthe moment]

But , as pointed out by Fuschia above ,the Harris intake is banded so that the school ensures that each years cohort reflects the ability range of the national average .

Previous schools who didn't band had different intakes - determined by proximity to the school or ,in "unpopular " schools made up by pupils who had been unable to get a place elsewhere .

[bornagain]

I am not trying to rubbish Harris. But I am critical of the entire Harris PR machine. Bamboozling parents with statistics is something that most schools seem to do now and I deplore it.

I agree with you James, that given that many of the schools were failing, Harris is probably doing a better job than the previous management. This is what is important.

[TE44]

I think there is a conflict of interest Daniel Moyniham CEO of harris academy is also an ofsted inspector working for

Tribal. Battersea park school was inspected by Triba last year and will now become a Harris Academy in September this year. Very worrying.

http://teacherroar.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/can-tribal-inspections-be-trusted.html?m=1

[Fuschia]

Not to mention a conflict of interest between the government and Tory party donors

Public money hived off into huge salaries for the senior staff in the chain

Funds paid over to profit making subsidiaries

http://antiacademies.org.uk/2012/03/harris-federation-spotlight-on-sponsors/

[????]

Not all of us with kids are as worried about schools been run as businesses, shock horror, with results and reward etc how dare they eh? Just feels like a wave of leftish establishment propoganda against anything that threatens the status quo they had until new labour sensibly began to reform our then failing state education sector.

[intexasatthe moment]

" I agree with you James, that given that many of the schools were failing, Harris is probably doing a better job than the previous management. "

Maybe the schools would have done better if they had been given the same amount of governement financial input as given to Academies .And of course altered their intake by banding . Which incidentally if done by ALL schools in the same way I would see as a good thing .

[bornagain]

Good point intexas and given the latest revelations by TE44's link there may be far more to this than meets the eye.

If half of what is alleged in that link is true, then Harris needs a top to toe investigation.

This whole issue is not about whether schools should be run as businesses or not, it's about probity and the integrity of the education system. I expect that most academies are run well and with integrity but if some are seen to be less so then it is the responsibility of the secretary of state (for he is ultimately in charge of the academy and free school system) to ensure that they are run without reproach.

[James Barber]

If anyone would like to visit a Harris School and see it in action please email and I will try and arrange.

It appears that some are philosophically opposed to them on principle despite performing better than UK average in a number of ways and will never accept this. Perhaps visiting the schools speaking with pupils they might realise the staff and management are human and do care as passiotantely as other schools staff.

Hi TE44,

A number of Ofsted inspectors work part-time. Several Southwark Council School Improvement Managers did this the last time I spoke with them. Ofsted should be ensuring no conflict occurs.

Really interesting link to a blog and interesting sub links within the blog. The thing that jumped out at me was "Inspectors failed to take account of the nature of the school and its cohort of students".

PISA have completed a study showing that disadvantage should not be a bar to achieving the same results at children from higher income families. BBC summarised it nicely here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-26015532

So I can see Ofsted taking the stance that using this as an excuse is no longer acceptable especially with the ?1,300 per pupil Pupil Premium giving resources to help close the attainment gap.

[intexasatthe moment]

I am tired of people repeating that Harris have made previously failing schools successful without acknowledging the political agenda and support given to Academies .

With similar support and financial input to LEA schools a level playing field may have seen similar success in what were previously failing schools .

Just saying .

[hellosailor]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Not all of us with kids are as worried about

> schools been run as businesses, shock horror, with

> results and reward etc how dare they eh? Just

> feels like a wave of leftish establishment

> propoganda against anything that threatens the

> status quo they had until new labour sensibly

> began to reform our then failing state education

> sector.

yeah I guess it works out ok for the bright kids who don't get expelled for bringing the overall results down. Tough shit if you're not academic I guess. You can leave school and work in a shop.

[TE44]

http://www.hristeachingschool.com/31/specialist-leaders-of-education-sle

Does anyone know how many Specialist Leaders of Education are now employed by the Harris Federation.

Cant find any recent audit fot Harris run acedemies but up until 2012 the revenue include Harris academies

project management ltd and HCTC enterprise ltd. Does Harris run any pupils referal schools?

[TE44]

http://www.harristeachingschool.com/31/specialist-leaders-of-education-sle

Link doesnt seem to be working try again

[????]

hellosailor Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ???? Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Not all of us with kids are as worried about

> > schools been run as businesses, shock horror,

> with

> > results and reward etc how dare they eh? Just

> > feels like a wave of leftish establishment

> > propoganda against anything that threatens the

> > status quo they had until new labour sensibly

> > began to reform our then failing state

> education

> > sector.

>

> yeah I guess it works out ok for the bright kids

> who don't get expelled for bringing the overall

> results down. Tough shit if you're not academic I

> guess. You can leave school and work in a shop.

what like the great record that inner city schools have had in academic performance and social mobility since they went comprehensive and when they were under central LA control???? Tough shit if you lived in the inner city and your parents couldn't send you to private school or cheat the system*

*hello Labour MPS.. waves.

[EDmummy]

hellosailor Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>>

> yeah I guess it works out ok for the bright kids

> who don't get expelled for bringing the overall

> results down. Tough shit if you're not academic I

> guess.

That's a serious allegation that the evidence provided in this thread does not substantiate. If you have the evidence that does so I would suggest that you get in touch with the relevant authorities. If you do not then I would suggest you calm down.

[TE44]

EDmummy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> hellosailor Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> >>

> > yeah I guess it works out ok for the bright

> kids

> > who don't get expelled for bringing the overall

> > results down. Tough shit if you're not academic

> I

> > guess.

>

> That's a serious allegation that the evidence

> provided in this thread does not substantiate. If

> you have the evidence that does so I would suggest

> that you get in touch with the relevant

> authorities. If you do not then I would suggest

> you calm down.

Which evidence edmummy?

[intexasatthe moment]

My son attended a school that was made an Academy . In the sixth form he was first asked to produce nearly ?300 so that his AS exams could be taken " privately " . He was later told that if he didn't reach certain targets he would not be entered for his A levels because he was not expected to reach a C grade .

This was not a Harris school but I'm afraid pressure and bullying to get children who are not expected to do well to leave

does happen .

[EDmummy]

TE44 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> EDmummy Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > hellosailor Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > >>

> > > yeah I guess it works out ok for the bright

> > kids

> > > who don't get expelled for bringing the

> overall

> > > results down. Tough shit if you're not

> academic

> > I

> > > guess.

> >

> > That's a serious allegation that the evidence

> > provided in this thread does not substantiate.

> If

That was my question TE44. Where is the evidence that these children have been expelled? I'm happy to be corrected but I cannot see it from the 'evidence' produced by others in this thread.

> > you have the evidence that does so I would

> suggest

> > that you get in touch with the relevant

> > authorities. If you do not then I would suggest

> > you calm down.

>

>

> Which evidence edmummy?

[bornagain]

> > > yeah I guess it works out ok for the bright

> > kids

> > > who don't get expelled for bringing the

> overall

> > > results down. Tough shit if you're not

> academic

> > I

> > > guess.

> >

> > That's a serious allegation that the evidence

> > provided in this thread does not substantiate.

> If

That was my question TE44. Where is the evidence that these children have been expelled? I'm happy to be corrected but I cannot see it from the 'evidence' produced by others in this thread.

> > you have the evidence that does so I would

> suggest

> > that you get in touch with the relevant

> > authorities. If you do not then I would suggest

> > you calm down.

>

>

> Which evidence edmummy?

But wasn't this the starting point of this thread - that schools have been removing students from the roll to enhance their GCSE results?

[hellosailor]

Yep

[Fuschia]

Pupils rarely get expelled thee days, but get shifted to some sort of alternative provision, or leave by 'mutual agreement'

[Zedd]

I work in a secondary school in Lambeth that for the last 5 years has been in the top 1% of schools for CVA scores (yes - I do know these are no longer used as a measure of a school's success (cheers Gove) but the data is still there). In the same time frame we have been as high as the 3rd most improved school nationally (our lowest place is for last year's results which put us 108th nationally in the rank ordering of "most improved" - it is generally accepted that the "drop" in placing is due to the fact that we have made such rapid progress over the preceding years so the more recent %increases in results are not as dramatic).

We are a "bog standard" comprehensive. No selection. We are not an Academy. We take the students we are given and we work bloody hard to get them the best possible outcomes. We are rarely, if ever, mentioned in the press - local or national.

Academies do play the system to their advantage (and it seems at times that if LA schools were playing the same games we would be landed on from a great height very quickly) and have funding structures that the mind boggles at. Private enterprise has no place in the state education system. Why do we insist on further devaluing the education system we have by suggesting that people who are not experts in education can improve education?

The comprehensive system can work - the school I work at is proof of this. What we need is a full commitment from the powers that be to this system. Stop flushing millions of pounds down the drain setting up new schools and make the existing ones better.

I apologise for the rambling nature of this post. I promise it is no reflection on the quality of teaching my school offers;-) It's just a bit late.

[TE44]

http://cds.bromley.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=4445

I didn't realise Harris Aspire Academy for alternative education opened last Sept. If you scroll to 22c on link above.

I find it quite confusing, it seems to be saying there will be a charge unless children are referred from a harris academy. Sorry if this has been discussed already, if so can you tell me where. Link below for Harris aspire academy.

arris offering alternative schools and moving children from mainstream, must be closely monitered in light of the

question around stats.

http://www.harrisaspire.org.uk/653/your-questions-answered

[intexasatthe moment]

Thanks TE .

I hate this fragmented ,competitive education system .

See little good coming from it and much that is bad .

And much ,to use the words of my son's school's sponsor ( now a Lord and a mover and shaker in current government as Education minister ,one with his own curriculum think tank " inspired " by E D Hirsch and his knowledge/content rich education system ) that equals a " cash flow ".