Comments for Smoke and Mirrors http://neiljones.edublogs.org Adventures in School Management Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:50:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on The First Week & What have I Learned by SM http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2008/01/13/the-first-week-what-have-i-learned/#comment-15 SM Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:47:12 +0000 http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2008/01/13/the-first-week-what-have-i-learned/#comment-15 Congratulations on you headship Neil. I presume you are not near enough to retirement to make too many political comments but you might wish to publicise what is going on in rural schools. This new blog is both funny and informative and though it deals with Herefordshire it applies nationally. http://www.herefordshire.blogspot.com/ Congratulations on you headship Neil.
I presume you are not near enough to retirement to make too many political comments but you might wish to publicise what is going on in rural schools. This new blog is both funny and informative and though it deals with Herefordshire it applies nationally.

http://www.herefordshire.blogspot.com/

]]> Comment on Proposed Changes In Regulations Governing Independent Schools by neiljones http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/10/28/proposed-changes-in-regulations-governing-independent-schools/#comment-14 neiljones Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:59:54 +0000 http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/10/28/proposed-changes-in-regulations-governing-independent-schools/#comment-14 Fair points about the democratization & the efficacy of OfSTED, however I feel that it is the issue of accountability that Independent Schools MUST address. By ensuring that the ENTIRE national school landscape is managed & reviewed in a comparable manner then surely we can demonstrate our competitiveness against any other establishment. We can offer not only the obvious advantages of pastoral care & high-level learning opportunities, but also schools that are managed effectively and transparently. This is what ISI ought to do now, not wait & allow independent schools to drop behind their public sector competitors. Fair points about the democratization & the efficacy of OfSTED, however I feel that it is the issue of accountability that Independent Schools MUST address.

By ensuring that the ENTIRE national school landscape is managed & reviewed in a comparable manner then surely we can demonstrate our competitiveness against any other establishment. We can offer not only the obvious advantages of pastoral care & high-level learning opportunities, but also schools that are managed effectively and transparently.

This is what ISI ought to do now, not wait & allow independent schools to drop behind their public sector competitors.

]]> Comment on Proposed Changes In Regulations Governing Independent Schools by Andy Cook http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/10/28/proposed-changes-in-regulations-governing-independent-schools/#comment-13 Andy Cook Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:35:55 +0000 http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/10/28/proposed-changes-in-regulations-governing-independent-schools/#comment-13 The ISI could choose to increase the frequency of inspection off their own back should there be a requirement to do so. What we don't need is another layer of bureaucracy. There is a democratic point here: Ofsted inspects maintained schools and reports to the Secretary of State; ISI inspects independent schools and reports to the Secretary of State. And so there both regulators are directly accountable to Parliament - inserting Ofsted into the chain of accountability on the independent side reduces democratic accountability. In addition Ofsted is regarded as overstretched already. The Education Select Committee said as much, in damning terms, in its report this Summer. So why are we giving it more responsibility? And finally, Ofsted ir regarded as a rather inflexible assessor - "death by tickboxes" is a phrase I hear again and again. The independent sector is, by its nature, less likely to fit processes driven by checklists. The ISI could choose to increase the frequency of inspection off their own back should there be a requirement to do so.

What we don’t need is another layer of bureaucracy. There is a democratic point here: Ofsted inspects maintained schools and reports to the Secretary of State; ISI inspects independent schools and reports to the Secretary of State. And so there both regulators are directly accountable to Parliament - inserting Ofsted into the chain of accountability on the independent side reduces democratic accountability.

In addition Ofsted is regarded as overstretched already. The Education Select Committee said as much, in damning terms, in its report this Summer. So why are we giving it more responsibility?

And finally, Ofsted ir regarded as a rather inflexible assessor - “death by tickboxes” is a phrase I hear again and again. The independent sector is, by its nature, less likely to fit processes driven by checklists.

]]> Comment on Independent Schools Council » Blog Archive » Beside the seaside by Andy Cook http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/10/22/independent-schools-council-%c2%bb-blog-archive-%c2%bb-beside-the-seaside/#comment-12 Andy Cook Tue, 23 Oct 2007 06:42:03 +0000 http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/10/22/independent-schools-council-%c2%bb-blog-archive-%c2%bb-beside-the-seaside/#comment-12 This is something we are just trying out for now. I hope it catches on. There is definitely a move in the independent sector to further engage with the maintained sector. Even in my brief tenure at the ISC (six weeks and counting), I have heard lots about partnerships between state and independent schools sharing resources (and to be fair most of the activity pre-dates the moves by Govt to test charitable status). There is, for anyone who is interested, a government sponsored programme called the Independent State School Partnership (http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/buildingbridges/) is there to support these partnerships. Anyway, we at the ISC would be delighted to hear from anyone who might fancy writing a blog on our site or who just wants to find out a bit more about the independent sector (www.isc.co.uk). Cheers Andy Cook Comms Director This is something we are just trying out for now. I hope it catches on.

There is definitely a move in the independent sector to further engage with the maintained sector. Even in my brief tenure at the ISC (six weeks and counting), I have heard lots about partnerships between state and independent schools sharing resources (and to be fair most of the activity pre-dates the moves by Govt to test charitable status).

There is, for anyone who is interested, a government sponsored programme called the Independent State School Partnership (http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/buildingbridges/) is there to support these partnerships.

Anyway, we at the ISC would be delighted to hear from anyone who might fancy writing a blog on our site or who just wants to find out a bit more about the independent sector (www.isc.co.uk).

Cheers

Andy Cook
Comms Director

]]> Comment on More on Pedagogy Anorak by neiljones http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/09/30/more-on-pedagogy-anorak/#comment-11 neiljones Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:10:53 +0000 http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/09/30/more-on-pedagogy-anorak/#comment-11 John - that's what's great about UK teaching - the complaining! But it often gets us nowhere. I think we need to get a bit more American & inject some unbridled passion too! John - that’s what’s great about UK teaching - the complaining! But it often gets us nowhere. I think we need to get a bit more American & inject some unbridled passion too!

]]> Comment on More on Pedagogy Anorak by John Johnston http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/09/30/more-on-pedagogy-anorak/#comment-10 John Johnston Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:38:10 +0000 http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/09/30/more-on-pedagogy-anorak/#comment-10 Hi Neil, you could grab the pedagogyanorak.com or org domain. Better than copyright! I love some bits of teaching and love to complain about other bits;-) Hi Neil,
you could grab the pedagogyanorak.com or org domain. Better than copyright!
I love some bits of teaching and love to complain about other bits;-)

]]> Comment on Where Are All My Friends? by Josie Fraser http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/09/19/where-are-all-my-friends/#comment-9 Josie Fraser Sat, 22 Sep 2007 23:47:49 +0000 http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/09/19/where-are-all-my-friends/#comment-9 Social Networking anxiety! Next up we're bound to have a new form of SNS rage. I've just bumpt into a bunch of people I went to school with in 1986 on FB and have found pictures of me aged 14. I'm thinking there are pluses and minuses. :) Social Networking anxiety! Next up we’re bound to have a new form of SNS rage. I’ve just bumpt into a bunch of people I went to school with in 1986 on FB and have found pictures of me aged 14. I’m thinking there are pluses and minuses. :)

]]> Comment on Where Are All My Friends? by Nanny Helen http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/09/19/where-are-all-my-friends/#comment-8 Nanny Helen Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:29:17 +0000 http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/09/19/where-are-all-my-friends/#comment-8 Know the feeling on the "inviting friends" I normally go thru the thought process of 'how sad will they think I am' or 'will they just think, not another site/blog/poke!?' Fortunately…though depressing at the same time…online is one of the ways my friends and I keep in touch, due to work, group and (scary) social commitments Having fun on the way by answering each other’s questions or playing a game - I’m addicted to Traveler IQ Challenge!!! - creates a diversion keeping it from being lonely and not quite giving you the feeling of talking to yourself when you do blog! I often peruse my mates profiles catching up with what’s happening in lives, a bonus being when you do actually get to talk/meet person to person you’re not catching up with months of news!!! Keep them coming Neil its always great to hear from you Nanny H xxxx Know the feeling on the “inviting friends” I normally go thru the thought process of ‘how sad will they think I am’ or ‘will they just think, not another site/blog/poke!?’
Fortunately…though depressing at the same time…online is one of the ways my friends and I keep in touch, due to work, group and (scary) social commitments

Having fun on the way by answering each other’s questions or playing a game - I’m addicted to Traveler IQ Challenge!!! - creates a diversion keeping it from being lonely and not quite giving you the feeling of talking to yourself when you do blog!

I often peruse my mates profiles catching up with what’s happening in lives, a bonus being when you do actually get to talk/meet person to person you’re not catching up with months of news!!!
Keep them coming Neil its always great to hear from you
Nanny H xxxx

]]> Comment on Loyalty Tested to Breaking Point by James http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/08/03/loyalty-tested-to-breaking-point/#comment-7 James Mon, 06 Aug 2007 03:31:47 +0000 http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/08/03/loyalty-tested-to-breaking-point/#comment-7 Glad you;re not leaving us :) Our aim is to provide a kinda base, into which - over time - you'll b able to incorporate all of these other tools. Cheers, James Glad you;re not leaving us :)

Our aim is to provide a kinda base, into which - over time - you’ll b able to incorporate all of these other tools.

Cheers, James

]]> Comment on Separating Schools & Politics by Doug Belshaw http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/07/27/separating-schools-politics/#comment-6 Doug Belshaw Sat, 28 Jul 2007 06:13:28 +0000 http://neiljones.edublogs.org/2007/07/27/separating-schools-politics/#comment-6 In most cases, headteachers being left alone to implement the National Curriculum would be a good idea. However, it might not be best in <em>all</em> cases. I think there needs to be a balance between undue political interference and keeping checks and balances in place! :-) In most cases, headteachers being left alone to implement the National Curriculum would be a good idea. However, it might not be best in all cases. I think there needs to be a balance between undue political interference and keeping checks and balances in place! :-)

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