This Council recognises that every child is unique and wants an education system that enables each student to find their learning pathway through a wide choice of courses and qualifications. The current mish-mash of school types, limited curriculum options for many and decreasing accountability to local communities is not in the best interests of this City’s young people.
Cuts by Central Government to early years and school budgets have undermined the ability of the school system in Coventry to maximise the potential of all our children.
It is to the credit of all involved in our state funded education provision that City schools have been able to maintain high standards of education and achievement.
However, our schools want to achieve more but are being held back by cuts to finance and remote, unsympathetic and uninformed control from Central Government and its agencies such as Ofsted.
Coventry is well placed to demonstrate an alternative, more local, collaborative and mutually supportive approach. Our peer review arrangements are just one example. They have been shown to deliver school improvement, led by the experts in our schools, who have shown how it is possible to achieve more working together for the common good.
For these reasons this Council supports and will campaign for:
· The restoration of previous funding levels, and their eventual improvement for all schools and sixth form colleges.
· The restoration and extension of the ‘Sure Start’ programme.
· The abolition of Ofsted and the re-establishment of local accountability for education, including oversight of school admissions and funding, including that for students with educational special needs, and the reintegration of free schools and academies into a locally run and democratic system of education.
· Allowing local Councils like Coventry to oversee high standards of school based assessment that puts students at the centre of a system that helps incentivise students and gives parents and carers clear information.
· A review of the secondary curriculum and examination arrangements that currently limit the range of learning opportunities and place an over-emphasis on memory based testing rather that developing transferable skills and knowledge applicable in post 16 training and education and employment.
Minutes:
The following Motion was moved by Councillor K Maton and seconded by Councillor M Mutton:
“This Council recognises that every child is unique and wants an education system that enables each student to find their learning pathway through a wide choice of courses and qualifications. The current mish-mash of school types, limited curriculum options for many and decreasing accountability to local communities is not in the best interests of this City’s young people.
Cuts by Central Government to early years and school budgets have undermined the ability of the school system in Coventry to maximise the potential of all our children.
It is to the credit of all involved in our state funded education provision that City schools have been able to maintain high standards of education and achievement.
However, our schools want to achieve more but are being held back by cuts to finance and remote, unsympathetic and uninformed control from Central Government and its agencies such as Ofsted.
Coventry is well placed to demonstrate an alternative, more local, collaborative and mutually supportive approach. Our peer review arrangements are just one example. They have been shown to deliver school improvement, led by the experts in our schools, who have shown how it is possible to achieve more working together for the common good.
For these reasons this Council supports and will campaign for:
· The restoration of previous funding levels, and their eventual improvement for all schools and sixth form colleges.
· The restoration and extension of the ‘Sure Start’ programme.
· The abolition of Ofsted and the re-establishment of local accountability for education, including oversight of school admissions and funding, including that for students with educational special needs, and the reintegration of free schools and academies into a locally run and democratic system of education.
· Allowing local Councils like Coventry to oversee high standards of school-based assessment that puts students at the centre of a system that helps incentivise students and gives parents and carers clear information.
· A review of the secondary curriculum and examination arrangements that currently limit the range of learning opportunities and place an over-emphasis on memory-based testing rather that developing transferable skills and knowledge applicable in post 16 training and education and employment.
The following amendment to the Motion was moved by Councillor J Blundell, seconded by Councillor P Male and lost:
That the debate as set out as item 16.2 on the agenda be amended as follows:
In the first paragraph after ‘courses and qualifications’ delete the remainder of that paragraph and all of the second paragraph.
In the first sentence of paragraph four after the words ‘achieve more’, delete the remainder of the sentence and insert the words ‘and welcome the additional funding recently announced by the Conservative Government.’
In the first sentence of paragraph five after the word ‘demonstrate’ insert the word ‘a’ and delete the words ‘an alternative’. After the second sentence insert the words ‘They have been shown to deliver school improvement, led by the experts in our schools, who have shown how it is possible to achieve more working together for the common good’.
In paragraph six after the words ‘this Council’ delete the remainder of the sentence and insert the word ‘welcomes’. Delete the remainder of the paragraphs and replace with the following:
· The additional funding recently announced by the Conservative Government
· Free childcare entitlements for 2 to 4 year olds, 30 hours of free childcare and the introduction of 30 hours free childcare for children in foster care.
· The recent changes to OFSTED including an overall quality of education judgment; the de-intensification of inspection focus on performance data and more emphasis on the substance of education and what is significant to pupils and teachers. This will enable OFSTED to take an holistic approach to consider the quality of education.
· Continue to allow councils like Coventry to work alongside schools to offer and guidance on the pedagogy and curriculum development and to intervene where schools are deemed to be failing.
· To continue to support academic and vocational subjects and courses and ensure that examination arrangements are fit for workplace in the 21st century.
The amended debate then to read:
This Council recognises that every child is unique and wants an education system that enables each student to find their learning pathway through a wide choice of courses and qualifications.
It is to the credit of all involved in our state funded education provision that City schools have been able to maintain high standards of education and achievement. However, our schools want to achieve more and welcome the additional funding recently announced by the Conservative Government. Coventry is well placed to demonstrate a more local, collaborative and mutually supportive approach. Our peer review arrangements are just one example. They have been shown to deliver school improvement, led by the experts in our schools, who have shown how it is possible to achieve more working together for the common good.
For these reasons this Council welcomes
· The additional funding recently announced by the Conservative Government.
· Free childcare entitlements for 2 to 4 year olds, 30 hours of free childcare and the introduction of 30 hours free childcare for children in foster care.
· The recent changes to OFSTED including an overall quality of education judgment; the de-intensification of inspection focus on performance data and more emphasis on the substance of education and what is significant to pupils and teachers. This will enable OFSTED to take a holistic approach to consider the quality of education.
· Continue to allow councils like Coventry to work alongside schools to offer advice and guidance on the pedagogy and curriculum development and to intervene where schools are deemed to be failing.
· To continue to support academic and vocational subjects and courses and ensure that examination arrangements are fit for the workplace in the 21st century.
RESOLVED that the substantive motion (above in bold) be adopted.