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| School change obscures performance, says heads' leader | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Continuous change has made it impossible to tell how well England's schools are performing, a head teachers' leader will say today. | |
| Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), will address its annual conference in London. | Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), will address its annual conference in London. |
| Students' exam grades at 16 "cannot be compared from year to year", he is expected to tell the union's delegates. | Students' exam grades at 16 "cannot be compared from year to year", he is expected to tell the union's delegates. |
| The government said its reforms had been "necessary and urgent". | The government said its reforms had been "necessary and urgent". |
| Comparing grades | Comparing grades |
| Mr Lightman will urge a period of "clarity and stability" after rapid reform, when he addresses his members. | Mr Lightman will urge a period of "clarity and stability" after rapid reform, when he addresses his members. |
| At the moment, understanding how well the system is doing "is a real challenge", Mr Lightman will say. | At the moment, understanding how well the system is doing "is a real challenge", Mr Lightman will say. |
| "Hard though it is to believe, I am standing here and stating that we do not know how well our system is performing in terms of attainment in our qualifications for 16-year-olds and may not for some years to come," he will add. | "Hard though it is to believe, I am standing here and stating that we do not know how well our system is performing in terms of attainment in our qualifications for 16-year-olds and may not for some years to come," he will add. |
| Mr Lightman will promise that ASCL will continue to work with awarding bodies and officials "to get to a stage very rapidly when teachers, students, parents, employers and the government know exactly what each grade means in terms of learning outcomes and how standards compare between years". | Mr Lightman will promise that ASCL will continue to work with awarding bodies and officials "to get to a stage very rapidly when teachers, students, parents, employers and the government know exactly what each grade means in terms of learning outcomes and how standards compare between years". |
| The union is calling for schools to have a greater say in setting the school curriculum and for the government to put more trust in teachers rather than imposing "relentless change from above". | The union is calling for schools to have a greater say in setting the school curriculum and for the government to put more trust in teachers rather than imposing "relentless change from above". |
| Curriculum commission | Curriculum commission |
| In particular the trade union wants the national curriculum to be decided by an independent commission made up of school leaders, governors, teachers, parents, employers and politicians. | In particular the trade union wants the national curriculum to be decided by an independent commission made up of school leaders, governors, teachers, parents, employers and politicians. |
| It wants the curriculum to be reviewed only once every five years. | It wants the curriculum to be reviewed only once every five years. |
| A Department for Education spokeswoman said reform had been needed as children "only get one chance at education". | A Department for Education spokeswoman said reform had been needed as children "only get one chance at education". |
| "As part of our plan for education we have made important reforms to our exam system to ensure young people leave school ready to succeed in life in modern Britain... | "As part of our plan for education we have made important reforms to our exam system to ensure young people leave school ready to succeed in life in modern Britain... |
| "We know we have expected a lot from teachers and appreciate the huge efforts that headteachers and schools have made to implement these reforms. | "We know we have expected a lot from teachers and appreciate the huge efforts that headteachers and schools have made to implement these reforms. |
| "Together we are transforming education with one million more children now being taught in good or outstanding schools than in 2010. | "Together we are transforming education with one million more children now being taught in good or outstanding schools than in 2010. |
| "The important thing now is to build on this success and maintain a period of stability to allow the reforms to bed in and standards in our schools to continue to improve." | "The important thing now is to build on this success and maintain a period of stability to allow the reforms to bed in and standards in our schools to continue to improve." |
| Later, the conference, attended by 1,200 senior school-leaders, will hear from Education Secretary Nicky Morgan. | Later, the conference, attended by 1,200 senior school-leaders, will hear from Education Secretary Nicky Morgan. |
| On Friday there were speeches by shadow education secretary, Tristram Hunt, and Schools Minister David Laws, who said he was proud of the Liberal Democrats' contribution to the coalition's education policy. | On Friday there were speeches by shadow education secretary, Tristram Hunt, and Schools Minister David Laws, who said he was proud of the Liberal Democrats' contribution to the coalition's education policy. |