Would you like your children to be educated by Mr Burns?

The greedy old nuclear power plant-owning millionaire from the TV series The Simpsons has attempted to get his hands on almost everything in Springfield, yet the town’s school has so far been safe from him. Nevertheless, the scenario of private sponsors gaining stakes in the running of public schools is no longer a fictional one. There have recently been heated debates and extensive media coverage about the Government’s current drive to turn 200 underperforming primary schools into academies. Opposition and supporters are facing each other on the battleground of the future of education, and there seems to be no easy way to resolve the problem.

The debate was furthered with the leaking of a Whitehall document branding Haringey primary schools the worst in inner London with one in seven of the borough’s schools being below the minimum standard. The Government’s solution to reform failing schools such as those in Haringey is to take them out of council control and to turn them into semi-independent academies. Such academies are still partly funded by the state, but are predominantly run by sponsors who are often private companies, trusts, charities or religious organisations. Under this new model of governance, the schools get to pick and choose which services they would like to keep buying from the local authority and which they prefer to buy from private contractors.

Critics claim that the Conservative Government is simply forcing through an agenda of privatisation and fear that education could become a mere commodity for profit. Whether this will prove to be a reasonable concern or not, it is true that academies will be less accountable since they will no longer need to have every important decision to be approved by the local authority. This also leads to fears that communities will lose control over their primary schools if these are run by a board of predominantly private sponsors rather than the local council. Amidst these concerns regarding privatisation, accountability and community control, we should also not forget that there is no one-size-fits-all model that can solve the individual problems many schools are facing. Every school has its very own issues to deal with that keep it from performing better and simply converting them to academies is unlikely to be the universal remedy we have all been waiting for. This simply seems to be too good to be true.

However, there are always two sides to the same coin and there are significant advantages to academies which we should not ignore. Once a school has successfully converted to an academy it gains access to more funding and new resources through its private partners. This, for example, allows the school to buy new equipment, employ additional staff and reduce class sizes, and to use the know-how and resources of its partners for the benefit of its pupils. In addition, academies enjoy greater independence when it comes to designing the curriculum and to processes of decision-making (although critics are likely to regard this as a negative point). Moreover, the new emerging academies cause another significant change in the diverse landscape of education: They have suddenly made private education affordable for everyone. Overall, even though converting to an academy is not the best solution for every single underperforming school, there is considerable evidence that it is an effective and quick way to turn failing schools into successful ones, affecting positive social change in the communities along the way. 

We at The ClementJames Centre and IntoUniversity know a prime example of an underperforming school that has undergone an impressive transformation into an outstanding academy. Our partner school Burlington Danes Academy converted in 2006 in partnership with the charity ARK Schools (ARK Schools is developing a network of academy schools as part of the Academies Programme, established by the Department for Children, Schools and Families in 2000). In the late nineties the school was in a sad state of academic decline and in 2004 was placed in special measures by Ofsted. Now, in 2012, Burlington Danes is completely revitalised and performing to a much higher standard. Moreover, Burlington Danes will not remain the only academy in our local area. Sir Rod Aldridge is to open a new Aldridge Academy in North Kensington in 2014 under the umbrella of his Aldridge Foundation. This academy will have a strong focus on entrepreneurship, adding to the great diversity of primary education in our borough. 

We are still at the beginning of the Government’s experiment of converting failing schools into academies and it remains to be seen whether this will really prove to be the best solution for the benefit of all those involved. At the moment, the apocalyptic threat of a Mr Burns educating our children to become little copies of himself is still very distant, and it remains up to us to keep education as accessible and to the highest standard as possible.

Wear your poppy with pride

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

This year marks the 93rd Armistice Day, where we can take time to reflect on those brave men and women who fought for our country, in previous wars and in current conflicts. Here at The ClementJames Centre our primary students paid their respects by creating poems which were enclosed in poppies they had decorated. They also had group discussions about Remembrance Day and its significance.  The staff and students respected a two minute silence at 11am.  

As Winston Churchill said

“Never was so much owed by so many to so few’’

KAO comes to visit!

This week we had members of KAO Brands cosmetics’ company come to visit The ClementJames Centre. With the help of The ClementJames Centre staff, they ran a Business Skills day for 36 school students, giving them an insight into the cosmetics industry. The students from Sion Manning and St Charles College had the opportunity to get a unique inside look at the way things are run!

The students were introduced to an industry that they admittedly loved, but didn’t know a whole lot about. The tasks of the day allowed them to gain an understanding of the complex nature of a large popular cosmetic company. The project consisted of workshops in Marketing, Sales, Finance and Supply.  There was also a Dragon’s Den Style competition, where teams of eight designed a future John Frieda product which they had to pitch to a panel of judges (Scary Stuff!). The day was a huge success with many of the students gaining valuable skills.

This project is proof that actions do speak volumes. Large companies are often more keen to donate money to charities rather than offer their time. Although donations are hugely important, their time is priceless and can offer our students a wonderful insight and experience. Let’s hope more companies follow in the footsteps of KAO!    

I’ve got 99 problems and society is one…

There is a growing animosity between young people and the government which is evident in the recent student protests and London riots. Young people feel as though their opinions are ignored… well this is all about to change!

A new initiative aimed at bridging the gap between young people and politics has emerged and it’s not for the conventional!  The government has teamed up with SB.TV to help generate debate about current issues and allow young people to relate to them through the expression of RAP! (yes I said rap… it’s not a typo!)   

SB.TV was found by Jamal Edwards in 2007 when he was sixteen and started filming London rappers freestyling on the street, and now he has filmed the likes of Nicki Minaj and Bruno Mars. His site has now racked up an impressive 50,000 subscribers and a total of 39 million video views. So establishing a partnership between the government and a SB.TV was ingenious and allowed the creation of a bridge between the two.    

It allows society to hear the complex opinions young people have towards issues in todays’ society. It gives them a voice, a voice that can be heard. Many young people in today’s society feel excluded and that they are used as scapegoats for a multitude of problems. This new initiative allows them to challenge those stereotypes as it sees the discussion of many topical issues.  One debate was particularly informative. It discussed in depth the issue of whether young people respect society. The debate was heated and convincingly presented both sides of the argument. It demonstrates that young people have opinions on current issues and they are worth listening to.

It highlighted the fact that young people view authority as a good thing and a bad thing. According to the youth of today the way authority is viewed is very dependent on the way it is presented. Young people are keen to emphasize the point that they will respect society if society RESPECTS THEM. Young people need to be given more opportunities like this to express their views, not only that they need people to sit up and listen to them!

Nothing to lose and everything to gain?

We can all vividly remember the riots that hit London and other major cities earlier this summer. We can remember watching on our television screens the catastrophic damage that was inflicted on shops and businesses by individuals the Prime Minister called ‘thugs’. It does make you wonder who committed these acts of violence and what their motives for doing so were. New figures recently published suggest that those who were charged for the August riots were ‘poorer, younger and of lower educational achievement than average’.  So this raises the question is society to blame for its own demise? Remember there is no smoke without fire…

We cannot pardon those acts of violence, we can only try and search for an explanation so that we as a society can prevent them from happening again. The government figures show that a quarter of those charged so far in relation to the riots were juveniles aged 10-27.  That 35% of adults charged in relation to the riots were claiming out of work benefits. More than a third of young people who were arrested had been excluded from school during 2009-2010. Though most significantly of all the findings, was that three quarters of all those who appeared in court had a previous conviction or caution, demonstrating that either individuals had not received the correct help or advice following a previous conviction, or that they did not respect society.

Those who are vulnerable require support systems. The ClementJames Centre is a shining example of one. We encourage individuals to see the positives in themselves, and in society, and help them not to be consumed by the negatives. Thus allowing individuals to see that no matter what anyone says, there is always another option. The ClementJames Centre and centres like it are significantly important for the existence of a harmonious society as they can help those in difficult situations to make the correct life choices, by addressing the problem at the root before it flourishes into a more significant issue.

A sad fact is that all those protesting about society and how unjust it is, have now only made it harder for themselves, having landed themselves a criminal conviction.

So perhaps the government needs to properly investigate the root cause of why the individuals rioted, and assess whether there are enough support systems in place to help those in need.  Otherwise, there will be a situation where convicted young people have everything to lose and not a lot to gain.

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

Earlier this month the mastermind of the phenomenon that is ‘Apple’ died, leaving behind a legacy that changed the world we live in. He was a truly inspirational individual who was not afraid to think outside the box or take risks. It was precisely this attitude that brought him so much success.  Although success is something Steve had to work hard for, encountering many difficulties on the way. He gave a speech in 2005 at Stanford University where he stated that ‘sometimes life is gonna hit you in the head with a brick, don’t lose faith’. This is such a simple yet powerful message and one we should all listen to. Life isn’t that easy, and there will be ups and downs, but as Steve states you must not allow those difficult moments to allow you to lose sight of your goals and aspirations.

So the next time you endure problems or encounter situations that don’t pan out as expected, remember the road to success is never an easy one, but you can learn from the journey you take.

Click on the link below to watch his speech in full.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

Leopards really can change their spots- And we have the evidence to prove it!

Burlington Danes Academy in Shepherd’s Bush has transformed itself, gone are the disruptive lessons and poor achievement, and in its place are high flyers that even get to mingle with Tory Party Members! Burlington Danes Academy is a fine example of the fact that it is never too late to change. When the Head Teacher Sally Coates joined the School in 2008 she said “Visitors didn’t want to cross the playground and children ran down the corridors in lesson time’’ and Ofsted said even pupils called it ‘a rubbish school’. The students had no respect for the teachers and the school struggled to find good staff. Now it has a waiting list of over 100 people for its entry into year 7.  Sally Coates credits the new success of the school to the respect they have built up between staff and pupils. Student  Mr Akinwale who attended  Business in Focus with the engineering company Skanska  at the ClementJames Centre, describes how the school is “now it’s a great place because the students respect the school and the teachers. People don’t step out of line, not because of the sanctions, but because we value and respect what we have at school.” It is clear that the school has come along leaps and bounds and this is reflected in their examination results. In 2006, only 31 per cent of students at Burlington Danes achieved five A* to C grades in five subjects including English and maths. That total rose to 75 per cent this year which is a truly fantastic achievement. Their success has been recognized most notably by the Prime Minster David Cameron in a keynote education speech he gave last month. As a result, Miss Coates and 17-year-old Mr Akinwale were invited to address Tory party members and supporters at their annual conference in Manchester about their school’s dramatic turnaround. This is a great achievement and all those at Burlington Danes Academy should be congratulated.

It proves hard work really does pay off!

Well done!