Blogs
-
07Mar2013
Mind the Gap: Helping schools to collaborate in an autonomous age
Posted by Julie Gibbings
The Academies programme has rapidly expanded since 2010, and along with the introduction of free schools, University Technical Colleges (UTCs) and studio schools (all of which have a similar status to academies), has brought about a significant shift in the way that schools are funded and managed. As of 1 December 2012 there were 2543 academies open in England and more than half of secondary schools now hold academy status. Academies are funded directly by central government, do not have to follow the national curriculum and have greater autonomy.
Direct funding to academies by central government and spending cuts have led to reductions in the education services provided by local authorities in many areas, because they are no longer guaranteed the income needed to run them (academies can choose to purchase them if they wish, but can use a different supplier). When it comes to literacy, many schools library services have closed down; there has been a reduction in support for children with special educational needs (SEN); and the number of subject advisers has also dropped.
Combined with this, the increase in the number of schools who are independent from the local authority has, in many areas, led these schools to become more isolated, not only from the authority itself, but also from each other.
These cuts in services and increased isolation have led to fewer opportunities for teachers to meet for collaboration, to share best practice and to access free or low-cost professional development. Alongside this, the removal of the national strategies has left schools with little opportunity to share best practice more widely. This leads to inefficiency as teachers ‘reinvent the wheel’ by developing teaching resources and strategies that are already being used by others.
The National Literacy Trust’s network was established in March 2011 to support schools to share and collaborate with each other and it addresses many of these issues. We have over 700 members who share their best practice through resources, blogs, webinars and face-to-face meetings. We provide materials to help senior leaders and middle managers develop effective whole-school literacy practices, as well as offering practical support for staff in the classroom and school library. Local authorities can encourage their schools to join our network to enhance the support they offer. Membership of the network costs £100 per year for a school or £90 a year for an individual consultant.
Most read
- A new curriculum, a new definition for literacy?
- Latest overview of adult literacy in the UK
- Local Government’s Role in Education: the way forward in 2013
- Can teaching speaking and listening change behaviour in secondary classes?
- Buzzing about books - using talk and peer recommendation to hook pupils into reading
Leave a comment
You must login or register before you can post comments.