Dominik’s Radio Times

Feature

Earlham Academy Discussion

Feature
Feature
Programme
Community Chest
Date
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About this feature

Dominik hosts a Community Chest panel discussion regarding the transition of Earlham High School into an academy. The conversation focuses on the school's placement in special measures and the proposed partnership consortium involving UEA and City College Norwich. Key moments include a debate on GCSE pass rates, a discussion on the importance of community consultation, and an analysis of the divide between vocational and academic education.

Dominik hosts a panel discussion on the transition of Earlham High School into an academy. Guests including Terry Hayden, Dave Bruntin, Phil Taylor, and Charles Clark discuss the school's placement in special measures by Ofsted due to poor performance and attendance. The conversation covers the role of a proposed partnership consortium involving City College, UEA, and Norwich School, with a focus on English and digital technology as specialisms. Participants debate the effectiveness of academy sponsorship, the divide between vocational and academic education, and the importance of community consultation, which was scheduled to end on February 13th. The academy was planned to open in September 2009.

Topics

  • The criteria and consequences of Ofsted special measures and National Challenge status.
  • The use of contextual value-added measures versus standard GCSE pass rates in evaluating schools.
  • The transition of Earlham High School into an academy and the role of local partnerships.
  • The proposed transition of Earlham High School to an academy.
  • The role and effectiveness of academy sponsors and partnerships.
  • The impact of academy status on educational standards and resources.
  • The transition of Earlham High School to an academy.
  • The balance between vocational and academic education.
  • Community consultation and public involvement in school planning.
  • Funding and sponsorship of academies
  • Community consultation and public perception
  • Impact on local education and governance

Participants

  • Dominik
  • Terry Hayden
  • Dave Bruntin
  • Phil Taylor
  • Dave Brunton
  • Charles Clark
  • Matt Bon
  • Rosely Mombio
  • Rosalind Mavio

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Program that's simply making something an academy of itself doesn't do anything. Changing a name of something doesn't do anything. And where academies have been less successful is where they have not brought in new.

Powerful driving force for change within a given school to have relationships of that kind. The key point about sponsorship isn't money, as you rightly said, because the bulk of the money is coming from the government anyway. It's getting a real involvement with the sponsor, which hopefully will inspire.

If you don't mind me saying so, I think that's quite an old-fashioned view, and and quite far away from where thinking about education is going. We've got to get away from this old divide between academic qualifications and vocational qualifications, as if one is better than the other. It's a total nonsense, and.