| Topic: | Re:Acton High School-one parent's perspective on what a better school it may be! | |
| Posted by: | Debbie Carmichael | |
| Date/Time: | 09/05/18 14:18:00 |
| I completely agree with both Milena and Ansa. I have two children at AHS. I put AHS as my first choice school when selecting for my son who is now in year 9 and also for my daughter year 7. Would I have chosen Acton High if there was a choice? With it’s track record, probably not. I put it down as first choice as it’s my local comprehensive school, I wanted to support it and it was the only realistic ‘choice’ I had. The only other options available were a) move house b) go to church (I have no intention of faking being a believer every Sunday c) pay I have always been against academisation but I will welcome Ark Academy with open arms. I strongly believe that it will be able to make the huge improvements that AHS needs right now. The school cannot stay as it is or drift as an ‘orphan' school as is being offered up by the NEU. The school needs a strong supported leadership and most importantly stability. I’ve watched the school make small steps to change and they are implementing some new methods of teaching and assessment but these are tiny steps. AHS needs to make a giant leap to be a flourishing local community school that people choose to send their children to. STRIKING TEACHERS Acton High has to become an academy, it has no choice. This is a government decision not a school decision or a governors decision. Striking won’t change that decision. The school failed its Ofsted report. The quality of teaching was deemed inadequate and although this wasn’t the only area of inadequacy, quite clearly the teaching was not judged to be good enough. Saying that, some of my children’s teachers are excellent and I hope they stay when the Ark Academy take over. I hope they seize the opportunity to work in a school run by a MAT with a proven track record of running 35 successful schools with good or outstanding Ofsted reports. I find it hard to believe that the teachers are striking against this transition. Who wouldn’t want to learn and develop their skills in a company that in the words of the Ark Regional Director 'prides itself on curriculum development, staff development, pastoral support, pathways and enrichment and in developing good school leaders’ Yes, Ark is a business and for businesses to succeed you need to have results. This is why it is a success. The ongoing strike action is potentially catastrophic for Acton High School. If there is one thing that could make this already sinking ship sink further is continuing with the strikes. Nobody in their right mind would want to send their children to a school with such instability, especially if the union had their way and send them to an ‘orphan’ school. Come autumn when people make their school choices they won’t forget this. You will find the intake of 2019 will be a majority of disappointed an unmotivated children. Children who have been forced to go to their sixth choice school. Many will have their names down at other schools in case a place becomes available for them and they’ll be of as soon as one does. If Ark Academy take over, it will be a very different picture. The union has to realise how much the children are suffering. Children about to take their GCSE’s and A levels this term. How can we can send our children to a school where the teachers and union think it is acceptable to strike during this crucial term. Yes, the children taking exams are being asked to go in but up until this week there were no teachers there to teach them. Not all teachers agree with the strikes, I know that some feel very frustrated and are really struggling knowing that they are letting the children down. Personally I blame a stubborn union with it’s own political agenda. They have a bigger battle to fight. I just wish they could find a way of doing it without it being to the detriment to our children's education. |