A
radical transformation of secondary education is planned that will see a shift
from the old one-size-fits-all system to tailor-made teaching and learning for
every pupil.
Education
and Skills Secretary Charles Clarke said the four key principles for secondary
reform are:
Creating
a new specialist system, with all schools encouraged to innovate in the way
they teach and organise themselves;
Building
strong leadership teams, with extra support from the government through the
Leadership Incentive Grant combined with firm action to deal with weak leaders;
Reforming
of the school workforce, by allowing teachers time to teach and a greater role
for more trained adults in the classroom; and
Developing
partnerships beyond the classroom, with parents, business, universities and
others.
Clarke
also announced early reforms, including: new specialist options in music and
humanities (such as history, English and geography); opportunities for rural
schools to reflect local interests and introduce a rural option alongside an
existing specialism; and a Leading Edge programme to aid transformation of the
secondary sector through collaboration, innovation and sharing best practice.
This programme will draw on good practice whatever its source – including, for
the first time, the independent sector.
The
announcement of 217 more specialist schools means every local authority is now
included and that 38 per cent of all secondary schools are specialist .
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
There
are now 1,209 specialist schools – exceeding the target of 1,000 by September
2003.
