Failing schools - what's the answer?, what to do with John O Gaunt Options

[Bofem]

What to do with John O Gaunt School? Who cares, it's in Hungerford, I hear you yell, but it's kinda relevant to us all.

You see, JOG (as they call it out that way) is only two thirds full, and WBC predicts that falling numbers will continue unless something's done (see p50 of this)

I believe this is largely to do with the huge number of JOG catchment kids who go to St Barts sixth form. Why? Is it because JOG employs people like this?

Anyway, what to do? WBC's attitude is usually to ignore the problem ("Our schools are very good...blah blah"), or to massage the figures by merging infants and juniors (I hear John Rankin is next), or shuffling catchments (like when Cold Ash was taken away from Kennet and transferred to Trinity).

Some options to consider...

Close JOG and open up an academy out that way (outside WBC control)
Force more kids to attend JOG (stricter catchment rules)
Make it more attractive by wasting money on shiny new school buildings (most likely WBC option)

[Rachel]

What to do with John O Gaunt School? Who cares, it's in Hungerford, I hear you yell, but it's kinda relevant to us all.

You see, JOG (as they call it out that way) is only two thirds full, and WBC predicts that falling numbers will continue unless something's done (see p50 of this)

I believe this is largely to do with the huge number of JOG catchment kids who go to St Barts sixth form. Why? Is it because JOG employs people like this?

Anyway, what to do? WBC's attitude is usually to ignore the problem ("Our schools are very good...blah blah"), or to massage the figures by merging infants and juniors (I hear John Rankin is next), or shuffling catchments (like when Cold Ash was taken away from Kennet and transferred to Trinity).

Some options to consider...

Close JOG and open up an academy out that way (outside WBC control)
Force more kids to attend JOG (stricter catchment rules)
Make it more attractive by wasting money on shiny new school buildings (most likely WBC option)

This teacher was employed by whoever was on the personnel committee at JOG back in 2007. They were not the first people to employ him, but were clearly lead to believe by former employers he was capable (otherwise one assumes they wouldn't have employed him?) This indicates to me that, for reasons unknown, they were duped into giving him a job possibly with references which weren't completely truthful. That committee, I would imagine, is long gone, but would probably argue that they had been mislead into taking someone on by a former school that were glad to see him go, & if recent reports are to be believed, this may be the truth. Once JOG realised they had a problem, they did what they had to; place him under guidance to help him achieve, but he wasn't able to do so & left. Alternitively, they could have sacked him on the spot & he'd have sued their backside for unfair dismissal...& probably won, costing West Berks (& us) thousands. One could say that JOG should be applauded for "outing" this incapable teacher & saving all our children from him;something a previous school should have done previously, but chose the easier option of moving him on.

No school should be judged for employing 1 poor teacher 3.5 years ago. They messed up with 1 teacher, tried to put it right using means within employment laws & I suspect they've learned much from the experience.

A school should be judged purely on an individual basis; not on a newspaper report, a former pupil or employee's memories, or gossip. If a parent is choosing a school, they should go & see for themselves, go to meet the Head & staff, see a normal school day, watch the pupils as they go between lessons, look at some work, but more than anything go in real time; don't go on what was happening 3 years ago when a school was in Special Measures, with different staff & pupils.

What should we do with John O Gaunt? Let Mr Spurdell & his Staff get on with the job of turning JOG around, support the school into the future & stop digging up the past! I've visited JOG several times in different roles over the past 18 months & I've found Neil Spurdell to be a good, energetic, focused, respected, inspiring Head Teacher, a genuine kind of bloke, a pretty good egg. He's started the upward turn & he knows how to get results, & from what I have seen his staff are with him in a determination to put JOG on the map for all the right reasons.