WITH St Aldhelm’s Academy in Poole struggling with funding and academic progress the question has to be asked why is it Poole Council have stuck to a segregated education scheme, with highest quality grammar schools for a small minority, and for the rest schools of lower standard with far lower aspirations?
As for changing the school label from “local authority” to “academy” that will clearly not make a shade of difference if you do not get into the school first rate motivated teaching staff.
And to that end there is only one way for any local authority to go - subject secondary teachers teach their subject in all local schools, as integrated into borough-wide time-tables.
Staff not locked into one or two elite schools only.
Also needed on the north American model in each school is a dean of students to take care of discipline, leaving teachers to get on with their job, teaching the students.
As for “academy sponsors” no religious group should in any way be running any school in the country, private or state funded.
The only religious input in any school should be comparative religious studies. Schools are for broad learning, above all learning to evaluate, and judge. Not children ending up indoctrinated.
But as it is I am only left asking how many thousands of young people in Poole have not even got started realising all they can be because of Poole’s antiquated system – some to be “selected” to progress upward, others at 11 their futures devalued and limited before they get started.
JEFF WILLIAMS, Parkstone
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