King Edwards School - Ofsted Report Failures - Forced Academy Status

[Irene Swaine]

Schools get so worked up over GCSEs and grades in the final years, that they take their eye of the ball when the children need it most. Of course, qualifications are important but they cram too much in towards the end and it becomes overwhelming. I remember the stress leading up to my exams was immense. I can't remember half of the things I studied, as I was so focussed on passing. For one exam, we had to have a tutorial on how to actually take the exam! Important life skills are missed out at a crucial time as they approach adulthood, such as housekeeping, cookery, how to budget, do tax returns, how to get on the property ladder and avoiding drugs and knife crime. Every pupil should be taught how to conduct themselves at a job interview, how to dress, how to make a good impression and how to use formal language. 

 

Schools like King Edward's also have the problem of having a ridiculously wide catchment area. I have seen school buses going to Wincobank, Ecclesfield and Chapeltown from the school. Goodness knows what time they have to get up. They need time to rest before and after a day of learning, not spend it travelling from far flung corners of the city. Smaller schools with smaller catchment areas are easy to manage. 

[Mkapaka]

22 hours ago, Irene Swaine said:

Schools like King Edward's also have the problem of having a ridiculously wide catchment area. I have seen school buses going to Wincobank, Ecclesfield and Chapeltown from the school. Goodness knows what time they have to get up. They need time to rest before and after a day of learning, not spend it travelling from far flung corners of the city. Smaller schools with smaller catchment areas are easy to manage. 

I travelled from wincobank to king edwards in 90s. 
 

wasn’t much of a hardship really.

22 hours ago, Irene Swaine said:

Important life skills are missed out at a crucial time as they approach adulthood, such as housekeeping, cookery, how to budget, do tax returns, how to get on the property ladder and avoiding drugs and knife crime. Every pupil should be taught how to conduct themselves at a job interview, how to dress, how to make a good impression and how to use formal language. 

Most of this does happen tho?

[Irene Swaine]

10 minutes ago, Mkapaka said:

Most of this does happen tho?

It didn't happen when I was at school in 2010 and 2011.

[Prettytom]

1 minute ago, Irene Swaine said:

It didn't happen when I was at school in 2010 and 2011.

I think that we are getting to the root of your problems, Irene.

 

Most people spend 11, or 13 years at school, not just two.

 

That’s probably how they managed to squeeze more learning in.

[Irene Swaine]

8 minutes ago, Prettytom said:

I think that we are getting to the root of your problems, Irene.

 

Most people spend 11, or 13 years at school, not just two.

 

That’s probably how they managed to squeeze more learning in.

Well for two years, I managed to get 4 GCSEs and 2 diplomas. Very good eh? 😉

[MJ01]

4 hours ago, Irene Swaine said:

Well for two years, I managed to get 4 GCSEs and 2 diplomas. Very good eh? 😉

Are they the business diplomas or are these even more diplomas that you've got to your name

[Irene Swaine]

1 hour ago, MJ01 said:

Are they the business diplomas or are these even more diplomas that you've got to your name

4 GCSEs (2010-2011), 2 Diplomas (2011-2013). 

[MJ01]

43 minutes ago, Irene Swaine said:

4 GCSEs (2010-2011), 2 Diplomas (2011-2013). 

What a scholar 

[Mkapaka]

5 hours ago, Irene Swaine said:

4 GCSEs (2010-2011), 2 Diplomas (2011-2013). 

Well there’s nothing wrong with that. Well done. One persons achievement is another one’s failure etc

 

In my experience with my daughters school they’re pretty good with real world stuff.

 

don’t get me wrong it’s not high on the syllabus but they make a go of giving them some real world knowledge

[salmonbones]

On 29/09/2023 at 12:22, Irene Swaine said:

It didn't happen when I was at school in 2010 and 2011.

I left King Edwards in, I think 1994.   It may have been 93, weirdly looking back I can't fully remember now.

 

These things did happen back then, and so I find it hard to believe you when you say they didn't in 2010.   We were taught many  things we weren't tested on, such as how to deal with Job interviews (we even had mock ones, and HSBC were brought in and did genuine ones for roles they had in school), we were taught how to cook all the basics then more - in fact almost everything you mention was touched on.

Fast forward, in lockdown - I witnessed my own kids lessons.   They definitely do  an awful lot more now, right down to discussing rent and Mortgage's, what you pay council tax for etc.  

It was good enough when I went to school, it was good enough  a couple of years ago when I witnessed it whilst working at home when my kids were being taught at home.   It just seems that there was some kind of weird void around 2010/2011.