Last updated 19:44, Thursday, 26 June 2008

A LEADING union boss said that a Government list of schools needing help, which includes Workington’s Southfield Technology College and Beacon Hill School in Aspatria, should not be called “failing”.

Dr John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said this week that it was insulting and demoralising, and warned that suggesting schools could be closed or replaced with academies was not helpful.

Southfield and Beacon Hill are part of the National Challenge programme, which aims to have 30 per cent all students receiving five high grade GCSEs by 2009.

Dr Dunford said many of the schools on the list were improving before the report came out.

He said: “As the government has acknowledged, many of them are on a rising tide of achievement under their existing leadership.

“A high proportion work in the most challenging communities in the country and, although they have not reached 30 per cent with five high grade GCSE passes, many already add enormous value to children's achievement.

“If the National Challenge is to be a success, it must make it an attractive prospect to lead and work in these schools, so they can attract the staff they need to raise achievement.

“This will not be helped by the threat of closure or academy status, which will hang over many of these schools for the next three years.

“Research evidence does not indicate that such threatening policies are effective.”

Lynda Dalkin, Southfield headteacher, said that her school welcomed the National Challenge and believed her school would achieve its targets.

She said Southfield reached all targets set for year 11 students last year and just missed the projected National Challenge target with 28.5 per cent of students receiving the five A* to C GCSE results including English and maths.

She said: “We embrace the National Challenge, which is planned to support schools in areas of low economic growth. At its centre is the every child matters ethos and every child does matter at Southfield.”

The Southfield Cluster, which includes primary schools, is a pilot for a Local Delivery Platform where schools work together with services provided for the health and well-being of children.

She added that ensuring a child was healthy and happy played a massive part in learning.

Beacon Hill’s headteacher Julie Richardson said she was grateful to staff, governors, students and the community who supported the school.

She rejected a suggestion that her school was failing and said: “That is completely at odds with our Ofsted report.”

But she said instead of focusing on the Government list, Beacon Hill was continuing with initiatives which would offer their children the best education.

Top of the list is an education partnership with Keswick School, which will see a sharing of resources. It will offer students opportunities not available in the smaller school.

Mrs Richardson said people saw Keswick as an aspiring, successful school and Beacon Hill was pleased to be working with them.

Both headteachers said they wanted to be able to get on with providing an education for young people and to take advantage of the help that will be available, in money and resources from the National Challenge.