The Government published its New Opportunities White Paper on Tuesday 13th January. The white paper looks at how the country should prepare for future challenges. Among the issues discussed  are how to support child development in the early years http://www.hmg.gov.uk/newopportunities/early_years.aspx and how to raise standards for all pupils http://www.hmg.gov.uk/newopportunities/schools.aspx

The Government is eager to get feedback from the education community. They want to start a conversation about what barriers you see to tackling these challenges and what can be done to help overcome them.

You'll find the full paper at http://www.hmg.gov.uk/newopportunities.aspx

My response would be to stop thinking money can buy you anything. For pity sake, the poor performing school will not just turn around because you throw money at it, the underlying issues would still remain. Often poor performance comes down to bad behaviour which leads to gaps in knowledge and the problem just gets worse.

The £10,000 is frankly a slap in the face to all other teachers and especially to those who already work in the poor performing schools.

Tackle the parenting issue please, which so far this government have failed to acknowledge is a prime concern and problem really.

Sometimes it makes me think about a right to education for all as the system is frankly being abused.

What happened to your teach first program, were they not meant to be all singing all dancing people who could turn rough schools around? Expand it if it is so successful.

...And the gtce !

Low expectations from parents

Poor parenting

Lack of intervention in the early years, although we do turn around some of our weaker/troubled students the damage has usually been done by the time we see them in year 7.

Anything that puts money in a teachers pay packet is welcome, but it could cause more problems than it solves.

I am already aware of some schools who have access to this cash, if I get a job, chasing the money, I leave my struggling school short, one experienced and succesful teacher.

If I knew another teacher was getting the money and I wasn't, I am not sure how I would feel, but suspect it would encourage me to leave.

Our intake is the reason we get poor results, the poor behaviour impacts on recruitment and retention of staff and on the quality of teaching and learning. The current system has created us " a sink school" those around us send us students they can't cope with.

 Tinkering with payscales to encourage "better" teachers to move to these schools may in the long run be devisive but at least it's better than doing nothing.

nutella:

The present climate of doom and gloom and escalating unemployment won't help the situation. It's more of the same old, same old; tinker a bit with this and a bit with that, sprinkle a few 'incentives' around here and there and what do you end up with? The same old carp. What incentive do 50% of children have to struggle to get 5 GCSEs when they aren't capable of dealing with this kind of testing, are in $hitholes of schools and know for a fact there won't be jobs for them when they finish education. And the idea of their being imprisoned in  so called 'education' till they are 18 is an even bigger reason for resentment. They will become like caged animals. It is a pervasive rottenness in society and a malaise growing by the minute as a result of failure by govt to address the root issues. And another huge impediment to the improvement of education is the fact that teachers are having to waste so much of their energy on completely unnecessary pen pushing and record keeping and reinventing the wheel with every stupid new initiative the govt comes up with.

 

This is a disorganised stream of consciousness rant so doubtless people will rush to have a go at me for it but I get so ANGRY with what is happening.

I think you are talking perfect sense.  If only Mr Balls had your insight!