New school reports ‘make little sense’

8:23am Monday 1st December 2008

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AN education expert has criticised flagship Government plans to introduce report cards for schools.

Professor Peter Tymms said giving schools a single grade would hide information parents might be interested in and “does not make a lot of sense”.

Prof Tymms, director of Durham University’s centre for evaluation and monitoring, said: “In a report card, the school gets a single grade. In these large complex organisations, that does not make a lot of sense.

“You could get a great chemistry department in a school that does not take a lot of notice of physical development.

“I am not a fan of school league tables.

If you give grade cards, it immediately creates league tables.

“Report cards hide the diversity and the differences that you might be interested in.”

Prof Tymms’ comments were supported by Jonathan Morris, the head of Moorside Community Technology College, in Consett, County Durham – the most improved school in the country last year.

Mr Morris said report cards were simplistic, and added: “The publication of school results has got a bit more sophisticated, with value added measures.

“We have got away from crude measures, but this seems to be a blind instrument.

“Account has got to be taken of the circumstances you are working in.

“I have no problem at all with freedom of information – there should be no secrecy about how a school’s doing, but it should be presented correctly.”

The possible introduction of the system was announced last month, at the same time as national testing for 14-yearolds was ended.

In New York, where the system was introduced more than a year ago, student progress accounts for 55 per cent of the grade, student performance 30 per cent and school environment 15 per cent.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said: “School report cards will be a new and a simpler way for parents to choose and compare schools; and an easier way for them to understand how schools are raising standards, improving and playing their role in supporting the wider development and wellbeing of children.”

The format and content of the report cards is subject to consultation.