Clacton-on-Sea may be on the end of the line in railway terms but its “failing” comprehensive school, Bishops Park college, has lessons for today (The coastal schools neglected by national initiatives, 16 October). Students felt at home, known and cared for in the three small schools that made up its campus. The school was built on the “schools within a school” model, which provides a more personalised education for all students. The integrated curriculum combined with imaginative teaching methods made possible the mixed ability teaching that was part of a whole-school commitment to inclusion and social justice.
By the time it closed in 2009 nearly all its 16-year-old leavers were going on into jobs, training or further education – a huge achievement in an area of high unemployment and low aspiration. There were nil rates of pregnancy and of permanent exclusion. Parents and the local community supported the school and used the campus facilities.
Bishops Park did not achieve the GCSE results demanded by the Department for Education. But it did not fail. What it did achieve was a school community that respected the talents and interests of all its students and gave them an authentic experience of living in the 21st century. The most important lesson to be learned from its short history is that there is an urgent need to rethink our notions of success and failure.
Mary Tasker
Bath
• Your article on coastal schools rightly highlighted their difficulty in securing excellent outcomes for students and recruiting and retaining teachers and headteachers.
Geographical isolation can present significant challenges, but the government has most definitely not left these schools behind. There are a number of government initiatives in place to support schools like Clacton Coastal academy.
Through the pupil premium – extra funding worth £2.5bn a year – we are helping schools transform the way we educate our disadvantaged children. And this is working – a recent report by Ofsted showed that the achievement gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is closing.
But the importance of high-quality leadership in our schools cannot be overstated. We know there is a strong link between school leadership, quality of teaching, and outcomes for pupils. That is why last month I launched Talented Leaders, a programme run by the Future Leaders Trust that aims to recruit 100 exceptional school leaders and match them with schools that are facing some of the toughest challenges – predominantly those in rural, coastal or deprived areas that are finding it difficult to attract a great leader.
These brilliant heads will provide a real leadership boost to a struggling school, help to spread excellence and drive up standards across the area. We are currently recruiting the first cohort of leaders who will be in post by September 2015. Further heads will be recruited and appointed by September 2016.
And, as a further step towards tackling underperformance, we also recently announced a £13m school-to-school support fund, which over the next two years will enable our existing pool of exceptional leaders – the national leaders of education – to support schools in areas of greatest need.
David Laws MP
Schools minister
