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New term, new start in Labour's academy schools revolution
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At the best of times the first lesson after the long summer holidays can feel unending. But at the RSA academy in Tipton that feeling may be more justified, because the
lessons are three hours long.
Three-hour lessons, a longer day and school year and 90 pupils to a class makes the RSA academy sound like boot camp. But it has also scrapped homework, subject
areas and streaming and is using a curriculum designed to train pupils in the skills that will serve them in life, before they learn the facts and figures that will get them
through a GCSE.
"Our pupils become more competent learners. They will be much more well-rounded, not just better at exams but better at understanding the world, their community and
about tolerance," says the school's principal, Michael Gernon.
The lessons are based on a curriculum called Opening Minds developed by the school's sponsor, the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and
Commerce (RSA).
Three-hour lessons mean they do a project in a morning, instead of over a week. Pupils rarely sit still for long and textbooks are rarely used. Instead, they learn skills in
communication, managing themselves, working in teams and understanding their responsibilities.
Tipton's children are largely white, working class and poor. The West Midlands school abuts a large estate known locally as the Lost City. With only one road linking it to
the rest of the world it's easy to lose yourself in its labyrinthine streets.
"People who grow up here don't leave. There are long-held attitudes. Education isn't a priority and we need to change that," says Gernon.
On the first day the year seven pupils are putting together a learning calendar where they will record their aims and achievements through the year. They learn to take
digital photos and produce individual calendars. The 90 pupils in the class take turns to do tasks and have three teachers present at all times. One teacher, Rebecca
Richardson, says the large classes are not a problem. "You've just got to have good classroom control. You could teach 120 in a class if you wanted."
The year eight pupils love having no homework - a slightly longer day means their evenings are their own - and point out that three-hour lessons mean they don't spend
their days traipsing from one class to another. They even like the new school term arrangement, admitting that the six-week summer holidays got boring. The academy
has five terms, interspersed with two-week holidays, and four weeks in summer.
One year eight girl says: "Everybody wants to go here now. People think you're dead posh because you come from a privately run academy but really we're not." It was
exactly this sentiment that the Blair government wanted academies to inspire, and the RSA academy is more Blairite than most. Its chief executive, Matthew Taylor, was
Tony Blair's chief policy adviser until 2006.
Gernon says it is not a political institution but it does have high ambitions. "Our role is to create a blueprint for a new educational system," he says.
"We want to start a different way of learning, which breeds success but still meets all the accountability measures, so we can prove you can break out of the shackles of
the national curriculum and get away from the fear of league tables.
"It's a big statement, I know it is. But that's our mission."
Copyright 2008 guardian.co.uk
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Author: guardian.co.uk
Publication: guardian.co.uk
Date: Sep 11, 2008
Words: 567
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