How/ Why do schools fail

This essay shall explore the reasons for why schools fail and too look at how they fail. The idea of what it means to fail will too be touched on. A school by todays standards is expected to meet the demands of the National Curriculum and obtain the correct standards to meet with Ofsted is this correct? This principle will also be developed and explored upon your reading of this essay.

What is failing? Is it not meeting the outward demands of Governing bodies or is it not getting satisfactory reports from Ofsted. It can too be considered is failing due to unrealistic expectations of the school and setting to high demands of their pupils. Failing can to be put into the bracket of pupils not reaching personal goals and having shortfalls in areas where they should be able to achieve.

With a lack of relevant and effective teaching skills within a pool of teachers in a school it is set up for failure. A good teacher can control behaviour in the classroom and thus ensue a good teaching environment for the their pupils. L,Cohen L, Manion K, Morrison (2005). With a stable and supportive learning environment a school is less likely to fail. An effective teacher too has to have an understanding for the lesser able pupils in their class and therefore provide relevant support for such pupils. All different, all equal is an important principle when teaching a class of very mixed abilities. A, Campbell G, Fairburn (2005). Many schools fail due to a teachers lack of ability to cope with the variation of learning abilities in a class room.

This error on many teachers part is rectified by the correct employment and use of the class teaching assistant, yet agin in many occasions a teacher has no ability to correctly use a support teacher. A, Campbell G, Fairburn (2005). The importance of a teaching assistant has been made clear as its stated they are; Raising standards in schools and freeing up more time for teachers to focus on teaching and learning. K,Whitby. (2005). Thus when the teacher does not effectively use their allotted teaching assistant properly the school is more likely to fail as they are wasting the educational support available to them.

Poor classroom configuration and a distinct lack of recourses has an impact on why schools fail. A classroom should have a large area of open floor space, adequate storage and updated relevant displays to tasks being carried out in the classroom. L,Cohen L,Manion K, Morrison (2005). Open space allows for good collaborative group work to be carried out, story time and so on. Storage allows the classroom to remain ordered and thus being a tidy environment in which children will be free of distractions when learning. Relevant classroom displays will act as a bolster to the work they are undergoing.D, Mawfield. (2009).With out these three factors children will be off a disadvantage to the better configured schools. H,Scott & McCroskey. (1978). Thus why the school configuration could lead to failure.

Resources such as relevant material for dyslexics, or required SEN teachers for Autism or ADHD children make up the web of a perfect school without these necessary factors in a school the children are not properly supported in their learning and thus are prone to failure. Ultimately pulling the school down to fail. C, kyriacou . (1997). It is even stated within the 1944 Education Act thats as a legal requirement that all children should receive an education equal to their 'age, ability and aptitude '. Government . (1988).Thus this is indicating that every child has the right to have the resources in a school that they need in order to not be in danger of failing.

Students of varying ethnicity proves to be a reason for why schools are open to failure as it means that a teacher has to be available to accommodate a more diverse group of pupils along with the mixed abilities in learning that this brings. However, in today 's Britain children are growing up in an increasingly diverse society and valuing diversity is an important role in schools. A, Campbell G, Fairburn (2005). Therefore it is a must that schools accommodate pupils from varying backgrounds. L, Cohen, L, Manion, K, Morrison. (2004). Without being inclusive in teaching to all variates of pupils the school is on a set track for failure.

A final point to be made about why schools fail is that there is a inevitable group of pupils which are of an unstable home life. Margret Maden argues that education policy should take greater account of the challenging social factors that affect the lives of many children and young people in the UK. M, Maden (1999). Thus indicating that difficult home lives does have a direct impact on children’s education and thus means that a school in a low class and poor area may have more chance of failing. A, Pollard. (2008).This argument can be augmented with data on those who are economically and culturally advantaged as she draws attention to the fact that enhanced performance can actually create social exclusion. M, Maden (1999).

Therefore it can be fairly stated that just a few reasons why schools fair are the background in which the child comes from to some degree. Then to the issue that teachers may not hold the relevant skill sin which they need to be an effective and enlightening teacher. With classroom and school configuration coupled with lack of resources playing fault on why schools fail. R, Williams, C,Pritchard. (2006). Finally racial and cultural diversity within a school is too an issue when accessing why a school fails.

The national curriculum can be seen to demand too much from teachers. As it states teachers should 'work in collaboration with families ' Department for Education. (1999).However as stated previously it is not always easy for teachers to be actively involved with certain differentiation of parents. Thus if a teacher is unable to create this collaboration it can be seen as a reason for how a school can fail as this link is some what necessary. Too the national curriculum indicates that links need to be made in the community 'Department for Education. (1999)including the local church ' However the issue of increased diversity in schools it is therefore too not always possible for teachers to have absolute links with local churches as certain children in the class may not follow the religion supported by the local religious establishment.

Another point for how schools can fail on the grounds of the constraints of the national curriculum is that they do not meet the basic aims in which it stipulates. However it is fairly argued that there is so many aims that it is impossible for any one school to be able to adequately meet them all. The issue is that simply complying with the national curriculum could create robots and not young children with independent views and opinions on life. ATL the education union . (2013). Thus meaning in future life situation they will be un able to cope. Where as if more teachers strayed away from the national curriculum and focussed more on unintended learning intentions children couls learn more. ATL the education union . (2013).

Ofsted stipulates that a school can fall into four grades in terms of standards. Should it be a grade three or four school it requires great improvement and is considered to be failing. Ofsted. (2013). However due to the many reasons for why a school fails these improvements are not easy and the school can be trapped in a vicious circle. Thus it can be considerer that is Ofsted really a good measure of a school success as perhaps even in the failing the schools the children are benefiting in gaining from unintended learning intentions.

Overall in summary it can be fairly stated that why schools fail is due to the lack of parental and teacher bonds, poor teachers skills and lack of respect and enthusiasm with pupils. A lack of resources and too poor configuration of school environment. Plus ethnic diversity being poorly managed can easily lead to a failing school. Reasons for how a school fails to just name a few is the strict demands of the national curriculum and too the high and perhaps unrealistic standards of Ofsted.
Bibliography

A, Campbell G, Fairburn (2005). Working with Support in the Classroom. London : SAGE. P17.

A, Pollard. (2008). Social Circumstances in children 's experience of exclusion. In: A, Pollard Reading for reflective teaching . 2nd ed. London & New Yorkon: Continuum . p308

ATL the education union . (2013). ATL warns the national curriculum seems designed to turn out robots. Available: http://www.atl.org.uk/media-office/media-archive/ATL-warns-the-national-curriculum-seems-designed-to-turn-out-robots.asp. Last accessed 2/05/13.

C, kyriacou . (1997). Taking account of pupil differences. In: C, kyriacou Effective Teaching in Schools. 2nd ed. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes . p57.

Department for Education. (1999). The National Curriculum Handbook for primary teachers in England w. Available: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151715/https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/QCA-99-457.pdf. Last accessed 2/05/13.

D, Mawfield. (2009). Classroom and School Display.Available: http://www.davidsmawfield.com/assets/img/classroom-display-handbook.pdf. Last accessed 24.04.13.

Government . (1988).Education Act 1944.Available: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/7-8/31/contents/enacted. Last accessed 03/05/13.

H,Scott & McCroskey. (1978). Assorted Seating Configurations. ifferent activities have different seating arrangements. 1 (4), p120.

K,Whitby. (2005). Readership: primary, secondary. The employment and deployment of teaching assistants. 1 (1), p2.

L,Cohen L,Manion K, Morrison (2005). A Guide to Teaching Practice. 5th ed. Oxon: Routledge. p277

L, Cohen, L, Manion, K, Morrison. (2004). Inclusion, equal, opportunities and diversity. In: L, Cohen, L, Manion, K, Morrison A guide to teaching practice. London & New York: RooutledgeFalmer. P255.

R, Williams, C,Pritchard. (2006). Pupils with disability . In: R, Williams, C,Pritchard Breaking the Cycle of Education Alienation. Berkshire: Open University Press. p99

Ofsted. (2013).Understanding Ofsted.Available: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/schools/for-schools/understanding-school-inspection-report. Last accessed 3/05/13.

Bibliography: A, Campbell G, Fairburn (2005). Working with Support in the Classroom. London : SAGE. P17. A, Pollard. (2008). Social Circumstances in children 's experience of exclusion. In: A, Pollard Reading for reflective teaching . 2nd ed. London & New Yorkon: Continuum . p308 ATL the education union C, kyriacou . (1997). Taking account of pupil differences. In: C, kyriacou Effective Teaching in Schools. 2nd ed. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes . p57. D, Mawfield. (2009). Classroom and School Display.Available: http://www.davidsmawfield.com/assets/img/classroom-display-handbook.pdf. Last accessed 24.04.13. Government . (1988).Education Act 1944.Available: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/7-8/31/contents/enacted. Last accessed 03/05/13. H,Scott & McCroskey. (1978). Assorted Seating Configurations. ifferent activities have different seating arrangements. 1 (4), p120. K,Whitby. (2005). Readership: primary, secondary. The employment and deployment of teaching assistants. 1 (1), p2. L,Cohen L,Manion K, Morrison (2005). A Guide to Teaching Practice. 5th ed. Oxon: Routledge. p277 L, Cohen, L, Manion, K, Morrison R, Williams, C,Pritchard. (2006). Pupils with disability . In: R, Williams, C,Pritchard Breaking the Cycle of Education Alienation. Berkshire: Open University Press. p99 Ofsted