10 learning January/February 2009
SECONDARY
HOWARD CHEESMAN
Secondary
school teacher
for 30 years
THE WAY I SEE IT
This recession should be a wake-up call for
the model of `prosperity' we give the young
T
his is traditionally the time of year
to dust off the crystal ball and
ponder what 2009 will bring.
Perhaps this year we should adopt the
methods of our Roman forebearers and
get out the goat entrails instead, since
there doesn't seem much around to
inspire confidence and so the prediction
business has become skewed towards the
pessimistic and gloomy side.
We can be confident, however, that
whether we are student, parent, teacher
or just an interested bystander, we will
be aware that education too will not
escape the tentacles of the leviathan that
is the credit crunch.
Already some effects are making
themselves felt.
Among managerial staff in business
who are feeling that their prospects are
less secure, there has been a marked
interest in registering for training to
become teachers. Not only is teaching
seen as a recession-proof job but,
encouragingly, many management
recruits cite wanting to make a more
significant contribution to society and
the feeling of making a real difference to
people's lives as factors for their career
change.
Conversely the Teacher Support
Network, a charity dispensing advice,
grants and loans to teachers who are
experiencing hardship and difficulties,
has seen the requests for loans increase
by some 70 per cent during 2008. It
`Many new recruits are
saying they want to make
a contribution to society'
NEWS IN BRIEF
Ofsted: Children's services are down
Concerns over secondary education
have led to the quality rating of
Cumbria's children's services being
cut.
In the latest annual performance
assessment by Ofsted on all local
authority-run children's services,
Cumbria was downgraded to adequate
from good last year.
Moira Swann, director of children's
services in Cumbria, unsuccessfully
appealed against the ranking stating
the APA focussed on old data.
Building programme: �80m funds bid
An �80 million bid to transform
secondary schools in west Cumbria
has been tabled.
It is among bids made to Wave 7 of
the Government's Building Schools for
the Future (BSF) programme.
It proposes a new Workington
school to replace Stainburn and
Southfield and remodelling of four
others in Allerdale and Copeland.
Scottish highers: Comparison points
Scottish qualifications will be awarded
a higher score when it comes to
university applications to bring them
in line with A-levels.
The University and College
Admission Service will raise the tariff
points given to Highers and Advanced
Highers for those looking to start
university in 2010. The move is
expected to make it easier for
universities to compare Scottish
students with other UK applicants.
relationships with new friends and
people in their forms. If they are
completely relaxed and comfortable then
they are able to learn and that has an
impact on the rest of their education."
She added: "We're really pleased at
how the transition this year has gone so
far. We've done some evaluation with the
pupils and they have universally come
back and said how they enjoyed it.
"We've also involved parents more too.
At primary school it is common for
parents to pop in. That doesn't tend to
happen as much at secondary school so
we've done displays of the pupils'
transition work and invited parents to
see what they've been doing."
Interview by Kelly Eve
Caf� bosses: William Howard pupils
Ciaran Bennison and Kia Jamieson
Bigger, better, more: Steven Cairns, 13, in an Opening Minds class, which is
designed to encourage pupils to think and ask questions PICTURES: BEN RUSSELL
FROM PAGES 8&9
Going global: William Howard pupils Sophie Ronney, left, and Beth Ion take
the part of musicians from Tanzania

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