GresfordGordon
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@Alunh 12710 wrote:
Both yourself and Zinger refer to this dimension to that school. Of course, if 3 Secondary Schools had been preserved in Wrexham (one of them being on the Groves site), this school with its heritage could have been tilted towards the Arts And Music, Bryn Offa (as it was) Business, Science and Technology and linked with Bersham and Coleg Cambria, and the Groves site Languages and the Humanities (or any other combination). In fairness to Wrexham Council, when the Superschools project was first floated, they did ask the Welsh Assembly about this type of differentiation but were rejected. The Welsh Assembly, as you may be aware, doesn’t like either variety or choice
Maybe if they had placed a request in bilingual form it might have been granted. The Welsh Assembly seems ready to fund anything on a language which is not ours.
@Alunh 12683 wrote:
You are completely missing the point here Dylan. You are quite right about the stats you cite and I trust that every possible assistance is given to the pupils and families that you mention to find their potential.
Such families exist in every town and Education is vital to offer a life turnaround. Every jot of support is vital.
What is also clear, however, is that Wrexham town based schools have been abandoned by many of the parents that do not perhaps fit so readily into the description that you offer (though of course Morgan Llwyd & St Joseph’s do well on numbers). Parents want their children to do well in life and Comprehensive schools organised in the way that Wrexham organises them (and indeed the rest of Wales) just don’t work.
Not so long ago, though it is changing, these two schools, which have no fundamental difference to each other, were offering a Mixed ability, child centred Education in a range of subjects. Have you any idea what this ACTUALLY means in practice. Classes of 30-40 11-14 year olds with children in them who vary in behavioural patterns, reading ages, academic ability, aptitudes and potential. Ofsted is now retraining its Inspectors but until recently teachers were criticised for ‘whole class’ teaching or providing any experiences which were not ‘child centred’. This means individual and group learning, the ‘teacher’ an organiser not a purveyor of knowledge.
Meanwhile, the classes, in many instances descend into chaos…….and along come the Inspectors.
Short or re-establishing the Grammar Schools, here is the formula for progress:
Strong Headship
Uniforms
Consistency in applying standards (discipline)
Homework on a regular basis
Parental participation
Inspiring Teachers
Setting
Tailoring of Education/Curriculum to student needs in 2014
Two-way respect
Expulsion of badly behaving Children
Teacher led as well as Child centred education and overall a mix of approaches
Reporting to parents and transparency
etcI agree with your solutions, but add to that the need for Wrexham schools to look outward and not be parochial . That means an end to the obsession with the Welsh language and the massive subsidy that goes to prop it up. It would be much better for Wrexham kids if they were learning French, German , Spanish or even Mandarin.
Cheshire ? The local authority should be ashamed , as should the WAG. These kinds are not just fleeing education in WrexhAm but the disaster that is education in Wales.
