Mintlaw Academy Parent Council

Chairman: Stephen Jackson
c/o Mintlaw Academy
Station Road
MINTLAW
Peterhead      AB42 5FN

Friday, October 3, 2008

Dear Mr Robertson,

A Curriculum Framework 3-18 for Aberdeenshire

We write detailing our responses as a Parent Council to the above document.

* Firstly, our Parent Council seriously questions the management of the consultation.   There is a genuine feeling of being ‘railroaded’;  the process has been too quick and not widely publicised, resulting in a lack of awareness of proposed changes amongst parents.   This is particularly worrying as it reduces parental choice and parent involvement – both of which are actively encouraged and promoted by Aberdeenshire Council.  
Our experience of the on-line questionnaire is very negative, as it appears to be presented in a biased way.   We consider that it would have been better to produce and circulate to all parents a concise single sheet, free from educational jargon, outlining the salient points, along with a simplified response questionnaire.

* We are generally in agreement with the principles of Curriculum Design, as detailed in the first few pages of the manifesto, although some clarification is required on the subject of entitlements, there is a question as to whether these will equate to rights.   For example, a work placement “entitlement” may not be deliverable because of the limitations of being based in a rural area.   If work placements are not always available or accessible this may be construed as a failure of the system.

* Our main concerns focus on the Curriculum Architecture. At Mintlaw Academy there are a number of lunch time activities which are popular with pupils. A reduction of the lunch break to 45 minutes will not allow enough time for pupils to participate fully in activities of their choice, and eat lunch.   This does little to encourage a healthy and active lifestyle (itemised on Page 38 of the document).   We are also not convinced that these activities can all be accommodated on a Friday afternoon without a reduction of choice.   Attached is the current list of activities on offer at Mintlaw Academy, and we would welcome your suggestions as to how these may be embraced in the proposed new structure.

* We have concerns regarding the distribution of periods within the proposed daily framework.   In our opinion 3.2.2. is the optimum, as opposed to the proposed 3.2.3.   It is widely recognised that pupils work better in the morning and would benefit from having a longer morning followed by a shorter afternoon.

* We are not convinced of the benefits of introducing an Asymetric Week, as there seem to be several areas of conflicting interest.    There are obvious Health & Safety issues associated with transport to accommodate a longer school day, and there is the question of when exactly school buses would leave – before or after lunchtime - on a Friday.   This impacts on pupils who qualify for free school meals, as well as pupils wishing to participate in extra-curricular activities.   We understand that the Education Committee has given an assurance that additional transport will be provided.

* A further problem with an Asymetric Week is the need for parents to reorganise their own working arrangements on a Friday afternoon.   Childcare is a key issue, and it would be unrealistic to expect older children to look after younger siblings.   There is a potential risk of unsupervised youths roaming the streets in our towns and villages, perhaps demonstrating anti-social behaviour (as has been reported in other parts of the country where an Asymetric Week has already been instigated).

* Our feedback from staff on the Parent Council is that the complexity of such major changes in Curriculum content and structure, render its implementation unrealistic for 2009.   It is our understanding that the school needs at least a year to design and deliver a cohesive package of subjects within the new framework.   We believe it would be better to design the curriculum principles into the new structure, and aim to deliver them together in 2010.   Overall this would be less disadvantageous to pupils.   We suggest that Aberdeenshire Council considers running a supported pilot scheme, followed by a gradual phase-in on a school by school basis, in order that problems might by identified and solved.

* Finally, it is clear that a number of the proposals will have cost implications and there is no mention in the consultation document on how the changes are to be funded.   We seek your assurance that these plans are deliverable financially, and without deterioration in the current staff/pupil ratio.

Our Parent Council meets again on Tuesday, December 2 and as we wish further opportunity to comment on the evolving proposals, we would appreciate a response to our concerns before the meeting.

Yours sincerely,

STEPHEN JACKSON