National Challenge
Following strong year-on-year performance to warrant pay progression, the Governing Body - against fierce opposition from members of what can now be described as the all-male 'Moseleians Association Brotherhood' (MAB) - instigated structural change at Moseley School in order to transform a failing state school into an outstanding school.
As soon as the headteacher was replaced in December 2008, under Ed Balls' National Challenge Programme to raise attainment, the Local Authority secured an extra £130,000 of funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF or 'Ministry of Education') of which £50,000 went to Queensbridge School. Was it worth it? Absolutely, because results went up in August 2009 to 33%. More children from Moseley School passed notwithstanding changing school leadership in the middle of the academic year and the turbulence that followed.
Many headteachers lost their jobs with compromise agreements under National Challenge.To suggest otherwise is completely disingenuous. People seem to forget the impact that Ed Balls' announcement on National Challenge had in Birmingham in 2008. See articles one, two and three. It must also be remembered a culture of zero tolerance began developing against historical low attainment and the divine right to headship until retirement failing more than half the cohort annually coming to an end. If regime change happens an in inner city Birmingham school then it is regarded as a conspiracy or a Trojan Horse plot and not the result of National Challenge and parents having high aspirations for their children in state schools.
It is also interesting what appears at the bottom of page 54 of Ian Kershaw's report:
- ...described the environment within which Birmingham schools were operating in around 2008. “I think that the role played by the Department for Education and the National Challenge at the time of many of the events described below is important to understanding the pressures and tensions faced by underperforming schools. In my view, there was a significant amount of downward pressure from these bodies; parents started to become aware of under performing schools through the National Challenge programme, and Governing Bodies thought that they were not doing a good job if they were not taking the schools to task on performance issues.”
- ...however, commented that “In my view there is a certain degree of inevitability about tensions between senior leaders and Governing Bodies where there is an underperforming school I believe that such tensions have sometimes resulted in angry and frustrated Governors who have made their views known in ways that are sometimes interpreted as inappropriate, rude and aggressive. However, I do not believe that this anger is based on race or faith, or that "the Muslims" are attempting to “take over the schools”.
In fact 40% of Birmingham secondary schools came in the National Challenge category. What a shame Ian Kershaw and Eversheds did not bother interview former Moseley School governors to give their side of the story and to add to this narrative. Perhaps they did not want to hear the truth that undermines the narrative that they wanted to present.