Views on the curriculum in our schools currently
- Do you think that QEHS and HMS should merge and change their age range to 11 – 18?
- Comments made about the curriculum offer
They are happy. They are thriving. They have opportunities to develop at their own pace in areas that interest them.
Seamless, personalised education system with high aspirations for ALL our students regardless of perceived ability.
Specialist teaching.
Key benefits for us: The benefits of specialist teaching and a focus on the distinctive pre-teen years at Middle School. Our younger son especially has come on by leaps and bounds this year, relishing the challenges and possibilities the new school offers and being able to engage in specialist subject teaching in year 5. The age groups work MUCH better than in two-tier systems - having 9 and 13-year-olds together is fine, 11 and 18-year-olds not so much. - This is before we get to the specific benefits offered by CMS's outstanding teachers.
In my view many of the concerns about the disruptions around transitions in the three-tier system could be addressed by closer liaison between schools during the handover periods. The recent 'taster days' for our year 8 son at QEHS have been helpful but even so the abruptness with which subject choices have had to be made has left him feeling that he is not able to access all the advice and information he needs to make highly consequential decisions.
I also really love the outdoor facilities on offer by schools across West Northumberland - with fantastic playing fields and plenty of sports and other activities on offer. This is as vital for exercising young minds as text books, computers and school rooms
More choice at a secondary level is what I hear from parents with children in this age group. Apparently the number of subjects on offer at GCSE and A-level is quite limited at QE and there are not enough vocational subjects. Possibly an opportunity for Haydon Bridge? And as always, give the teachers the funding and resources they need to allow our schools to thrive.
High expectations
It is varied and exciting with specialist teachers!
More options available to pupils at 16
Sports facilities are very poor and need looking at. 30 year old sports halls no 3g in area.
A more inclusive education system, especially for children aged 16 plus that meets their needs. It is not all about university.
The 3 tier system provides many benefits to both children and community. For example, year 5 pupils and above get specialist teachers.
Specialist teachers from Year 5 onwards. Small schools where staff know my children and know how to educate them to achieve their best.
Our children have specialist teachers for an extra two years.
We need to be even more inclusive, by providing facilities, resources and appropriate support for many more children within mainstream education, from nursery to sixth form.
More opportunities for music, sport, art..... Due to the rural nature of Northumberland many children do not get the extra-curricular opportunities they should. For example children have to travel to the Morpeth area to play in county orchestras, an expensive and time consuming journey. Our more rural schools cannot get peripatetic music teachers to attend and certainly the more unusual instruments are not taught in the West. Same applies to sport.
There seems to be a growing number of children with additional needs and a wide range of issues for school staff to deal with, ranging from mental health, physical difficulties and learning issues such as autism. Support for these children needs to be far more localised. Every child matters and the services they require should be far more accessible and not dependent on budget.
Having experienced both teaching in the two tier system and teaching in the three tier system I can see that the only advantage of two tier schools is that they align with the 'normal' - meaning the UK national curriculum and school funding is designed for them. This is where the advantages end. The three tier system in Northumberland has a huge number of benefits.
Smaller class sizes.
Outside learning.
More visitors to schools to share their experiences.
Higher funding per student - and therefore help for SEN pupils.
More options at QEHS at GCSE (e.g., food tech) and A level (English Language)
Staff are passionate about teaching and providing many different opportunities.
A new education in the West would be successful in creating new buildings and highly skilled and qualified staff. Schools should be looking at post 16 options for apprenticeships and areas for those children who may not wish to take the academic route. Building huge building to accommodate over 2000 children would be daunting for some and longer journey times for very young tiresome and frightening. Look at what we have, work with the community, parents and county officials to bring about a change in Northumberland that would be to the benefit of the next generation of pupils in rural communities instead of looking at numbers and figures. Support schools to put into place budget measures and fundraising efforts to keep schools going and bring families to the area not push people away.
I like the three tier system having been in a two tier system previously. Takes the focus away from exams at the end of each of the two tiers. Instead it’s about learning and personal development. They can be children for longer.
Having brought my children from a primary school into a middle school, I have seen how much better the three tier system is. My children had a lot of catching up to do as they had not really been taught science, languages etc...on a regular basis. They have made so much progress in a middle school and are much better prepared to move on to the next stage of their education.
I feel in the three tier system Year 7 and 8 are given the time to enjoy a broad and balanced curriculum. Whereas if they were part of the two tier system they would just become part of the rolling stone that is the GCSE curriculum. Three tiers let children find a love of learning.
More subject options for GCSE, more security for staff and pupils, repairs to the beautiful existing buildings such as Hexham Middle School's Fellside Hall, rather than selling it off. Fewer executive members of staff eating into school funds, a more welcoming environment at school so parents feel more inclined to volunteer. Schools to make more use of the buildings to give income streams as community venues (all weather football pitch at QEHS could be rented out to local clubs)
I don’t think there is sufficient choice available in this area for post-16 education. A High School that could offer more than just a limited number of A-level courses would be good.
Seamless, personalised education system with high aspirations for ALL our students regardless of perceived ability.
Specialist teaching.
Key benefits for us: The benefits of specialist teaching and a focus on the distinctive pre-teen years at Middle School. Our younger son especially has come on by leaps and bounds this year, relishing the challenges and possibilities the new school offers and being able to engage in specialist subject teaching in year 5. The age groups work MUCH better than in two-tier systems - having 9 and 13-year-olds together is fine, 11 and 18-year-olds not so much. - This is before we get to the specific benefits offered by CMS's outstanding teachers.
In my view many of the concerns about the disruptions around transitions in the three-tier system could be addressed by closer liaison between schools during the handover periods. The recent 'taster days' for our year 8 son at QEHS have been helpful but even so the abruptness with which subject choices have had to be made has left him feeling that he is not able to access all the advice and information he needs to make highly consequential decisions.
I also really love the outdoor facilities on offer by schools across West Northumberland - with fantastic playing fields and plenty of sports and other activities on offer. This is as vital for exercising young minds as text books, computers and school rooms
More choice at a secondary level is what I hear from parents with children in this age group. Apparently the number of subjects on offer at GCSE and A-level is quite limited at QE and there are not enough vocational subjects. Possibly an opportunity for Haydon Bridge? And as always, give the teachers the funding and resources they need to allow our schools to thrive.
High expectations
It is varied and exciting with specialist teachers!
More options available to pupils at 16
Sports facilities are very poor and need looking at. 30 year old sports halls no 3g in area.
A more inclusive education system, especially for children aged 16 plus that meets their needs. It is not all about university.
The 3 tier system provides many benefits to both children and community. For example, year 5 pupils and above get specialist teachers.
Specialist teachers from Year 5 onwards. Small schools where staff know my children and know how to educate them to achieve their best.
Our children have specialist teachers for an extra two years.
We need to be even more inclusive, by providing facilities, resources and appropriate support for many more children within mainstream education, from nursery to sixth form.
More opportunities for music, sport, art..... Due to the rural nature of Northumberland many children do not get the extra-curricular opportunities they should. For example children have to travel to the Morpeth area to play in county orchestras, an expensive and time consuming journey. Our more rural schools cannot get peripatetic music teachers to attend and certainly the more unusual instruments are not taught in the West. Same applies to sport.
There seems to be a growing number of children with additional needs and a wide range of issues for school staff to deal with, ranging from mental health, physical difficulties and learning issues such as autism. Support for these children needs to be far more localised. Every child matters and the services they require should be far more accessible and not dependent on budget.
Having experienced both teaching in the two tier system and teaching in the three tier system I can see that the only advantage of two tier schools is that they align with the 'normal' - meaning the UK national curriculum and school funding is designed for them. This is where the advantages end. The three tier system in Northumberland has a huge number of benefits.
- Most rural populations have a very local small first school giving young pupils the very best start in education.
- There is a broad and balanced curriculum in Y5 and Y6 often lead by specialist teachers. There is no 'teaching to the test' for KS2 SATS with pupils taken off timetable.
- The relatively small numbers of Y7 and Y8 pupils have access to a huge range of extracurricular activities and can be taken off timetable without huge disruption to the rest of the school. In secondary schools with intake cohorts of 300-350 students this simply does not happen. Put simply, education is less fun for KS3 students when their teachers are focusing on KS4 and KS5.
- Middle schools build the confidence of young people during some of their most formative years. In comparison to students from primary and secondary schools our nurturing environment boosts self-awareness and emotional security - they outshine their rivals in cross school competitions!
- By only starting High School in Y9 students are not in 'exam factory' conditions for their GCSEs until they are ready.
Smaller class sizes.
Outside learning.
More visitors to schools to share their experiences.
Higher funding per student - and therefore help for SEN pupils.
More options at QEHS at GCSE (e.g., food tech) and A level (English Language)
Staff are passionate about teaching and providing many different opportunities.
A new education in the West would be successful in creating new buildings and highly skilled and qualified staff. Schools should be looking at post 16 options for apprenticeships and areas for those children who may not wish to take the academic route. Building huge building to accommodate over 2000 children would be daunting for some and longer journey times for very young tiresome and frightening. Look at what we have, work with the community, parents and county officials to bring about a change in Northumberland that would be to the benefit of the next generation of pupils in rural communities instead of looking at numbers and figures. Support schools to put into place budget measures and fundraising efforts to keep schools going and bring families to the area not push people away.
I like the three tier system having been in a two tier system previously. Takes the focus away from exams at the end of each of the two tiers. Instead it’s about learning and personal development. They can be children for longer.
Having brought my children from a primary school into a middle school, I have seen how much better the three tier system is. My children had a lot of catching up to do as they had not really been taught science, languages etc...on a regular basis. They have made so much progress in a middle school and are much better prepared to move on to the next stage of their education.
I feel in the three tier system Year 7 and 8 are given the time to enjoy a broad and balanced curriculum. Whereas if they were part of the two tier system they would just become part of the rolling stone that is the GCSE curriculum. Three tiers let children find a love of learning.
More subject options for GCSE, more security for staff and pupils, repairs to the beautiful existing buildings such as Hexham Middle School's Fellside Hall, rather than selling it off. Fewer executive members of staff eating into school funds, a more welcoming environment at school so parents feel more inclined to volunteer. Schools to make more use of the buildings to give income streams as community venues (all weather football pitch at QEHS could be rented out to local clubs)
I don’t think there is sufficient choice available in this area for post-16 education. A High School that could offer more than just a limited number of A-level courses would be good.
