Dec 2009 21

A charter for improvement3

The Sutton Trust is calling today for changes to the conventional school day. Following research into the amount of homework and other extra curricular activities undertaken
by children of graduate parents compared with those from less educated
homes, the Trust has concluded that an extended school day, from 7:30 to 5pm, is seen as one important step in trying to reduce the attainment gap between socio-economic groups.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, said:

"A conventional model of 9am to 3pm schooling is insufficient to tackle
such a deep-rooted problem; the mountain to climb is just too high.
That is why we are looking at radical approaches, such as KIPP schools
in the US [Charter schools], which make up for deficits outside the school gates with
extended curriculum time, enrichment activities, the highest quality
teachers and a strong work ethic. All this is underpinned by the
expectation – universal amongst middle class families – that young
people will go on to university. We should not settle for anything less
for students from poorer homes."

As the Times reports today, the research commissioned by the trust found that children with parents
who were graduates spent on average twice as much time on their
homework as pupils with parents who had O levels: 18 minutes per
weekday and 21 minutes at weekends, compared with only 6 and 9 minutes.
They were also less likely to read for pleasure. A third of children (34 per cent) whose parents had little or no
formal education claimed to have had no homework set during the survey
period, compared with 10 per cent of pupils with graduate parents.

The Sutton Trust is now looking to put its ideas into practice, either under the Academy programme or the Conservatives 'Free Schools' policy. The new school will be modelled on an American Charter school, a taxpayer funded independent outfit that is free from many of the strictures that hold back conventional taxpayer funded schools. For more on Charter Schools, see here and here.

Dr Lee Elliott Major, director of research at the Sutton Trust, has also written of his experiences of US Charter schools in today's print version of the Times. It is terrific news that the Sutton Trust, consistently one of the best educational foundations in the UK, is throwing its weight behind the charter school model. We must try everything we can to close the gap between groups in society, make every school a brilliant school, in which the pupils can expect to get the level of education and extra-curricula activities that currently only the well off can afford.

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  • Andy Richards

    So you want children to work 9-hour days? And should we be looking to the US for inspiration – given that they have worst literacy rates in the industrialised world?

  • TPA admin

    Andy,
    Fair point. I should have made it clearer in my post that the extension of the work day is not necessarily for more lessons, but rather for more school time. Some could be used for lessons, others for sport, music, etc. Children across the world, and indeed in many schools in the UK, already ‘work’ a 9 hour plus day, and the outcome consistently appears to be improved attainment and more rounded education. The real problem with a longer day is not with the kids, but teachers.
    As to looking for America for inspiration, your right that they have some terrible educational problems. However they also have some of the best schools in the world, and while the standard public schools system in the US is often sorely lacking, the innovation of Charter Schools looks incredibly promising. Critically, despite what critics say, one of the main criteria for getting a ‘charter’ (the right to open a new school) is that providers cannot select pupils, on any measure (see blogs linked to above for more details). Instead, their success seems to depend on things like having longer school days.
    In looking to improve our state schools, we should look everywhere for ideas and evidence of what works.
    Regards,
    Ben

  • Steve Robson

    evidence….TPA…..thats a new one!