Education commission meets for first time (From Haringey Independent)

Education commission meets for first time

1:00pm Wednesday 18th April 2012 in News By Hermione Wright

A panel of education experts charged with helping to improve schools in Haringey met for the first time this week.

The Independent Education Commission, consisting of five people chosen by Haringey Council, will speak to students and their families to find out where improvements can be made.

They will also gather information from teachers and people living in Haringey to find out what can be done to change the current education system.

Council leader Claire Kober gave the panel an overview of the education system already in place during the meeting at Park View School in Langham Road, Tottenham, on Monday.

The commission, which formed in March, was also given a tour of the secondary school by headteacher Alex Atherton.

Cllr Kober said: “Despite the challenges we face in delivering education in Haringey, we must drive up attainment so that our children succeed in school and in their adult lives. To make this happen, we need to up our game.

“I’m grateful to the commission’s panel of experts who will make their recommendations to the council based on conversations with our young people and our school communities. And of course they have a wealth of experience and knowledge to draw on too.”

The commission, which will be looking at the education on offer to five to 18-year-olds, will release their first set of recommendations in September and again in October this year.

The findings will be tested by a public consultation process and the final report will be published by the end of December.

The new panel consists of Sir William Atkinson, executive head teacher at the Phoenix Canberra Schools Federation, Graham Badman, former chief education officer and chair of Haringey’s local safeguarding children board and Dame Anna Hassan, former head of Millfields Community School.

Sir Jim Rose, former Ofsted director of inspection and Gerard Kelly, editor of the Times Education Supplement are also on the board.