Teacher Talk

Tony Neal is head teacher at De Aston a state boarding school in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire. He is a member of the Secondary Heads Association

What was the reaction at De Aston to the news of the death of the schoolboy Luke Walmsley?

Our first reaction was shock. Then deep sympathy - for a nearby school caught up in an event so overwhelming that it's almost impossible to grasp.

What measures are in place to prevent this kind of violence in your own school?

Every school puts safety at the top of its priority list. But no one can legislate for something as extreme as this.

Was this a freak event, or symptomatic of a growing violence among young people?

This was a one-off. There is no clear evidence that they are more violent.

How do you feel that SATs at seven and 11 have impacted on pupils? Has there been a change in the quality of your intake?

The SATs have certainly impacted on our local primary schools, mainly because the results get so much publicity. In a small rural primary school, not attracting a handful of pupils can threaten the very existence of the school, so there is enormous pressure. The curriculum is bound to get distorted.

But the SATs seem to have done very little for the pupils. Most secondary schools give new pupils literacy and numeracy tests soon after they arrive. The SATs scores have improved, but the results on our intake tests stay the same.

What is your opinion on SATs at 14 - should these tests also be reviewed?

The problem is not really with the tests themselves. The problem is that the tests were mainly intended to grade schools. And now, the results are going on to the school league tables. So, the pressure is on again to teach to the test, regardless of whether pupils get any benefit. The answer is fairly simple. Keep the tests - and scrap the league tables.

Do you think the new school calendar will really cut stress for teachers or improve learning?

With terms varying from 11 to 17 weeks, it's almost impossible to plan courses sensibly. Children and staff are shattered at the end of a long term. Equally spaced terms are bound to result in better teaching, and, therefore, learning.

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