STRICT EMBARGO 00:01 Saturday 19Th April

Parent Views on Education

April 2014

STRICT EMBARGO 00:01 Saturday 19th April

Methodology

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) commissioned the polling company YouGov Plc to survey a representative sample of parents in England.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 1526 adults. Of these 511 lived in English parliamentary constituencies defined as marginal according to the BBCas “seats with majorities of 10% or less that require a swing of 5% for the incumbent party to lose”[1]. Fieldwork was undertaken between 25th March and 3th April 2014. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all parents (aged 18 and over) in England by region gender and social grade..YouGov is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

Background

The Coalition Government has now been in power for almost four years. The Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, has divided opinion over the reforms he has introduced and has sought to implement during this time.

The NUT has regularly commissioned surveys of teachers and of parents of school age children to assess opinion about the Coalition Government’s education policies.

KEY FINDINGS

• Half of the parents (50%) questioned believe that the Coalition Government has had a negative impact on the education system.
• 82% of parents believe publicly-funded schools should only employ qualified teachers and 80% would not want their child to attend a school that did not require its teachers to have professional teaching qualifications.
• 77% of parents agree that there should be a national pay system for all teachers with only 2% of parents ranking “negotiating pay structures” as the most or second most important role for a head teacher.
• 81% of parents believe that local authorities should have the power to open new schools where needed – only 4% disagree.
• 59% of parents had concerns that children are under too much pressure from formal testing. 90% believed a love of learning and gaining skills for adult life matters as much to them as their child attaining high grades in tests and exams.
• The majority of parents 65% responded positively to the question of whether or not teachers have a democratic right to take strike action. 49% said that the “teaching unions are rightin most of their concerns” and the government should listen more to them with only 23% saying unions “are an obstacle to necessary reforms”.

THE RESPONSE

Who do you trust with your child’s education?

Parents were asked to what extent they trusted each of the following (as listed in the table below) with decisions about their child’s education.

Trust totally / Somewhat trust / Trust a little / Don’t trust at all / Don’t know / Net
Trust
Teachers / 31% / 50% / 14% / 3% / 3% / 94%
Head teacher / 30% / 47% / 14% / 5% / 4% / 91%
Governors of your child’s school / 11% / 44% / 24% / 8% / 12% / 79%
Local Authority / 5% / 34% / 36% / 17% / 8% / 75%
An Academy Chain / 3% / 18% / 23% / 27% / 28% / 44%
Secretary of State for Education / 3% / 15% / 20% / 52% / 10% / 38%

The verdict is pretty clear. The Government may not trust teachers, head teachers, governors or local authorities but parents clearly do.

Similarly the vast majority of parents (88%) believe that teachers should be able to exercise their professional judgement in order to best meet the needs of the children they teach.

Percentage
Politicians should be able to prescribe both what and how teachers teach / 3%
Within a national curriculum framework teachers should be allowed to exercise their professional judgement to best meet the needs of the children they teach / 88%
None of these / 8%

Policy & Politicians

Parent Views of the Coalition Government

Parents were asked what impact the Coalition Government has had on the education system since May 2010.

Half of all parents (50%) felt that this Government has had a negative impact on the education system. A quarter (25%) of parents said the Government had made no difference whilst only 13% said it had made a positive impact.

Teachers were asked the same question by YouGov in December 2013[2]. 79% of respondents felt the Government’s impact had been negative with only 4% feeling that it has had a positive impact. 13% said the Government had made no difference.

The majority of parents (51%) do not believe that the Coalition Government’s academies and free schools programme is taking education in England in the right direction. 19% thought it was and 31% of parents answered “don’t know.”

The followingtable shows parents’ responses to the question: “Overall, what message do you pick up most from the way politicians talk about teachers?”

Percentage
They are critical of them / 62%
They value and respect their work / 16%
None of these / 22%

Manifesto Commitments

Parents were asked which of the following they would like or not like to see proposed by the political parties as a manifesto commitment at the next election. There was little or no significant differences in parent responses from marginal constituencies.

Manifesto commitment / Yes / No
We will use public funding to subsidise high quality childcare and make it more affordable / 59% / 41%
We will ensure all teachers in state funded schools have, or are working towards, a teaching qualification. / 89% / 11%
We will extend free school meals to all primary aged children. / 51% / 49%
We will scrap free school meals for all infants in primary schools and use the money elsewhere / 28% / 72%
We will reduce university tuition fees / 83% / 17%
We will extend capital funding to improve and renovate school buildings and playing fields / 89% / 11%
We will ensure class sizes are reduced to provide more individual attention for every child / 87% / 13%
We will allow local authorities to open new schools where they are needed / 86% / 14%
We will increase funding for 16-19 education and training in schools and colleges / 82% / 18%

Parents were also asked if there was a General Election tomorrow which party they would vote for[3].

Total / Parents / Parents in Marginal Constituencies / Male / Female
Conservative / 22% / 23% / 20% / 28% / 18%
Labour / 31% / 30% / 32% / 29% / 33%
Liberal Democrat / 7% / 7% / 7% / 8% / 6%
Green / 3% / 3% / 4% / 3% / 5%
UKIP / 12% / 13% / 12% / 17% / 8%
Other / 1% / 1% / 1% / 1% / 1%
I would not vote / 7% / 7% / 7% / 5% / 9%
Don’t know / 16% / 16% / 17% / 10% / 22%

School Freedoms and Accountability

Free schools and employing unqualified teachers

Only 5% of respondents said they felt state schools should be run for profit while a very large majority 86% responded “no”.

The overwhelming majority of parents (82%) believe publicly-funded schools should only employ qualified teachers and 80% would not want their child to attend a school that did not require its teachers to have professional teaching qualifications.

Agree / Neither agree or disagree / Disagree / Don’t Know
Any publicly-funded school should only employ qualified teachers to teach my child / 82% / 9% / 8% / 2%
I would not want my child to attend a school that did not require its teachers to have professional teaching qualifications / 80% / 9% / 10% / 1%
Employing non-qualified teaching staff in free schools is designed to save money, not improve teaching standards / 73% / 11% / 11% / 5%
Free schools should be given money from the education budget to set up anywhere even if there are surplus places / 15% / 15% / 65% / 5%
Anybody should be allowed to teach without qualified teacher status / 9% / 9% / 81% / 1%
Free schools will help drive up standards in all schools / 19% / 26% / 47% / 8%

Role of Headteachers

Parents were asked to rank in order of priority the four tasks and other tasks - as set out in the following table - which theythought their child’s head teacher should be spending their time on.

The vast majority of people ranked “providing leadership to ensure all pupils fulfil their potential” (80%) and “Delivering improvements in learning and educational standards” (83%) as either the first or second priority.

Only 2% of parents ranked “Negotiating pay structures and any pay rises with individual teachers” as either first or second. This is borne out in several comments: “anything is better than talking about pay.. this is not the job of a headteacher”.

As this one comment mentions:

“Anything other than negotiating pay structures. That would be divisive within the school and damage the relationship between the head teacher and the staff. Such things are and should be set at a national, or at worst local, with all teachers represented by teaching unions. Thus leaving heads and all other teachers free to concentrate their time and energy on educating pupils.”

Head teachers roles in ranked order (Top first) / Rank Order
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Providing leadership to ensure all pupils fulfil their potential / 49% / 31% / 17% / 2% / 0%
Delivering improvements in learning and educational standards / 35% / 48% / 15% / 2% / 0%
Ensuring that school premises are safe for pupils, staff and visitors / 14% / 19% / 56% / 9% / 1%
Negotiating pay structures and any pay rises with individual teachers / 1% / 1% / 8% / 60% / 30%
Other / 1% / 1% / 3% / 28% / 67%

Parents were asked to specify what “other” things they thought head teachers should be doing. There were numerous thoughtful comments.

Very many parents stressed the importance of head teachers being visible to parents and students and building positive links with the wider local community.

“Nurturing a sense of the communal value of school to its wider community”

“Being out and about in the school - before during and after the day - so being accessible to parents and students”

“Being visible within the school, walking around corridors going into lessons talking to the kids”

“Being in school instead of attending meetings which take Heads away from their day to day management of their school.”

“Promoting an environment of mutual respect and a love of learning for its own sake, not just to pass exams. Liaising with other schools and outside bodies to bring new ideas and insights into the schoool. Resolving disputes with children in a positive and supportive way. Anything other than setting local or individual pay. Education is a national priority and needs a nationwide pay rate and standard conditions.”

Parents also felt that head teachers had an important role in the morale and well-being of pupils and staff.

Ensuring that all children & staff are happy in their environment

“Talking to pupils. Understanding what makes them happy, sad, worried, proud.”

“Getting to know each pupil as a person so they feel valued”

“Making sure children are happy and receiving a rounded education.”

Many parents were of the opinion that head teachers should spend time “teaching”

“Teaching the occasional class to keep their hand in the day to day role a class teacher.”

“Teaching? How can a head teacher properly understand the classroom pressures if they do not work at the chalkface at least every week?”

Some parents specified “Ensuring behaviour standards are kept high” and “discipline”.

Teachers Pay

77% of parents believe there should be a national system for all teachers in which they progress up the national pay range on the basis of experience and expertise acquiredwith 15% believing every school should have to set its own pay system. 9% answered “don’t know” to this question.

Percentage
Every school should have to set its own pay system / 15%
There should be a national system for all teachers in which they progress up the national pay range on the basis of experience and expertise acquired / 77%
Don’t know / 9%

School Place Planning

The Coalition Government’s “academy or free school presumption” as set out in the Education Act 2011 means that where a local authority identifies a need for a new school it must first seek proposals to establish an academy or free school. In effect this means that local authorities have lost the power to open new schools. This has resulted, as the National Audit Office[4] has pointed out, in a mismatch of new places with actual need. At the same time, local authorities are not able to direct academies and free schools to take on additional pupilsas they can in the case of maintained schools. Instead of the rational, planned provision local authorities were able to secure in the past, there is now an irrational competitive market for school places.

Parents were asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed that local authorities should have the power to open new schools if more school places are needed. Four-fifths (81%) of respondents agreed that local authorities should have this power. Only 4% disagreed.

They were then asked if local authorities should have the ability to influence all schools in their area to find more school places or expand. 69% agreed that local authorities should have this power while only 11% disagreed.

Agree / Neither agree or disagree / Disagree / Don’t know
Local Authorities should have the power to open new schools if more school places are needed / 81% / 11% / 4% / 4%
Local Authorities should have the ability to influence all schools in their area to find more school places or expand / 69% / 15% / 11% / 5%

Sex and Relationships Education

The NUT has long argued that Sex and Relationships Education should be a statutory part of the national curriculum. Teachers think it is important for all children and young people to learn, in an age appropriate manner, about respect for their own and other people’s bodies and emotions.

Parents were asked if they think every child should have access to sex and relationships education appropriate to their age. The vast majority (85%) of parents agreed with only 8% disagreeing.

Commercial Influences in Schools

Parents were asked whether they had concerns about the influence of commercial companies in schooling. Their responses are listed below.

As you will see, the top concern of two-thirds (66%) of parents is that given the susceptibility of children to advertising and marketing they should be protected from exposure to advertising through curriculum resources.

Agree / Neither agree nor disagree / Disagree
I have no concern about the use of curriculum materials and resources in schools produced by profit making companies e.g. supermarkets, banks, energy companies / 36% / 20% / 40%
I am concerned about the promotion of brands and companies to my child through branded educational resources / 51% / 24% / 22%
Children are susceptible to advertising and marketing and should be protected from exposure to advertising through curriculum resources / 66% / 19% / 13%

Testing and Assessment

Parents were asked a range of questions about testing and assessment in schools:

• 59% of parents think that children are under too much pressure from formal testing.
• Three quarters (75%) of parents think developing academic skills and performing well in exams must not come at the expense of children’s happiness or well-being.
• 90% of parents said it is as important for me that my child leaves school with a love for learning, having gained skills for their adult life, as it is for them to achieve high grades in tests and exams.
• Three in ten (30%) parents said their child had been affected negatively by pressure from testing or by preparation for examinations while a quarter (24%) reported they have felt under pressure to get a tutor for my child to ensure he/she makes as much progress as possible.

Agree / Neither agree nor disagree / Disagree
I think my child is experiencing about the right amount of testing or assessment / 47% / 22% / 25%
Children are under too much pressure from formal testing / 59% / 18% / 21%
Developing academic skills and performing well in exams must not come at the expense of children’s happiness or well-being / 75% / 13% / 11%
It is as important for me that my child leaves school with a love of learning, having gained skills for adult life, as it is for them to achieve high grades in tests and exams / 90% / 6% / 3%
My child has been affected negatively by pressure from testing or by preparation for examinations / 30% / 24% / 39%
I have felt under pressure to get a tutor for my child to ensure he/she makes as much progress as possible / 24% / 17% / 56%
I think formal testing and assessment is important to hold schools to account / 66% / 16% / 17%

Primary Issues

How do you rate your child/children’s primary school?

Parents of primary aged children (3 to 11 years old) were asked to rate their child/children’s school in a number of areas. These are listed in the table below.

Excellent / Good / Average / Poor / Very
poor
Quality of teaching / 33% / 43% / 19% / 3% / 0%
Valuing my child as an individual / 39% / 36% / 18% / 5% / 1%
Promoting good behaviour/keeping good discipline / 37% / 41% / 15% / 4% / 1%
Supporting the development of my child’s personal and social skills / 37% / 39% / 18% / 4% / 1%
Ensuring my child is self-confident and happy / 39% / 39% / 17% / 3% / 1%
Providing a safe and secure environment / 47% / 37% / 12% / 2% / 1%

76% (net percentage) of parents describe the quality of teaching in their child/children’s primary school as either good or excellent. This figure tallies with the finding in a similar NUT commissioned YouGov survey of parents published last year where 76% of parents with children in primary schools described the quality of teaching as either good or excellent[5].

Primary School Budgets

Parents of primary aged children were asked to pick from a range of options to see if over the last four years they had noticed any impact on their child’s school resulting from the economic downturn. The same question was asked in a NUT commissioned YouGov survey of parents in March 2013.

March 2013 / April
2014
Breakfast/afterschool clubs cut / 11% / 10%
Breakfast/afterschool clubs becoming more expensive / 23% / 24%
Music lessons cut / 7% / 11%
Music lessons becoming more expensive / 18% / 16%
School trips cut / 18% / 18%
School trips becoming more expensive / 45% / 38%
Staff reductions / 13% / 16%
Reduction in outside expertise for Special Educational Needs / 11% / 16%
Careers and advice and guidance services cut / 4% / 7%
None of these / 35% / 41%

That more parents this year perceived reductions in staff (3% difference) and reductions specialist SEN provision (5% difference) and cuts to music lessons (5% difference) is worthy of note.

Testing & Assessment in Primary Schools

From 2016 the Government plan to introduce national compulsory tests for children starting in reception class when most children are aged 4. A majority of parents of primary aged children (69%) said they opposed this proposal while 21% said they supported it.

Secondary Issues

How do you rate your child/children’s secondary school?