Retiring head's blast for government

3:24pm Monday 24th March 2008

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A RETIRING school head has told the government to stop testing children and start trusting teachers.

Susan Grimshaw has left Audley Infant School, Blackburn, after a teaching career of over 25 years.

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Although Mrs Grimshaw, 61, said she wouldn't change a single thing about her career, she said she understood why there was currently a national shortage of primary headteachers.

She said: "Why would anyone want the pressures and demands of the job these days, getting kicked in the teeth by the government and Ofsted telling you you're no good?"

"No good" is not a label attached to Mrs Grimshaw's school. In November, Ofsted inspectors rated it good' and said it was a "vibrant community providing a purposeful, caring environment."

Mrs Grimshaw joined Audley Infants in 1990 and became head in 1995.

She said: "I have loved it here and I will miss the wonderful staff and children, who are in my mind the best in the world, but I will not miss the bureaucracy.

"The job has changed so much since I began, when teaching children was fun because you could let teaching and learning take its own shape at times.

"But since the National Curriculum was introduced in 1988, more and more regulation has come in and there's no longer any time for fun because Ofsted is always around the corner.

"The government throws new policies and schemes at schools almost every week. It's relentless and needs to stop.

"It's not that I don't think the National Curriculum and Ofsted don't have their part to play, but for years teachers have just been made to feel that they're doing wrong and it made us lose confidence."

Mrs Grimshaw, who began her teaching career in Clayton-le-Moors and previously taught at Cedars Infant school, Blackburn, also criticised the way children are "tested to death".

"It's ridiculous: the government want data on every single level of education, but I see no benefit in testing primary children.

"I've never seen any improvement due to SATS.

"Numeracy and literacy has improved, but it's nothing to do with tests."

Her criticism echoes the views of Dr David Hempsall when he retired from Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, last year.

He branded the obsession with exam results as "potty".

But Mrs Grimshaw added: "Recently, I feel we are finally getting back to the way it was when I began in 1971, with the government starting to trust teachers to do their jobs again, and some of the enjoyment is coming back.

"People are realising that what's important is grass-roots teaching, and happy kids, but it's sad that it's taken 20 years to get there, to come full circle."

After an emotional farewell, Mrs Grimshaw is looking forward to spending more time with her husband Mick at their Lammack home, and with her two sons and five grandchildren, in Devon and Sheffield.

Sally Felton, previously deputy head at St Thomas' Primary, Blackburn, will take over as head at Audley from next term.