Trendy teaching patronises pupils says Charles adviser

SCHOOLS that attempt to make learning ‘relevant’ or ‘accessible’ rather than concentrating on ‘challenge and rigour’ are just patronising pupils, a leading head teacher will warn today.

Bernice McCabe, an adviser to Prince Charles, said that failing to stretch students does ‘no favours to those from disadvantaged backgrounds’ in particular.

This is because youngsters are deprived of ‘potentially powerful knowledge’, which helps them get ahead in life.

Mrs McCabe, head of the North London Collegiate School – the top independent for GCSE results last year – is addressing head teachers at a conference at The Prince’s Teaching Institute, a charity founded by Charles that helps teachers rediscover their passion for subjects.

She will point out that at the institute’s first leadership conference in 2011, everyone agreed the best way to attain achievement is to ‘ensure that high quality education is there for everyone.’

She will add: ‘Because if challenge and rigour in teaching and learning are not there for all, not only is it harder for universities and employers to find applicants with the required levels of knowledge and skills, but we do no favours to those from disadvantaged backgrounds by depriving them of potentially powerful knowledge – quite the opposite of government intentions.

‘To provide young people just with what is regarded as “relevant” or “accessible” is patronising and presumes to place a limit on their capacity for learning. It does nothing to enhance life prospects.’ But the fault doesn’t only lie with teachers – governments that only focus on ‘short-term results and favourable headlines’ are also to blame, she will add.

‘Britain has a strong tradition of liberal education that encourages independent thought, intellectual curiosity and cultural enrichment,’ she will say.

‘The trouble is that we have educational policies dictated by governments who want shortterm results and favourable headlines about rising standards.

‘While this may be understandable... it is also unreasonable in that the full effects of the education we provide may not be revealed until years later.’

Last year, pupils at her school passed 98.1 per cent of their GCSEs with As or A*s, topping a league table for private schools. This was despite the fact it ditched the ‘too easy’ English Literature GCSE for the AS-level.