Of target setting and pits.... and artefacts

In school this morning for the annual round of target setting with the Headteacher and the School Improvement Partner (SIP - what we used to call Attached Advisor - not sure whether SIP is better than AA!!!!).

What emerged was the guess work of having to look two years hence when the nature of the cohort can so easily change in a two form entry school, where 2 or 3 talented and gifted children moving away can radically alter the projected results. However, I also learnt at last why children coming up from First/Infant Schools often seem assessed at a higher grade than they actually are and that is that the grading for Key Stages One and Two are different, for example one child might be assessed as level 3 at First School, but at Junior School on entry is actually at level 2 because the scales used have different values. Where this mucks up the target setting is that the model used to work out what a Junior School's targets should be uses the Infant School level as the basis for progression and would expect that a child assessed at Level 3 in Infant School should be at Level 5 at the end of Junior School. In reality the majority will be at Level 4.

Would you believe that we are paying people who devised this system, and that those who implement it all agree that there is a problem, but no one appears willing to sort it? Well, yes, I guess many of you would - but how many of you would wish to pay them?

So from one pit to others.... this time in the churchyard. The trenches being dug for the exterior lighting wiring have exposed two vaults. One was not so badly damaged and was remedied with a slab - the other is to be filled in with sand. Some photo's might be posted later for interested folk. Our Architect was present to advise and then came with me into church to meet our new Organist, Andrew Storer, who was kindly helping the electricians installing the lighting by marking a safe route through the organ works with a nylon line so that the electricians do not damage the organ.

As part of this he had been exploring the Organ Blower room (a room that is not easy to get in due to the organ works) and had found two very large boards dating from 1739 which were clearly at some point on the church walls and which describe the foundation and aims of a local charity which is still in existence. We are going to keep them out for display during the Christmas Fayre this Saturday when the town will be heaving with people for Light's Switch On Day - as is often said: "No one does lights like Stony Stratford."

I then spotted what looked like crumpled up brocade and out came a green, somewhat damaged altar frontal, the beautifully embroidered orphreys of which were intact. No superfrontal, but a piece worthy of being conserved. What I want to know is why this was treated in such a dreadful manner?