 | | All teachers should have to work in both state and independent schools to break down the “Berlin Wall” between the sectors, says the country’s biggest group of fee-charging schools.
The Girls’ Day School Trust, which runs 29 schools in England and Wales, wants the requirement to work in different types of schools written into all teachers’ contracts.
Barbara Harrison, chief executive, said working across the sectors should be part of teachers’ continual training through their careers.
“At the moment there is no need for a teacher to step outside the comfort zone in which they ‘work in,” she said. “Changing that would certainly create more rounded teachers. Having teachers work in both types of schools would create understanding and break down barriers. It could be very powerful.”
Secondary school teachers should also spend time working in primaries and vice versa, Ms Harrison said. The move would allow teachers to develop a better understanding of how children develop at different stages of their education.
Ms Harrison made the suggestion yesterday, at a seminar hosted by the trust and Civitas, the right wing think-tank.
Andrew Adonis, the junior minister for schools, also addressed the conference about ending the independent and state school divide.
The Trust is planning to launch a pilot scheme of staff exchanges with about 50 teachers from its schools. It already runs smaller-scale projects in its schools, including masterclasses in primaries.
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