Beacon Status
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Beacon Status is a learning and skills recognition of the excellence and innovation which exists within the Learning and Skills sector for the United Kingdom. The award congratulates learning providers that deliver outstanding teaching and learning and are well led and managed. It is for providers funded by the Learning and Skills Council and inspected by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) or the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI). The status is held for three years.
It was launched by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in partnership with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in 2002. The scheme is now managed by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (formerly the Quality Improvement Agency). Beacons are drawn from general, tertiary colleges, sixth forms, work based learning providers and adult community learning providers.
Background
In the summer of 1998, 74 primary, secondary, nursery and special schools were selected by the Department for Education and Employment for their educational expertise in the areas of management or curriculum with the strategic aim that these institutions were to be 'held up as beacons of excellence' for other schools to emulate.[1] These schools were expected to maintain their level of perceived excellence whilst, at the same time, attempting to assist others in their development. The program was part of the Labor government's focus on school improvement through diversity, collaboration and partnership.[2] The purpose of these schools was to recognize a cross section of educational best practice and spread it to other schools.[3] All 74 'Beacon Schools' were requested to complete a short, focused questionnaire and, based on analysis of this survey, the Department for Education and Employment created a method to addresses the management implications of balancing the existing core function of educating pupils whilst developing support and training facilities for other educational professionals. Findings indicate that effective communication, both internally and externally, coupled with a clear sense of purpose and vision, have enabled schools that qualify as a Beacon school to fulfill both roles.
After successfully isolating qualities that schools can embody to both educate students and develop teachers, the initiative went beyond the pilot stage and expanded further when 125 more schools joined in September 1999. The number of Beacon Schools in operation more than doubled in September 2000 when a further 300 schools took on Beacon status. But, the largest expansion was in September 2001 when a further 425 schools became part of the initiative. The numbers of Beacon Schools reached a peak of around 1150 by September 2002, and this level of involvement was maintained into 2003. In 2004, Beacon evaluation and funding to Beacon schools was discontinued. Beacon activity is now decided on a local level, however the principle of schools working together, collaborating to share good practice, remains strong.
Methodology of Evaluation
Beacon schools are evaluated based on certain criteria developed to accurately assess the efficiency of student and teacher development. The evaluation is based on a questionnaire consisting of closed questions plus an open-ended question encouraging the respondent to provide more detail about their school's Beacon activities. Data from the closed questions was analysed to produce frequencies of data. The responses to the open question were coded and data analyzed using the following main themes:
- Benefits for schools
- Issues and challenges
- Partnership working
- Thoughts about the future
Criticisms of the System
Critics of the Beacon Status system and similar merit awards argue that the