Comments on: Data watch: Fischer Family Trust

By: Warwick Mansell

Warwick Mansell — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:35:10 +0000

Thanks, Adrian. Hadn’t come across that, so I will take a look.

By: ADRIAN BROWN

ADRIAN BROWN — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:17:16 +0000

Just become aware of your blog and glad to see folk thinking through this morass. You may be interested in my recent Grove Booklet in their education series, namely REASSESSING THE CULTURE OF ASSESSMENT: WEIGHING PIGS DOES NOT MAKE THEM HEAVIER, Grove Books, Cambridge, ISBN 978-1-85174-790-0. I suspect there is some not inconsiderable resonance with your ongoing concerns.
Best wishes,
Adrian Brown

By: Concerned parent

Concerned parent — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:29:27 +0000

As a parent perhaps seen by data provided by the Fischer Family Trust to be from a less priviledged socio economic background, did a little internet research on Mike Fischer and found a little gem by Douglas Hague of the Said Business School, University of Oxford, entitled Mike Fischer, Serial Entrepreneur. We learn that his Father worked for the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, he spent time in Rhodesia before studying physics at Oxford. In 1997 he bought a cattle farm in South Africa with his cousin and turned it into a game park. His latest venture is also non-profit making, working with a team in Oxford, in the area of cancer research looking at the immune system and DNA repair. God help us if this proves to be as successful at the FFT.

By: Tony

Tony — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:34:05 +0000

I have just spent a few hours writing a sef after being shown a huge excel file.
I was origninally quite satisfied with my GCSE results this year. They are bang on the national average for Geography this year. My concern is that according to FFt (D)90% of them should have got and A*-C and not the 69% reality! I have just marked my Y7 tests and found that only 34% can name and label the countries which make up the UK. For many of them I would not give them level 4. Many say they dont even do Geography in Primary school. So here I am relating my KS4 results back to FFT data based on KS2 scores which have no geographical basis what so ever! IF anyone can offer me any tips, I’d really appreciate it!
Thank you!

By: Teacher without hope

Teacher without hope — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 18:06:10 +0000

In my school FFT estimates are treated as having the status of divine revelation, rather worrying in a Catholic institution! When mixed with an obsession with ‘tracking’ based on very dubious data, which no one seems to think critically about, we get an inhuman data driven monstrosity that has nothing to do with education or the welfare of the pupils.
I hope Michael Gove has read your book, and starts changing the system to something that is humane and focussed on high quality education for all.

By: Ranting Teacher

Ranting Teacher — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:27:23 +0000

If there’s one thing that makes me seethe with anger on a regular basis, it’s the “belief” and reliance on data like the FFT. I prefer to think of it as the Fs standing for very rude words…