STAFF in schools across Worcestershire will no longer be given financial bonuses for performing well, after the Government scrapped the controversial School Assessment Awards after three years.

Dan Kendrick takes a look at the reasons for - and response to - the decision.

THE School Assessment Awards were gloriously heralded in 1998, with the first cash bonuses handed out in May 2001.

The £60m scheme was initiated to celebrate the success of schools - that either made significant improvements or performed consistently well - by putting money directly into the pockets of teachers and staff.

In three years, nearly 14,000 schools claimed an award, with £5,700 handed out to a typical primary, and £25,700 to a successful secondary.

And Worcestershire did well out of the policy, with 77 schools earning cash in 2001, 62 the following year, and 81 in May this year - the final awards.

Estelle Morris, Schools Standards Minister in 2001, introduced the prizes on a wave of optimism, claiming extra money would give school staff a "tangible" reward for their efforts.

"It celebrates success and gives governing bodies the opportunity to give the team a reward," she said. "Schools in every part of the country have won, and the list of winners reflects the rich diversity of our schools and the communities they serve.

"Schools should be proud of winning a school achievement award."

And unquestionably, they were.

But while schools were happy to take the cash, most in Worcestershire felt a certificate or official document would have been more appropriate during the on-going funding crisis.

And, by the time the awards were handed out, county teachers did not want a cash bonus so much as assurance their school had enough funds to keep them in a job.

The teaching staff whose morale the awards were intended to raise questioned the wisdom of the scheme, and, with hindsight, its failure was virtually inevitable.

"I personally thought the scheme was a poor one," said Caroline Browne, headteacher at The Chantry High School, in Martley. "It was, of course, very nice for the teachers when we won a small windfall, but they are paid to do their job.

"They would rather the money was put into resources for the children, or to employ another member of staff to ease the workload, than take it themselves.

"It also seems strange to give more money to the schools who are doing well, when the funding problems are hitting those who are struggling - financially and academically - just as hard."

Clive Corbett, headteacher of Pershore High School, in Station Road, Pershore - which twice received the award - agreed that the policy created problems.

"I could see the pros and cons of it, and within the profession opinion was very much mixed," he said. "From my point of view it was right that there was recognition of good schools, but wrong that teachers and staff should benefit financially.

"I'm happy with a logo or certificate to let people know about the awards but less at ease with money because, at a time where budgets are tight, it creates unnecessary cash problems and strain."

Bernard Roberts, headteacher at Prince Henry's High School, in Evesham, had also been an open critic of the scheme.

"We did receive a school achievement award; it's extra money and obviously everyone was very pleased at the time," he said.

"But it's no way to remunerate the staff and it's a bit of a gimmick. The money should have been put towards creating a proper pay structure for teachers."

Halting the unpopular policy certainly seems to have been a wise move, especially buried behind the headlines of the Hutton inquiry last week.

To keep it low-key, schools have not even had official confirmation of its cessation as yet, and are expected to find the information through the media and on the website.

But the decision has not escaped the notice of Worcestershire's education chiefs, who have seen more than their share of disappointing school funding policies come and go.

"The government hasn't discontinued the policy because it now realises it was not the right way to go about rewarding schools and teachers," said Mr Roberts.

"They have been halted because it is scratching around for every penny to avoid further bad press about school funding.

"I know from various memos and letters that the Government is desperate to claw back money from schools, and this is obvious a start."

And the DfES cannot claim it was not warned.

When the first round of money was dished out, Tony Neal, vice-president of the Secondary Heads Association, predicted the outcome.

"At a time when many schools are facing real term cuts, to spend £60m on awards which are more or less arbitrary cannot possibly be the highest priority," he said.

Unfortunately, it is Worcestershire's schools and pupils who have once again suffered at the hands of a funding policy that has failed them.