Four in 10 students in year 7 are being held back by limited vocabulary 25 April 2018 The so-called ‘word gap’ is becoming an ‘increasingly disruptive trend’ in secondary schools – especially at year 7 – and is hindering student progress, new research finds. Pete Henshaw takes a look
Some inspectors are still asking to see evidence not required by Ofsted 25 April 2018 A call is being made for “greater consistency” in Ofsted inspections after a survey of school leaders found that schools are still being asked to provide evidence that is not officially required.
Is selection and school choice hindering our work to close the education gap between rich and poor? 25 April 2018 Countries which are successful in closing the poverty gap in educational outcomes tend to avoid selection by ability and segregation between schools. They also have a significant focus on attracting, supporting and retaining high-quality teachers.
Schools sought for MELT carbon footprint project 25 April 2018 The Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS) has launched MELT, a project that offers students the chance to contribute to the understanding of our planet’s environmental changes.
Youth Sport Trust unveils national strategy to halt decline in physical wellbeing 25 April 2018 A national children’s charity has launched a new four-year strategy to use sport to halt the decline in children’s physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Wales focuses on closing the gender gap in STEM study and careers 25 April 2018 Female pupils in Wales will miss out on well-paid jobs because of a failure to encourage them into engineering, the Welsh government’s skills minister has warned.
MPs launch cross-party SEND inquiry 25 April 2018 ?The House of Commons Education Committee has launched an inquiry into support for children and young people with SEND.
Be ‘bold and courageous’ with your curriculum, Ofsted urges 18 April 2018 Curriculum, exclusion and literacy – Ofsted outlines its priorities for the new framework in 2019 at SecEd’s Ninth Pupil Premium & Ofsted Conference. Pete Henshaw reports
Why do some students shun school meals at lunchtimes? 18 April 2018 Young people would be more likely to eat school lunches if they saw the cafeteria as a place to socialise in and if they were consulted over the menu.
Schools targeting older teachers for capability in a bid to avoid higher salary costs 18 April 2018 Experienced, older teachers are being put on capability measures and forced out of their jobs in favour of young teachers as cash-strapped schools try to save money, it has been claimed.
Trade unions call for action on mental health – for pupils and staff 18 April 2018 This Easter saw the annual conferences of the three major teaching unions with mental health and wellbeing – of both pupils and staff – high on the agenda. Chris Parr and Dorothy Lepkowska report
Teachers urged not to fall foul of new data regulations 18 April 2018 Teachers who have taken information about pupils’ reports home on USB memory sticks, or have details such as a class registers stored at home, could be in breach of extensive new data protection laws that come into force next month.
Education support charity reports sharp rise in calls about stress 18 April 2018 Calls from worried teachers to the Education Support Partnership’s confidential helpline have risen by a third in the last year, figures show.
Project Quantum aims to cut workload 18 April 2018 ?A project aimed at cutting teacher workload while also raising the quality of teaching and learning has reached a major milestone.
Students with ADHD are more likely to come from disadvantaged communities 18 April 2018 Young people diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to come from deprived communities.
Exclusion review: Call for a focus on schools that ‘off-roll’ students 21 March 2018 Should schools that “off-roll” vulnerable pupils in a bid to improve their exam results face financial penalties? 1 comment
Free school meals threshold to hit Pupil Premium funding 21 March 2018 As estimated one million pupils will miss out on Pupil Premium funding after changes to the Universal Credit system to introduce a threshold for free school meal eligibility get the go-ahead
Teachers' working hours and pay compares poorly to nursing and the police 21 March 2018 Teachers’ average hourly pay has decreased by 15 per cent since 2009/10. This compares to falls of four and 11 per cent for nurses and police officers respectively.
Modest narrowing of attainment gap in Scotland 21 March 2018 The most disadvantaged pupils in Scotland have improved their exam results but progress is only marginal, according to opposition politicians.
Ofqual admits to marking variable in English exams during heated debate with secondary school leaders 21 March 2018 ?Pupils’ English exam results could vary depending on whether they are lucky or unlucky with the person who ends up marking their script, according to a senior Ofqual figure.
Gambling aware resources launched 21 March 2018 The Demos think-tank has been piloting lessons in secondary schools to prevent gambling-related harms among school-age children and resources are now available.
Ofsted chief: ‘Don’t be afraid to challenge inspection teams’ 14 March 2018 Amanda Spielman urges heads to challenge unreasonable demands from inspectors. She also warns schools against workload-heavy practices, such as creating ‘Ofsted-ready’ files or organising ‘mocksteds’. Chris Parr reports 2 comments
Almost 30,000 sign petition to save £650,000 annual SLCN funding 14 March 2018 A £650,000 government cut is putting at risk specialist support for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) – one of the most common childhood disabilities – it has been warned.
Academies: ‘Group-think’ is leading to high CEO salaries 14 March 2018 The “astronomical sums” being paid to the chief executives of some multi-academy trusts (MATs) are a result of “group-think” by boards dominated by people with a background in the private sector.
18 April 2018