Pupil Premium
There is still time for schools to take advantage of the early bird booking rate for SecEd’s Second National Pupil Premium and Ofsted Conference on September 26. Entitled Ensuring Successful Outcomes, the school-led event features 18 workshops and sessions offering practical and transferable advice on topics such as literacy, data, mentoring and SEN. The full programme is at www.pupilpremiumconference.com
Mixed messages
Michael Gove’s leadership of education is the most unpopular to date according to an Ipsos MORI survey. The data shows that 75 per cent of 1,200 school leaders said they are dissatisfied with the government’s performance in education, up from 54 per cent in 2010 and 40 per cent in 2004. However, the poll, which involved members of the leadership Q&A service The Key, also found that 47 per cent of schools leaders believe education has improved since 2010, while just 20 per cent say it has got worse.
Inquiry support
A campaign calling for cross-party support for vulnerable children has launched an independent inquiry into social care and mental health services. See the Child, Change the System has been unveiled by charity Kids Company and has been backed by the National Association of Head Teachers. NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby said: “We applaud this attempt to draw attention to the terrible circumstances in which some children live in one of the world’s richest nations. Agencies must work together to build a system in which the individual professionals can focus on the needs of the child, equipped and able to do what they know to be right.”
eTwinning prizes
Twelve UK schools have been recognised for their collaborations with other schools across Europe. Hosted by the British Council, the eTwinning Awards took place last month and recognised innovative eTwinning projects. The overall winner was The Academy at Shotton Hall in County Durham, which brought together 13 European partner countries to work together on creative work such as graphic novels and fashion shows based on The Canterbury Tales. The British Council’s eTwinning digital community now involves more than 250,000 teachers in 32 countries across Europe. Visit: www.britishcouncil.org
Future fears
Nine in 10 students aged 14 to 19 are anxious about their future careers because of a lack of careers guidance in school and pressure from parents, research has found. Involving 1,550 students, the poll found that 71 per cent want to have more careers guidance at school, 74 per cent are worried they will make the wrong decision about their future career, and 63 per cent do not think they will be good enough for their job of choice. The survey has been carried out by new careers website Studently. Visit: www.studently.com