EU fallout?
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) is working with the Department for Education (DfE) to discuss the implications of the vote to leave the European Union. What it will mean for the education system remains unclear, but ASCL’s interim general secretary, Malcolm Trobe, said there would be knock-on effects: “There will undoubtedly be effects on the education system. It’s too early to know what these will be. We will be working constructively with the government to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible and that the interests of schools, colleges and young people are safeguarded. We will be working closely with senior civil servants in the DfE to understand the implications for education.”
Computing training
Applications are open for the next round of computing scholarships for trainee teachers. Run by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, on behalf of the Department for Education, the scheme offers scholarships worth £25,000. It is in its fourth year and is open to eligible applicants who start their teacher training in September 2016. To date, 244 people have been awarded scholarships. Visit: www.bcs.org/teachingscholarships
Careers call
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has called on ministers to sort out the “mishmash” of careers advice services that has developed over the past six years. In its submission to an inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education, ASCL calls for a government-led quality assurance system to ensure quality of services for schools. It also wants to see careers education as a “fundamental part of the curriculum”.
Refugee film
The not-for-profit education provider TrueTube has launched a powerful new film to help young people understand the refugee crisis. Entitled Refugee, the free film shows what might happen if the UK were a war-zone and its population displaced. It is aimed at key stage 3 and 4 students and has teachers’ notes and activity ideas. Visit: www.truetube.co.uk
Sleep concern
One quarter of parents admit that their children do not get the recommended amount of sleep each night. A poll of 3,000 parents of six to 13-year-olds shows that 25 per cent say their child gets less sleep than the recommended nine hours for this age group. In fact, the research reveals that the average child sleeps for just seven-and-a-half hours, missing out on 547.5 hours of sleep a year.
Love Learning
UCAS has launched its Love Learning competition, which asks university students to create videos or written work explaining why they love their chosen subject. The initiative is aimed at university students, but the archive of previous winning entries can be used by schools to inspire their students about higher education. Visit: http://bit.ly/29fjWJl