Welfare Reform on the Web (June 2003): Education - UK - Schools

CARE AND EDUCATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD: A STUDENT'S GUIDE TO THEORY AND PRACTICE

A. Curtis and M. O'Hagan

London: Routledge Falmer, 2003

This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the key issues in the field of early childhood care and education including:

• the principles of effective practice
• equal opportunities and children's rights
• learning difficulties children face
• investigations into working with parents
• different early years systems in operation
• comparisons with European early years care

The book covers the whole age range from 0-8 years with a special section on the 0-3 years age group.

CLASS STRATEGIES AND THE EDUCATION MARKET: THE MIDDLE CLASSES AND SOCIAL ADVANTAGE

S. J. Bell

London: Routledge Falmer, 2003

This book examines the ways in which the middle classes in the UK maintain and improve their social advantages in and through education. It identifies key moments of decision-making in the construction of the educational trajectories of middle class children. It looks at:

• structure and hermeneutics;
• class and strategy;
• class and policy;
• social class as social clauses;
• social capital;
• social class and choice;
• values and principles;
• risk, uncertainty and fear;
• class practices and inequality.

CLASSROOM REFORM 'SET TO CREATE TWO-TIER SCHOOLS SYSTEM'

J. Kelly

Financial Times, April 22^nd 2003, p.2

The National Union of Teachers warned that the Governments' £1 bn plan to shake up classroom staffing would lead to a two-tier education system in which qualified teachers would flock to schools in leafy suburbs while inner city children were taught by supply staff and unqualified assistants.

CLASSROOM 'TRAUMA' FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLDS

R. Garner

The Independent, April 17^th 2003, p.15

Children as young as four are being traumatised by a regime of formal school instruction in the three Rs that has turned early learning cuts a strait-jacket. Delegates at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers Conference said children became disruptive when starting regimented lessons at four and called for the formal school starting age to be put back to six, as it is in most European countries.

CONSULTATION ON CHANGES TO THE EDUCATION ELEMENT OF CPA IN 2003/04 AND 2004/05

Ofsted

London: 2003

Ofsted is consulting about options for amendments to both the data and the methodology used to produce the education star ratings, and also on how they measure year on year improvement. These changes either reflect experience in 2002 or have been necessitated by changes in the data collected.

DEMOCRACY, CITIZENSHIP AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT: WHAT CAN ONE SCHOOL TELL US?

M. Flechnoe

School Leadership and Management, vol. 22, 2002, p. 421-437

Presents a case study of the institution of democratic procedures in a small primary school. These involve pupils and staff in leadership activities such as reviewing policies and appointing staff.

EARLY INFLUENCES

J. Moorhead

Guardian Education, April 22^nd 2003, p.2

Time spent in a nursery may be hugely influential in a child's education, and yet many staff feel they are undervalued and underpaid. Article reports on efforts to improve their professional standing and morale.

EDUCATION AND THE MIDDLE CLASS

S. Power et.al

Buckingham: Open University Press

Using the experiences of 350 young men and women in the UK who were 'destined for success at the start of secondary schooling' this book examines the educational pathways they took. It analyses and compares their achievements and entry into employment compared to that of their parents. Its findings have interesting implications for current policy debates and about academic selection, access to elite universities, and limits of meritocracy.

THE EFFECTIVE PROVISION OF PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION (EPPE) PROJECT: FINDINGS FROM THE PRE-SCHOOL PERIOD: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

K. Sylva and others

London: University of London Institute of Education, 2003

The EPPE study, a long-term research project on the impact of pre-school education, demonstrates that:

• good quality pre-school experiences support children's social and educational development;
• good quality provision can be found across all types of early years setting, with integrated centres that offer combined education and childcare and nursery schools delivering the best results;
• learning at home with parents, combined with high quality pre-school education, makes a positive difference to children's social and intellectual development;
• disadvantaged children in particular benefit significantly from good quality pre-school experiences.

AN EXPENSIVE LESSON

P. Revell

Public Finance, 18-24 April 2003, p. 26-27

W S Atkins has withdrawn from a five year contract to run schools in the London Borough of Southwark under a public-private partnership (PPP). Looks at the PPP and asks what will replace it.

GRAMMAR SCHOOLS ARE BEATEN IN EXAM TABLES

R. Garner

The Independent, April 3^rd 2003, p.13

Top comprehensive schools are performing better than ever and achieving stronger results than most grammar schools, A-level league tables show.

HOPE AND EDUCATION: THE ROLE OF THE UTOPIAN IMAGINATION

D. Halpin

London: Routledge Falmer, 2003.

Suggesting ways of putting the hope back into the UK education system, this book explores the value of and need for utopian thinking in discussions of the purposes of education and the direction of school policy.

HOW SCHOOLS LEARNED A HARD LESSON ON THE PRIVATE SECTOR

W. Woodward

The Guardian, April 29^th 2003, p.8

Article looks at one Southward School's collaboration with the private sector. In 2001 W S Atkins won the largest outsourcing contract in the country, from Southwark Local Education Authority, but now wants to pull out because it cannot make enough money.

HOW THE NATIONAL HEALTHY SCHOOL STANDARD CONTRIBUTES TO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

G. Falgate, L. Lawn and G. Britton

Wetherby: Health Development Agency, 2003.

The National Healthy School Standard is based on evidence that healthier children perform better academically and that education plays an important role in promoting good health and emotional well being. Report presents evidence of the Standard's effectiveness, practical advice on how to use it to raise achievement, and illustrative examples and case studies.

IMPLEMENTING THE DUTY TO PROMOTE RACE EQUALITY: TRANSLATING POLICY INTO PRACTICE

S. Hall

Race Equality Teaching, vol. 21, Spring 2003, p.11-15

Article sets out what schools should be doing to implement the duty to promote race equality. Focusing on the curriculum, it also looks at what local education authorities and the national educational bodies should be doing to support schools in meeting their duties.

INCENTIVES TO IMPROVE EDUCATION: A NEW PERSPECTIVE

R. W. McMeekin

Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2003

This book looks at the development of a theoretical framework in which transactions within school communities influence the effort and the performance of teachers, students and other members of school communities. It discusses the issues surrounding incentives and argues that how incentives impact on schools depends on how they influence the institutional climate.

INCLUSION IN THE CITY: SELECTION, SCHOOLING AND COMMUNITY

P. Potts

London: Routledge Falmer, 2003.

Exploring inclusion and exclusion in the context of policy and practice in Birmingham (UK), this book looks at reducing inequalities in education. Using case studies it looks at key issues in contemporary education which relate to inclusion, including the effects of selection by attainment, faith schools and their communities, single sex education and inclusive schools, and participation in further education and social mobility.

'KEY ROLE' IN SCHOOLS FOR PRIVATE SECTOR

W. Woodward

The Guardian, April 29^th 2003, p.6

Private sector firms can play a key role in raising standards in failing schools; according to the government. Following criticism for awarding a £1.9 m contract to an engineering firm to raise standards in failing schools, David Millband, the School Standards Minister defended the right to bring in private companies.

'LET PUPILS DROP MATHS AT 14'

L. Lightfoot

The Daily Telegraph, April 22^nd 2003, p.6

Maths should be optional from the age of 14, according to Terry Bladen, President of the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers. It would mean that classes would be made up of people who enjoy maths.

(See also Financial Times, April 22nd 2003, p.2)

MPs BLAME MINISTRY FOR A-LEVEL CRISIS

J. Clare

The Daily Telegraph, April 15^th 2003, p.12

In the opinion of an all-party committee of MPs, last summer's A-level crisis was the fault of the Department of Education. The Department's decision to introduce the new A2 exam without adequate trials was responsible for the widespread confusion about what its standard was supposed to be, the MPs said.

(See also The Times, April 15^th 2003, p.12)

NEW SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

C. Ryan

Public Finance, Apr. 11^th-17^th 2003, p. 28-29

Discusses the government's modernisation programme for secondary school buildings. The programme will be funded through a mixture of government capital grants and PFI deals and will encourage the use of centrally prescribed building designs. However the project could fizzle out as funding has been guaranteed for only three years.

NUT TREAT OVER CLASS SIZES

W. Woodward

The Guardian, April 22^nd 2003, p.2

Members of the National Union of Teachers will refuse to take classes of more than 27 pupils even if it means sending children home, under plans backed by the union's annual conference against the wishes of its leadership.

(See also The Times, April, 22^nd 2003, p.1; The Independent, April 22^nd 2003, p.5)

OFSTED TO GET TOUGH ON INDEPENDENTS

W. Woodward

The Guardian, April 29^th 2003, p.7

The independent schools sector contains some of the worst schools in the country as well as some of the best, according to the head of Ofstead. David Bell, be Chief inspector of schools warned that legislation coming into force in September 2003 will require new independent schools to provide evidence of their ability to meet proper standards.

(See also The Independent, 29^th April 2003, p.1)

PARENTS FEEL PINCH AFTER SCHOOL FEES RISE BY 9.5%

G. Owen

The Times, April 7^th 2003, p.12

Parents face record increases in private school fees this year, with charges raised by all average 9.5 per cent, the highest ever in real terms. Schools face shortfalls in teacher's pension schemes, increases in employer's national insurance contributions, falling investments and higher salaries for teachers.

PEER MEDIATION : A PROCESS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS

J. Tyrrell

London: Souvenir Press, 2002.

This book looks at:

• what is meant by peer mediation;
• how children are trained in peer mediation;
• whether children can mediate conflicts:
• how mediation got into Primary Schools.

It goes on to look at:

• children's needs and the learning process;
• peer mediation skills and the Northern Ireland peace process;
• how to respond to resistance;
• how to create a self-sustaining programme in schools;
• the future of peer mediation.

THE "PROBLEM" OF "UNDER-ACHIEVING BOYS": SOME RESPONSES FROM ENGLISH SECONDARY SCHOOLS

M. Younger, M. Warrington and K. McLellan

School Leadership and Management, vol. 22, 2002, p. 389-405

Reports on pilot schemes in four secondary schools to raise the academic achievement of boys. Approaches to the issue are classified as organisational, individual, pedagogical and socio-cultural. In organisational terms, the establishment of an achievement ethos within the school appears essential. At the individual level, the most effective approaches use performance data to inform target setting. Mentoring has also proved effective in reaching disengaged youth.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS SWITCH SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS FROM THE RICH TO THE POOR

G. Owen

The Times, April 29^th 2003, p.1

Eton College is to switch money that it spends on scholarships for the brightest children to funding based on financial need. Eton will join three schools - St Paul's School, King's College School and Dulwich College - on diverting money from merit scholarships into means-tested bursaries.

RETURN OF THE PREFECT "INSTILS PRIDE IN SCHOOLS"

T. Halpin

The Times, April 30^th 2003, p.9

David Bell, Chief Inspector of Schools in England, proposed that the restoration of uniforms, prefects, school crests and formal assemblies was giving children an important sense of belonging.

SCHOOL BREAKFAST CLUBS, CHILDREN AND FAMILY SUPPORT

I. Shemilt and others

Children and Society, vol. 17, 2003, p. 100-112

Reports on an evaluation of school breakfast clubs as a potential support for families at risk of social exclusion. The clubs were found to provide a range of support to families coping with varying degrees of difficulty. They also gave children both social and nutritional support, and encouraged them to get to school on time.

SCHOOLS CONTRACT FOR RAIL CRASH INQUIRY FIRM

N. Pyke

The Guardian, April 28^th 2003, p.1

Jarvis, the engineering contractor at the centre of the police investigation into the Potters Bar rail crash, has been awarded a three-year government contract to help rescue failing secondary schools.

SPECIAL NEEDS PUPILS 'MAKE MAJORITY SUFFER'

L. Lightfoot

The Daily Telegraph, April 17^th 2003, p.7

The inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream classes makes education a lottery for majority of pupils, according to members of the third biggest teachers union, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers. Special needs schools throughout the country are under threat as local education authorities move children with disabilities into primary and comprehensive schools. The union is concerned that classes are continually disrupted and the needs of the majority neglected.

SUBJECT SPECIALISM: CONSULTATION DOCUMENT (PDF format)

Department for Education and Skills

London: 2003

Sets out plans to promote subject specialism and enhance teacher professionalism by nurturing and retaining teachers' enthusiasm and passion for their subjects. Sets out existing sources of support for subject specialism including the Qualifications and Curriculum Agency (QCA), subject associations, Local Education Authority subject advisers, the subject specialist consultants in the National Literacy, Numeracy and Key Stage Three Strategies, Specialist Schools and the new National Centres of Excellence.

URL:

SUCCEEDING IN DIVERSITY: CULTURE, LANGUAGE AND LEARNING IN PRIMARY CLASSROOMS

J. Conteh

Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books, 2003

This book follows a group of successful bilingual learners as they progress through Key Stage 2 in mainstream classrooms. However they are the exception - most bilingual learners are still condemned to failure in school. The book offers practical suggestions for primary teachers to provide what bilingual children in their class need to learn successfully.

TEACHERS THREATEN ACTION OVER £1BN REFORMS

J. Kelly

Financial Times, April 16^th 2003, p.2

Moderate teachers warned the government that it would face industrial action if it pressed ahead with the £1bn classroom reforms without addressing claims that they were not being properly funded and would lead to the "dumbing down" of the profession.

(See also The Independent, April 16^th 2003, p. 10; The Times, April 16^th 2003, p.7)

TORIES PROMISE TO HAND POWER BACK TO SCHOOLS

J. Clare

The Daily Telegraph, April 22^nd 2003, p.6

A radical shift in Conservative education policy that would sharply reduce the level of government interference in schools was announced. Damian Green, the Party's education spokesman, said targets would cease as Governments' role in education changed from an enforce to an enabler.