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Exam revision tips and techniques
BBC Wed, 7 May 08 10:42:48 BST
Ofqual's exams doctor George Turnbull has advice for those taking exams.
Government blames high truancy rates on viruses
GUARDIAN Tue, 06 May 2008 14:21:49 GMT
Provisional statistics suggest record numbers of children skipped school last year
School attended by Balls' children judged failing
GUARDIAN Fri, 02 May 2008
Schools secretary refusing to comment after north London primary school attended by his children is placed in special measures by Ofsted
Tables 'restrict A-level choices'
BBC Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:19:09 GMT
The pressure of league tables forces independent and state schools to stop pupils taking difficult subjects, it is claimed.

"To support our children in the state sector we should fight against league tables.

"Science and languages are disappearing from state schools because they are too hard.

"League tables are corrosive."

"The league tables put massive pressure on headmasters to do bad things.

"There is tremendous pressure on all schools not to let pupils into the sixth form if they're not going to make the grade.

"League tables brand a failing school on the forehead and make it very hard for a school to get out of failure."
Council admits spying on family when their school application was valid
BBC dup school/civil l
A council admits spying on a family using laws to track criminals and terrorists to find out if they were living in a school catchment area.

A couple and their three children were put under surveillance without their knowledge by Poole Borough Council for more than two weeks.

The council admitted using powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) on six occasions in total.

Human rights pressure group Liberty called the spying "ridiculously disproportionate" and "intrusive".

James Welch, legal director for Liberty, said: "It's one thing to use covert surveillance in operations investigating terrorism and other serious crimes, but it has come to a pretty pass when this kind of intrusive activity is used to police school catchment areas.

"This is a ridiculously disproportionate use of RIPA and will undermine public trust in necessary and lawful surveillance."
Half of schools could close over teachers' strike
GUARDIAN Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:29:45 GMT
Nearly half of schools will be forced to close when teachers strike later this month, survey suggests
Schools named and shamed to stop abuse of admissions law
GUARDIAN Thu, 03 Apr 2008
Ministers launch crackdown on schools covertly selecting pupils after research confirms one in six schools may be breaking admissions laws
A regrettable move
GUARDIAN Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:10:32 GMT
From the murmurs of agreement, it seemed Ed Balls, the education secretary, had almost won over teachers half-way through his speech to the Nasuwt union conference in Birmingham last week
On teaching: Computers are no substitute for the real thing
GUARDIAN Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:10:32 GMT
Computers are no substitute for the real thing, says Phil Beadle
Row over 'sale' of school fields
BBC Sun, 30 Mar 2008 07:46:38 GMT
The government reacts angrily to a report on sales approved by the schools secretary and his predecessor
Is music the key to academic gains?
BBC Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:10:02 GMT
Can learning a musical instrument help your child's overall academic performance in school?

Studies have been carried out in this field in Canada, where - in one case - researchers found musically trained children (aged four to six) performed better in memory tests than those who had no instrument lessons over the course of the year-long programme.

In another study, Professor Glenn Schellenberg of the University of Toronto, found that the IQ scores of six-year-olds who had taken keyboard or voice lessons were, on average, three points higher than normal.

Despite claims and counter-claims, there is no dispute that music of any kind stimulates the brain and early music training of any kind may influence brain development.

Professor Raymond MacDonald who specialises in musical psychology said. "There is now considerable evidence that taking part in musical activities can influence other areas of our development.

"And there is no doubt that music can play a very important role in a young child's development."
White working-class the worst GCSE students, study finds
GUARDIAN Thu, 27 Mar 2008
White working-class teenagers perform worse than their black and Asian classmates in GCSEs, research finds
Spoilt brats in classroom on the rise, warns union
GUARDIAN Tue, 25 Mar 2008
More spoilt 'little princes and princesses' in class· Academies accused of depriving staff of their rights
Class sizes 'a national scandal' - class sizes of up to 55
BBC Mon, 24 Mar 2008
Pupils are being taught in class sizes of up to 55 in some parts of the country, teachers have claimed.

Delegates at the annual NUT conference in Manchester said excessive class sizes were a "national scandal" and entrenched social inequality.
Spoilt children 'disrupt schools'
BBC Sat, 22 Mar 2008 04:26 GMT
Primary schools struggle to cope with the fall-out from parents unable to say "no" to their children, say teachers.

Primary schoolchildren spoilt by their parents can cause disruption in the classroom by repeating manipulative behaviour used at home, a report says.

Research for the National Union of Teachers (NUT) suggested a minority of children threw tantrums, swore and were physically aggressive.

NUT boss Steve Sinnott is calling for more advice for parents who struggle to say "no" to their children.

Cambridge University held 60 interviews with staff and pupils in 10 schools.

The report was released at the union's annual conference in Manchester.

It cited examples of children who stayed up to the early hours and played on violent computer games.
Teachers threaten strike action over class sizes
GUARDIAN Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:19:45 GMT
Teachers threaten a nationwide strike unless the government promises to reduce class sizes
Teachers to vote on class sizes
BBC Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:26:20 GMT
Teachers are to vote on whether to demand the government reduces class sizes to 20 pupils.
Schools minister heckled at teachers' conference for backing large class sizes
GUARDIAN Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:27:44 GMT
Jim Knight suggests it's 'perfectly acceptable' to teach classes of up to 70
Decades to fix school buildings
BBC Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:27:23 GMT
A third of schools in Scotland are still in poor or bad condition despite substantial investment, a report claims.
George Cole on the arrival of mini laptops in two schools
GUARDIAN Tue, 18 Mar 2008
It's smaller then a textbook and cheaper than many software packages. George Cole visits two schools using the first in a new breed of mini laptops
Coping with school admissions angst
BBC Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:36:30 GMT
Mike Baker appeals for calm amid the anxiety over admissions day.
Islam may be taught at German schools
PRESSTV Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:44:09 GMT
A conference in Germany agrees to have religious instruction in Islam made available to Muslims attending German schools.
MoD accused of propaganda in Iraq worksheets for schools
GUARDIAN Fri, 14 Mar 2008
Balls asks MoD to investigate teachers' claims that their worksheets for provide a one-sided view on the Iraq war
Iraq: teachers told to rewrite history
INDEPENDENT Fri, 14 Mar 2008
Britain's biggest teachers' union has accused the Ministry of Defence of breaking the law over a lesson plan drawn up to teach pupils about the Iraq war. The National Union of Teachers claims it breaches the 1996 Education Act, which aims to ensure all political issues are treated in a balanced way.

Teachers will threaten to boycott military involvement in schools at the union's annual conference next weekend, claiming the lesson plan is a "propaganda" exercise and makes no mention of any civilian casualties as a result of the war.
Fewer pupils offered preferred school place
GUARDIAN Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:09:56 GMT
Official government figures to be released this morning are expected to show that fewer children were offered a secondary school place of their choice this year, compared with 2007.

The statistics, which will embarrass the government, have prompted children's secretary Ed Balls to have a fresh look at the current schools admissions system - just 12 months after it was introduced.

The decision to review how children are allocated a secondary school place comes a week after the Guardian revealed that up to 120,000 out of 560,000 children failed to get their first choice school this year.
Large secondary schools reject critical documentary
GUARDIAN Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:19:05 GMT
School leaders have rejected claims due to be made in a documentary that large secondary schools are failing children
Boys in fear from school bullies
BBC Fri, 08 Feb 2008 12:38:47 GMT
The parents of two boys injured by bullies claim a school is not doing enough to protect their safety.
Academies for school cooks open
BBC Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:27:15 GMT
School cooks are to be trained how to cook with fresh ingredients at training centres across England.
Jenni Russell: The folly of our test fixation is plain to all. Except ministers
GUARDIAN Thu, 07 Feb 2008
Jenni Russell: Sats results will only bring more proof of the damage this approach causes
Education in Egypt and Syria vs. UK
BBC Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:49:48 GMT
Two website readers contrast school education in Egypt, Syria and the UK.
Arab education 'falling behind'
BBC Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:24:54 GMT
The World Bank says education in the Arab World lags behind other regions and needs urgent reform.
World Bank: Education in Arab World is 'lagging behind'
HAARETZ Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:43:33 GMT
The World Bank said education in the Arab world is "lagging behind" other regions in the developing world, in a report it released on Monday.

The report, titled "The Road Not Traveled: Education Reform in the Middle East and North Africa," the World Bank said the region "has not capitalized fully on past investments in education, let alone developed education systems capable of meeting new challenges."
Gaza's school kids face tough return
PRESSTV Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:33:45 GMT
Gaza's school children will be forced to resume classes without heat or electricity due to the Israeli blockade, the UN warns.
Abolish selection say academics
BBC Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:15:22 GMT
Grammar schools should be abolished to create an education system that is fairer to all, says a report.
85% of poorer white boys fall short in GCSEs
GUARDIAN Fri, 01 Feb 2008
The vast majority of white working class boys are leaving school with too few qualifications, government admits
Grammar schools fuelling social segregation, academics find
GUARDIAN Fri, 01 Feb 2008
Ministers should consider scrapping grammar schools because they have fuelled social segregation, according to research
Village schools 'facing closure'
BBC Sun, 27 Jan 2008 01:49:36 GMT
Campaigners for village schools say hundreds face closure because of government pressure.
Sacked dinner lady punched pupil
BBC Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:19:59 GMT
A Birmingham school sacks a dinner lady who punched one of its pupils in the middle of the canteen.

City Technology College, in Kingshurst, said the 14-year-old had been antagonising the kitchen assistant when she snapped in December.
Metal detectors plan for schools
BBC Sun, 20 Jan 2008 08:22:13 GMT
Metal detectors are to be installed at hundreds of schools in England in an effort to curb knife crime.
Crackdown on schoolgirl bullying epidemic
GUARDIAN Sun, 20 Jan 2008
Anushka Asthana: An educational psychologist warns that bitchiness between girls can wreck lives
Private schools' gain over state? New research from economists at the London School of Economics has highlighted one measurable way in which state schools are losing a valuable resource, namely teachers, to the independent sector.
BBC Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:24:37 GMT
Mike Baker considers whether private schools are taking the best from state schools without giving much back in return.

This has been a rollercoaster week for independent schools.

Firstly, the Charity Commission reminded them they must demonstrate how they provide a public benefit, including to those who cannot afford their fees, if they are to retain charitable status.

Secondly, one of the most innovative and outspoken independent school head teachers, Dr Anthony Seldon from Wellington College, accused his own sector of remaining "entrenched in the 20th century".

Dr Seldon argued that it is "not right" for independent schools to "cream off" the brightest pupils and "the best teachers". He argued they should put something back into the state system through an involvement in academies, trust schools, or federations.
Schools 'should allow' trainers
BBC Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:44:31 GMT
Pupils should be allowed to wear trainers as part of their school uniform, new guidelines say.
Maths A-level 'has become easier'
BBC Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:59:21 GMT
A report suggests maths A-levels have become easier and no longer stretch the brightest pupils.
Primary schools suffering headteacher shortage
GUARDIAN Fri, 18 Jan 2008
Primary schools are finding it increasingly hard to recruit headteachers, according to new analysis
Call for ban on catchment areas
BBC Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:41:49 GMT
School catchment areas should be banned to stop richer parents buying their way into good schools through the housing market, researchers have said.

Admissions policies favour parents who know how to use school information like league tables and those who can afford to pick where they live, they add.

The University of London team argued this was partly why the current system exacerbated existing inequalities.

Opportunities for those from poorer families remain limited, they added.

The report, which is part of the Cambridge Review of primary education, said although there were increasing opportunities for those with good qualifications, access to these was often linked to economic background.

Research shows children of parents who are in the poorest fifth of the population tend to do worse than those of the richest fifth of the population.

Catchment areas are particularly pertinent when a school is in high demand.

Once places reserved for those in local authority care and siblings of existing pupils have been allocated - the majority of schools allocate places on the basis of proximity to the school.

The study said: "In a climate where parents know a lot about schools (for example the Performance Tables), this encourages people to reside near what they perceive to be good schools.

"Such a policy discriminates in favour of those who can afford to choose exactly where to live.

"There is good cause for concern that choice and competition does not work in favour of those from low socio-economic groups," it added.

This was because parents were not equal in their ability to exercise choice of use information.

"A fundamental reform of admissions policy (for example, prohibiting schools to discriminate on the basis of residence) would do much to level the playing field in terms of educational opportunities," the researchers concluded.

This could reduce the large inequalities that appear later in terms of wages and social mobility, they argued.

The report also argued that the application of choice and the market to the school system was also problematic.

"Schools are not like businesses; they do not close down when they no longer make a profit and hence there is no automatic market mechanism to trigger the exit of failing schools,"

This means that pupils at failing schools will remain their for a considerable period of time, the report argued.
Internet plagiarism among sixth-formers is 'rife'
GUARDIAN Fri, 18 Jan 2008
More than half of teachers believe internet plagiarism is rife among sixth-formers, according to a new study
Schools 'breaking admission laws'
BBC Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:00:51 GMT
Some schools in England may be breaking the law in the way they admit pupils, despite the introduction of new rules last year, the government has said.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said not all children had been given an equal chance of getting into a school of their choice this September.

Councils who failed to prevent this have been warned they may have flouted the new admissions code themselves.

Mr Knight said "covert admission practices" penalised poorer families.

The independent Office of the School Adjudicator, which regulates the admission system, investigated objections against 79 schools last year where admission criteria and practices had breached legislation or the code.

In his annual report last year, admissions watchdog Dr Philip Hunter said strategies that could upset "articulate parents" were needed to make school admissions fairer.

He said sought-after schools could "cream off" children in neighbouring areas, leaving some schools there with too many children from deprived homes.
Popularity of 'boring' geography on wane
GUARDIAN Thu, 17 Jan 2008
Geography teaching in decline, with pupils claiming it is 'boring and irrelevant'
Schools choice for all parents impossible, says minister
GUARDIAN Thu, 17 Jan 2008
Commissioner casts doubt on government pledge · Education 'market' risks creating segregation
'Impossible to have choice for all'
GUARDIAN Thu, 17 Jan 2008
Commissioner casts doubt on government pledge on schools
New rival to A-levels due to get go-ahead from exam watchdog
GUARDIAN Wed, 16 Jan 2008
The exams watchdog is preparing to back a controversial alternative to A-levels designed to prepare an academic elite for university, it is claimed today.

The Cambridge Pre-U is intended to help top-scoring candidates trump their A-level rivals in the rush for the most competitive university places by teaching them traditional exam and study skills over modern coursework-based learning.

State school headteachers are warning that it will prove divisive as the government encourages schools to move towards more vocational diplomas.

Independent schools and some state schools are preparing to adopt the Cambridge Pre-U qualification from September in anticipation of it getting the go-ahead from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in the next few months.

University of Cambridge International Examinations - a subsidiary of the Cambridge Assessment Group, which is part of the University of Cambridge - has designed the course. Students do three subjects plus an extended essay and training in study skills.

Dr Kevin Stannard, director of curriculum development, said: "We are confident of swift accreditation, a necessary step in giving maintained schools the opportunity to adopt Cambridge Pre-U for first teaching in the coming academic year."

The QCA said it was evaluating the qualification but could not discuss details. Graham Able, master of Dulwich college, said: "We are adopting the Pre-U in classics and history of art from September and all students will sit a central research course and do an extended essay under the Cambridge syllabus. We will keep a watching eye over the next few years and consider a wholesale move as things develop."

John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the new qualification would create an unnecessary divide. "A-levels are being reformed and there is no necessity for some schools to look back to some golden age of qualifications which is no longer appropriate," he said.