Tag: General education news

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SchoolCouncilsUK-archive

Speech, Language and Communication

The DCSF has just published the Bercow Review into Speech, Language and Communication. In a nutshell it concludes that some children are failing to develop the neccessary skills in this area.

It suggests, amongst other things, that Sir Alan Steer looks into how these skills can be developed in every primary school class room. I think we need to be lobbying to say that one way is through properly resourced and trained class teachers facilitating class councils.

More info here: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/bercowreview/

Asher

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Taking schools out of special measures – Ofsted

Ofsted have just produced a report on successful strategies for taking schools out of special measures, it contains some strong words about pupil participation:

Pupils and students’ greater engagement in school life had a significant influence on improving outcomes in almost all of the schools surveyed.

…

Establishing and keeping high profile a school council, an open forum
or a house system were all successful approaches to giving expression to the
pupils’ voice.

…

Increasing levels of participation had measurable benefits in all the schools.

It then goes on to specify what those measurable gains were, very useful stuff. The full report is here: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/070221

Asher

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Stop your whingeing!

A new book, The Dangerous Rise of Therapeutic Education argues that the focus on emotional expression and building up self-esteem in schools and colleges is ‘infantilising’ students, leaving them unable to cope with life. In an interview in the Times Higher Education Hayes and Ecclestone, of Oxford Brookes University argue that attention paid to emotional intelligence in schools and colleges creates an atmosphere where students and staff are treated as emotionally vulnerable, and this is inimical to traditional academic rigour. The coverage in today’s papers links criticisms in the book to the SEAL programme in schools. Hayes and Ecclestone are calling for a public debate about the emotional state of education. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk

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Participation Guidance published

DCSF Guidance Looks At How Schools Can Get Pupils To Participate –
New advice on how to get young people involved in their school and learn important citizenship skills, for example through ‘buddying’ younger pupils and encouraging them to study or improve behaviour was published today, announced Schools Minister Jim Knight.

Mark
Link to press release
Link to guidance download

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Giving kids money to keep them off the streets

Well, not quite, but it’s an interesting project being piloted in Cambridge. Kids are being given cards that entitle them to £500 to spend on specified activities. It’s Government funded to the tune of £1 million. Full story

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SchoolCouncilsUK-archive

Preferred bidder for Teachers TV contract

4 March 2008
The Department for Children, Schools and Families has announced the preferred bidder for the contract to deliver Teachers TV.
Education Digital 2, a consortium of Ten Alps PLC and ITN, is in final negotiations over the £50m five-year contract to provide high quality news, information and resources to people who work in schools.

Mark Link