UK Education News - news and articles

RECAP Education News
Education news from the UK for busy leaders and managers ...

It's child's play - Early Years Foundation Stage
This is a useful leaflet which provides an introduction to parents and carers about the new Early Years Foundation Stage framework, which is being introduced from September 2008. This can be downloaded from the Teachernet website.

The Bercow Report is published
The Bercow report is a review of services for children and young people (0 to 19) with speech, language and communication needs. It makes recommendations to Government on the steps it should take to transform this specialised provision. These recommendations are the culmination of ten months of extensive evidence gathering, analysis and consultation. Further details can be seen at Teachernet.

Information, leaflets and guides to The Diploma

This is a useful starting point for finding out more information about The Diploma. Recently, further leaflets have been published for:

A guide for parentsChoosing your options for Year 12Choosing your options for Year 10The Diploma: Business, administration and financeThe Diploma: Creative and mediaThe Diploma: Construction and the built environmentThe Diploma: EngineeringThe Diploma: Environmental and land-based studiesThe Diploma: Hair and beautyThe Diploma: HospitalityThe Diploma: Information technologyThe Diploma: Manufacturing and product designThe Diploma: Society, health and development

Further details on the full range of publications about the Diploma can be found at Teachernet.

Early Years Foundation Stage - It's Child's Play
This useful publication is aimed at early years practitioners. It contains case studies and good examples of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in action. Further details can be found at Teachernet.

Shakespeare for all ages and stages
This booklet contains a suggested framework of opportunities and experiences, designed to help children and young people – regardless of their age, their stage of learning or their level of attainment – to make steady progress in their understanding and enjoyment of Shakespeare. Further details can be found at Teachernet.

The National Challenge for secondary schools
The National Challenge, launched on 10 June 2008, will support schools with the lowest GCSE results, so that by 2011 at least 30 per cent of pupils in every secondary school will leave with five or more good GCSEs, including English and mathematics. The aim is to focus greater attention, help and resources on schools that are currently below this benchmark, with funding of £400 million. A number of key documents can be downloaded from the DCSF website including the toolkit for schools and local authorities, the school improvement strategy and list of secondary schools.

Ofsted proposals for school inspections from Sept 2008
Ofsted have reviewed our arrangements for the inspection of schools to ensure they are coherent and well matched to the needs of the user and the quality of the service and that they develop our ability to target inspection where it will make the most difference. A consultation has been launched to gather views on proposals for more frequent inspections for schools that are inadequate or satisfactory, but not improving, and a longer interval for those judged good or outstanding. These have been developed after discussions with nearly 1,000 headteachers and other professionals, parents and pupil focus groups, the new approach will be piloted this year from the summer term and implemented in September 2009. The document can be downloaded from the Ofsted website where an online consultation can also be completed.

Listening to the voices of children and young people
This revised guidance looks at best practice from schools and local authorities across the country who have involved students in decisions which affect them, resulting in a positive impact on local schools and communities. It also provides advice on the principles and practice that support such involvement. Further details can be found at Teachernet.

Generating, shaping and developing ideas in writing
This document provides a new model of working with practitioners to develop practical classroom strategies which are underpinned by current educational research. It also provides a theoretical and historical rationale for focusing attention on speaking and writing. Further details can be found at Teachernet.

Every Child a Reader (ECaR) toolkit
Every Child a Reader forms a key aspect of the Every Child Matters and Personalisation agendas and has the potential to be pivotal to the LA strategy for early intervention. This toolkit provides resources and guidance for local authorities. Further details can be found at Teachernet.

Developing assessment for learning in mathematics
This is the title of a new booklet and an accompanying DVD to capture and present a range of developments in assessment for learning practice in a number of schools. Further details can be found at Teachernet.

Safer Children in a Digital World: The Report of the Byron Review
This report follows a review of the risks to children from exposure to potentially harmful or inappropriate material on the internet and in video games. It also aims to assess the effectiveness and adequacy of existing measures to help prevent children being exposed to such material and help parents understand and manage the risks of access to inappropriate content, and finally to make recommendations for improvements or additional action. Further details can be found at Teachernet.

Overcoming barriers in maths - moving from level 2 to level 3
This publication contains materials designed to assist teachers in ensuring that Year 3 and 4 children progress from level 2 to 3 by the end of Year 4. Further details can be found at Teachernet.

Helping children with mathematics: Year 5 to Year 6
These resources are designed to help parents support children with learning mathematics, towards the end of Year 5 or the start of Year 6. It contains 12 separate maths topics, with real-life examples and interesting facts. Further details can be found at Teachernet.

Promoting achievement, valuing success 14-19
This Green Paper sets out proposals to simplify the qualifications system for 14-19-year-olds and asks for views on the proposals. It outlines the plans for incorporating existing qualifications into four key national qualification structures, building on advice received from a group of independent experts. This document is available to download from Teachernet.

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