The final Bill?
Our Children’s Services Editor, Chris Waterman, writes about the Children, Skills, Children and Learning Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech, and how it will affect schools and local authorities.

Bursting the testing bubble
Diane Hofkins welcomes the Government’s recent scrapping of Key Stage 3 tests, but argues for similar radical changes to the primary school testing system.

Embracing change
John Selby, of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, reports on the progress of the Aim Higher scheme, which seeks to widen participation in higher education amongst under-represented groups.

Academies have an unfair advantage
The New Vision Group has published a new report, Combating Disadvantage and the Academies Programme.

Continuing professional development
Jan Robertson, Director of the London Centre for Leadership in Learning, at the London University Institute of Education, introduces the first in a series of articles about the Centre’s recent research and development work.

From self-evaluation to school improvement
Sara Bubb and Peter Earley, of the London Centre for Leadership in Learning, write about a recently published study that investigated how schools can ensure that selfevaluation of their practice and performance leads to genuine improvement.

Credit crunch hits Wales
Our Wales editor, Professor Ken Reid, on how the difficulties caused by the lack of Welsh Assembly funding for education have been exacerbated by the current economic downturn.

Implementing the 14-19 reforms
David Smith examines findings from an EMIE report, on 14-19 reforms in three local authorities awarded Beacon status in 2008.

Letter from Scotia
Our Scotland editor, John Dobie, returns to the subject of newly qualified teachers who cannot secure employment at the end of their probationary year.

Times were when
Our history page takes a retrospective look at the Conservative Sub-committee on Education’s report, Looking Ahead: Educational Aims, published in September 1942, and the journal History of Education looks at the 18th century.

FE succeeding where employers have failed
Ian Nash reports on the Ofsted report on Train to Gain, a report from the Skills select committee and three reports from the London LSC that show FE colleges are doing well.

Higher Ground
John Izbicki reports from around Britain’s universities.

General Section

Media Watch

Children’s Health
Social phobia, teenagers’ ignorance about sex, children under-exercising and poor white children’s health risks, and the difficulty in diagnosing autism in girls.

Leadership and school improvement
Annie Palmer reports on a seminar at the London University Institute of Education.

A new revised Admissions Code is published

Literacy under the Conservatives
George Dugdale, Policy Adviser at the National Literacy Trust, writes about  onservative literacy policy.

Opinion Section

Global illiteracy is falling
John izbicki investigates how one school managed an outstandingly good Ofsted inspection report.

Literacy changes lives: books and turkey twizzlers
Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust, exposes the dangers of celebrities underplaying the importance of literacy.

People

Reference Section

Events
We report on the DCSF children’s services conference, the launch of a Nuffield/Rathbone report on NEETs and a book on the effects of reforms on teachers lives by Cambridge academics, and the NCSL conference.

Conference round-up

Document Reviews
Reviewed this month are the Ofsted annual report and two reports from the Public Accounts Committee, Preparing to Deliver the 14–19 Education Reforms in England and Meeting Needs? The Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service.

Document Digest

Reports Digest

Research Section

Research Notes

Partnerships for ... inspiration
Sue Rossiter, Chief Executive of the National Foundation for Educational Research, reports on the Foundation’s research into the Building Schools for the Future programme, and the early impact of integrated working in children’s services.

Is Every Child Matters working?
Chris Gough, of the University of Cumbria, presents early findings from research questioning the effectiveness of joined-up multi-agency working with children.

Research Digest

Research Abstracts

Parliament Section  

Westminster
Our Parliamentary editor, Nick Kent, reports on a higher education debate in the House of Commons.

Child Protection Services in Aberdeen
Arabella Hargreaves reports on a ministerial statement on child protection services in Aberdeen.

Early intervention essential for looked-after children
A debate on supporting Scotland’s looked-after children.

Children’s Commissioner’s annual report
The Welsh Children’s Commissioner’s annual report.

A new approach to student finances
The Welsh Assembly’s consultation on proposals to refocus the Welsh student finance system.

Parliamentary Questions

Phoenix
The Nick Tester Fund and City University. Music for Youth. Linch and learn.