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Education Journal No.93 (2006-3) |
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Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups - the Bichard Bill Our Children’s Services Editor, Chris Waterman, details some of the measures in the new Bill, which addresses problems in the vetting procedure for those working with children and adults. Driving the Agenda for Change Ray Dowd, Agenda for Change champion at the Learning & Skills Council, details his responsibility. QIA to lead quality improvement Andrew Thomson, chief executive of the Quality Improvement Agency for Lifelong Learning, writes about the launch of his agency, set up to raise standards in the learning and skills sector. Inflammatory Bowel Disease Stella Leigh, family support co-ordinator of the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, on the problems facing children with the condition and what schools can do to help. Health Arabella Hargreaves provides an overview of current news and research in the field of children’s health, covering such issues as teaching good manners; the closure of mental health units; schools’ difficulty with drugs and drink; and hyperactivity. The School that Dare Not Speak Its Name We look at the issue of Trust schools in the Education and Inspections Bill. Children’s Workforce Strategy A report on the Children’s Workforce Development Council, set up to improve the lives of young people and families by ensuring that those who work with children have the best training and support. Lessons from the Past to be Learnt Today We review Understanding Research in Early Education, by Margaret Clark. Wales Our Wales Editor, Professor Ken Reid, writes about the Furlong Report, the Welsh population decline and the difficulty of tackling bullying in Welsh schools. Media Report Media reaction to the key second reading vote on the Education and Inspections Bill recorded Tony Blair’s victory, but at the cost of relying on Opposition votes while 52 of his own MPs voted against the flagship Bill. The BBC reported on Lisbon Council policy network that claimed Europe was falling behind Asia in terms of education and skills. An American high school teacher goes into hiding after a classroom comment comparing President Bush with Hitler was secretly taped by a student and broadcast by a local radio station. Short reports The impact of selection on pupils with SEN; an investigation into Scottish child protection agencies; and literacy teaching through the love of football. Obituaries We record with regret the deaths of Peter Smith, former ATL general secretary, and Peter Waters, former director of education in Richmond upon Thames. People Geoff Gee is appointed head of EMIE at NFER. The LSC appoints three new directors. General section Opinion John Izbicki discusses the highs and lows of his 36-year struggle to improve literacy teaching in schools. NUT A four-page supplement giving the response of the NUT to the Education and Inspections Bill, including a two-page overview of the Bill. Fun Page Quotes, jokes and smiles. Conferences Our Children’s Services Editor, Chris Waterman, reports on the American Association of School Administrators annual conference in San Diego. Reference section Document Digest Documents covered this month include Foundation Stage Profile 2005: national results, Government’s Response to Children’s Workforce Strategy Consultation, Joint Planning and Commissioning Framework for Children, Level 2 and 3 Attainment by Young People in England Measured Using Matched Administrative Data: Attainment by age 19 in 2005, The Level of Highest Qualification Held by Young People and Adults: England 2005, National Curriculum Assessments of 7-year-olds: England 2005, National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics in England 2005, School Workforce in England: January 2005, and Vocational Qualifications in the UK: 2004-05 from the DfES; Research into the Effectiveness of Youth Training from the ODPM; An Employment-Based Route into Teaching 2004-05, Arrangements for the Annual Performance Assessment of Children’s Services 2006, Developments in Online School Data: Important changes for 2006, and Parents’ Satisfaction with Schools from Ofsted. Document Reviews The documents reviewed this month are Improving Scottish Education from HMIE; Parents’ Satisfaction with Schools from HMI; and the LSC’s annual report. Reports Digest Reports from LEAs in this issue include those covering housing-related support in Essex; the results of qualitative research into bullying in Cheshire schools; and a Suffolk strategy for involving children and young people in local services. Research Section Research Digest Research Notes Our Research Editor, Michael Marshall, looks at the latest research into neuroscience and dyscalculia, as well as the end of NERF’s seven-year life. Short Research Reports Selective schools, mental health, the effectiveness of online language learning and teaching, parent debt, and music lessons for partially-sighted and blind children. Reading and Its Development Professor Usha Goswami of Cambridge University, details some of the latest developments in our understanding of literacy and the brain, focusing specifically on the science behind dyslexia. Parliament Section The Education and Inspections Bill Demitri Coryton reports on why, despite there being four major education Bills going through Parliament, the Education and Inspections Bill has been the centre of attention. The Children and Adoption Bill We report on the Children and Adoption Bill, which seeks to improve the arrangements for children following a family break-up and to regulate cross-border adoption. Childcare Bill Our Children’s Services Editor, Chris Waterman, reports on the progress of the Childcare Bill as it progresses through the House of Lords. Faith Schools Divides Commons and Lords Nick Kent, our Parliamentary Editor, reports on debates on faith schools in the Commons and the Lords. Wales We report on debates in the Welsh Assembly about school discipline and the Assembly’s education priorities. Scotland Arabella Hargreaves, editor of EPM Scotland, reports on Peter Peacock’s statement on the Bichard inquiry and a debate on the Parental Involvement Bill. Parliamentary Questions Subjects covered include those on educational attainment, deprived pupils and history grades. Phoenix Nick Tester and Ted Wragg awards, education law and the Bill. |