Lucy Smith
Education, Examinations, Government, School, Statistics

Pause tests to allow primary school children to catch up

A collation of head teachers, parents and MPs are calling on Downing Street to pause SATs and all statutory assessments in primary school in England to provide children with adequate time to properly catch up on lost learning caused by school closures. The government’s plans to assess four and five-year-old children in their first few weeks of school from September should be postponed, according to a report from the More Than A Score campaign group. A YouGov survey of 2,012…

Lucy Smith
Education, Government, School, Statistics

Teachers don’t believe the school day should be extended

An overwhelming majority of teachers do not believe extending the school day or changing term lengths is vital for helping children catch up with missed learning due to the pandemic, a survey suggests. Around two in three teachers (68%) believe pupils should be supported through sport and exercise and increased creative and practical learning (66%), the poll found. It comes after the Secretary for Education, Gavin Williamson, confirmed that changes to the summer holidays and longer school days had not…

Lucy Smith
Education, Government, School, Statistics

Pupil motivation is a significant concern, Ofsted study finds

Although remote education is helping to plug the learning gap during the Covid-19 pandemic, pupils’ engagement and motivation remain significant challenges for schools and parents, according to a new Ofsted report. Published yesterday, the report found that nearly half of parents who responded to Ofsted’s survey said that keeping their child focused on studying was a top concern, along with motivation and having enough contact with teachers. This view was echoed by school leaders, with many working hard to increase…

Lucy Smith
Education, Government, School, Statistics

Mental health training for new teachers

Every new teacher will be trained in how to spot the signs of mental health problems, Prime Minister Theresa May has announced. The new strategy will see every new teacher in the country receive training in how to spot the signs that a young person is struggling with their mental health. Today’s announcement means schools will receive extra support to make sure people know how to promote good mental health in the same way that they look after physical wellbeing.…

Lucy Smith
Education, Examinations, Government, School, Statistics

Education committee chair calls for GCSEs to be scrapped

Chairman of the Education Select Committee has labelled GCSEs “pointless” and called for them to be scrapped in a radical overhaul of the English education system. Robert Halfon, Conservative MP for Harlow, believes education would benefit from replacing traditional Key Stage Four exams with a qualification that recognises academic and technical skills, alongside personal development. On Monday, Mr Halfon will address an audience of people from the education sector at the Cabinet War Rooms. He will tell them an emphasis…

Lucy Smith
Absence, Education, Government, Statistics, Uncategorised

We have launched our brand new website

After months of work, we are excited to announce the launch of our brand new website. The site has been designed to provide a user-friendly browsing experience for our valued customers, trusted business partners and anyone interested in working with us. The new website boasts intuitive and consistent site navigation to help you find your way around with ease. It is also fully responsive and mobile/tablet optimised, making it easy to use on a wide range of web browsers and…

Lucy Smith
Absence, Education, Government, Statistics, Uncategorised

Pupil attendance and absence rates, latest figures

Latest figures from the Department for Education (DfE) show that the overall pupil absence rate sits at 4.5%. One in 10 of those school children are classed as “persistently absent”. A persistently absent child is one who misses school for at least 10% of the time. The figures show that secondary schools had a higher rate of persistent absence than in primary schools. Moreover, unauthorised absence, whether persistent or not, also increased. To assess why pupils skipped classes, the BBC…

Lucy Smith
Education, Government, Statistics

The Spring Budget 2017 – Implications for education

Chancellor Philip Hammond has confirmed that the government will allocate £320m to free schools which will “enable the creation of new academically selective free schools” – grammar schools in all but name. This money will be used to help fund up to 140 new schools, creating more than 70,000 new places. The Budget will also include a further £216 million to rebuild and refurbish existing schools in England, to ensure that they are fit for purpose. The investment is intended…

Lucy Smith
Education, Statistics, University

Number of students awarded first class degrees soars

The proportion of firsts handed out by UK universities has soared, with a third of institutions now grading at least one in four degrees with the top honour. In some cases, the proportion has more than doubled in five years, according to Press Association analysis of official data. New figures detailing student enrolment and qualifications show a quarter of students at UK universities now graduate with a first-class degree – a dramatic increase from just 17 percent in 2012. Last…