Thursday 26 April 2012

Academy status to become the norm for schools


Michael Gove, education secretary has recently warned that coasting state schools will be forced into becoming academies unless they improve. Under new plans schools will be given three chances to improve, or face sanctions, in what he calls a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy.  Michael Gove insists that it would not be just the ‘worst performers’ who would be targeted but also those schools persistently graded ‘satisfactory’.
 Half of the 3,262 secondary schools in England are academies or awaiting approval and academy status is to become the norm for schools.  Michael Gove said there was now ‘no turning back’ from the wholesale removal of state schools from local authority control, which he sees as central to raising standards.

(The Times)

Wednesday 25 April 2012

Calling all teachers:Cambridge is for your students too!



Cambridge University's student union access officer is working hard to dispel the myths that act as barriers to state school children applying to top universities. She states:

For the moment, different institutions are working to improve access to "top" universities in very good, but gradual, ways (and I call them "top" universities hesitantly as many are top for traditional, academic subjects but not for agricultural studies, dentistry, sports science, media studies, theatre design, photography’.

Cambridge University is the only students' union in the country to have its own full-time access officer, who runs initiatives to encourage academic students from under-represented backgrounds to apply to Cambridge and other top universities.

We have the widespread student passion for access in the bag. There is no dispute that our university must have more realistic appeal to more students from a greater array of backgrounds. What the Students' Union is lacking is a base of communication and collaboration with teachers, who do most of the ground work before we can step in to allay students' fears or dispel some of those myths that act as barriers to Cambridge and Oxford.

There are many students and teachers which maintain a sceptical attitude towards applying for Oxford and Cambridge.

‘Seeing as teachers are a constant guide to students, and also influential at the most pivotal moments, they need to join up more in our efforts. So, I'm turning to you all, not just to recite "the facts about Cambridge" but to ask you for your advice too. In my eyes, Cambridge access initiatives will have worked when teachers, pupils and parents know what we're actually looking for, aren't nervous or averse to getting involved and really trust us as a warm, inclusive, fantastic place to study. (Cambridge University, student union access officer).

Grammar Schools will expand

Critics have argued that the government is ‘expanding selection by the back door’ by recently allowing a grammar school to expand onto a new site in Kent.  This is likely to lead to the first major expansion of grammar schools in England since 1998, when Labour made the opening of new grammar schools in England illegal.  However recent changes to the Admissions Code, now allow oversubscribed schools to expand beyond their boundaries.

 The issue is politically sensitive and likely to reignite fierce debates. Labour opposes academic selection but did not abolish grammar schools while in government while in 2007, David Cameron risked a backbench rebellion when he dropped the party's pledge to build more grammar schools as he sought to modernise the party.
Opponents say they divide children in to "sheep and goats" at 11 through the 11-plus exam, which they have to pass to get a place, and that schools around them suffer. Supporters say they are beacons of excellence which help children achieve their potential - and that academically bright pupils are best taught together.
A Department for Education spokesman said on Thursday: "The overriding objective of this government's reforms is to increase the supply of good school places so parents have real choice.
"That includes making it easier for good schools - grammar or otherwise - to increase their published admission number
"Legislation prohibits the establishment of new grammar schools, and ministers have been clear that that will not change."
In Kent, parents set up an online petition to campaign for such an expansion, arguing that this was the only part of the county without a grammar school.
The new "satellite school" would take in 120 pupils in a year.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-17534910

‘Affluence’ is factor in 11+ exams.


A council which uses the 11+ exams to select pupils for its grammar schools is accused of accepting that ‘affluence’ has a role in the tests. Buckinghamshire County Council's comments came in response to a school wanting to use 11-plus results to admit a broad spread of abilities.

The council claims the comments referred to only those who sits the exams.

However the council said that the "reference to affluence was made purely in the context of factors which may influence whether parents wish their children to sit the 11-plus tests". It added that it had merely been pointing out that children from deprived backgrounds were more likely to be withdrawn from the test by their parents.

 Critics of the 11-plus and the grammar school system often claim that children with parents able to pay for private coaching are more likely to pass the tests.

But this notion is rejected by supporters of grammar schools who say they give bright children the chance of a quality education.

New College will charge £18,000 a year


The New College of the Humanities (a new private college opening in London) will charge £18,000 a year starting September 2012. The college states that it has received 350 applications and has offered places to 91 people. Out of these only seven people have been given full scholarships, while 37 have been offered partial scholarships. To make matters worse, students will not be eligible for state support in terms of loans, thus critics have criticised this as an elite college and that it encouraged privatisation.

The college's master, the philosopher Professor AC Grayling, said the college would be "elite but not exclusive".

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the UCU said: "Today's figures do give the impression that only those prepared or able to pay top whack will be afforded the opportunity to study at NCH.

"This should give us food for thought about the damage higher fees will do to students, universities and the country. Surely we need the brightest brains studying the courses best suited to their talents, not simply one within budget?

Friday 20 April 2012

Are football club sponsored schools the next grammar schools?


Everton football club, along with West Ham and possibly Tottenham Hotspurs will each launch free school/academies in response to an invitation from Michael Gove, education secretary to all Premier League clubs to consider getting involved in setting up free schools or academy.  The aim is to give career options to children who might not be aiming at university. It aims to inspire and provide opportunities for local children.

Although the schools will be set up by and run by a football club, the schools will offer a full education programme- its aim will not be to provide footballers for the club but rather opportunities for students. 

However there has been criticism surrounding the projects because footballing schools have not always had the best academic records. For example Whitefield school in Cricklewood, north London, home to the first independent football academy, for instance, has achieved disappointing exam results. Just 49% of pupils gained five A*-C.  Thus Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education said that football clubs must be cautious about using their cached to attract pupils- the reality of education means working hard and that’s what students need to understand.

(News Review)

Thursday 19 April 2012

Michael Gove is quiet about free schools

Two hundred and eighty one bids were submitted to open new free schools this September, yet the department of education is only planning to fund for 50. Out of the fifty approved, four are no longer in discussion (meaning they will not be built), while around half are still in discussion or seeking sites, although these schools are due to be open September 2012. The Guardian states that by any measure - whether the government wants to address the need for school places or use free schools to raise standards - less than fifty new schools this September is a poor outcome for such a vaunted policy.
So why is the ambition to create free schools being placed on halt? Bureaucracy is one answer, says the New Schools Network, the charity which helps free schools while lack of cash is an even bigger barrier to the expansion of free schools.


Although free schools designed and - in some cases - run by parents, teachers, or charities have proved a modestly popular idea with the public - But there are increasingly signs that the education secretary, Michael Gove, is lowering his sights for the free schools programme.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2012/apr/18/free-schools-michaelgove


Exam Central prepares to deliver a French Programme


Following the success of the Easter Booster classes, Exam Central will also deliver a 25hour French programme at Turves Green School. The project will encompass not just the French Language, but the culture, cuisine and the French way of life, in order for students to gain a deeper insight into France.

The programme has been organised into three parts, in which the first part will include the introduction of French as a language. The second week will encompass individual sessions designed to enhance the speaking and writing of French amongst students, which will be themed on topics inspired by France. These sessions will by lead by fluent French speakers, with experience in coaching young people. Finally the third week will bring together a community showcase, in which the young attendees will plan, organise and deliver a community day to celebrate, along with other citizens in the community, what they have learned during the activity weeks.

This project will broaden the horizons of the students, challenging parochial preconceptions and give an opportunity for students to gain confidence and project management skills.


Exam Central to deliver a music programme


Exam Central will be introducing a non-residential, media and music week for up to sixty young people (11-18years) from a disadvantaged area in Sandwell. This project aims to empower young people as leader, decision makers and encourage creativity. It is based on the idea that ‘learning by doing’ is the best way to study and engage with disaffected young people.

The activity week will include activities on DJ businesses, art, and will conclude with a Music Showcase with performances by the young people, in order to give them an opportunity to showcase what they have learnt during the week.  In addition the programme will offer young people an opportunity to experiment with latest music equipment’s, allowing them to mix, record, edit, produce and present their own material or material which they like.

       

In addition to the creative part, students will also gain insight into the administrative and managerial side to music and arts. They will have the opportunity to organise themselves into teams and will be given a practical scenario in which they will develop the knowledge and skills needed for business and enterprise. They will learn how to work in, and contribute to, a team, how to make decisions and how to motivate themselves and others.

Universities express conscern over Michael Gove’s plans to ask lectureres to set A-level exams


Michael Gove, the education secretary, has written to the qualifications watchdog, Ofqual, calling for exam boards and ministers to "take a step back" from dictating the content of the exams.

Instead, the 24 most academically competitive universities will be allowed to "drive the system" by setting questions and deciding what topics students will need to know. 

However it seems that Michael Gove has not been listening and taking on board the universities concerns. Million+ which represents twenty-six of the new universities said setting A-level questions was a "much more complex task than simply getting a few academics together". Million+ also said academics had told ministers that the A-level system was ‘not broken’ at a meeting earlier this year but ‘ministers appear to have ignored this advice’.

She said academics told ministers that the A-level system was "not broken" at a meeting earlier this year. "Ministers appear to have ignored this advice," she said.

In addition Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, said universities already had a "big job to do" in educating undergraduates. "We also have a lot to do in conducting research and making sure that research has an impact on the economy. So we don't actually have much time and resource spare to spend a lot of time in reforming A-levels. We have to see exactly what these proposals are, but we are certainly willing to give as much time as we can into giving advice to the exam boards and to the department and we will do our best."

Gove's move is likely to lead to fewer students achieving top grades, the abolition of modules and retakes – other than in exceptional circumstances – and longer essay questions in exams.

The coalition wants the new A-levels to be taught from as soon as 2014. Students would sit the exams two years later. Initially, the changes would affect English, maths and science A-levels in England, but would soon be rolled out to all subjects and across the UK.

Wymondham College in Norfolk defends A-levels


According to a survey by Cambridge Assessment, easy A –levels are a major concern for Universities. The survey found that 60% of lecturers have pressed into teaching school leavers catch-up classes in basic essay writing skills, grammar and critical thinking.  Dr Sean Lang, a senior lecturer in History at Anglia Ruskin University, said that ‘A levels are a watered down version of their former selves. He believes they were made too easy in 2000 when the government introduced a modular system that allows students to re-take exams multiple times until they pass.

But at Wydomndham College, students have replied back stating that A levels are not just about the exams. If A levels became harder it would mean almost no time left for recreational and extracurricular activities such as sport, drama and dance while the gap between GCSEs and A-Levels would become even larger.

The students of the college have the support of the Principal too who thinks that universities should put their own house in order before criticising schools. He states

"Certainly we get feedback from students who go to quite reputable universities who say the amount of contact they're getting at university is not as good as it should be and not as much as they expect."



Disagreements over what should go into A-levels and how they should be taught are only likely to get more intense. The Education Secretary Michael Gove today voiced his concern that A-levels don't prepare school leavers for the rigours of taking a degree. He added that he would like to see universities have more of a say over A-levels' content. A likely sign that yet more changes to the education system lie ahead.

What do you think?

Michael Gove wants a more rigorous grading system and exams


Parents, teachers and students might find it interesting to take notice of the Secretary of State, Michael Gove’s increasingly clear news on examination standards. He has stated that he has clear objectives to raise educational standards. He has called for a relook at education, saying that Labour Government has made getting good grades easy and that a more rigorous system needs to be put in place. He has put forward promoting more traditionally styled examinations where exams take most of the focus and these exams are done at the end of the academic year, with a significantly less proportion of course work. He believes that the final year examinations should become much more rigorous and for it to be more challenging to achieve high grades. The aim is to help students of greater talent be distinguished more from their peers.

Gove has taken these ideas further in questioning whether pupils are receiving the right type of education and whether it meets the needs of students. He is arguing that there needs to be a focus back on the core elements of learning, which he particularly point out in science. He wants there to be an education for students that gives them a solid foundation from which they can build their learning from. Gove said in regard to the science education;

“What [students] need is a rooting in the basic scientific principles, Newton’s laws of thermodynamics and Boyle’s law”

At Exam Central we feel that as educators, we must continue to help students improve and enable them to adapt to changes in their education when those issues arise. We recognise that these ne ideas of how children are educated are important issues for debate for both teachers and schools.

(Sources: Guardian and Telegraph).

Exam Central Booster Classes


Exam Central announces yet another successful year of Easter Booster courses, as students nervously prepared for their exams due to begin this summer. As usual, the courses took place at King Edwards VI Five Ways School, running from Monday 2nd April to Friday 13th April. The courses focused on subject content (exam boards AQA, OCR and EDEXCEL) as well as the vital revision and exam technique skills that are essential to be successful in examinations. The booster courses covered a range of subjects including:

1.       English

2.       Maths

3.       Science (Chemistry, Biology and Physics)

4.       Geography

5.       History

6.       French

7.       Spanish

Exam Central has specialist tutors in each of the above subjects who will be leading the sessions, all of whom are CRB checked and have considerable experience of tutoring individuals and small groups. Below are some responses from students who attended the courses:

                “I feel more confident writing equations and mechanisms which I was struggling with”

                “Really beneficial; the content of the course and exam technique, were really helpful”

“I would definitely recommend this to any student doing a GCSE exam, it has been the most useful revision that I have ever had”

Look out for more information about our Easter Revision Course on our,