News
New pressure group
calls for admissions
criteria clarification
by Simon Doyle
schools can now effectively intro- Many grammar schools, how- five weeks with recommendations
duce any admissions criteria they ever, are expected to ignore her on a “clear and coherent way
choose. guidance. forward for the whole Catholic
A new group is being set up to The North’s education minister This means children face even sector”.
devise an agreed way forward on Caitriona Ruane has withdrawn more testing this autumn, however The commission says it wants to
the transfer of children from primary her preferred plan to phase out secondary schools admissions pro- move away from academic selec-
to Catholic secondary schools in academic selection over three cedures are not expected to change tion at 11 towards a “more just and
Northern Ireland. years and has announced new non- too much. modern process”.
The Commission for Catholic academic admissions criteria for Catholic bishops and owners Commission chairman Bishop
Education says it is disappointed by schools. of Catholic schools are hoping all Donal McKeown says the group
the failure of politicians to come up Her guidance recommends that secondary institutions – both gram- could yet recommend that selective
School closures
with agreed legislation to replace all schools use as their first crite- mar and non-grammar – can apply tests be used for some schools.
the 11-plus. rion a measure to ensure children similar entrance criteria. He adds that it will look at ways
A failure by the Northern Ireland entitled to free meals gain admis- The new working group, made to hold the Catholic sector together
prompt ‘idiot’ jibe
Executive to agree on a replace- sions at the same rate as all other up of grammar and secondary by addressing the concerns of both
ment for the 11-plus system means applicants. principals, will report back within grammars and non-grammars.
A local authority has been Davie Paterson, an independ-
Student set designers prepare for premier
criticised for closing all its ent Hawick councillor, had asked
schools because of a threat of how much the decision had cost
snow that never fell. payers of council tax. He said it
Scottish Borders Council would have been wiser to wait
Budding set designers and theatre The piece will be watched by putting it together in their classes form together, but, more than that, shut its 74 primary, secondary until Tuesday morning.
producers at two Thurrock an audience of around 2,000, while this week. it’s a piece about the relationship and special schools last Tuesday Ms Bhatia wrote in response:
secondary schools have been hard some 200 primary school students “The fact that it is going to be between adults and children, so I (February 3) in response to a “How much does it cost the
at work in preparation for a world will take part in the performance, used in such a huge production hope that for the performers it will severe weather warning from Borders taxpayer to have this
music premier. placing a huge amount of respon- has really helped to motivate and be a particularly wonderful oppor- the Met Office the day before. idiot as a councillor?”
The youngsters, from Grays sibility on the shoulders of the pro- engage them, and it gives them the tunity to work together. Thousands of children had the Mr Paterson said he had
School Media Arts College and duction and design team. experience of a real-life working “For the audience, I think the day off in blue skies and sunshine, written to Ian Wilkie, the coun-
William Edwards School, have Rachel D’Arcy, assistant environment.” story will resonate with their own with almost all other schools in cil’s head of legal services, and
been recruited to do the design headteacher at Grays School, said Composer Orlando Gough experience. I hope that the music Scotland remaining open. David Hume, the chief execu-
and production work for On the the students were really enjoying hopes that the piece will help to will be challenging and worthwhile, In the subsequent row over tive, demanding the matter
Rim of the World, a new choral their work on the project. demonstrate that opera can be and I hope that it will be fun to work the decision, education convener be referred to the Standards
work commissioned specifically She said: “Our year 10 art enjoyed by people of different ages, on, and fun to listen to.” Catriona Bhatia, who is Lord Commission because Ms Bhatia
for young voices and due to debut and design BTEC students have backgrounds and abilities. For more information on the Steel’s daughter, called the lead- had breached the councillors’
at London’s Royal Opera House on been designing part of the set – a He told SecEd: “The piece piece and the upcoming perform- ing critic of the move “an idiot”. code of conduct.
March 14. large cat’s head – and they will be is for adults and children to per- ance, visit www.roh.org.uk
‘Secret gateway’ grants access to online collections
Teachers and students will be given Victoria and Albert Museum, and stages 3 and 4, offers teachers a proactive and focused internet
free access to online collections the Wallace Collection. selection of online resources for research. Users are continually
from nine UK museums and Gillian Walters, learning man- classroom and homework activities. reminded while using the applica-
galleries as part of a new project. ager for the Royal Armouries The second application, Creative tions at what point in their task
The National Museums Online Museum in Leeds and a former Spaces, allows students to share they are and what they have done
Learning Project, which launches history teacher, helped to develop their experiences of the collections, so far.”
at the end of the month, will give the project. and upload information to a virtual David Anderson, director of
teachers and students the oppor- She told SecEd: “It’s like a secret notebook. learning and interpretation at the
tunity to access the collections of gateway, a portal into the collec- The site will also have a social Victoria and Albert Museum, said:
some of the largest museums in tions. Pupils can search using one networking element, allowing “This project paves the way for future
the UK. keyword and crack open collections pupils to connect with people who museum and gallery collaborations,
Students will be able to browse that teachers and students may have have similar interests, and form providing new opportunities for the
through digital collections from never discovered before.” online community groups public to enjoy and learn from these
the British Museum, the Imperial The digitalised collections will One online activity asks students terrific collections and then share this
War Museum, the National Portrait be accessible through two web- to judge whether Henry VIII should worldwide via the internet.”
Gallery, the Natural History based applications called WebQuest marry Anne of Cleves by collect- The resource will go live on
Museum, the Royal Armouries and Creative Spaces, hosted on each ing information from the relevant February 24. To access the appli-
Museum, Sir John Sloane’s museum’s website. museums. cations, visit the website of any
Museum, the Tate Gallery, the WebQuest, which links with key Ms Walters said: “It promotes museum involved.
Pupils able to learn about
Teachers call for more first aid
infamous Old Bailey trials
Citizenship teachers across the She added: “Basic first aid is is supporting its recommended
UK are calling for more first aid already on the PSHE curriculum in inclusion in the Curriculum for
to be taught in schools, according England, and with the move towards Excellence in Scotland.
to a survey by the British Red making it statutory, we would urge The Red Cross is also offer-
A website documenting nearly historical background, and related ed by the Arts and Humanities Cross. teachers to get ahead of the game.” ing schools a free resource pack,
200,000 trials held at the most source materials. The trials docu- Research Council and the Big The charity quizzed more than Life. Live it, containing materials
famous criminal court in the world mented on the site include those Lottery Fund. 250 teachers, and found that and lesson plans designed to tie
is expanding. of Oscar Wilde, who was jailed Professor Robert Shoemaker, around four out of five wanted to in with the PSHE curriculum.
Old Bailey Online gives details for gross indecency in 1895, and from Sheffield University’s history see first aid training introduced, Ms Brunwin continued:
of all the criminal trials held at the infamous Dr Crippen, who was department, said the website is a while around a quarter claimed “We’ve designed our materials
London’s Old Bailey from 1674 to hanged in 1910 for murdering his “fantastic resource”. their schools were not providing to give teachers the confidence to
1913, from just after the Great Fire wife. He added: “The teaching any first aid education at all. deliver first aid education, wheth-
of London to just before the start of As well as being a historical resources available on the wiki Liz Brunwin, of the Red Cross, er it’s first aid theory or practical
the First World War. learning resource, the site is also provide a great introduction to the said: “What the research shows us work. Our message to teachers is
Since it was launched in 2003 used by ICT, literacy, numeracy, site for both teachers and students, is that while there is a great will- that of all the life skills you teach
it has attracted around 15 million and citizenship teachers, particu- but it is vital that these pages have ingness on the part of teachers to your students, this one may turn
visitors. larly at key stages 3 and 4. input from teachers in order to equip their students with life-sav- out to be the most vital.”
Now a “wiki” is being added, The website, a collabora- reflect the ways that they teach ing skills, there are still a signifi- First aid has recently been For more information on the
enabling users to contribute infor- tive project between Sheffield and the needs of their students.” cant number of schools who have introduced to the PSHE curricu- resources, search for “Life. Live
mation and corrections about peo- University, Hertfordshire University To find out more, go to not taken steps to do so.” lum in Wales, and the Red Cross it” at www.redcross.org.uk
ple mentioned in the proceedings, and the Open University, is fund- www.oldbaileyonline.org
 SecEd • February 12 2009
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