NEWS
Send your news in to: news@sec-ed.com or call 020 7501 6771
SecEd
The ONLY weekly voice for secondary education
Health plans will help
To subscribe, call 01722 716997
SecEd
Tel: 020 7738 5454
Fax: 020 7978 8319
www.sec-ed.com
info@sec-ed.com
the ‘invisible children’
editorial@sec-ed.com
sales@sec-ed.com
Editor-in-chief
by Dorothy Lepkowska
knowledge and don’t know how to
Mark Allen
deal with it.”
Editor
The Bill aims to ensure that
Pete Henshaw – 020 7501 6771
The health and education of up to a schools produce and implement
pete.h@markallengroup.com
million children and young people medical conditions policies, and
Deputy editor
with health problems could be at provide staff with the appropriate
David Taylor – 020 7501 6772 risk because schools are not always training, and support pupils who
david@markallengroup.com able to cope with their needs, it has have health issues. It wants every
Reporter been claimed. child with a health condition to
Chris Parr – 020 7501 6750 Many are not being included in have an individual healthcare plan.
Illustrator
lessons and activities because of a It also calls for closer co-opera-
Christos Mais
lack of awareness or knowledge by tion between NHS bodies, local
staff of their conditions, or because authorities, primary care trusts and
Editorial advisory panel
the school is not equipped with the schools to help teachers fulfil their
appropriate facilities. responsibilities. School inspections
Geoff Brookes, Deputy
The Schools (Health Support) may also take into account schools’
headteacher, Cefri Hengoed
Bill received its second reading in ability to support pupils.
Comprehensive School, Swansea.
Parliament last week, put forward Douglas Smallwood, chief exec-
Neill Morton, Headteacher,
by Jim Cunningham MP. utive of Diabetes UK, said: “Some
Portora Royal School, Enniskillen.
To coincide with the event, five children with diabetes are excluded
Alex Wood, Headteacher, Wester young people with a range of health from school trips or denied the
Hailes Education Centre, Edinburgh. conditions delivered boxes of letters school of their choice, and others
Ray Tarleton, Headteacher, to Downing Street urging prime have to change their insulin regimen
South Dartmoor Community minister Gordon Brown to improve to fit around school timetables.
College, Ashburton, Devon. Hilary support for them at school. Special delivery: Five young people with conditions including Type 1 diabetes, Duchenne “These children are largely
Moriarty, National director, They were representing a range Muscular Dystrophy, and depression deliver letters to 10 Downing Street with Douglas invisible in education policy so it
Boarding Schools’ Association.
of charities including YoungMinds, Smallwood of Diabetes UK (left) and Jim Cunningham MP calling for better school support is difficult to see how services can
Tina Stockman, Teacher of art and
Scope and Diabetes UK, who are be planned and provided to ensure
media studies, Harlaw Academy,
among more than 20 charities sup- prime minister urging him to sup- thought she was lazy or truanting if “School would be made easier they get the best possible education,
Aberdeen. Dr Bernard Trafford,
porting the Bill. port the Bill. she could not face going into school. if more teachers were made aware and that their health is protected.”
headteacher, The Royal Grammar
One of the pupils, Rhiannon She said that most teachers were She had also had several coun- of mental health problems in young
School, Newcastle upon Tyne. Chris
Godden, 16, who suffers from supportive of her condition, but not sellors over a two-year period, who people,” she said. • See editorial on page 6: Make the
Fenton, Assistant headteacher,
depression, has written to the all were aware of how to help. Some only turned up occasionally. “Many teachers have limited most of your school nurse.
William Harrison School,
Lincolnshire. Paul Ainsworth,
Deputy headteacher, Belvoir High
School, Leicestershire. Mark Blois,
Catholic school
Boarding school ‘could
Browne Jacobson.
Sales director set to abandon
transform lives of many’
Matt Govett – 020 7501 6735
Commercial director
Jon Benson – 020 7501 6767
Sales executive
entrance tests
The lives of thousands of “We know that up and down the more than 70 boarding schools
vulnerable children could be country there are hundreds, if not had offered to take part in the gov-
Calum Hogg – 020 7501 6706
transformed if they were given the thousands, of children whose life ernment’s Boarding Pathfinder
Classified sales
chance to go to boarding school. chances would be transformed by project, which was designed to
Rachel McElhinney – 020 7501 6728 A Catholic “bilateral” school in select its pupils using a combina- That is the view of Melvyn having a place at boarding school,” help vulnerable children attend
Subscription manager Northern Ireland is abandoning tion of criteria. Roffe, chairman of the Boarding said Mr Roffe. boarding schools.
Chris Hoskins entrance tests but will still use While it says it will remain a Schools’ Association (BSA) He added that despite some He said that more would do so
Circulation director academic selection to stream bilateral school, its entirely non- and principal of Wymondham “excellent” work by the Department if the scheme was developed and
Sally Boettcher
pupils. academic admissions criteria make College, a state day and boarding for Children, Schools and Families called on ministers to commit to
Holy Cross College in Strabane, it de-facto comprehensive. school in Norfolk. and some local authorities, “there paying a grant to “every child from
which awards some places on the Key stage 2 assessments from Addressing a BSA heads’ con- remain too many people in the sys- a vulnerable background who gains
Circulation department:
basis of the now scrapped 11-plus primary school, reports from visits ference, he said many children tem who reject on the basis of a place at a boarding school”.
Tel: 01722 716997
results, will operate non-academic to and meetings with P7 teachers were being denied the opportu- ignorance or prejudice the very idea There are currently more than
Fax: 01722 716926
entrance criteria only from next and principals, and data collected nity of boarding because of a cul- that a child might thrive at a board- 68,000 boarders in independ-
email: subscriptions@
year. from primaries including reading ture of “ignorance or prejudice”, ing school.” ent and state schools across the
markallengroup.com
While no child will be forced age, spelling age, and mathematical mainly within local councils. Mr Roffe also told delegates that country.
UK annual rates:
to take a test to win a place, they scores will all be used.
will be tested once admitted to In addition, results from stand-
Personal £45
determine whether they are taught ard reading tests administered by
Institutional (libraries,
mainly academic or mainly voca- the college will be taken into con- Art challenge offers £10,000
companies etc) £100
tional subjects. sideration.
Europe annual rates:
Bilateral schools, of which there It will continue admitting just Whether they prefer traditional The deadline for entries is August One of the judges, sculptor
Personal £92
are only four, were set up to cater for 35 per cent of pupils into its aca- painting and drawing or sculptural 28, with the winners announced in Antony Gormley, recently spoke
Institutional £165
a wide ability range by offering two demic stream. and digital creations, art’s brightest October. A first prize of £10,000 of the importance of getting young-
Rest of world annual rates: different styles of education – one Two other bilateral schools, young stars are urged to enter a will be awarded to the winning sters interested in art. He said:
Personal £113 grammar and one non-grammar. Lagan College in Belfast and major competition with the chance school, with a further £2,000 for the “Communicating visually through
Institutional £209 They operate a two-stage Slemish College in Ballymena, of winning £10,000 for their school. winning pupil to spend on art and drawing, photography, painting
admissions process and first accept have said they will continue award- The Saatchi Gallery/Sunday computer equipment. Two runner- and sculpture is a basic and uni-
Printed by
children on the basis of academic ing 35 per cent of year 8 places on Telegraph art prize for schools is up prizes of £5,000 will go to the versal human faculty. We should
Pensord Press, Wales
ability – as previously measured the basis of new entrance tests. open to students up to the age of 18 second and third placed schools, encourage visual literacy and visual
by 11-plus performance – up to Another – St Patrick’s College all over the world. So far, entries with £1,000 for the winning pupils. expression as an integrated part of
Published by
the 35 per cent permitted by the in Maghera – has said it wants to have been received from across the The winning entries will also be education.”
Department of Education. liaise with staff and parents before it UK and from China, Australia and showcased at the Saatchi Gallery For details, visit www.saatchi
From 2010, Holy Cross will makes public its admissions criteria. the US. in London. gallery.com/schoolsprize
St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Road
Herne Hill, London SE24 0PB Lessons to be learnt in the pub
www.markallengroup.com
Most teachers discourage their Although the tavern still looks the Gloucester Wing and was
pupils from spending their time like a traditional pub on the outside officially opened by the Duke of
down at the pub, but pupils at a and its original signage, glass and Gloucester last week.
London independent girls’ school panelling have been kept intact, The 433-pupil day school spent
MA Education Ltd is an independent
are now having many of their the interior has been converted into around £2 million on the 5,000
publishing company also responsible
lessons in a historic 19th century additional classrooms, seminar square foot extension.
for education titles Early Years
tavern. rooms and an extra art studio.
Educator and 5to7 Educator.
Francis Holland School in The saloon bar, where poet Dylan Public school: Dignitaries
© All rights reserved. No part of SecEd may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any
Regent’s Park acquired the former Thomas is thought to have made including the Duke of
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise without prior written permission of MA Education
Gloucester Arms pub in 2005 and poetry recordings, is now being used Gloucester (third right)
The publisher accepts no responsibility for any views or opinions
expressed in SecEd.
set about converting it into an exten- as a performing arts area. mark the opening of the
ISSN 1479-7704
sion to the main school building. The extension has been renamed unusual school extension
 SecEd • May 14 2009
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20