www.sec-ed.com News
Is the exams
In brief
Film challenge
Young people are being
challenged to make a short film
about how technology is helping
to overcome challenges such as
system too
global warming, rising populations
and pollution of our oceans. The
Institution of Engineering and
Technology (IET) competition
is open to 11 to 19-year-olds
across the UK. It is part of the
IET’s Faraday programme, a
complex?
resource for teachers of science,
technology, engineering and
maths. The deadline is February
26. Visit: www.theiet.org/faraday
Free school diaries
Schools can still order free
by Chris Parr
out by the regulator in 2009, found editions of the 2010/11 Wise
that standards had fallen in recent Choices? Europa Diaries – a
years. student homework diary aimed
England’s exams regulator has In the annual report, Kathleen at 14 to 18-year-olds. The diary
criticised the complexity of the Tattersall, head of Ofqual, writes: “I is funded by the European
current examination system, wonder whether sufficient resource Commission and includes
warning that constant change runs has been put in to supporting and information on topics such
the risk of making exams harder training examiners so that they are as environmental awareness,
to manage without improving their able to keep abreast of new assess- finance and careers. There is
quality. ment techniques and devise new also a teacher’s guide including
In its second annual report, challenging questions and tasks that classroom ideas. Schools can
Ofqual says that although stu- test the knowledge, understanding order for a whole year group
dents should be offered a “rea- and skills of the learner?” while stocks last. Visit: www.
sonable amount of choice”, con- Christine Blower, general sec- europadiary.eu
stantly tweaking the exams system retary of the National Union of
Heavy snow closes
could “destabilise the system and Teachers, agreed that more invest-
discourage investment”. ment was required, describing
Diplomas resource
It also calls for any new qualifi- examination marking as a “mar- Teachers delivering the new
schools across UK
cations to be “thoroughly piloted”, ginal cottage industry”. A complex issue: Ofqual’s Diplomas qualifications are being
and for all exam questions to be “Examiners need far more sup- chair Kathleen Tattersall directed to a new free online
pre-tested in order to ensure they port and recognition than they resource offering careers advice
are fit for purpose. receive,” she said. “(Becoming that the candidate could be better, or to students. Called icould, the
Heavy snowfalls and sub-zero Temperatures in some parts The report continues: “The an examiner) is a career route for worse, than the grades awarded”. resource contains 1,000 films,
temperatures forced hundreds of of Scotland fell to minus 15°C in speed of change has brought with teachers that is just as legitimate as Speaking in the report, Sandra articles and accounts from “real
schools across the UK to close the early hours of Tuesday morn- it increased complexity which, becoming a school leader.” Johnson, from the Association for people in real jobs”. The stories
this week. ing, while it was fresh snow- unchecked and unregulated, could In another report, also published Educational Assessment Europe all show the individual’s career
As SecEd went to press, fall that caused the closures in add to the management burden last month, Ofqual suggested that – a professional association – said: journeys, covering the chances
Scotland was the hardest hit, with Aberdeenshire. without necessarily improving the examination results should carry a “A candidate’s ability will be the taken or missed, life-changing
all schools in Aberdeenshire, Hundreds of schools in the system.” “health warning” to ensure that uni- main determinant of an examina- events, skills discovered,
Dumfries and Galloway, and the north of England were also Elsewhere in the report, which versities and employers are aware tion grade. But there will be other achievements, and failures. The
Borders unable to open for busi- forced to close, with children in was published last month, the that they are not 100 per cent reli- influences too, including the ques- films cover all Diploma subjects.
ness as councils battled to clear Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire watchdog calls for increased invest- able. tions set and the markers who mark Visit: www.icould.com
the roads. and Northumbria all being given ment in the training of examiners The Reliability Programme the responses.
A statement on the Dumfries an extra day off. and assessors, in order to improve report said it was important for “We need to quality assure our
and Galloway Council website More closures were expected the reliability of test marking, and examiners to “debate the reliability tests and examinations, so that they
BsF honour
said: “Headteachers will carry out this week as weather forecasts ensure that test questions are suit- of the assessments they make so are as fair as possible to the highest Somerset County Council’s
full risk assessments on Tuesday predicted that snow clouds would ably challenging. the users – universities, employers, number of candidates.” Building Schools for the Future
(January 5), and information on move south into the Midlands, It comes after a separate report schools, teachers and pupils – can For more information, visit (BSF) programme has won a
when schools will re-open will Wales and the South West of the of GCSE science exams, carried have a better idea of the likelihood www.ofqual.gov.uk national award for its consultation
be posted on the council website country, with up to four inches of work with students. Consultations
as soon as it is available.” snow expected in some areas. have ranged from student focus
There were also closures in Longer term forecasts suggest groups to ongoing student
the Highlands and Islands, and that the “cold snap” could last
Government hits back
involvement through the Real
in Stirling. into mid-January. Ideas Organisation, which has
helped students meet with artists
and architects to involve them
in public art and design for their
Tories claim red
in attendance dispute
new schools. The award was
made during the recent Excellence
Ministers have reacted angrily to in BSF National Awards. Visit:
Tory claims that the government is www.p4sawards.org.uk
tape is forcing
failing children from disadvantaged
areas.
Michael Gove, the
Olympic ambitions
Conservative’s shadow educa- Teenagers in Waltham Forest,
teachers to quit
tion secretary, claimed that around east London, have joined local
50,000 students in England’s most police officers in a bid to tackle
deprived areas are missing an aver- anti-social behaviour in the run-up
age of one school day a week to the 2012 Olympic Games. The
The government has been accused independent sectors, and claimed through truancy – a figure five “Develop” project was launched
of driving thousands of teachers that around 10,000 teachers are times higher than in the richest as part of the Olympic Safety and
out of the profession by “tying their returning to the classroom every areas. Security Programme and has seen
hands in red tape and watering year. Figures show that 6.1 per cent pupils from Walthamstow School
down their powers”. Vernon Coaker, the schools min- of children living in the 10 per cent for Girls and Rushcroft Sports
Tory shadow schools minister, ister, said: “As in any other profes- most deprived areas were classed as Academy working to identify
Michael Gove, claims that unnec- sion people, have the right to change “persistent absentees”, compared to good and bad points about their
essary bureaucracy is preventing careers as they get older, but it is 1.2 per cent of those in the richest local area. The next stage is
teachers from focusing on bad bizarre to infer that a teacher who neighbourhoods. a problem-solving workshop
behaviour so that they can deal chooses to change jobs, including Mr Gove said: “Attendance at are deep and complex and we would This compared to nine out of involving local residents. Visit:
with discipline problems. within education, after a career of school is absolutely vital if children never pretend that there is a quick 10 in more wealthy parts of the www.london2012.com
Mr Gove said: “This is a tragic 15 or 20 years is a waste of talent.” are going to get the education they solution. We need to ensure that country.
waste of talent that is costing the Although government figures need to succeed later on. Children school is interesting, challenging Mr Gove continued: “Figures
taxpayers millions of pounds every suggest that around one in four new that are missing a fifth of school and relevant to all pupils and that like this demonstrate why parents
Animal ethics
year. We are training thousands of teachers leave the profession within inevitably struggle to keep up, parents are prepared to take respon- in so many areas of the country are Does a horse have more or less
new teachers every year only for five years of qualifying, around 85 which leads to problems with low sibility for ensuring their child goes dissatisfied with the standard of value than a worm or tiger?
many of them to leave within a few per cent of those completing teacher achievement and poor behaviour to school every single day. education on offer.” Does it matter how our food is
years of becoming qualified. But training complete at least one year down the line.” “We know that around half of However, Ms Primorolo again produced, as long as it is cheap?
at the same time, there are liter- teaching in the state sector. However, children’s minister, children caught truanting are actu- hit back, claiming that the “historic These are two of the questions
ally hundreds of thousands who Mr Coaker added: “We have Dawn Primarolo, said that overall ally with an adult at the time.” link between deprivation and attain- being raised by an RSPCA online
are qualified but have turned their the highest number of teachers for absence in the 2007/08 school year Earlier this week, the Tories ment is slowly but surely being resource for GCSE science
backs on the profession.” several decades, supported by a hit a record low, and claimed the claimed that a “wide disparity” broken”. students. The website has been
However, ministers hit back record number of teaching assist- government was doing all it could between educational attainment in She said: “The gap between the designed to support the science
saying that many of the 400,000 ants. Recruitment is at its high- to improve attendance in disadvan- deprived areas and richer areas had poorest children and the rest is nar- curriculum for 14 to 16-year-
qualified teachers under the age of est levels, retention rates are rising taged areas. developed, with only one in 10 chil- rowing year-on-year, and schools olds. Visit: www.science-ethics-
60 said not to be teaching were in year-on-year and vacancies remain She said: “The issues that link dren achieving five “good” GCSEs in poorer areas are now improving animals.org.uk
fact active in the further, higher and very low.” unauthorised absence and poverty in some neighbourhoods. faster than any other schools.”
SecEd • January 7 2010 
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