www.sec-ed.com News
In brief
Library call
Teachers are being urged to
put forward their views and
ideas for the future of school
libraries. The School Library
Commission, which is a joint
initiative between The Museums,
Libraries and Archives Council
and the National Literacy Trust,
is aiming to set a national agenda
to ensure school libraries are
delivering exceptional services
to help young people reach their
potential. Visit: www.mla.gov.uk
Hygiene resource
More than one million UK
‘Widespread failings’ in
school children are set to benefit
from the free Hands up for
Hygiene Teaching Resource
Pack, which offers lessons plans
and teaching aids that promote
hand washing as the foundation
for good health and lower
asbestos management
absenteeism. The pack, available
now, is produced by handwash
manufacturers Carex, and is
designed for use at key stage 3
and 4. Visit: www.carex.co.uk/
hands-up-for-hygiene/index.htm
by Chris Parr
Britain are thought to contain asbes- As SecEd went to press, asbes- there will be guidance produced for which include representatives from
tos, and there have been 178 cases tos campaigners were set to meet schools, and we want to find out all the major teaching unions, want
Climate competition
of teachers dying from asbestos- with Diana Johnson, parliamentary how this is being produced.” a national audit of asbestos levels in The Royal Society of Edinburgh
The majority of schools have related illnesses. undersecretary of state for schools, A DCSF spokesman said that schools, with many calling for its has announced a Scottish schools
unacceptable standards of asbestos Despite this, none of the schools to discuss the report. the health and welfare of pupils and complete removal. competition on climate change.
management and place pupils and visited were found to be fully com- Michael Lees, whose wife – a staff was absolutely paramount. Dave Prentis, general secretary It invites primary and secondary
teachers at risk of contamination, pliant with guidance from the Health former teacher – died from the He said: “By law, tough, robust of UNISON, said: “Put simply, pupils to produce a poster and
according to a report by the Asbestos and Safety Executive (HSE), while asbestos-related cancer mesothelio- processes must be in place in there is no place in our schools five-minute DVD on how climate
Testing and Consultancy Association. in one school the report described ma, was one of those set to attend. schools to carefully monitor asbes- for asbestos. This report adds to change could affect the lives of
The report, which draws on evi- the standard of management as “vir- He said: “We will be asking Ms tos. All local authorities and school the growing body of evidence that people in their community. The
dence from 16 school visits, found tually non-existent”, even though a Johnson for assurances that training employers must fully comply – no asbestos in schools is a health haz- competition is being supported
widespread failings in the way significant amount of asbestos was will be introduced at all levels, from ifs or buts. The HSE’s expert advice ard and the government should take by former weather forecaster
asbestos is managed, with some known to be present. teachers and heads right up to the is to remove damaged or disturbed urgent action to have it removed. Dr Heather Reid, and has a total
demonstrating no knowledge at all In more than half of the schools, Department for Children, Schools asbestos in existing buildings, but “Asbestos claims many lives prize fund of £5,000. Visit: www.
of how to protect employees and there was evidence of damage to and Families (DCSF), because even it is safer to leave undisturbed or every year, but it is often many royalsoced.org.uk
students from the deadly substance. asbestos, while two schools did at government level there is a lack undamaged asbestos in place and years later that the consequences
According to the report, around not know who was responsible for of sufficient knowledge. carefully manage it.” of exposure become clear. Let’s rid
three quarters of all schools in managing it. “We have also been told that However the campaigners, our schools of this hidden danger.”
Teach abroad
A gap year provider is looking
for 30 inspirational teachers
Schools urged
Praise for chain approach
to work with underprivileged
children across India, Nepal
and Tanzania for three weeks
Chains of schools run by the same “Chains that have thought through rapid improvement. Those that are over the summer break. The
to help fight
foundation or trust are delivering their way of working have a clear successful will then be able to apply Travelling to Teach programme,
significant improvements, teaching and learning model, train to become Accredited Schools run by GapGuru, lasts for three
according to the National College their leaders intensively and deploy Groups, leading three or more weeks, from August 2 to 20, and
for Leadership of Schools and them across the schools in the chain schools. Six groups have already gives teachers the opportunity
eating disorders
Children’s Services. to help everything from teaching been granted Accredited Schools to make a difference in some of
Its report, entitled Chain and learning to the management Group status, including the Harris the world’s most deprived areas.
Reactions, claims that when staff of behaviour and attendance. They Federation, which runs nine acad- The programme costs £750,
are employed to teach across a also have strong performance man- emies in south London. including school placement,
chain, rather than being tied to an agement and governance systems Mr Balls said that within five accommodation, and meals. The
Schools need to play a more support for children they know individual school, it leads to “sus- which operate across all the schools years there will be enough accred- final deadline for applications
active role in combating the find it difficult to be in a place tained improvement” – particularly in the chain.” ited providers to reach every part is May 31. Visit: www.gapguru.
stigma surrounding body image where the focus is on food.” in challenging circumstances. The report comes as on Tuesday of the country, adding that future com/travellingtoteach.aspx
among young people, which can Ms Healey said teachers The report said that chain schools (February 23), schools chief Ed academy sponsors and providers
lead to eating disorders, a charity needed better training on identi- were able to save money through Balls announced the first wave of supporting National Challenge
has claimed. fying and supporting pupils they their greater purchasing power, and providers to gain a new accredita- Trusts would also now need to be
snap happy
B-eat has published a mani- suspected might have an eating were helping to develop a “genera- tion allowing them to run chains of certified. Budding young photographers
festo calling on a future govern- disorder. This role could also be tion of young school leaders”. schools through federations, trusts However, Christine Blower, gen- are being urged to snap unusual
ment to monitor more closely fulfilled by a mentor, who would However, it warned that some and academies. eral secretary of the National Union species living in their local area
how many people are affected by be trained to deal confidently with chains could expand too quickly, Local authorities will now be of Teachers, said: “There is abso- as part of National Science and
conditions such as anorexia and the issue, she said. and said that the accountability expected to introduce chains in lutely no evidence that sponsors, Engineering Week. The aim
bulimia, and what help is on offer “Schools need to have an effec- system for schools does not prop- order to drive up standards. tied in to the governance of schools, is for students and other local
to them. tive structure in place, and we can erly allow for the role of executive Thirteen new Accredited do anything other than restrict those residents to spot, collect and
And it has called for the issue provide them with the information heads, chief executive officers, and Schools Providers can now take schools’ ability to have wide and identify as many species as
to be broached in schools with they need to tackle this problem strategic boards of governors. over up to two underperforming flexible relationships with organisa- possible over the course of the
pupils aged eight and above to among young people. Report author Robert Hill said: schools judged to be in need of tions in the outside world.” week, which runs from March
help them develop emotional “The starting point needs to be 12 to 21. The winning school
resilience, self-esteem and media better awareness and incorporat- will have its roof turned into an
literacy, amid fears that children, ing body image into schools’ anti- Balls under fire over faith schools outdoor learning space. Visit:
particularly girls, feel pressured to bullying policies. Teachers must www.whatonearth.org.uk
live up to images in newspapers also know when to keep a pupil’s The education secretary has come all of the other principles by which “Schools with a religious char-
and magazines from a young age. secret and when to seek help for under pressure after tabling an PSHE should be taught, even if this acter will be free, as they are now,
Emma Healey, the charity’s them before a problem gets out amendment to the Children, Schools means condoning homophobia or to express the views of their faith
Global issues
director of operations, said teach- of hand.” and Families Bill which could allow giving pupils inaccurate information. and reflect the ethos of their school, More than 200 organisations
ers usually contacted B-eat for Last year, B-eat carried out a “faith” schools to teach sex and “If Ed Balls agrees that this would but what they cannot do is suggest including charities, councils,
help when they knew a pupil had survey of 600 young people look- relationships education (SRE) in be unacceptable then it is up to him that their views are the only ones.” businesses and schools have
a problem. But the organisation ing at how bullying affected them. line with their own philosophies. to withdraw the amendment.” Mike Griffiths, headteacher of signed up to a Global Learning
also wanted to work with schools If found that more than nine out Critics claim that Ed Balls’ The amendment threatens to jeop- Northampton School for Boys, said Charter which was launched
on more preventative measures. of 10 pupils said they had been amendment will allow schools to ardise the Bill, which was designed he was unsurprised at the amend- on Tuesday (February 23).
“We would like to see schools bullied at some point, with 46 per be selective in the way they teach to ensure that all 15-year-olds receive ment. He said: “Politicians are The Charter, organised by the
approach this by promoting good cent claiming this had contributed sex education, which they say could comprehensive SRE, regardless of always driven by ‘the flavour of the education charity DEA, supports
mental health and positive self- to their eating disorder. In some lead to pupils receiving misinfor- where they go to school. month’ and relatively short-term the idea that learning can help
esteem, and speaking about this cases the bullying had gone on for mation, or being told that homo- However, a DCSF spokesman goals. In the case of SRE, I think tackle some of the global issues
openly,” Ms Healey said. at least six years. sexuality is wrong. claimed that the change tabled by that either every school is required such as climate change and
“One of the key areas in The charity said that bully- Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, chair Mr Balls would not allow schools to to teach every child, or no school is poverty. Hetan Shah, chief
schools is the canteen, which can ing undermined young people’s of the Accord Commission, a cam- depart from the recommended cur- required to teach anyone. Anything executive of DEA, said: “We
be a very toxic and lonely environ- self-confidence raising the risk of paigning organisation that includes riculum, adding that the Bill would else is a fudge.” can’t just rely on government or
ment for a child who has an eating them developing an eating disor- religious groups, humanists, and ensure that all youngsters receive As SecEd went to press, the charities to create social change
disorder. Schools might need to der in the first place. trade unions, said: “The drafting of “accurate and balanced information Bill was set to be debated in the – it only happens if the people are
consider alternative provision and Visit www.b-eat.co.uk the amendment is clear: the religious so that they can make informed, Commons. Visit www.sec-ed.co.uk involved.” Visit: www.dea.org.uk
character of faith schools will trump positive choices”. for the latest.
SecEd • February 25 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  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20