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Exam system
In brief
TV Quick
Teachers TV has launched a
daily YouTube show offering
a mix of latest news, useful
teaching resources and lesson
leads to ‘cycle
ideas. Teachers TV Quick links
viewers to four of the channel’s
200-plus YouTube videos,
and provides a 90-second
presentation on how they can
be used in the classroom. Visit:
www.youtube.com/teacherstv
of constraint’
Making waves
Budding radio presenters are
being urged to put their school
forward for the 2010 School
Radio Station of the Year
by Chris Parr
“Teachers have the capacity to on a wider range of personal skills, Awards, which recognise the
develop excellent learning materi- Prof Waters said. best in pupil broadcasting. The
als, and although many of the exam Dr John Dunford, general sec- government-supported awards
Schools are trapped in a “cycle bodies’ books are excellent, is it retary of the ASCL, echoed Prof are open for entries until April
of constraint” because of the much better for students to be using Waters’ claims in his own address 24. John Bradford, director of
current exam-based accountability original source materials. to delegates on Sunday (March 7). award organisers SchoolsRadio.
system, a leading educationalist has “The text books are designed In what was his last address to com, said: “We are very proud
claimed. to push students along the syl- the Annual Conference as general to be able to provide this
Professor Mick Waters, profes- labus, and there is a risk that they secretary, he said: “Assessment is forum to highlight the talent
sor of education at Wolverhampton focus too much on the stepping so much in the driving seat that that undoubtedly exists in our
University and president of the stones required to get to the right few A level classes are using books schools.” Contact: johnbradford@
Curriculum Foundation, claims answer, and in the process they beyond those exclusively produced schoolsradio.com
that pressure from Ofsted inspec- don’t help students develop the for that specific A level syllabus.
Funding boost
tions and the importance of skills to get between them them- “The assessment system rewards
league tables is forcing schools selves.” spoon-feeding and discourages
Trip of a lifetime
to spoon-feed students informa- Prof Waters said that teaching wider reading.” Ten youngsters have won a trip
tion from text books created by to the test was pushing results up Brian Lightman, who will take to Beijing after winning the final
exam boards in order to ensure
for Diplomas
in some schools, but warned that Dr Dunford’s post in the sum- of the HSBC/British Council
students are equipped to answer a constant focus on improving test mer, told us: “The current external Mandarin Chinese Speaking
test questions. results meant that pupils were not examinations system is completely Competition. Students from
Speaking to SecEd after address- developing enough independent bloated, very expensive, and dom- schools across the UK took
ing delegates at the Association learning skills. inates the work that headteachers part in the event at the British
Ministers have announced a £90 need to continue their good work of School and College Leaders “By the time they get to 6th and teachers do. Museum earlier this week. The
million package of measures to to plan for, and make a success of, (ASCL) Annual Conference last form or higher education, there is a “I can understand why exam four individual winners were
help schools and local authorities these reforms”. week, Prof Waters said: “You have significant risk that students won’t boards produce text books tied Robert Paterson from Chatham
to deliver the Diploma and Funding of up to an additional to question whether exam boards, be able to determine the way for- to their courses, but we do need Grammar School for Boys in
implement 14 to 19 reforms. £120 per Diploma student in rural and those affiliated with them, ward for themselves.” to ensure that exam boards don’t Kent; Helen Rankin from St
Crucially, part of the funding areas is already available to local should be allowed to produce text Relaxing the accountability sys- dominate everything that goes on George’s School for Girls in
will be used to transport Diploma authorities through the “sparsity books for their courses. tem would allow teachers to focus in lessons.” Edinburgh; Oliver Saunders from
students in rural and semi-rural weighting”. The amount varies for Dulwich College in London;
areas to neighbouring schools each local authority, depending on and Mavila Miller from Malvern
and colleges so they can access the number of learners recruited College in Worcestershire. The
learning. and how populated and rural the
STEM challenge launched
group winner was Wellington
The government has released area is. College in Berkshire.
the money amid concerns that Mr Wright said that the
young people who live outside increased level of transport fund- Double Olympic gold medallist
big towns and cities may be dis- ing was vital to help young people James Cracknell has launched
Building extension
advantaged when wanting to do living in rural and semi-rural areas the latest STEM Challenge, Six more local authorities have
Diplomas because of the long dis- study the Diploma. asking students to try their hand been given the green light to
tances they have to travel within He added: “Diploma students at designing gloves for rowing, join the Building Schools for the
their consortium. Overall, almost need to work at a number of canoeing or sailing. Future (BSF) programme, which
£3 million will be set aside for different sites and we know a The challenge, co-ordinat- aims to rebuild or refurbish
this purpose. number of rural consortia have yet ed by the Science, Technology, every secondary school in
Most of the funding pack- to start delivering Diplomas, with Engineering and Mathematics England. The six projects are
age will be allocated under the concerns about transport cited as Network (STEMNET) is inviting in Buckinghamshire, Cornwall,
Local Delivery Support Grant, a major reason for the delay. We teams of 11 to 14-year-olds from Gateshead, Lincolnshire,
which was previously known as have listened to those concerns. secondary schools around the coun- Oxfordshire and Sutton. Each
the Consortium Support Grant, “This funding will really help try to take part.
Parry
will begin work on its BSF
to help local authorities deliver those students who live in areas The winning design could scheme by summer 2010.
reforms and implement new lines where public transport is not as make it to the prototype stage with David
of learning. extensive as in other areas, and Adidas, the official sportswear part-
P
A
A further £35.3 million is to where the distances between ner of London 2012.
enterprise guide
be spent on national 14 to 19 learning sites are greater. To introduce the challenge,
Photo:
Ministers have launched a good
workforce and CPD for teachers “It’s vital that all students have Mr Cracknell took students from Rowing strong: James Cracknell took students out on Eton practice guide to help schools
and lecturers. the best access to all the educa- Burnham Grammar and Burnham Dorney Lake in Windsor to launch the STEM Challenge embed enterprise education
Iain Wright, the schools min- tional options available to them, Upper schools out in rowing boats throughout the curriculum. The
ister with responsibility for 14 and transport issues must not be on Eton Dorney Lake in Windsor waterproof without enveloping the ment in sport.” The contest is the guide aims to provide schools
to 19 development, said: “I am a barrier.” – the venue for the Rowing, hands in sweat, and how to protect second in a series of 10 STEM with practical ideas on how to
delighted we have been able, even The 10 most rural local Paralympic Rowing and Canoe against calluses and blisters. Challenges which aim to encour- help young people to develop
in tough economic times, to con- authorities of England are, in Sprint events at London 2012 – Mr Cracknell, who has a Master’s age secondary pupils to explore the the skills they need for work,
tinue to commit to the Diploma density rank: Northumberland, where he briefed them on what in sport science, told SecEd: “I have demands involved in delivering the and support headteachers in
and the 14-19 reforms generally.” West Berkshire, North Yorkshire, they will need to think about when always been intrigued by how the London 2012 Games and tackle developing an enterprise strategy
He said the announcement was Warwickshire, Cumbria, designing their gloves. body works and my knowledge of them by using STEM skills. in their schools. Visit: http://bit.
being made earlier than planned East Sussex, Herefordshire, Pupils were advised on aerody- science has definitely helped me Teams of no more than six stu- ly/adLtW7
to give “directors of children’s Northamptonshire, Shropshire namics as well as grip and durabil- to achieve success and further my dents should register by March 22
services the reassurance they and Derbyshire. ity. They were also encouraged to sporting career. STEM subjects and for more details, visit www.
think about how to make the gloves have a massive impact on achieve- stemnet.org.uk
extinction research
Students with a passion for
Report Cards branded ‘huge missed opportunity’
wildlife are being urged
highlight the plight of some of
the world’s most endangered
species as part of a new poster
The new School Report Card should Mr Laws told us: “The Report toughest part of Bristol with one in coasting schools might think that will place the greatest expectations competition. The Endanger
be used to compare schools with Card is an opportunity to improve leafy Somerset.” they are performing perfectly well, on you any government ever has. Rangers contest, run by the
others in similar circumstances, the quality of information we Under the plans, the School but if they can see clearly what a We will expect you to transform British Science Association,
according to the Liberal Democrats’ have about schools, but when you Report Card would offer parents similar school is achieving, they the curriculum, so that it is rich, aims to get students to research
education spokesman. look through the current plans, information on how a school is per- will be motivated to improve.” relevant and stretches the brightest a species that is under threat
David Laws told SecEd that the it seems to use information that forming when compared with insti- Mr Laws appeared alongside pupils while elevating those who of extinction. They must then
current plans for the Report Card already exists, and just puts it tutions with similar characteristics, Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal struggle. create a poster explaining why
system, which could eventually in one place. This will achieve such as the number of students on Democrats, at the Association of “We will be much more ambi- their chosen creature is in
replace league tables, represented a nothing. free school meals, and the number School and College Leaders’ annual tious about the number of young trouble, and what can be done
“huge missed opportunity”, claim- “We’d like to see a system more of SEN pupils. conference last week. men and women leaving school to preserve it. Winning entries
ing that schools should be grouped similar to that used for compar- “We would pull these groups During his speech, Mr Clegg with good results, and we will will be exhibited at London
according to the make-up of their ing Police command units, which together regardless of their geo- promised he would grant school expect you to close the gap between Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo. Visit:
student body, in order to give are not compared nationally, but graphical location. It would give leaders “a level of freedom you poorer children and their wealthier www.britishscienceassociation.
headteachers a better idea of what against similar units. There is no headteachers a better understanding haven’t known for decades”. classmates; a gap which entrenches org/rangers
they can realistically attain. point in comparing a school in the of how well they can do. So-called He continued: “In return, we inequality in Britain today.”
SecEd • March 11 2010 
02-03 newsa.indd 3 8/3/10 18:36:32
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