NEWS


Diploma entitlement is axed, but Gibb reassures learners


research-intensive qualification worth four-and-a-half A levels, has been scrapped. It was still at the development stage. Nick Gibb, the schools minister,


by Chris Parr


Students will no longer have the right to study all of the 14 to 19 Diplomas after ministers confirmed that schools will be able to pick and choose which lines of learning they offer. The coalition government has


also announced that the Extended Diploma, which was to be a more


said he wanted schools and col- leges to have greater choice over what qualifications they offer, say- ing they knew what was best for their students. “We want students to be able


to sit the qualification that is right for them, whether Diplomas, the International Baccalaureate, A lev- els and GCSEs, or iGCSEs, not to be told by government what they can and cannot take,” he said


“That does not mean young


people presently studying for a Diploma, or who plan to start one in the future, should think again, and I want to reassure them. We want to see how Diplomas work, and learn from them to improve the quality of vocational education in this country.” Mr Gibb said that introducing


an Extended Diploma would have “no clear benefit for young peo- ple”, because they already have the option to take extra qualifications alongside their Diploma. David Igoe, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Forum,


welcomed the announcements, saying they represented a commit- ment to simplification and reducing bureaucracy. “These proposals are the first


step in freeing up colleges, ena- bling principals and teaching staff to focus on their core purpose of teaching and learning,” he said. The previous government had


suggested that Diplomas could become the qualification of choice for the UK, eventually replacing GCSEs and A levels. Some commentators speculated


that a Conservative-led government would abolish them altogether, but


Mr Gibb’s announcement means this now looks highly unlikely. Martin Doel, chief executive of


the Association of Colleges, said: “We are pleased to see that the government is committed to sup- porting Diplomas as part of a rich mix of qualifications providing choice for young people. Colleges have invested significant time and resources in the development of their Diploma offer, and 98 per cent of colleges are planning to offer Diplomas from this September. “Colleges have the breadth of


experience to offer whole Diplomas and we believe that they could


become local Diploma hubs serv- ing the needs of their educational communities,” he added. Dr John Dunford, general sec-


retary of the Association of School and College Leaders, added: “I am pleased that the minister has voiced his support for Diplomas. This will help to reassure young people tak- ing and considering Diplomas that they will be a recognised, respected qualification. Schools and colleges also need to know that the Diploma, in its more simplified structure, is the right qualification to fill the gap between academic and vocational qualifications.”


GTCE launches review after racism criticism


The General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) is to carry out a review of its practices amid concerns that it is not dealing effectively with cases of alleged racism. The watchdog, which is respon-


sible for holding teachers to account for professional misconduct, is fac- ing an uncertain future after the secretary of state for education announced plans to scrap it earlier this month. However, a statement from the


School Olympics unveiled


Ministers have revealed that £10 million of Lottery funding is to be used to launch an Olympic and Paralympic-style competition for school children. From next year, the “School


Olympics” will see local schools competing against each other with the winning athletes and teams progressing to county finals. The national finals will be held in the build up to the London 2012 Games. It is hoped the scheme will


continue beyond 2012, although funding has not been confirmed. Jeremy Hunt, secretary of


state for culture, media and sport, said he hoped the events would


encourage more youngsters to get involved in sporting activities. “Competitive sport, whether you


win or lose, teaches young people great lessons in life. It encourages teamwork, dedication and striving to be the best you can be,” he said. Michael Gove, education secre-


tary, added: “Fewer than a third of school pupils take part in regular competitive sport within schools, and fewer than one in five take part in regular competition between schools. The School Olympics give us a chance to change that.” The Association of School and


College Leaders welcomed the ini- tiative, but called for investment to ensure schools have the facilities


to make the most of it. General secretary Dr John Dunford said: “Excellent facilities are needed to offer the range of activities now required, including chang- ing rooms that are fit-for-purpose and sensitive to issues relating to ethnic groups. If funding reduces in the future, schools are likely to have to cut back on sports coaches and others who help with school sport.” Dr Dunford also warned that


the practical considerations of balancing academic and extra- curricular activities were placing increasing pressure on schools. For more information, visit www.culture.gov.uk/news


Council said a review was being set up to look at its “regulatory equali- ties practices” to ensure that the lessons learned are readily available to any successor body. It is to be carried out by the


Council for Health Care Regulatory Excellence and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and will scrutinise 10 cases involving allegations of racism that have been


heard by GTCE professional con- duct committees. The GTCE came under wide-


spread criticism in May when Adam Walker, a former teacher from North East England, was cleared of racial and religious intolerance after he used a school computer to write on an internet forum that Britain had become “the dumping ground for third world filth”. Speaking at the time, Chris


Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said the judgement was “absolutely staggering” and claimed the Council had “effective- ly given a licence to promote reli- gious and racial hatred in schools”. The GTCE accepted that the


Walker decision had led to wide- spread concerns about its com- mitment to combating racism and promoting equality, and also con- firmed that the review had been brought forward in light of both


the case and the secretary of state’s plans. Gail Mortimer, chair of the


GTCE, said: “I am painfully aware that the reputation of the GTCE, and the credibility of its commit- ment to combating racism, has been strongly criticised in recent weeks. “Racism blights the lives of too


many children and young people so I am determined that the GTCE responds robustly to the task given to us by the Smith Review and makes the best contribution that it can to the task of protecting chil- dren from the pernicious effects of racism and of creating a safe and inclusive school environment,” she added. The Maurice Smith Review,


published in March 2010, charged the GTCE to work with other agen- cies to strengthen the frameworks in schools which can be used to protect children from extremism.


Ofsted decision welcomed


The schools minister has announced an end to routine inspections for 6th form colleges rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, meaning 40 per cent will be exempt. Nick Gibb said the move


brought them into line with schools and other further education settings. In addition to a lighter touch


inspection regime, 6th form col- leges will no longer be expected to do surveys of learner views in order to secure funding from the Learning and Skills Council. Elsewhere, plans to introduce


in-year adjustments to 16 to 19 budgets will also be dropped. Mr Gibb said: “These measures


are only part of a longer running programme of red-tape reduction.” Martin Doel, chief executive of


the Association of Colleges, added: “We welcome the freedom from Ofsted inspections for outstanding colleges and, indeed, the general freedoms from constraint that will allow colleges to flourish.”


Your last chance to win £2,000 of ICT resources


Don’t miss your final chance to win as part of SecEd’s last ICT giveaway of the academic year. One lucky school will win


a package of innovative STEM subject resources from Texas Instruments (TI) worth around £2,000. TI is a provider of a range of


classroom tools that enable learn- ers and teachers to interactively explore maths and science. The prize will include 30


TI-Nspire handheld devices, the Teacher Edition software, TI Connect-to-Class kits and data- logging devices, along with tai- lored professional development for a teacher from the winning school. TI-Nspire is a parallel learning suite of software and handheld


4


devices which helps to unlock the power and potential of mathematics for its users, enabling exploration of mathematical concepts and enhanc- ing pupils’ understanding of how the different areas of mathematics relate to one another. TI-Nspire Teacher Edition soft-


ware brings together classroom projection systems, the learners’ handhelds, and the capability to help teachers prepare lessons and concepts. TI supports the world’s largest


professional development organisa- tion, T3 (Teachers Teaching with Technology) focusing on the appro- priate use of educational technol- ogy in the teaching and learning of mathematics and science. A busy schedule is often the biggest bar- rier to CPD so if a twilight session


suits the winning teacher’s calendar more than a daytime visit, T3 will accommodate this. After the training has taken


place, the teacher is further sup- ported by the Nspiring Learning website; a virtual mathematics resource centre offering free class- room-ready resources created by teachers.


How to win


For your chance to win, answer the following question: What do the three Ts stand for in the professional development organisation T3?


How to enter


To be in with a chance of winning, email your answer, including your name, school and contact details, to editor Pete Henshaw on pete.h@


markallengroup.com. Postal entries should be sent to SecEd, St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Road, Herne Hill, London, SE24 0PB. The deadline for entries is July


16 and the winners will be drawn at random from the correct entries and announced in September. All entries will be passed on to TI. The competition is open to all UK sec- ondary schools, but is restricted to one entry per school. Normal SecEd terms and condi-


tions apply. For a copy of these or for further information about the competition, email pete.h@marka- llengroup.com


Further information


For more on T3 visit www. education.ti.com/uk and for TI itself, visit www.ti.com


SecEd • July 1 2010


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