Education Policy

Welcome to the news section of our website where you will find news stories which we hope will be of interest to you. Below you will find the latest news entries but if you would like to look back further, please feel free to search our news archive.

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Independent schools support ICT curriculum

New research suggests that independent schools are more positive than state schools about the government's ICT curriculum reforms...

Posted on 16/05/2012 - [Read More...]

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Welsh-medium teaching gets £5 million funding boost

The government in Wales has announced annual funding of more than £5 million for Welsh-medium teaching across the country...

Posted on 15/05/2012 - [Read More...]

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Gove rejects 'low expectations' for poorest children

Mr Gove believes more should be done in England to close the achievement gap....

Posted on 10/05/2012 - [Read More...]

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A-levels set for overhaul, Ofqual says

The examinations watchdog Ofqual has indicated that A-levels could get a major overhaul following reports of grade inflation...

Posted on 30/04/2012 - [Read More...]

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Government cracking down on bad behaviour

The Department for Education has announced plans to crack down on disruptive pupils by giving head teachers stronger powers of exclusion...

Posted on 23/04/2012 - [Read More...]

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Government gets tough on school absence

Following an independent review into school absence, the government has announced new measures will be taken to track absenteeism and crack down on the parents of absent children...

Posted on 18/04/2012 - [Read More...]

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Teach children skills not facts, union says

Teachers should focus on educating pupils in general skills rather than teaching them facts that they can look up on their smartphone, according to the ATL...

Posted on 11/04/2012 - [Read More...]

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Govt to give universities control over A-levels

Michael Gove and examinations watchdog Ofqual are backing a move that will see universities take a leading role in setting A-level syllabuses amid fears that the courses do not prepare students for degree programmes...

Posted on 03/04/2012 - [Read More...]

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400,000 children persistently absent from school

New figures released by the Department for Education reveal that last year nearly 400,000 children missed at least one month of school...

Posted on 29/03/2012 - [Read More...]

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Lords call for compulsory language teaching

There could be a rush to recruit for language teaching jobs after a Lords committee called on the government to teach languages to every child in the UK...

Posted on 22/03/2012 - [Read More...]

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DfE plans new qualifications for early years education jobs

The Department for Education has published Professor Nutbrown's interim report into early education teaching and childcare...

Posted on 14/03/2012 - [Read More...]

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New teachers get behaviour management training

As part of new proposals outlined by the government's behaviour tsar, trainee teachers will be allowed to take part in specialist behaviour management training at pupil referral units...

Posted on 08/03/2012 - [Read More...]

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Homework guidelines scrapped by government

Head teachers will now be responsible for determining the amount of homework their pupils are set after Michael Gove scrapped the guidelines introduced by Labour in 1998

Education secretary Michael Gove has scrapped national homework ...

Posted on 05/03/2012 - [Read More...]

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Osborne urged to budget for ICT teacher training

With a consultation into the ICT curriculum underway, a group of leading industry and educational bodies has written a letter to chancellor George Osborne urging him to fund ICT teaching infrastructure in his 2012 budget...

Posted on 01/03/2012 - [Read More...]

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Government announces £15m cultural education fund

Following an independent review into England's cultural education, the government has announced investment of £15m designed to give children from all backgrounds access to the arts...

Posted on 29/02/2012 - [Read More...]

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Major teacher shortages forecast for the UK and Europe

A recent study by the European Commission has revealed that several leading EU countries are on the brink of a major shortfall in teachers, but what is being done about it?...

Posted on 23/02/2012 - [Read More...]

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Michael Gove set to abolish term-time holidays

The education secretary Michael Gove is to ban parents from taking children on holidays during term-time as part of a crack down on school absence...

Posted on 21/02/2012 - [Read More...]

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MPs form parliamentary group to support RE

A new all party parliamentary group of MPs has been formed to advance the cause of religious education after it was omitted from the English Baccalaureate...

Posted on 17/02/2012 - [Read More...]

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DfE data reveals need for core subject teachers

Data released by the Department for Education has revealed that thousands of pupils across England are missing out on the chance to study core academic subjects in languages and humanities...

Posted on 14/02/2012 - [Read More...]

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Shouting out answers 'helps pupils learn'

Children should be encouraged to shout out answers, new research indicates....

Posted on 06/02/2012 - [Read More...]

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League tables 'should reflect what is happening in schools'

An expert has called for changes to the way schools' performances are assessed....

Posted on 24/01/2012 - [Read More...]

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Ofsted to scrap 'satisfactory' inspections

Education watchdog Ofsted is to abandon 'satisfactory' inspections in favour of a 'requires improvement' judgement in a bid to tackle the 3,000 coasting schools ...

Posted on 17/01/2012 - [Read More...]

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Gove hands schools greater freedom to manage teachers

New plans coming into effect in September will give schools increased freedom when it comes to managing teaching staff...

Posted on 16/01/2012 - [Read More...]

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Half a million children are unhappy, charity says

Research from The Children's Society reinforces the importance of teaching jobs with the revelation that half a million children in the UK are unhappy...

Posted on 12/01/2012 - [Read More...]

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Government urged to increase primary class sizes

A council leader in London has advised the government to increase primary school class sizes to 32 to help reduce costs, claiming it would not have a detrimental impact on children's education...

Posted on 06/01/2012 - [Read More...]

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Twigg calls for longer school day

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg has proposed extending the school day to help children achieve more and avoid trouble outside of school...

Posted on 06/01/2012 - [Read More...]

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Exams damaging children's enjoyment of education

The former director of the national curriculum has hit out the examinations system, saying continuous testing erodes children's enjoyment of education...

Posted on 04/01/2012 - [Read More...]

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National Curriculum reform postponed following in-depth review

Following the publication of a major review into the National Curriculum, education secretary Michael Gove has announced that reforms will be postponed until 2014 ahead of a widespread consultation...

Posted on 03/01/2012 - [Read More...]

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Secondary teachers learn of GCSE reforms

Ofqual and the Department for Education have announced reforms to the GCSE examinations system which effectively end modular exams in a bid to cut 'teaching to the test'...

Posted on 16/12/2011 - [Read More...]

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Review team proposes recognition of 'Master Teachers'

Great teachers would be recognised as 'Master Teachers' under a new standard recommended in an independent review commissioned by the government...

Posted on 13/12/2011 - [Read More...]

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School budgets get boost with widened pupil premium

Around 500,000 extra children will become eligible for the £488 pupil premium when the government widens availability to the scheme...

Posted on 12/12/2011 - [Read More...]

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Gibb: Phonics the 'proven method' to improve reading ability

Schools minister Nick Gibb has said that using phonics to teach reading is the best way to improve the reading ability in the 20 per cent of children who do not meet expectations ...

Posted on 09/12/2011 - [Read More...]

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DfE plans overhaul of head teacher qualification

The NPQH is to become non mandatory as part of Department for Education plans to overhaul the national head teacher training qualification...

Posted on 07/12/2011 - [Read More...]

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Free nursery places increased in Autumn Statement

During his Autumn Statement, the Chancellor has revealed plans to almost double the number of free early years education places from the figures released earlier this month...

Posted on 30/11/2011 - [Read More...]

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MP: 'Sat Nav' generation too reliant on calculators

Ahead of a parliamentary debate on the maths curriculum, a Conservative MP has said that the use of calculators in primary schools should be restricted...

Posted on 30/11/2011 - [Read More...]

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IT teaching needs reform, government says

The government has said that IT teaching in England needs to be better suited to modern technology and needs...

Posted on 29/11/2011 - [Read More...]

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Primary teachers to get music training under new proposals

A new national music plan is to make a music teaching module compulsory for all trainee primary teachers, while giving all children the chance to learn an instrument for at least one term...

Posted on 28/11/2011 - [Read More...]

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Make history compulsory, professor urges

History teacher jobs could get a boost if the Department for Education takes the advice of a leading Princeton University professor, who has called for the subject to be compulsory to the age of 16....

Posted on 22/11/2011 - [Read More...]

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EC report says teachers need more support from policy-makers

People in maths and science teaching jobs need more support from government policy-makers to help improve achievement levels, new reports from the European Commission claim...

Posted on 17/11/2011 - [Read More...]

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'Common sense approach' proposed for school building regulations

DfE plans to cut the 5,000 pages of 'over-prescriptive' school building regulations by 75% in a bid to make building new schools quicker and better value for money...

Posted on 08/11/2011 - [Read More...]

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London borough offers launches EMA alternative

Pupils in Tower Hamlets encouraged to stay in school by with new Mayor's Education Award which offers the same level of funding as old EMA...

Posted on 04/11/2011 - [Read More...]

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School league tables face shake-up

The Department for Education has announced a shake-up of school performance tables that will see many vocational qualifications removed from the system...

Posted on 28/10/2011 - [Read More...]

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Welsh favour a return to league tables, poll shows

A poll of Welsh citizens has found over half favour a return to school league tables, despite the recent implementation of a 'banding' system which arranges schools into quality groups...

Posted on 24/10/2011 - [Read More...]

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Ofsted launches parents' online school survey

The schools watchdog has announced that the Parent View website, which allows parents to comment on their children's school, is now up and running...

Posted on 21/10/2011 - [Read More...]

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Post-16 GCSE re-sit plans for "near miss" students

The DfE has announced an overhaul of post-16 education which includes proposals to make students who narrowly miss a C grade in core subject re-take the exams...

Posted on 07/10/2011 - [Read More...]

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Teaching knowledge "absolutely essential"

A controversial teacher told the Conservative Party in a speech at its annual conference that not enough weight is placed on the teaching of knowledge...

Posted on 06/10/2011 - [Read More...]

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Teach languages from age 5, education secretary says

In a boost to primary school language teaching jobs, education secretary Michael Gove has said that he wants languages taught from the age of 5 ...

Posted on 04/10/2011 - [Read More...]

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Ofsted to emphasise teaching quality in school inspection shake-up

Focus shifts to standard of teaching and pupil behaviour as school inspection system gets major overhaul by education watchdog Ofsted...

Posted on 30/09/2011 - [Read More...]

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Review of Welsh qualifications will impact the future of teaching jobs

The Welsh Assembly is to conduct a major review of the Welsh qualifications system in the hope of simplifying it and making qualifications more valuable and relevant...

Posted on 29/09/2011 - [Read More...]

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Demand for teacher jobs could rise with plans for free early years education

The government has announced plans to extend free early years education to two-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds as part of a drive to help reduce inequality in education...

Posted on 20/09/2011 - [Read More...]

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Government to give teachers new powers to deal with classroom indiscipline

Education secretary Michael Gove has announced the government is to give teachers new powers to combat badly behaved students who disrupt others' education...

Posted on 16/09/2011 - [Read More...]

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Primary school teachers to conduct one to one reading tests

From next summer all primary school teachers at state schools in England will have to conduct one-to-one reading tests with their year one pupils...

Posted on 16/09/2011 - [Read More...]

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First 100 teaching schools begin their new roles

Charged with developing and improving teacher training in under-performing schools, the first 100 teaching schools began their new roles this week...

Posted on 15/09/2011 - [Read More...]

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Teachers given freedom to control school day

The government has removed bureaucratic control over the school day by giving teachers and heads the power to change school times as they see fit....

Posted on 13/09/2011 - [Read More...]

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Report calls for benefits withdrawal for parents of disruptive pupils

A government think-tank has recommended that parents refusing to take action over their children's disruptive behaviour at school should have their benefits withdrawn...

Posted on 12/09/2011 - [Read More...]

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Schools 'need to make the most of tech spending'

Schools will have to make sure their limited IT budgets go as far as possible....

Posted on 31/08/2011 - [Read More...]

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More students studying 'core' GCSEs

The EBacc is encouraging study of core subjects, according to the Department for Education....

Posted on 31/08/2011 - [Read More...]

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UK IT teaching criticised by former Google chief

Google chairman Eric Schmidt believes the UK is squandering its competitive edge in IT and technology....

Posted on 30/08/2011 - [Read More...]

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Head teachers' group welcomes report on maths SAT

Schools must focus on recruiting excellent mathematics teachers if children are to flourish....

Posted on 10/08/2011 - [Read More...]

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Education jobs news: Kibworth primary 'delighted' over status award

A primary school in Kibworth has been imbued with teaching school status, much to the approval of its head teacher....

Posted on 09/08/2011 - [Read More...]

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HMC calls for reduction in exams

The secretary of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference has called for a reduction in the amount of exams taken by pupils in the UK....

Posted on 09/08/2011 - [Read More...]

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