Back to School....

As children start gathering up their backpacks and troop back to school for a new term, here's a little encouragement - interesting snapshots of fellow pupils from various classrooms around the world, pens poised, ready to work...

Image: theguardian.com

Work in progress...

DfE are currently consulting on proposals to amend the literacy and numeracy qualification requirements for qualified Early Years Educators.

The National Audit Office has begun a study on DfE’s plans to improve teacher retention and workforce quality. It will examine progress made so far, in regards to improving the quality of the teaching workforce and teacher retention and encouraging trained ex-teachers to re-enter the workforce. Earlier this year, the DfE set out plans to achieve educational excellence across the country, following on from the NAO report Training new teachers.

Estyn are seeking the views of teachers, senior leaders, policy makers and everyone with an interest in education, on proposed changes to the ways schools and other providers will be inspected from September 2017 onwards. 

To help boost standards in schools across Wales, plans have been announced to set up a new National Network of Excellence for Mathematics.

Engagement in Teaching

For those of you exploring strategies for teacher-pupil engagement, this series of NFER reports, will be of interest; these showcase new findings from PISA 2012, highlighting key engagement strategies that teachers can use in the classroom. The reports focus on three areas:

• Cognitive Activation in Maths
• Tackling Low Performance in Maths
• What can we Learn From England’s High Performance in Science and Problem-solving?

Another research study examines the impact of school-based programmes that are in place to support students aged 14-16 who are at risk of temporary disconnection from learning.

Reports: Teacher's workload

The three review groups set up to propose ways of reducing teachers’ workload have submitted their final reports to the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan. The first report calls on all parties in the education system to reduce the unnecessary burdens of data management by ensuring that every data collection has a clear purpose and that the process is as efficient as possible; the second looks at the role that marking plays in teaching and the three principles of effective marking; the final report, looks at the role that planning plays in effective teaching, the difference between lesson planning for accountability purposes and lesson planning to help pupil progress.

The recent NUT conference supported warnings on workload, which delegates said had been exacerbated by teacher shortages and rising pupil numbers. Delegates said teachers were now working 65 to 70 hours per week in term time, claiming it to be one of the most common reasons for teachers leaving the profession.

Bett Show

The Bett Show is an  annual event, providing those working in education, at all levels, the opportunity to experiment with the latest technology, hear from inspirational figures and experts in the industry and meet peers from around the world. 

The event will be held in London from 20-23 January - tickets are free and going fast! 

Be Inspired...

"I love the challenges and I love my teaching life. 

I hope to convey to young people considering teaching - that it is a privilege.” 

 Nancie Atwell, Global Teacher Prize 2015 Winner

The annual Global Teacher Prize, which will be awarded next March, was set up by the Varkey Foundation. Last year, there was one UK entrant but this year, three UK teachers have been shortlisted; their achievements are inspiring - the judges certainly have a difficult task ahead! 

We wish all entrants the very best of luck.

Religious Education

This briefing introduces the rules around RE in state-funded schools; it addressess concerns that have been raised about the quality of RE teaching, including the number of RE teachers with qualifications relevant to the subject. It also provides information on other related issues, such as the parental right of withdrawal from RE, and the rules on collective worship in schools.

A separate report 'Collective Worship and Religious Observance in Schools' has been published recently; it recommends that Governments in the UK should reappraise the duties on schools to organise acts of collective worship (England, Northern Ireland, Wales) or religious observance (Scotland) for their pupils. It also includes recommendations with respect to the current implementation of the law and policy surrounding collective worship and religious observance.

The 'Westminster Faith Debates' bring together leading academic and public figures to debate the latest research on religion and values. A debate in June entitled: 'A New Settlement: Religion and Belief in Schools' has been documented online.

Related links:

National Association of Teachers of Religious Education

Religious Education Council of England and Wales

Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE)

Faith Makes a Difference

Time for Wellbeing

Figures show that more than half of UK teachers are thinking about leaving the classroom within the next two years, largely as a result of stress, heavy workloads and low morale. To help address this issue and the wellbeing of pupils, Nuffield Health will be launching a pilot project at Wood Green School in Oxfordshire by sponsoring a head of wellbeing for two years.

Some of the tasks for the jobholder will be to look at the link between student wellbeing and attainment, to investigate new ways to use classroom time to increase wellbeing and campaigning to improve mental and physical health, with a focus on exercise and nutrition  The wellbeing of the staff will also be a primary concern; as part of this pilot, teachers will receive a health MOT, which will highlight healthy changes they can make to their routines. The role will also involve engagement with the local community, in particular parents.

On the subject of wellbeing, many UK schools have introduced yoga and are seeing the benefits to their staff and pupils. The Yoga At School website offers a range of articles, case studies and resources for teachers.

Teaching Mathematics

A number of presentations are now available from a seminar entitled: 'Re-connecting with maths, Engaging practitioners and parents in children’s mathematical development'. Two of these, by Fliss James and Michele Barrett, look at engaging parents with maths in their child's learning. The role of the practitioner is considered in modelling and supporting children’s mathematical mark making, here. This presentation also highlights the role of the practitioner in promoting mathematical learning in the early years.

Education & Gender

There is a very important issue of gender balance among ECEC staff. Almost all of them are women. This has been a matter of concern for a long time [ … ] There is a pressing need to make a career in the ECEC sector more attractive to men in all EU countries. (EC 2011, 7)

If you are studying the topic of gender in education, you might be interested in the latest publication of the 'European Early Childhood Education Research Journal'; this special issue explores the debate on men in early child education today from a gender perspective. The contents can be viewed here and the fulltext articles can be found via USearch.

While you were away....

Over the summer, there have been a number of changes in the early years and childcare arena - here goes!

Back in June, The government introduced the Childcare Bill to bring in 30 hours of free childcare for employed families of 3 and 4 year olds. Plans are being drawn up to introduce the changes for some families a year earlier than planned, with pilots in some areas offering 30 hours worth of free places from September 2016. The DfE has announced a call for early implementers to pilot the scheme; organisations who would like to register their interest can do so by emailing the DfE here by Monday 28th September.

The new Common Inspection Framework came into effect on the 1st of September. Ofsted has published the first edition of the Early Years Inspection Update newsletter which provides key messages, relevant publications and updates to inspection documentation.

A new report from the Study of Early Education and Development (SEED) study has been published which highlights the key factors distinguishing the quality of care provided by childminders.

Ofsted has published its annual report for the early years. Accompanying the report is a detailed survey exploring teaching and play in the early years which includes links to videos of good practice and detailed exemplification. Also by Ofsted are published statistics on childcare inspections and outcomes covering childcare in England. 

Articles: Student Teachers

More freebies! Routledge would like to present the 'Student Teachers' research collection. Included in these, are a variety of articles focusing on topics such as: motives for becoming a teacher, patterns of reflection, learning to teach and much more.

Journal of Education for Teaching

To mark the 40th Anniversary of the Journal of Education for Teaching, a special issue has been put together containing a sample of some of the journal's top articles. This collection focuses on the topics of Teacher Development, Training,
 Education and Learning - enjoy!

SEND Resources

If you are looking for statutory SEND guidance for schools, colleges or children's services, you will find all current documentation on this page. Alongside the SEND Code of Practice, there are supporting guides for teaching and learning, disabled children and a number of documents providing research and statistics.

A recent study published in the Review of Educational Research, examines predictors of success for students with disabilities in relation to their education, employment, and independent living. The extensive research gathered data on 16,957 individuals from 35 sources published between 1984 and 2010. 

For those of you who may be interested in working in Special Needs, this presentation outlines the role of a SEN consultant with useful examples on the types of support they provide.

"I wish my teacher knew..."

Had to share this story that went viral recently .... Kyle Schwartz, a new teacher at Doull Elementary in an underprivileged area of Denver, Colorado, decided to try a different strategy to help her understand her pupils better. She asked them to share their worries by completing the sentence,  “I wish my teacher knew…” She received a variety of responses, ranging from 'too much homework' to genuine 'heartbreaking' notes as the tough struggles that the children faced every day, were revealed. 

Off on a teaching placement?

If you are off on a teaching placement soon, then this article is for you. 

Teachers share their knowledge on how to make a good impression 

while on a teaching placement, with their top 10 tips to help it to go smoothly.

Update: School Inspection

The March edition of the School Inspection Update has been published, discussing inspection of school and academy sixth forms; there are various links within the document for further reading and statistics on topics such as online safety, teaching assistants, workload, performance tables and more. Handbooks for school inspectors can be found here.

Britain's Biggest Primary School

'Britain's Biggest Primary School' is an observed documentary series, following pupils, parents, teachers and support staff at Gascoigne Primary School in Barking, London. Over the course of a year, we are given a glimpse of life inside the school as staff go about their task of teaching, feeding and managing the welfare of over 1,000 primary school pupils.

If you missed last night's episode, it is available along with previous episodes, at the Channel 5 website. 

Accelerated Reader Speeds up Learning

A new programme for supporting pupil's reading has been launched - the Accelerated Reader is a web-based programme that aims to encourage independent reading by suggesting books that suit individual learners’ reading age and interests. This study by the charity, Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), found that pupils using the programme recorded higher literacy scores than those who didn't. 

The report is one of nine new studies published by the EEF this month, which cover a number of topics and teaching practices.

Get into Teaching

The Train to Teach Roadshows are designed to provide information on pursuing a career in teaching and advice on how to apply for training. Presentations will provide general guidance on the routes into teaching; you can then choose to attend the application form clinic, speak to teaching experts and current teachers or meet ITT providers and School Direct schools. Find out more and register to book a place here.