Tougher truancy guidance launched

12 July 2011 Last updated at 16:25 GMT The number of "persistently absent" truants is recorded in a school’s performance The way in which pupils in England are judged to be "persistent truants" is being tightened from October.

The Department for Education is changing the definition of "persistent absence" from missing 20% of lessons to missing 15%.

Ministers say while 184,000 pupils miss 20% of lessons, more than 430,000 miss 15% of lessons a year - the equivalent of having a month off school a year.

Teachers' unions say the new threshold will not tackle the roots of truancy.

The Department said there was clear evidence of a link between poor attendance and low levels of achievement, with only 3% of pupils who miss more than 50% of school getting the benchmark of five GCSEs at grade A* to C, including English and maths.

Of those who missed between 10% and 20%, only 35% managed to achieve the benchmark.

The government said for pupils who missed less than 5% of school, 73% achieved five A* to Cs, including English and maths.

Anti-social behaviour

Government adviser on behaviour in schools Charlie Taylor said: "As a teacher, I know how the poor attendance of pupils can disrupt their own learning and that of other pupils.

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Publication of yet more raw figures will simply enable misleading conclusions to be drawn.”

End Quote Brian Lightman Association of School and College Leaders "Quickly these children begin to fall behind their friends and often fail to fill in gaps in their skills or knowledge - sometimes in basics like reading or writing.

"Over time these pupils can become bored and disillusioned with education. These pupils are lost to the system, and can fall into anti-social behaviour and crime. That is why it is vital schools tackle absenteeism."

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: "By changing the threshold on persistent absence, we are encouraging schools to crack down on persistent absenteeism.

"We will be setting out over the coming months stronger powers for schools to use if they wish to send a clear message to parents that persistent absence is unacceptable."

'Ineffective replacement'

The Association of School and College Leaders said arbitrary targets for persistent absence would not help to address the complex problem of truancy.

ASCL general secretary Brian Lightman said: "This is another example of using accountability targets as an ineffective replacement for effective strategies to address the issues. Publication of yet more raw figures will simply enable misleading conclusions to be drawn.

"Dealing with the very small core of pupils who persistently truant, and whose parents condone this, requires perseverance, investment and a real commitment to cross-agency collaboration."

He added: "One issue with the government's definition of persistent absence is that it includes young people with long-term health problems and disabilities who may well be in hospital or unable to attend for medical reasons.

"Setting arbitrary targets will only discourage schools from taking on additional pupils with serious medical issues, as those schools that do will be unjustly labelled and blamed."

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said reducing the percentage at which persistent absence was identified would not make schools take action more effectively.

"In some areas intervention programmes, where education social workers, schools and the police work together to engage young people to ensure that their attitude to school is changed and that their parents are involved in supporting good attendance, have had very positive results.

"This kind of longer term intervention may be more expensive initially, but in the longer term is far more cost effective in ensuring that all children and young people attend school and achieve well."

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Tougher tests to enter teaching

25 June 2011 Last updated at 23:30 GMT The test for would-be teachers include fractions, percentages, spelling and grammar Students will not be allowed to enter teacher training in England if they fail basic numeracy and literacy tests three times, under tougher rules to raise teaching standards.

At present students are allowed to take unlimited re-sits while they train.

The Department for Education said one in 10 trainees takes the numeracy test more than three times, while the figure is one in 14 for the literacy test.

The National Union of Teachers said it considered the tests "superfluous".

The aim is to improve the standard of students entering teaching.

From September 2012, candidates will have to pass the assessments before they are permitted to begin their training courses.

Continue reading the main story Q: Teachers organised activities for three classes of 24 pupils and four classes of 28 pupils. What was the total number of pupils involved?A: 184.Q: There were no " " remarks at the parents' evening. Is the missing word:a) dissaprovingb) disaproveingc) dissapprovingd) disapproving?A: dQ: For a science experiment a teacher needed 95 cubic centimetres of vinegar for each pupil. There were 20 pupils in the class. Vinegar comes in 1,000 cubic centimetre bottles. How many bottles of vinegar were needed?A: 2Q: The children enjoyed the " " nature of the task. Is the correct word:a) mathmaticalb) mathematicalc) mathemmaticald) mathematicallA: bThe tests are the same for both primary and secondary school teacher trainees, who must also have achieved a grade C or above in GCSE maths and English.

'Toughening up'

The numeracy tests cover reading graphs and tables, as well as mental arithmetic questions including percentages and fractions.

Grammar, punctuation, spelling and comprehension are covered in the literacy tests.

The government is expected to publish details on Monday of changes to teacher training.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said the proposals would "emphasise our commitment to boosting the status of the profession by toughening up the recruitment process and ensuring that all new teachers have a real depth of knowledge in their subject".

But the NUT said candidates who needed several resits to pass the tests were dyslexic, had English as an additional language, or were less familiar with the on-line testing system.

"The NUT has always argued that the entry requirements for initial teacher education, which include GCSE passes grade C or above in English and maths, should be sufficient and make the additional skills tests superfluous," said General Secretary Christine Blower.

Michael Gove: "I think you need to raise the bar right at the beginning and to say we'll have a tough literacy and a tough numeracy test."

The National Association of Head Teachers said it was right to have "demanding expectations" of recruits to the profession.

But the union's general secretary, Russell Hobby, said: "We should not fall into the trap of thinking, however, that academic excellence necessarily makes someone a great teacher. We want smart people, but we also want visionary, caring, energetic, creative and thoughtful people."

And he warned that pay levels and cuts to pensions were deterrents to new entrants.

The Department for Education has already said that training bursaries, available for sciences, maths and languages, will only be available for candidates who have a 2.2 degree or above.

It also plans to develop a network of "teaching schools", which will focus on training teachers, in conjunction with universities, as well as professional development for more experienced staff.

The first 100 are due to launch in September 2011, with another 400 expected in the following three years, the DfE said.

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