Pupils 'shoe-horned' into EBacc

28 July 2011 Last updated at 11:29 GMT By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent MPs have warned of "negative consequences" for subjects outside the EBacc The government should "think again" about the introduction of the English Baccalaureate to secondary schools in England, says a committee of MPs.

The so-called EBacc requires pupils to gain good GCSEs in English, maths, two sciences, a language and humanity.

But the Commons education select committee says it risks "shoe-horning" pupils into inappropriate subjects.

Schools minister Nick Gibb says "all children have the right to a broad and balanced education".

But the cross-party MPs' report says it should not be "up to a group of politicians" to decide which individual subjects should be given priority.

And it questions whether the EBacc should even be given that name, when "it is not a baccalaureate as generally understood".

'Negative consequences'

The report says that the good intentions of the EBacc - to ensure that pupils have access to a core of academic subjects - have been undermined by how it has been implemented.

The report highlights a failure to consult about the likely impact of the new measure - and says the government needs to examine the complaints from head teachers and professional groups.

There have been strong concerns raised on behalf of subjects which are not part of the EBacc, including religious education, art, music and ICT.

There have been warnings that schools will downgrade their support and staffing for these subjects, which will not count towards league table rankings for the EBacc.

There have also been concerns that schools will arrange their timetables to maximise their EBacc scores - which might then limit the subject options available to individual pupils.

The select committee report shares such concerns, arguing that "a fairly narrow range of subjects, demanding considerable curriculum time, is likely to have negative consequences on the uptake of other subjects".

The introduction of the EBacc, and decisions about its subjects, should have been left until a review of the national curriculum had been completed, says the report from MPs.

"For now, the EBacc is not part of a balanced score card," said committee chairman Graham Stuart.

Poorest pupils

The NASUWT teachers' union said that there were already signs of the EBacc leading to reductions in support for non-baccalaureate subjects.

"A recent NASUWT survey found almost 15% of schools had teachers of non-EBacc subjects who were facing the threat of redundancy with many, many more considering restructuring to give more curriculum time to E Bacc subjects, squeezing other subjects out," said the union's general secretary, Chris Keates.

Deborah Annetts, chief executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians also said there was evidence of an impact on music in schools.

"Our own research - to be published in the near future - shows that 60% of those working in schools have already noticed a negative impact on music education since the introduction of the English Baccalaureate. Among these, 77% noticed a decline in the number of pupils picking music as an option," she said.

The ASCL head teachers' union welcomed the report saying that the EBacc would create a "perverse incentive for schools to concentrate on those subjects at the expense of others".

Continue reading the main story

Just 8% of children eligible for free school meals were entered for the EBacc subjects last year”

End Quote Nick Gibb Schools minister Kevin Stannard of the Girls' Day School Trust, representing independent girls' schools, said the EBacc "elevates the interests of some academic disciplines over others - for no obvious educational reason".

"The government's performance tables are supposed to be about transparency. The EBacc is certainly that - it is possible to see right through it."

Two Conservative MPs on the committee, Charlotte Leslie and Damian Hinds, voiced their support for the EBacc "as a means of leveling the playing field and giving our poorest children a fighting chance of taking the GCSEs that unlock our top universities and chances in life".

Schools Minister Nick Gibb argued that the EBacc would make sure that children had access to subjects that would be valuable for work or university.

"These academic subjects reflect the knowledge and skills young people need to progress to further study or to rewarding employment.

"It cannot be right that children from the poorest backgrounds are significantly less likely to have the opportunity to take GCSEs in these subjects than children from more advantaged areas.

"Just 8% of children eligible for free school meals were entered for the EBacc subjects last year compared to 22% overall."

Shadow education secretary Andy Burnham said: "This damning verdict leaves the secretary of state and his ministers isolated.

"There is now a clear professional consensus that, if left unchanged, the English Bacc will have a number of damaging effects on our school system.

"It limits student choice, narrowing the range of subjects on offer in schools. We are already hearing that RE, music and art teachers are being made redundant."

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Poor pupils need 'more support'

12 July 2011 Last updated at 10:40 GMT Poverty is "biggest obstacle" to a good education, says Estyn Schools need to give more support to disadvantaged pupils, according to inspectors in Wales.

Education body Estyn wants schools to target support at children from poor backgrounds, even if they are achieving above average results.

The report calls for a more "systematic approach" to identifying, tracking and monitoring disadvantaged children.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said the education minister was committed to raising standards across the board.

Chief inspector Ann Keane said poverty is the "biggest obstacle" to a good education.

"We know that learners from poorer backgrounds are more likely to have a negative attitude towards school and to have lower expectations about what education can help them to achieve," she said.

"In the best few examples, schools plan a range of activities that are carefully designed to increase learners' confidence, motivation and self-esteem."

'Often harder' Disadvantaged children include those from low income families, travellers and children in care.

Most schools use a child's eligibility for free school meals as an indicator of disadvantage. But Estyn says many schools do not have good enough systems to identify individual needs.

Adding that poverty affects one in three children and young people in Wales, Ms Keane said: "Learners from poorer families or who are in care are more likely to attain at lower levels than other learners.

"As a result it is often harder for these learners to gain high-skilled employment or continue their education," she said.

Estyn's report stresses the importance of working with the local community to tackle the effects of socio-economic disadvantage.

It highlights the success of Blaengwawr primary school in Rhondda Cynon Taf, which has "steadily narrowed the gap" between the performance of pupils eligible for free school meals and those who are not over the last three years.

'Improve relationships'

Approximately 34% of the school's pupils are eligible for free school meals.

The school encourages pupils to work with elderly people at a residential care home on local history, literacy and creative projects, to strengthen links with the community.

Pupils also meet residents once a week for a skill-sharing exercise.

Head teacher Imogen Baker said: "It gives them a sense of belonging. They're doing something to improve relationships with their community.

"It gives them something to aspire to and makes them want to learn. It gives them purpose and respect for older people in the community."

Estyn inspectors found that although nearly all schools see themselves as community focused, "there is no common understanding of what this means".

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "The minister has made a commitment to raising standards in Wales across the board.

"The key to this is improving levels of literacy and numeracy and breaking the link between poverty and poor attainment," said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson said a new school effectiveness grant for 2011-2012 will enable schools and local authorities to address priorities, which include "tackling the impact of poverty on learning".

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Pupils hold 17-hour Harry Potter viewing marathon

8 July 2011 Last updated at 10:16 GMT A school in South Yorkshire is hosting a 17-hour Harry Potter viewing marathon.

A group of 200 students from Dinnington Comprehensive will be watching the seven films back-to-back for charity.

Teacher Dana Abdulkarim said the overnight event would be "a test of endurance" for the pupils.

Various students from the school will attend the 'Potter-athon', from first year students through to those who attend sixth form.

The students will gather in the teachers' staff room to watch all the films that have been released so far.

The first film in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, will be shown on Friday from 1630 BST.

Year 10 student, Charlie Chambers, said "I'm determined to stay awake for the whole marathon. I don't know how I'll stay awake but I will somehow."

Fellow student Kaisha Walker said: "I'm nuts about Harry potter, I can't wait, I'm just so excited. We're going to have a really good night."

All of the students attending the event are being sponsored by family and friends to raise money for two causes.

The school which is expecting to raise over ?1,000, will be putting the money towards a school trip to Canada next year and the Sheffield Children's Hospital.

Teachers who have organised the event said there would be minimal breaks during the films.

It is expected that the marathon showing will finish at around 1300 BST on Saturday.

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Pupils on trial

29 June 2011 Last updated at 10:19 GMT By Lucy Ash Law in Action, BBC Radio 4 Pupils are encouraged to learn through participation in mock trials with their classmates How do you educate children about the realities of the legal system from the confines of a classroom?

"Madam Fiscal, who is your first witness?" There is a rustle of papers as the booming voice echoes around the room.

Through the open window, you can hear a distant rumble of traffic. If you shut your eyes, for just a moment, you could be sitting in any sheriff's court in Scotland.

But the high-pitched reply shatters the illusion. The chief prosecutor is a schoolgirl with a ponytail.

Present are the accused, jurors, lawyers, clerks and police officers, but we are actually in a classroom of 10-year-olds.

Today's case involves a charge of malicious damage. Solicitor advocate John Scott has come to the Victoria Primary School in Newhaven, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, to play the role of sheriff.

All eyes are fixed on him as he speaks, and the concentration is intense. You could hear a pin drop.

Unique system

Then a cherubic-looking boy who claims he is a 67-year-old pensioner appears in the witness box.

Continue reading the main story

If children do know anything about the way trials are run, their knowledge is usually based on American films or shows like The Bill they've seen on television”

End Quote Lord Kinclaven He complains that the suspect threw a brick through his window.

It was dark at the time, but he recalls that the culprit was wearing a leather jacket with a red and yellow dragon tattoo.

Over in the dock, his shifty-looking classmate stares straight ahead and says nothing.

Nobody fidgets or sniggers. The jurors are frantically scribbling notes.

Only one pupil seems to have lost interest - the diminutive policeman sitting next to the accused.

Overcome by the afternoon heat, he is snoozing, head down on his desk.

The children are taking part in an initiative called the MiniTrial.

It was set up by a High Court judge to help schools find out more about the Scottish legal system.

The aim is to demystify the law and allow pupils to see what really happens in a criminal court.

Sandy Wylie QC, also known as Lord Kinclaven, who masterminded the scheme, was inspired by a similar project in Minnesota.

As in all Scottish trials there are 15 jurors rather than 12, as is the case in England

"I wanted to adapt it to Scottish procedures," he says.

"Because if children do know anything about the way trials are run, their knowledge is usually based on American films or shows like The Bill they've seen on television.

"That can cause a lot of confusion because we do things a bit differently up here."

Indeed Scotland has retained its unique legal system throughout more than 300 years of union with England.

I notice that 15 chairs have been put out for the jury rather than the customary 12 in England.

Continue reading the main story

Far too many people come to court for the first time as active participants and they don't really know what it is going on whereas these kids have got a very good idea”

End Quote John Scott Solicitor advocate Later, as the jurors gather in a huddle in the school corridor, they find that a simple majority of eight votes to seven is enough to convict the accused.

But after much deliberation, they decide to return the distinctively Scottish verdict of "not proven".

They are also taught about a cornerstone of Scots law, corroboration, which means that before a piece of evidence can be relied upon in court, it has to be supported by a second piece of evidence.

"That was pretty close to the way a real trial is conducted", says solicitor advocate John Scott afterwards.

"Far too many people come to court for the first time as active participants and they don't really know what it is going on, whereas these kids have got a very good idea."

There is another MiniTrial designed for even younger primary school children, aged seven and eight called Her Majesty Advocate v Goldilocks.

Needless to say the charge against the accused is that she maliciously damaged property belonging to three bears.

Educational benefits

Mr Scott says the MiniTrials have inspired some children to opt for legal careers.

One MiniTrial pupil went on to do work experience with his firm, got a traineeship and has just become a qualified lawyer.

However, Lord Kinclaven says, "Our mission is not to turn people into lawyers".

He adds that when pupils visit courtrooms, they have a chance to see what the court officer does, what the sheriff clerk's job is, or the jury minder and also to see how the Reliance officers in charge of security carry out their job, to see inside Reliance vans which transport prisoners and to look inside the cells.

"We expose them to a whole range of features of our criminal and civil procedure," Lord Kinclaven says.

"I am inviting them not to be complacent. They can be critical if they like, but it is better if they criticise from a position of understanding of what we do and why."

Joan Spencer, a teacher from Edinburgh's Trinity Academy who has been closely involved with the project, feels the MiniTrials bring much broader educational benefits.

Secondary school pupils play out trials not in their classrooms but in actual courts and the cases they are given often involve abuse of alcohol and drugs.

"The teenagers see just how many accidents and assaults are caused by excessive drinking and it is really important early on for them to understand the link between alcohol and violence," she says.

You can find out more about the MiniTrials project in Law in Action, which is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday 28 June at 1600 BST and Thursday 30 June at 2000 BST. Listen again via the BBC iPlayer or download the podcast.

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Pupils test world water in mass chemistry experiment

22 June 2011 Last updated at 12:48 GMT Schools around the world are collecting and submitting results Children from hundreds of schools in Britain are taking part in what organisers say may be the biggest ever global chemistry experiment.

Students from around the world are testing the acidity of water from their local rivers and lakes.

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry will collate the data into a map of global water quality.

Participating countries range from Australia to Slovakia, India and South Africa.

The project is part of the International Year of Chemistry 2011, established by the UN to mark the 100th anniversary of Marie Curie's winning the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911.

The Royal Society of Chemistry said the data gathered would be of "genuine national and international use".

RSC President David Phillips said the initiative would "demonstrate the enjoyment that be gained from practical experimentation - also it will show that no one is too young to take part in science".

Schools in the UK are mainly carrying out their tests on the same day, Wednesday, but those in other countries will continue testing water and submitting results until the end of the year.

Organisers of the project said that so far, 430 teachers had registered on their website to upload data.

They estimate that 7,000 students from 40 countries are already involved, and expect more to join throughout the year.

Schools have been able to order kits explaining how to collect water samples, add a fluid indicator that will change colour depending on the acidity of the water, and compare it with colour charts to give a reading.

Some schools will also carry out a second experiment to test the water's salinity.

Impact on wildlife

While the project is primarily aimed at children aged between 13 and 16, St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School in Stevenage was one of several primary schools taking part.

Head teacher Diann Ross said 60 children in year 3, aged about seven, as well as another 10 older children, had tested the water in nearby Fairlands Valley Park.

"They loved everything about it - the hands-on experience and working with real scientists," she said.

"Children always enjoy hands-on activities and in primary school it's often difficult to set up hands-on experiments. We don't have the equipment or technicians," she said.

The RSC said the tests were important because even slight changes in water acidity can reduce the hatching success of fish eggs and irritate fish and aquatic insect gills.

Some scientists believe a recent drop in amphibian numbers around the world is due to the effect of acid rain, it said, while heavy metals dissolve more easily in acidic water, and become more toxic when dissolved.

The RSC is currently calling for an increase in the amount of practical experimentation in UK schools, amid concerns that it may be declining.

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UK pupils 'held back by poverty'

17 June 2011 Last updated at 00:23 GMT By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent Winning against the odds: The UK performs badly in a league table of "resilience" in school pupils The UK performs poorly in an international league table showing how many disadvantaged pupils succeed "against the odds" at school.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has studied how pupils from poor backgrounds can succeed academically.

It says that "self-confidence" is a key factor in whether such pupils succeed.

The UK comes behind Mexico and Tunisia in the table - with the top places taken by Asian countries.

Social mobility

The study comes amid concerns in the UK about a lack of social mobility.

The study from the international economic organisation looks at whether there is an inevitable link between disadvantaged backgrounds and a cycle of poor school results and limited job prospects.

The OECD study says that this is not the case for many pupils from poor homes - with an international average of 31% secondary school pupils succeeding even though the "odds are stacked against them".

These are described as "resilient" pupils, who achieve high standards of attainment by international standards, despite coming from a background that was poor relative to their own country.

Using science test results from the major international PISA study, which compares the performance of different education systems, it shows that there are wide differences in the levels of resilience.

The rankings include both countries and regional school systems, such as Shanghai in China.

Among countries, South Korea, Finland, Japan, Turkey and Canada are the most successful in terms of poorer pupils achieving high results.

Among regional education systems, Shanghai and Hong Kong top this resilience league table - and are top of the overall rankings.

The top five places overall are taken by regional or national school systems in Asia.

The United States, France and Australia are around the average for pupils succeeding against the odds.

But the UK is well below average and at the lower end of this ranking of resilience, with only 24% showing such examples of "resilience".

Among leading economies, the UK is in 28th place out of 35. Among a wider range of smaller countries and regions, the UK is in 35th place out of 65.

'Inner drive'

Researchers identified a number of factors which appeared to increase the likelihood of pupils' resilience.

Among the positive factors are a sense of self-confidence among pupils. Believing that they are likely to succeed in exams is an important part of how they actually perform. The study argues that mentoring schemes can be particularly beneficial.

In UK schools, researchers found low levels of self-confidence among disadvantaged pupils, when asked about their approach to a science topic.

There is also a link between longer hours in class studying a subject and the improved chances of poorer pupils.

It is also says that motivation is important - but in the form of a "personal, internal drive" rather than the promise of a reward or an incentive.

"All of these findings suggest that schools may have an important role to play in fostering resilience," says the report.

"They could start by providing more opportunities for disadvantaged students to learn in class by developing activities, classroom practices and teaching methods that encourage learning and foster motivation and self-confidence among those students."

There has been much debate about social mobility in the UK - with concerns that there remains too strong a link between social background and educational achievement.

'Damning evidence'

This week the government announced that it was turning 200 "struggling" primary schools in England into academies - arguing that a low-income intake of pupils was not a reason for poor results.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said the report was "damning evidence of Labour's failure to improve our schools".

"By the time they left office, poor children in the UK were less likely to progress than poor children in Mexico, Estonia and Latvia.

"The result is one of the most segregated schools systems in the world, with the attainment gap between the wealthiest and most disadvantaged wider than in almost any other developed nation.

"That's why our measures to drive up standards and increase opportunities for the poorest are so badly needed," he added.

James Westhead, director of external relations at education charity TeachFirst, said the study was very significant international evidence that disadvantage need not equal destiny.

"It shows children from low income backgrounds can break through barriers to achievement that have held back too many for generations.

"At the same time it is a matter of shame that the data confirms that in Britain today this disadvantaged group has less chance of success at school than in most other developed countries."

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'Bad pupils' school strike ends

17 June 2011 Last updated at 12:41 GMT Interim head John Lawson said people were smiling again at the school Teachers who went on strike over pupil behaviour at a school in Lancashire have agreed to end their dispute.

An interim head teacher was appointed at Darwen Vale High School after staff walked out complaining of lack of support in tackling problem pupils.

Now with the previous disciplinary policy reintroduced, unions have called off the threat of future strikes.

Unions the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and NASUWT both said they were pleased the dispute had ended.

About 70 teachers took part in the strike at the 1,100-pupil school in Holden Fold, Darwen, during a one-day walkout on 7 April.

Strict implementation

Unions claimed pupils had physically and verbally abused staff and filmed lessons on mobile phones and threatened to post them online.

The previous disciplinary policy - now back - includes tougher controls on the use of mobile phones and a committee to review procedures.

Members of teaching unions held a strike in April

Blackburn with Darwen Council said the "strict implementation" of the policy was going well.

John Girdley, of the NASUWT, said: "It's good news that the unrest of recent weeks has been resolved and we welcome the stability that the new interim head teachers have brought to the school during what has been a difficult time.

Blackburn with Darwen's NUT representative, Simon Jones, added: "We are delighted with the progress that has been made and are pleased to declare a formal end to this dispute."

Interim head John Lawson was appointed when head teacher Hilary Torpey was suspended after the strike.

He said: "The young people at Darwen Vale are very special and we are confident that there is a bright future for the school.

"We have smiles all round at the school."

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Pupils 'mis-sold soft A-levels'

14 June 2011 Last updated at 23:15 GMT By Katherine Sellgren BBC News education reporter Pupils from independent schools and grammars were twice as likely to take three "facilitating" A-levels Pupils at comprehensives in England are losing out on elite university places after being "mis-sold" softer A-level subjects like film studies, an MP says.

Elizabeth Truss says they are being encouraged to study subjects that are not acceptable to top universities but which boost school results.

Ms Truss says pupils' chances of going to top universities were "cut off" before they had filled in applications.

Qualifications watchdog Ofqual insists all its A-levels are rigorous.

The Conservative MP for South West Norfolk obtained the data from the Department for Education through a parliamentary question.

Best subjects

Her research looked at the proportion of pupils in comprehensive, grammar and private schools taking subjects that appear on the Russell Group's list of "facilitating" A-levels.

The Russell Group represents the UK's most prestigious universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, and the list gives students advice on the best subjects to take to get onto degree courses at these institutions.

Ms Truss says many students are being sold short by taking "softer" A-level courses

Ms Truss's findings show that 15% of comprehensive school pupils and 11% of sixth-form college pupils were entered for at least three "facilitating" A-levels in 2010, compared with 32% at grammar schools and 31% at independent schools.

Almost twice as many private and grammar school pupils (38% and 37% respectively) took maths A-level compared with their comprehensive school and sixth-form college peers (both 21%).

Just 7% of comprehensive school pupils and 6% of sixth-form college pupils took a modern foreign-language A-level compared with 13% of those at grammar school and 19% at private school.

And 9% of comprehensive pupils and 7% of sixth-form college pupils took physics A-level compared with 17% each at private and grammar schools.

Ms Truss said: "Students are being mis-sold low-quality subjects that are not accepted at top universities to boost school and local authorities' results.

"It is time Ofqual put an end to the myth that mathematics and media studies are 'equivalent'."

A-level Baccalaureate

Ms Truss is calling for the introduction of an A-level Baccalaureate - similar to the English Bac for GCSEs, which grades schools as to what percentage of pupils get good grades in maths, English, two sciences, a language and either geography and history.

The A-level Bac should include 'rigorous' subjects that would include at least AS-levels in maths and a language or humanities subject, Ms Truss believes.

A spokesman for Ofqual said: "Ofqual has previously called on all those who use qualifications to be more transparent about what is needed to access employment and further study opportunities.

"We therefore welcomed the Russell Group's publication of its guidance regarding post-16 subject choices earlier this year.

"Ofqual makes sure that A-levels in all subjects are challenging and rigorous qualifications that assess the relevant knowledge required for that specific subject."

In a speech to the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference last week, Schools Minister Nick Gibb also raised concerns about the "yawning attainment gap" between different groups of young people.

"As a nation, we can't carry on relying on the 7% of young people the independent sector educates, to provide such a high proportion of future generations of scientists, engineers, medics or linguists.

"The key to both social mobility and a mobile economy is to realise the potential, ability and talent of young people from all backgrounds."

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Sixth of pupils 'streamed young'

15 June 2011 Last updated at 11:22 GMT Girls are often put in higher streams than boys at a young age One in six children is being streamed by ability by the age of seven, according to research by the Institute of Education.

The researchers found boys were more likely to be placed in the bottom stream than girls.

They also found children born in the autumn are statistically more likely to be in the top classes than those with birthdays in spring or summer.

Ethnicity is not linked to stream placement, the researchers suggest.

'Limited movement opportunities'

Professor Susan Hallam, the research project's leader, said: "Given the current emphasis on social mobility it is surprising that so many children are streamed at such a young age.

"We know that once in a stream the opportunities for movement to another stream are limited so life chances are being determined at a very early age."

She drew the distinction between setting - where children in mixed ability classes are grouped for different subjects according to their level in that particular discipline - and streaming, where pupils are placed into different classes on the basis of a judgement about their overall academic ability.

Report author Professor Susan Hallam: "Children and their parents and teachers have lower expectations of those who are in streams"

Prof Hallam described streaming as a "blunt instrument" which she thought had "pretty much died out".

She said it could lower parents', teachers' and children's own expectations, which could then become "self-fulfilling prophesies".

But she did acknowledge it made teaching easier.

Former chief inspector of schools Sir Chris Woodhead said he was surprised and delighted schools were streaming children again.

"It seems to me that streaming is rather a good thing," he told the BBC's Today programme.

"The narrower the spread of abilities in the class, the more effective the teaching can be.

"If you have got children who can hardly read and children reading Lord of the Rings at the top end of primary school, then you have got a very tough job trying to challenge the most able and support the least able."

Child poverty

This Institute of Education report, based on information from 8,875 children, said one in six children in the UK was placed in ability classes by the age of seven.

In Wales, one in five (19.5%) is assigned a stream at an early age while the figure is 17% in England, 16% in Scotland and 11% in Northern Ireland, it said.

Children in larger, mixed-sex, non-faith, non-fee paying schools were more likely to be in streams than pupils in small, independent, single-sex or faith schools, the researchers said.

"Children at schools with mixed-year groups and those attending larger primary schools were more likely to be streamed than their peers in smaller primary schools," says the report.

"Particular groups were found to be over-represented in certain streams. Children in the bottom stream had experienced more consistent poverty and were more likely to have behavioural problems and mothers with fewer qualifications," it added.

"Girls were over-represented in the middle streams, boys in the bottom stream. Autumn-born children were over-represented in the top stream, summer-born in the middle and bottom streams."

The children are included in the Millennium Cohort Study, which is managed by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies at the Institute of Education.

A more extensive analysis of the data will be presented to the British Educational Research Association Conference in September.

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Third of pupils lagging in maths

9 June 2011 Last updated at 14:16 GMT The gap between boys' and girls' progress has widened slightly A third of secondary pupils in England fail to reach their potential in maths and a quarter are making insufficient progress in English, figures show.

In total some 200,000 maths pupils and 160,000 English students are failing to make the progress expected between starting secondary school and finishing GCSE, according to official data.

Also, the gap in progress between boys and girls has widened in the past year.

The schools minister said it was "not good enough".

The figures show how many pupils are attaining the GCSEs they would be expected to gain on the basis of the national curriculum tests known as Sats that they take at the end of primary school.

Those with a level 5 in Sats are expected to attain at least a B grade at GCSE, those with a level 4 should obtain at least a C, while those with a level 3 should achieve at least a D.

'Huge concern'

The 2010 figures show that, in mainstream maintained schools, more than 37% of pupils failed to make the progress expected of them in maths, while more than 29% missed their GCSE targets in English.

However, these figures were down from 41% in maths and 34% in English in 2009, continuing a trend of gradual improvement.

But more boys than girls are failing to fulfil their potential - with nearly 35% of boys missing their English targets compared with just less than 25% of girls.

The gulf between them has widened slightly, from 10.3 percentage points in 2009, to 10.7 in 2010.

The difference is less pronounced in maths - with 38% of boys failing to make the expected progress, compared with nearly 36% of girls.

But this gap has also widened slightly, from 1.5 percentage points in 2009 to 2.3 in 2010.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said it was "not good enough" that more than 200,000 pupils in maths and 160,000 in English were still falling short of expected progress.

"And it's a huge concern that one in three boys fails to reach their potential in English - with the gap with girls remaining stubbornly wide," he said.

The further behind pupils were at 11, the less likely they were to catch up later, he added.

He said government reforms would "give all pupils a solid grounding in reading and arithmetic, with the right catch up support if they start to fall behind".

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NI pupils to find out school choices

28 May 2011 Last updated at 08:50 GMT John O'Dowd said some students will be disappointed. More than 23,000 children across Northern Ireland will find out on Saturday which post primary school they will transfer to in September.

Around 9,000 of those pupils will be going to grammar schools.

Transfer test results were delivered to students around the country back in February.

The Education Minister John O'Dowd said if parents are unhappy they can challenge the decision.

"There are a number of appeal mechanisms available to parents," he added.

"Those are available on the Department of Education's website if they wish to appeal the decision that has been made around their child not getting their first choice of school.

"There will always be disappointment. It's how we manage that disappointment."

Mr O'Dowd urged parents to talk to teachers at schools and to check out the department's website for more information.

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Priority plan for poorest pupils

27 May 2011 Last updated at 12:01 GMT One in seven pupils failed to get a place at their first choice of secondary school this year Academies and free schools in England may be allowed to give priority to the poorest pupils when allocating places, under a new proposed admissions code.

The rules, published for consultation, also allow all schools to give priority to teachers' children.

The government said it wanted a simpler, fairer code and it would let good schools expand more easily.

But teaching unions warned the changes would "create another generation of haves and have-nots".

The admissions code covers entry to all state schools, most controversially, the basis on which places are allocated in popular, oversubscribed schools.

School admissions remain highly competitive in some areas, with one in seven pupils failing to get a place at their first choice of secondary school this year.

There are also concerns about a shortage of primary school places in the next few years in some areas, with London predicting a shortfall of about 70,000 over the next four years.

'Sharp-elbowed parents'

Education Secretary Michael Gove said the old code, which was 130 pages long, was "bureaucratic and unfair".

The new version is just 50 pages, and includes a range of changes he said would help "give all children the chance of world-class schools".

The proposals include:

Allow free schools set up by parents and community groups, and academies - state schools outside local authority control - to give priority to children eligible for free schools meals (those whose parents earn less than ?16,000 a year)Allow schools to give priority to the children of their own teachers and other staff, something which was stopped under LabourAllow popular schools to expand without permission from local authorities or the education secretaryAllow primary schools to increase infant class sizes beyond 30 pupils in order to take in twins and children whose parents are serving in the armed forcesRemove the explicit ban on admissions authorities drawing catchment areas and selecting feeder schools in such as way as to disadvantage children from deprived areasBan local authorities from using area-wide lotteriesAlter the appeals process to make it "cheaper and less burdensome"Improve the way places are allocated to children who move area in the middle of an academic year

Mr Gove says the existing system needed to change because it "rationed good schools" and with wealthier families able to go private or move house, "the poorest are often left with the worst schools".

"Good schools should be able to grow and we need more of them," he said, having argued earlier in the week that allowing popular schools to expand more easily would increase the amount of good school places.

Journalist Toby Young, who is setting up one of the first free schools, said he would want his governors to take advantage of the proposal to allow schools to set aside places for pupils on free school meals, if it is implemented.

He said the idea was welcome for free schools and academies that were "worried about places being monopolised by middle class children".

'Spiral of decline'

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said the proposals would not improve social mobility and would have a "damaging effect" on pupils from the most deprived areas.

In April, the coalition's "pupil premium" came into effect, under which schools receive an extra ?430 per year for every pupil on free school meals that they teach.

ASCL general secretary Brian Lightman said this would "hardly be enough of an incentive or a supplement for schools to provide the additional support that these pupils so often need".

And allowing popular schools to expand would "create another generation of haves and have-nots".

"Those schools left with the most challenging pupils, who need the most intensive support, will suffer a slow spiral of decline and their pupils will lose out on life chances," he said.

And the NASUWT teaching union pointed out that the rules would allow grammar schools to expand without having to run local consultations.

"Forget about selection by the back door. This is selection by the front door," said general secretary Chris Keates.

Separately, the government said that it would, on a case by case basis, consider allowing free schools set up by parents to give priority to the children of those who founded them.

This is not included in the new code, but would be written into each school's funding agreement with the government.

'Reducing complexity'

Coalition ministers have long said they wanted to shorten and simplify the existing code.

Outgoing chief schools adjudicator, Ian Craig, said he was "pleased" at the publication of the new code.

"Reducing the complexity and making it easier for parents to understand without removing the safeguards for vulnerable groups is essential to our admissions system," he said.

He had warned in November that slimming down the code could risk "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" and reducing it to "a useless document".

The government is also altering the school admissions appeals process in the Education Bill currently before Parliament.

It wants to end the requirement for local panels to be set up to consider individual appeals.

The Bill would limit the Office of the Schools Adjudicator to investigating specific complaints, rather than wider issues where it suspects there may be a problem.

The body would, however, be able to accept complaints from a wider range of people and its remit would be expanded to cover academies.

The government says this will reduce bureaucracy without affecting fairness, but Labour has warned that such changes could result in reduced scrutiny and an increase in "selection by the back door".

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CCTV cameras in pupils' toilets

17 May 2011 Last updated at 12:12 GMT The school says most parents who have responded to the consultation are in favour of the move A secondary school in Surrey is planning to install CCTV cameras in the communal area of its pupils' toilets.

Ash Manor School, near Aldershot, said the proposals were part of its "commitment to safeguarding" and that pupil privacy was not at risk.

One parent took his three children out of the school when a temporary camera was installed as an experiment.

He also reported it to Surrey Police, who say they have received "a number of calls" from concerned parents.

Jason West said he was "horrified" when his son came home and mentioned the cameras.

"I just couldn't believe what I was hearing," he added. "No children want to go to school and be bullied, but I don't agree with having cameras within the four walls of the toilet area."

Head teacher David Garrido has not confirmed whether the plans are in response to a bullying problem.

In a statement the school said: "The idea of installing CCTV is part of our on-going commitment to safeguarding. The cameras would point at the communal area only of the toilet facility, showing the wash basins and entrance. They would not show any urinals or look into any of the cubicles."

Surrey Police has been in contact with the school since it received news of the cameras.

Guildford neighbourhood commander Alan Sproston said: "Installing a camera is not a criminal offence but neighbourhood officers have visited the school and given advice to the headmaster.

"It is the school's responsibility to justify the installation of cameras within their grounds."

The school has said it will only install cameras permanently if the majority of parents support the plans.

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