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UK council could go bust due to £60m hole in special needs spending

2024-01-13

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/13/uk-council-bournemouth-christchurch-poole-could-go-bust-due-to-60m-hole-in-special-needs-spending

Parents fear government accountancy rules are severely impacting the chances of getting a care programme for Send children A council has warned that it could in effect become insolvent this year because of the huge financial deficits it has racked up on special education needs, in the latest development in the local government funding crisis. Most councils in England have overspent their budgets on special education needs and disabilities (Send) since 2015, when the government extended the age range of young people who qualify for Send support without providing councils with the necessary funding. These deficits have fed into councils’ overall education budgets – known as the dedicated schools grant (DSG). Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) council has accumulated a combined deficit of around £60m on its DSG budget in recent years and says it cannot eradicate it without making unacceptable cuts to Send services and mainstream school budgets. Moreover, a recent BCP council report warned that its financial solvency is at imminent risk because of government accountancy rules. Normally, education deficits impact on councils’ overall financial health. However, because so many councils have been overspending their education budgets, since 2020 the government has put in place a “statutory override” under which these deficits are excluded from assessments of councils’ financial health – in effect placing them “off the books”. This override, which has already been extended once, is set to run out at the end of March 2026 – just inside the 2025-26 financial year. “When the statutory override falls away, the accumulated DSG deficit will be greater than the council’s total reserves and the council will technically be insolvent,” the BCP council report says. “If the deadline is not extended, then it is expected that the council’s director of finance would need to issue a section 114 notice in December 2024 as it would not be possible to set a balanced budget for 2025-26.” Since 2018, eight councils in England have issued section 114 notices, signalling they do not have the resources to balance their budget - effectively declaring themselves bankrupt. So far none of these have been due to the crisis in Send education, but BCP council’s report shows how the end of the statutory override could trigger more council insolvencies – potentially before the override actually runs out. The Local Government Association, which represents councils across England, said: “We continue to call for the government to write off all high-needs deficits as a matter of urgency to provide certainty and ensure that councils are not faced with having to cut other services to balance budgets through no fault of their own or their residents.” Adam Sofianos, who lives in the BCP area, told the Observer that while it was a “comparatively smooth” process to get an education, health and care plan (EHCP) – which details the legally required provision for Send children – for his neurodivergent son in 2021, the system is now disintegrating. “Because there’s no funding for extra staff, the experience now is much worse. The school has only one full-time Send team member to support 600 children. It’s a similar story in most schools across the country: the work has increased, but the workforce hasn’t,” he said. “We’re currently seeking referrals to identify additional needs, but this is a much longer process now.” He also rejected recent claims that Send demand was rising because middle-class parents see EHCPs as a “golden ticket”. “An EHCP is not a golden ticket or a free pass. It’s a lifeline. It’s a safety net that protects a Send child in their school journey.” A government spokesperson said: “We are working with councils who are affected by deficits from the dedicated schools grant to ensure they can move to a more sustainable position in the future. “Councils are ultimately responsible for their own finances, but we remain ready to talk to any concerned about its financial position. “We recognise councils are facing challenges and that is why we have announced a £64bn funding package to ensure they can continue making a difference, alongside our combined efforts to level up.”

Tory immigration policies risk over-reliance on Chinese students, ex-universities minister warns

2024-03-31

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/31/whitehall-policies-risk-china-reliance-warns-former-universities-minister

Exclusive: Chris Skidmore says restrictions on international students risk a funding crisis The Conservative party’s “scorched earth” immigration policies risk UK universities becoming increasingly reliant on students from China to avoid financial crisis, a former universities minister has said. It comes as estimates suggest 25% of tuition fee income at leading British universities already comes from China. Chris Skidmore, who resigned as a Conservative MP earlier this year, said the new restrictions on issuing international student visas, and recent threats to undo the “graduate route” work visas, were sabotaging the government’s own education strategy as well as efforts to diversify university recruitment away from China and towards other countries such as India and Nigeria. Since 2019, international students have been eligible for a two-year visa after graduating from a British university, with the Conservative general election manifesto arguing it would “help universities attract talented young people and allow those students to stay on to apply for work here”. But last month James Cleverly, the home secretary, told the Migration Advisory Committee to review the graduate route visa for “evidence of abuse”, raising fears that the Conservative party would use it as an election issue. In January the government curbed the ability for international students to bring family members. Skidmore said attacking the graduate route visa was “totally counterproductive” for the UK, and was already causing a drop in student applications after being widely reported overseas. “This [visa] was a manifesto commitment; this is what the Conservatives stood on as a platform in 2019. And to try to have a scorched earth policy of changing it at the last moment, as a kneejerk response, is the Reform [party] tail wagging the dog,” he said. “This is going to be economically disastrous for the country if the Tories use their last couple of months in power to try to pull up the drawbridge to try to stop international students coming here, when there’s so many constituencies and regional economies dependent on them.” Skidmore added: “I don’t want the Tories, in their dying days in government, to toxify and to contaminate and poison, permanently, a sector that contributes more than the oil and gas industry in this country, and is so important for the future.” The warning comes as relations between the UK and China have been strained, with Conservative MPs last week urging the government to take tougher action against Beijing, and universities told to draw up contingency plans for geopolitical events – such as a conflict over Taiwan – abruptly cutting off students coming from China. Skidmore is chair of the International Higher Education Commission, an independent group including vice-chancellors devising a new international education strategy, including the urgent need to diversify overseas recruitment. The commission says the UK is “worryingly reliant” on a shrinking number of countries for the majority of its student recruitment. Students from China are concentrated in “high tariff” or selective courses at universities such as those in the Russell Group, including Oxbridge, Glasgow and University College London. In 2021, 80% of PhD students from China studied at Russell Group universities. Many universities have been forced to rely on the unrestricted tuition fees from international students. While domestic undergraduate tuition fees have been frozen at £9,250 since 2016, leading universities are able to charge about £26,000 a year for each international undergraduate. Mark Corver, the managing director of dataHE, which analyses university finances and student recruitment, said 25% of the total tuition fee income at the Russell Group of leading research universities came from Chinese students alone. “We estimate that about 25% of total tuition fee income to Russell Group providers comes from China. So with 25% of income based on a single overseas country, there’s no doubt about it – however you look at the data – the institutions have become overexposed or dependent,” he said. Corver said the “political logic” of frozen domestic income and unrestricted international fees had led to the reliance on overseas students, with China seen as a long-term and reliable source of students. “This is what the funding model has shaped universities into doing but I can’t think, off the top of my head, of a single Russell Group institution that could happily withstand a 20% to 25% reduction in tuition fee income, which is what the group as a whole has an exposure to,” Corver said. A spokesperson for the Russell Group said the income was needed “to cover the significant and growing deficits in the government’s funding system for UK students”, leaving the sector vulnerable to shocks. “Our universities recognise that building a diverse international intake is important to financial resilience and are actively working to diversify student cohorts. In many cases this has involved institutions cancelling or reducing marketing activities in some countries and exploring new opportunities for growth,” the spokesperson said. “Government policy choices such as the reintroduction of the graduate route visa have boosted Russell Group efforts to recruit in new markets. In the last five years, our members have increased growth in students from India, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and a range of other countries. “Unfortunately, early data this year suggests that recent changes in government rhetoric and policy, including the ban on postgraduate taught student bringing dependants, are having an impact on international student numbers. Further restrictions, such as changes to the graduate route visa, could further threaten diversification efforts and the sector’s financial resilience.” The issue extends beyond the Russell Group, with Skidmore’s commission projecting that 50% of higher education will be funded by international student revenue by 2026. It also found that four out of five higher education providers would face budget deficits if there was “a gradual or sudden drop in international student numbers”. A government spokesperson said: “We are fully focused on striking the right balance between acting decisively to tackle net migration and attracting the best and brightest students to study at our universities, recognising the significant contribution they make to the UK. “That’s why earlier this month the home secretary commissioned an independent and expert review of the graduate route [visa] to prevent any abuse and ensure it continues to work in the UK’s best interests, and attracts and retains the talent our economy needs.”

Special needs responsibilities were heaped on councils as funding shrank

2024-02-18

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/18/special-needs-responsibilities-were-heaped-on-councils-as-funding-shrank

The Guardian found huge variation in the delays children face, as demand has outstripped provision There was a familiar feel to last month’s Commons debate on special needs funding: MPs berating the government over its lack of support for local authorities in England, for the long delays in assessments and severe shortages of special school places. But many of the debate’s most damning complaints came from Conservative MPs, whose reports of frustration and anger from their constituents were indistinguishable from the opposition’s. Jake Berry, a former Conservative party chair, was among those pleading with his own government to help local authorities handle the surge in children and young people seeking education, health and care plans (EHCPs). Berry, whose son is autistic, asked the government “to please find a way to support councils to fast track EHCPs”. He added: “That would make a difference. EHCPs do work when people get them. I know that it works for me, my family and my son. The challenge is that people just cannot get them in a timely manner.” Freedom of information requests to local authorities in England by the Guardian reveal there is huge variation in the delays that children face. The most recent national figures show just under half of all EHCP requests in England are completed within the government’s 20-week target. The FoIs found that local authorities like Wolverhampton – with only 12 outstanding cases – were outweighed by those like Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council, where 319 cases out of 361 were waiting more than 20 weeks towards the end of last year. But for many councils, issuing EHCPs is the tip of the iceberg. The government’s 2014 reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (Send) policy were straightforward: children and young people would apply to their local authority for an assessment. The resulting EHCP would detail the support they needed and, in many cases, the school where they could receive it. But the reforms heaped responsibilities on local government, such as increasing the age range to 25, as they faced shrinking funding, while the number of children and young people with EHCPs has risen from 240,000 in 2015 to 517,000 last year. This has outstripped provision and forced many councils to blow their budgets on costly transport arrangements and private school places. Some local authorities have even tried to ration the number of EHCPs they issue. Alex Dale, the chair of the f40 group of local authorities, said: “I don’t think anyone, seven or eight years ago, quite expected that demand would rise in the way that it has. And that’s why we’re in the situation now, where I think even the government acknowledged that the Send system is not working.” Even the government’s critics accept it has increased funding as the crisis has become apparent. The Department for Education (DfE) says high-needs funding is rising by £440m in 2024-25 to a total of £10.5bn – an increase of more than 60% since 2019-20 – and in 2022 it launched a drive to open 60 new special schools. But it isn’t enough. Last month Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council became the latest to reveal a £63m deficit in its dedicated schools grant as a result of overspending its Send budget. That deficit is now bleeding into budget cuts for the local authority’s maintained schools. According to f40, an additional £4.6bn a year is needed just to prevent the crisis from getting worse. And an underlying problem remains that local authorities get little say over how extra resources are allocated within their area. Louise Gittins, the chair of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, said: “Improving levels of mainstream inclusion is also crucial, reducing the reliance on costly special schools and other settings. Powers to intervene in schools not supporting children with Send should be brought forward at the earliest opportunity but should sit with councils, not the DfE.”

Hundreds of children with special needs wait a year for support in England

2024-02-18

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/18/hundreds-of-children-with-special-needs-wait-a-year-for-support-in-england

In some areas young people have been waiting more than two years for plan detailing help they require, FoI reveals Hundreds of children with special educational needs have been waiting for a year or longer to access support, as local authorities across England buckle under the strain of the demands placed on them, the Guardian has learned. Freedom of information requests found that in some local authorities, children and young people have been waiting more than two years to be issued with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that details the support they require. The FoI results suggest that across England more than 20,000 cases were waiting longer than the 20-week limit, and as many as 3,000 for a year or more. Council leaders say that requests for EHCPs have surged in recent years while funding to meet the children’s needs has not kept pace. Since 2019 the number of plans issued has risen by 72%, so that in 2023 more than 500,000 children and young people had EHCPs, but dedicated funding from central government for special education needs and disabilities (Send) has only risen by 42%. Alex Dale, the cabinet member for education at Derbyshire county council, said: “It’s clearly a massive issue, and no local authority wants to be in a position where it is going over the statutory timeframe or making families wait any longer than they should.” Dale, who also chairs the f40 group of local authorities campaigning for fairer education funding, said one of the main reasons behind the delays was the sheer increase in demand. He said: “In my local authority, we’ve calculated that the number of EHCPs we have on our books, if you like, has doubled in the past seven years. And that’s pretty much replicated across the country.” Derbyshire is investing a further £1m to improve its processing of EHCPs, but Dale said: “That £1m has got to come from the council’s own resources, which are very much under pressure anyway, and there’s huge competing demands … It’s a real challenge. No one wants to be in the position that we’re in at the moment, but I think it’s an inevitable consequence of that rise in demand.” Even after EHCPs have been issued, parents who spoke to the Guardian described a nightmarish system of appeals and tribunals to obtain support, including a case in York of identical twins whose parents were offered only one place in a special school. Shauna Leven, the chief executive of the Twins Trust charity, said: “Unfortunately this case is common and similar to others we’ve seen. Families with multiples already face significant economic, social and health disadvantage. Issues with school admissions just cause extra stress and anxiety, for both the parents and the children.” Another case involving twins in Guildford highlights the difficulties that parents are facing. David and Louise May have twin sons, one without special needs who is in a mainstream secondary school preparing to take his GCSEs. But his twin brother, Jack, diagnosed with autism and ADHD, has been out of full-time education since summer 2022 despite having an EHCP through Surrey council. Jack was placed in a mainstream school in year 7 but his struggles made it unsustainable. An initial rejection of a special school place was overturned after Jack’s parents appealed. This was followed by the offer of a special school place for children with severe disabilities that was unsuitable. Jack’s parents then found him a place at a private school, which the school abruptly ended after the Covid crisis, saying it could not meet his needs. Now they are waiting for the local authority to redraw Jack’s EHCP and are hoping that a place in an appropriate school can be found, while Jack receives 12 hours a week of home tuition funded by the council. The couple have had a continuing struggle with Surrey council over Jack’s education, with David May describing “months and months” passing without getting responses from the administration. He said: “The problem is, in my opinion, that [Send] staff are overworked, underpaid, stressed out, and they can’t get enough places, and so there’s a massive turnover of staff. How can they place children without enough places?” Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on education, who raised Jack’s case during a parliamentary debate on special needs funding last month, said: “Imagine how devastating it is for the parents to see one child thrive while their twin suffers.” A spokesperson for the Department for Education said the government was committed to improving support. They said: “High-needs funding for children and young people with complex needs will be increasing to a total of over £10.5bn in 2024-25 – an increase of over 60% since 2019-20. “We are also investing £2.6bn in high-needs capital over this spending review and doubling the number of special free school places to 19,000 once those in the pipeline are complete.” Surrey has been one of the councils worst affected by EHCP backlogs. An FoI request revealed that at the end of October, 1,124 cases had been waiting longer than the government’s 20-week deadline for EHCPs, with 148 waiting for more than a year. Tim Oliver, the leader of Surrey county council, said: “While we recognise the significant issues that confront the Send system nationally, we regret all delays in responding to requests for education, health and care needs assessments and issuing education, health and care plans, and apologise for any distress caused to those affected.” Oliver said Surrey had made it a priority to significantly reduce its EHCP waiting list, so that by the end of January the number of people waiting more than 20 weeks had fallen by 22%. He said: “This progress is the result of several actions taken in recent months, including securing an additional £15m of funding over three years to increase the capacity of key teams [such as educational psychologists].”

University is out of reach for poor rural students | Brief letters

2023-08-10

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/10/university-is-out-of-reach-for-poor-rural-students

No road to higher education | Tory hell | Blindingly obvious | The undead | Sleep remedy Recent research found that one in three students starting university this year may opt to live at home (Report, 10 August). For those who live in rural communities, this isn’t an option. I grew up in rural Wales, and the nearest universities would have taken two or three hours to reach by public transport. For disadvantaged rural students, the choice won’t be moving into halls or commuting to university; it’s likely to be not going to university at all. Siân LawrencePhD student, Durham University I am not a Roman Catholic, but I strongly object to this misuse of a key element of Catholic doctrine (Britain is trapped in political purgatory – waiting for its undead government to fall, 9 August). This is not purgatory; it is a Tory-created living hell.Paul HuntHaywards Heath, West Sussex Were the researchers also able to ascertain the religious preferences of the pope or the preferred location for defecation by bears (People texting while walking more likely to have accidents, study confirms, 8 August)?Steve MillsUphall, West Lothian At last, a reassuring headline (Walking just 4,000 steps a day can cut risk of dying from any cause, analysis finds, 9 August). There was I thinking that death was inevitable.Peter CogmanSouthampton A reliable method of getting to sleep (Letters, 6 August) is to play Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass’s album Take Love Easy. I challenge anyone to stay awake for the second track.Rob ParrishStarcross, Devon Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.

Rethinking education: the programs for children too distressed to attend school

2022-10-14

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/oct/15/rethinking-education-the-programs-for-children-too-distressed-to-attend-school

For increasing numbers of families, school refusal is a crippling problem. But some programs are offering hope by thinking outside the box As a year 10 coordinator in 2013, high school teacher Craig Hildebrand-Burke began to clock an increasing number of student absences at his school. As he began to contact families, he soon realised that school refusal was becoming “a major presenting issue” for the year 10 cohort at his co-ed Catholic high school in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Generally, he’d notice absences spiking around assessment time. “The pressure would pick up … and avoidance became the go-to strategy.” He would watch as students then struggled to “regain their footing and then it would quickly snowball into three, four days of time and then weeks”. As the year level coordinator, Hildebrand-Burke would try to reassure his students. “We’d say ‘come in’ with no expectations, just to make contact again, to try to destigmatise the fear of being at school.” He’d emphasise that the school wouldn’t focus on the student’s results, instead telling them: “We just want you here.” That approach worked roughly half the time. The school also brought in specialist psychologists who reaffirmed how crucial it was to work with students’ care workers towards a solution. Hildebrand-Burke would say to parents, “If you can get them to the school gate, we’ll look after them from there.” He was acutely aware of the limitations of the strategy. He would see parents witnessing their children suffer from “headaches, nausea, all of the [symptoms of anxiety] that can look like illness, and certainly manifest as illness.” It left the parents stuck: they couldn’t send their kids to school “when there was clearly something leaving them feeling very anxious, and very sick”. Hildebrand-Burke himself was becoming frustrated. “I was stuck in terms of whether I approached this as a disciplinary issue, or a wellbeing one,” he says. “It’s a very impossible position for teachers to be in. And I wasn’t trained in this stuff.” Like many teachers, Hildebrand-Burke was facing a phenomenon that he didn’t feel equipped to deal with. He also saw the beginnings of what could work to help kids who were too anxious to attend school, but ultimately he concluded that the actual design of school itself was stacked against his efforts. In 2018 he quit to study psychology full-time. Three years and a whole pandemic later, he returned to a different high school in Melbourne’s western suburbs, this time as a psychologist and education and developmental registrar. As the rate of school refusal rises, he believes the experiences of students hold lessons not just for a rapidly growing cohort of kids across all ages, but for anyone interested in redesigning schools to help all students learn and adapt to a rapidly changing world. Hildebrand-Burke is encouraged by how awareness around neurodivergence needs and an emphasis on wellbeing has increased in the last two years, but now it’s a matter of how quickly schools can catch up, and how capable they are of catering to a huge and growing need. “Our models of schooling need a shake-up but what they could look like is the big question,” says Assoc Prof Lisa McKay-Brown, assistant dean of diversity and inclusion at the Melbourne graduate school of education, University of Melbourne, who oversees the In2School intervention program. In2School was set up by the Melbourne graduate school of education, in conjunction with the Royal Children’s Hospital Mental Health and Travancore School, and is available to students aged 11 to 14 that have been school refusing for between three months and two years and have diagnoses of anxiety and/or mood disorders. It brings teachers and clinicians together for up to six months to assess, plan and implement needs-based, personalised programs for each young person at home, in the clinic and in the classroom. If a student has been having attendance difficulties, a gradual re-orientation to the classroom setting is an important part of the return-to-school process. So a transitional classroom space can be a good option,” says McKay-Brown. “This means providing a space separate to where other students are learning so we can create a safe, contained environment. There is a focus on social-emotional engagement and a graduated return to school.” In2School joins a growing list of programs, alternative, specialist and independent schools, school refusal clinics and a smattering of public schools around the country that cater to kids who have disengaged from school. Almost all of their approaches share common traits such as small classes, an emphasis on student agency and environments designed with neurodiversity in mind. “School refusal is a dreadful experience for children and families. It is also a burden for society, especially increased health costs and reduced productivity – by parents having to withdraw from the workforce and by the children missing out on the learning and qualifications needed for future employment,” says Prof Kitty te Riele of the University of Tasmania, who is co-chair of Australian Association for Flexible and Inclusive Education (AAFIE). “There is both a moral and a financial imperative for governments to invest in genuine solutions.” “Alternative flexi schools can showcase really useful strategies that staff in mainstream schools can draw on,” says Te Riele. “Alternative settings often have the time and flexibility to place relationships at the centre. There can be a focus on connecting with every student and the smaller class sizes that you find in these settings can certainly support this,” McKay-Brown says. “There can be dedicated allied health, such as youth workers, who can provide outreach support to families. Teachers may have specialist skills for working with at-risk youth. While mainstream schools certainly focus on building relationships among members of the school community the pressure on academic outcomes and resourcing difficulties can mean that some students might miss out on this – particularly if there is sporadic attendance.” These are not insignificant changes, and require more resources, says Te Riele. “Families and schools cannot do this on their own – support is also needed from education and health systems.” Funding is the first stumbling block. The Productivity Commission recently reported that Australia persistently falls short at providing a high quality and equitable education for all students. “The current national education funds distribution needs revision to equitably support a fee allocation to each student across the sectors – an allocated amount based on need,” says co-chair of Aaife Dale Murray, who’s also the director of education at Life Without Barriers, an organisation that provides and advocates for accessibility services for marginalised groups. “This allocation needs to consider increased support for wellbeing staff, neurodiversity and infrastructure development and upgrade.” Teachers play an obvious-but-crucial role in making kids feel safe, welcome and supported at school. But just like Hildebrand-Burke’s experience, “many teachers go into teaching because they care about children and young people, but the constraints of the ways in which our education system works sometimes make it hard for them to act on this in mainstream schools”, says Te Riele. Resourcing, according to multiple sources, can make all the difference in mainstream settings. “Education systems can support schools to undertake their essential wellbeing work through increasing access to allied professional staff like youth workers, occupational therapists, and psychologists with appropriate trauma-informed practice skills and providing teachers and teacher assistants with professional learning to support their students’ wellbeing as well as their own,” says Te Riele. Jennifer Griffith faced difficulties attending school from a very young age, even though she was told she was academically gifted and received good grades. Her parents attempted to alleviate the issues by moving schools a number of times. But Griffith’s anxiety and other mental health issues only intensified. “I became such a behavioural disturbance at school that in year 11 I was strongly recommended to leave.” Griffith, now 24, lived on the Central Coast of NSW, where there was “a grossly underfunded and unsupportive child and adolescent mental health service”. She was diagnosed with autism, but not until she was 19, and believes the lack of earlier diagnosis caused her mental health problems throughout her schooling. While she was struggling, she says, “the most helpful thing that the adults did for me when I was 15 or 16 was to take the pressure of the HSC off.” Griffith decided to go to Tafe. It’s “a significantly more supportive environment than high school, with smaller class sizes and learning things that particularly interest you and directly relate to the workforce. I began university before my peers even finished their HSC because I went to Tafe and transferred to online university without an Atar.” Those working in flexible schooling say it is critical for adults to listen and learn from students who find it hard to attend school. “Taking their experiences and views seriously is an essential starting point,” says Te Riele. “This should include their input not only on what the problem is, but also on strengths – such as what and how they enjoy learning, and how that could be part of returning to school.” “The young people that are in the In2School program speak about the importance of safe, supported and contained environments where they feel like they belong and have an identity,” says McKay-Brown. “They talk about social and academic pressures that impact their ability to attend. We need to understand the diversity of our students and how their own histories impact the ways they access education. The traditional ways of learning are not always fit for purpose any more.” Going beyond listening and working collaboratively with students to set goals is also a key component of flexible education settings, says Murray. They tend to “have a model of operation that repositions the power relationship between adults and young people”. Altering that power dynamic is a dramatic way of rethinking education and a teacher’s approach. And it’s not easy work, as Michael Scicluna can attest. He’s principal at Pavilion School’s Preston campus, a Victorian government school founded in 2007 to provide educational options for young people who have disengaged from mainstream education. The students that arrive at Pavilion have a “huge variation of presentations” says Scicluna. “Neurodiverse people, people in the youth justice system, people with a diagnosed disability, people with undiagnosed disability, people who have been bullied, people who have bullied.” Everything about the way Pavilion is designed, from its classes (groups of 15 students whose ages can range from 13 to 20 and who are allocated one teacher, one youth worker and one teacher assistant), to its environment (what the school dubs “quiet, calm and collaborative” and what materially manifests as aspects such as no lockers, no unattended corridors, no set recess or lunch), to every teacher’s approach is strikingly different from a standard school. “We are constantly asking: ‘What’s in the best interest of students?’,” says Scicluna. “Most schools will say they do that, but sometimes in the minutia of the work, it becomes about them.” Pavilion school offers the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (years 10-12), youth work support, electives and extension activities as well as a bridging program for younger students. The Pathways program provides students a tailored transition into employment and further education and support from the wellbeing team, including counselling, mediation, restorative practices and health and wellbeing curriculum. It has grown from a group of 20 students in its first year to over 220 students, across two campuses. There are currently 70 students on the wait list. To Scicluna, consistency of approach across teachers, and putting students at the centre of that, can make one of the most significant differences to any school. But it requires wholesale cultural change, and training in concepts like unconditional positive regard and restorative practices. And he admits it’s taxing work. “We never like to lose staff, but we love the idea of people taking their training out into a mainstream setting or a different setting so that they can hopefully start to influence thinking on a broader scale, to encourage people to repurpose or rethink education.” Measures of success can be almost anything, from former student Hannah Gandy, who was the first Pavilion student to complete her VCE and is now currently completing a master of laws specialising in social justice at University College London as a 2022 Victorian Government John Monash Scholar, to “kids who are out working full-time.” Success is constantly redefined and questioned according to each student. “Are they in a better position than when they came? Can they sustain themselves in the world when they leave here?” Pavilion seems to have interrogated and changed nearly all the aspects of school that so frustrated Hildebrand-Burke as a teacher , and still witnesses as a school psychologist trying to cater to his growing list of students. “Why are schools consistently aiming for a homogenous experience when it comes to stuff like uniform, gender roles or academic progress when everything we know about kids is that they don’t develop in a homogenous nature?” Lately, Hildebrand-Burke has been grappling with these questions from the point of view of a parent. “My nine-year-old has ADHD and autism.” Hildebrand-Burke says his daughter’s primary school has been very supportive, recently working in conjunction with a team of professionals who reaffirmed that “it’s not a case of changing the square to fit a round hole instead, how can the school change to ensure they fit better for her?” “If schools can start there … have that mindset for all individuals – how can we adjust to support them? That’s really what a place of learning should be about.”

‘Self-defeating’: senior Tories warn Sunak against clampdown on international students

2024-05-11

https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/may/11/self-defeating-senior-tories-warn-sunak-against-clampdown-on-international-students

Party members say visa restrictions will damage economy and lead to the closure of already-struggling universities Universities will be plunged into greater financial distress and Britain’s economic recovery dented should ministers proceed with a new “self-defeating” clampdown on international student visas, senior Tories are warning. Vice-chancellors believe a renewed attempt to reduce visa numbers is just weeks away after ministers ordered their immigration advisers to make an emergency assessment of how a visa designed to attract students to the UK was operating. The report is expected to land on the desk of home secretary James Cleverly next week. However, influential figures in the Conservative party are sounding the alarm over any further attempt to restrict such visas, with higher education institutions relying on overseas income and several already having to make severe financial cutbacks. The migration advisory committee (MAC), which advises Cleverly on immigration measures, was ordered to carry out a rapid review of so-called “graduate route” visas in March. It allows international students to stay for two or three years after graduation. Minister initially said it was designed to “attract and retain bright international students”. Cleverly asked the review to look at whether some of the demand for study visas is being “driven more by a desire for immigration rather than education”. A growing backlash is under way, however, amid concerns that new reforms will heap more pressure on a sector already teetering. “Slashing the graduate route would set back important government policy priorities: Global Britain, levelling up, exports, science superpower,” said Tory peer Jo Johnson, the former universities minister. “It’s hard to think of a policy more self-defeating. And for what? To lower immigration stats which international students shouldn’t be part of. “In a rational world, overseas students would be treated as temporary residents or tourists, with whom they share many characteristics.” Nicky Morgan, the former education secretary, added: “Any visa abuse should be addressed, but international students are generally good for the UK’s knowledge economy and global reach, so this government needs to decide how to distinguish them from other types of migration.” David Willetts, another former universities minister, added: “Overseas students bring spending power into our towns and cities and help fund our universities. They are not migrants. They return home as important friends and business partners for Britain. If we drive them away, we damage our economy and diminish Britain.” Ministers, desperate to reduce migration numbers, are seeing the issue as a dividing line at the election. Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister who is pushing for a harder line from Rishi Sunak, said the government should set a migration cap in the tens of thousands. Several senior higher education figures have warned of a crisis thanks to growing costs since the pandemic and a student fees cap that has not grown significantly since 2012, when it was set at a maximum of £9,000 a year. It now stands at £9,250. International student numbers have already fallen, with many vice-chancellors blaming the tightening of immigration rules. Some have predicted that some institutions will go bust in the near future. Many universities are already undergoing waves of redundancies to cope. Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion The Russell Group, which represents 24 research-intensive universities, warned a cut in international students would damage the economy and undermine the UK’s reputation. “I’m proud our higher education institutions are seen as the top sector on the global stage,” said its chief executive, Dr Tim Bradshaw. “It shows people recognise the impact of our world-class research and education. That’s why we are concerned about a further curb in international students. “If the government’s own analysis is correct, the graduate visa route will bring in nearly twice as much tax revenue as it costs the public purse.” A government spokesperson said: “We are fully focused on striking the right balance between acting decisively to tackle net migration and attracting the brightest students to our universities, recognising the significant contribution they make to the UK. That’s why the home secretary commissioned an independent, expert review of the graduate route to prevent any abuse and ensure it continues to work in the UK’s best interests and attracts and retains the talent our economy needs.”

Fine parents for school absence in England only as last resort, MPs urge

2023-09-26

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/sep/27/school-absence-fines-mental-health-commons-education-committee-report

Commons education committee report also says mental health struggles should be accepted as valid reason for missing school Mental health difficulties should be a valid reason for children to miss school while fines aimed at parents should be kept as a “last resort”, according to MPs on the Commons education committee. The committee’s report into rising levels of persistent absence among disadvantaged families in England warns that fining parents for absences may be less of a deterrent since the Covid pandemic, and even counterproductive among low-income families with financial struggles. “We heard that fines do not address the barriers that low-income families face and can be counterproductive by adding to difficult financial circumstances. Families are struggling with high school costs and in some cases, fining is not an appropriate, compassionate, or helpful response,” the MPs reported. The committee urged the Department for Education (DfE) to do more to help disadvantaged students return to the classroom, after accusing the government of “grossly inadequate” mental health support for children as well as cuts affecting after-school activities. The MPs want the DfE to create a new category of authorised pupil absences due to mental health difficulties, without requiring families to provide medical evidence. The DfE does not currently record pupil absences for mental health reasons. Robin Walker, the Conservative MP who chairs the committee, said there had been “worrying changes” in parents’ attitudes, with recent research showing that parents have become more sceptical about the need for their children to regularly attend school. He said: “Sky-high waiting lists for children’s mental health services, and some children with special needs not getting the right support quickly enough, are also putting incredible pressure on families and schools. “The increase in children suffering from mental health problems is deeply troubling and it is evident that our health service can’t meet this growing demand, leaving schools to fill the gaps.” The select committee’s report chimes with research published last week, which found that some parents no longer believed it was their responsibility to ensure that their child was in school every day. Persistent absence – when pupils miss 10% or more of sessions – has more than doubled since before the pandemic. The criticisms of the use of fines – usually fixed penalty notices of £60 per child levied by local authorities – were supported by Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, who said it was “becoming clear” that fines were ineffective in tackling widespread absences. “Unless more is done to find out the reasons behind continual periods of absence and tackle the root causes behind persistent absenteeism, fining families is unlikely to solve the underlying issues,” Whiteman said. The use of fines was complicated by the DfE’s failure to set a national policy, leading to wide variations among local authorities over which families are fined and for what reasons. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The committee said: “We recommend the [DfE] instruct schools and local authorities to explore methods of support for pupils and families before the use of fines or prosecution, ensuring that legal intervention is a last resort only.” Louise Gittins, the chair of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, said councils lacked alternative powers to improve school attendance rates, such as being able to meet face-to-face with children, or by directing academies to accept pupils who were unable to secure a school place. The committee also cited the need for free school meals provision to be widened to include children from struggling families who are currently ineligible. It also identified other barriers, such as transport and school uniform costs. A DfE spokesperson said: “Attendance rates since the pandemic have improved and the vast majority of children are now in school and learning but we remain focused on ensuring no child falls through the cracks. “We recently announced an expansion to our attendance hubs and mentors programme and we are also working closely with schools, trusts, governing bodies and local authorities to identify pupils in need of additional support.”

Special school places allocated on ‘very fine margins’, twins’ father says

2024-02-18

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/18/special-school-places-allocated-on-very-fine-margins-twins-father-says

Pete Hale’s identical twin sons are non-verbal and diagnosed as autistic, but only one of them was given a place at first Councils are making life-changing decisions over which children receive places in special schools based on the narrowest of margins, according to the father of identical twins with special needs who were awarded just one school place between them. Twins Jasper and Reuben, five, were diagnosed as autistic from the age of three and were issued education, health and care plans (EHCPs). But when their parents applied for them to start at Hob Moor Oaks special school in September, they were stunned to learn that only Jasper was offered a place by City of York council, leaving Reuben to attend a nearby mainstream primary. After almost a year of appeals and legal action, the council made a place for Reuben too, and he has now joined his twin brother at Hob Moor Oaks. But their father, Pete Hale, said the experience was draining and revealed the pressure that local authorities were under. “There’s a series of milestones that two-year-olds are expected to hit, and that was the main red flag that they weren’t developing as typical two-year-olds would. They didn’t have any words then and they are still non-verbal,” Hale said. “At that age you’re living in the hope that they will catch up. You go around thinking they will be all right in a mainstream school, and you’re the last person to realise that they won’t. When you finally make that decision that a special school is the best place for them, it’s a very difficult decision for a parent to take and it’s not something you take lightly at that age. “Then you take that really difficult decision, you find that the places aren’t there. We got a phone call to say that one’s got a place and one hasn’t. It’s bonkers. These are twins that no one can tell apart, and one of them was going to have a lot more support than the other. “It shows how desperate the situation is for parents. If you’ve got 120 applications that are all anonymised and you’re using them to decide who gets 25 places, then you’re talking very, very fine margins that they are having to draw to make that distinction and justify who gets a place. “If you take Reuben and Jasper’s names off, then goodness knows how many children of a similar profile to Reuben are missing out by the finest of margins, by one word or something like that, because they simply haven’t got the places.” Martin Kelly, the director of children and education at City of York council, said: “While it would not be appropriate to discuss individual children and families, we are able to confirm that places at Hob Moor Oaks [school] are limited. Allocations for the limited places are made on the basis of greatest need. “In York, as across the country, the number of children with special education needs has increased significantly in recent years and our focus is on improving the breadth of provision in the city to meet the changing needs of our children and young people. While additional, specialist provision has been created over the last 18 months there remains an increasing demand for specialist support. “We are ambitious about improving outcomes for all our children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in York, while recognising the pressures created by increased demand and funding constraints.”

‘It’s not just childcare’: focus on early years education sets Estonia apart

2022-11-05

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/nov/05/estonia-focus-early-year-innovative-kindergarten-highest-performer-international-education-ranking

Its innovative kindergarten system is just one reason the Baltic state is one of the highest performers in international rankings At 7am, in the dark of an autumnal Estonian morning, parents begin to arrive to drop off their children at the kindergarten in Viimsi, a 20-minute drive from the capital, Tallinn, before heading off to work in the city. The day starts officially at 9am, but Laanelinnu kindergarten, one of eight in the MLA Viimsi family of nurseries, opens two hours earlier and does not close until 7pm, to provide maximum flexibility for parents and the demands of their work. The kindergarten, built in 2012, is bright, airy and modern. Classrooms, with vast windows that look out on to surrounding forest fan out around a white-washed central hall, and outside a large playground wraps around the entire building. Some of the children who attend Laanelinnu are as young as two, but as we enter the building barely a sound can be heard. In each of the classrooms, which are spacious and well-equipped, there are up to 20 children – attentive and focused – supervised by a qualified early years teacher and two assistant teachers. In Estonia, early years teachers must have at least a first degree, while schoolteachers generally have a masters, meaning the education workforce is more highly qualified than in England. Assistant teachers, meanwhile, are offered training and development to improve their skills. There is no Ofsted equivalent, no school inspectors and teachers are allowed autonomy over the education they deliver. Despite the visitors, the children at Laanelinnu remain engaged in their lessons. In one darkened classroom, they lie on their backs in a quiet corner as they and their teacher prepare for the day ahead. In another class, there’s music and dancing. In another group, children are doing a project about the human body, while next door there’s a cookery class going on, with a tasting session first followed by rye bread making. The kindergarten caters for children aged two to seven, at which age it becomes compulsory to attend school. There’s a specialist music teacher, a PE teacher and, while children in England can wait months to get expert support, here there are in-house psychologists and speech therapists always on hand to help children who are struggling. The early years curriculum takes in everything from letters and language skills, to art, music and robotics. “Though it’s not called school, it’s the first step in their education,” says Pille Veisserik, the kindergarten’s project manager. “We do teach kids here. It is not just childcare.” By the time they leave, most children will have learned to read and write, but in a relaxed, play-led environment. Parents in this Baltic country, with its population of 1.3 million, also enjoy some of the best state support in the world. New mothers can take 140 days of fully paid leave, after which they can either take a further 435 days – again fully paid – or share it with a family member. While parents in England face crippling childcare costs and patchy provision, in many cases forcing them to stop work, in Estonia a guaranteed place at kindergarten is available to all children between the ages of 18 months and seven – at minimal cost. At Laanelinnu, families pay just €58 (£50) a month, plus extra for three hot meals a day. In England, full-time nursery for children under two can cost two-thirds of a parent’s weekly take-home pay or more. The kindergarten system is an integrated part of Estonian education – there is very little private provision – and at the end of their time there, children are given a school readiness card that they take with them to the next stage in their education, to a school such as Tallinna Südalinna in the heart of Estonia’s capital city. Südalinna is a põhikool or basic school, teaching children aged seven to 15. It also offers a long school day, with children able to stay on site until 5pm to enjoy “hobby school” – one of the 20-plus after-school “hobby groups” on offer that are nearly all free of charge. Not only does it help parents, it supports children’s learning and development. Early morning porridge and lunch are free, but you have to pay a nominal fee if you want a second lunch later in the day. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion When the shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, visited on Tuesday evening, there was basketball club, a Halloween cinema night with popcorn and a robotics club, where pupils played with the sort of sophisticated equipment you might find in a university, including British-made VR headsets unlikely to be found in most British classrooms. Robotics is big in Estonia, as is digital learning. The government has made them a priority and when the coronavirus pandemic struck, Estonian schools switched seamlessly to home education because children – and parents – were already used to learning online. The teachers at Südalinna have their own digital mentors to ensure they are kept up to speed with the latest innovations. “Our society needs more and more people who are capable of using these things,” said Kerttu Mölder-Jevdokimov, the head of the elementary school. “We are such a small country we can’t make an impact in other ways, but in IT we can.” Estonia’s schools are struggling with the same teacher recruitment crisis as schools in England, and there is a difficult transition under way to get Russian-speaking schools to adopt the Estonian language, as Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine continues to rage. But Estonia’s approach to education is having a positive effect on attainment. It is now one of the highest performing countries the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) tests in mathematics, science and reading. By the same measure, it is top of the class in Europe and has been dubbed the “new Finland” after overtaking its neighbour, while the UK – despite showing signs of improvement in the 2018 round of tests – still lags behind mid-table. The Pisa tests are only one measure, but as the Labour party realises, there are lessons to be learned from this tiny Baltic state.

‘Affirmative action for the privileged’: why Democrats are fighting legacy admissions

2023-08-11

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/11/college-legacy-admissions-affirmative-action-democrats

Critics argue that university’s preference toward legacy applicants exacerbates existing inequalities in higher education In the aftermath of the supreme court’s decision to strike down race-conscious admissions at universities in June, progressive Democrats have turned their outrage into motivation. They are now using their fury to power an impassioned campaign against a different admissions practice that they consider unjust and outdated: legacy admissions. The century-old practice gives an advantage to the family members of universities’ alumni, a group that tends to be whiter and wealthier than the general pool of college applicants. Critics argue that legacy applicants already enjoy an unfair leg up in the admissions process and that university’s preference toward those students exacerbates existing inequalities in higher education. As the country adapts to a post-affirmative action world, progressives are ramping up the political and legal pressure on universities to scrap their use of legacy admissions. A Democratic bill, introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Congressman Jamaal Bowman of New York, and a civil rights inquiry at the Department of Education could represent a serious threat to legacy admissions. “Though the supreme court gutted race-conscious college admissions, make no mistake, affirmative action is still alive and well for children of alumni and major donors, and taxpayers shouldn’t be funding it,” Merkley told the Guardian. The origins of legacy admissions policies date back to the 1920s, when Jewish and immigrant students began attending America’s elite universities in larger numbers. Concerned over this growing trend, college leaders implemented a range of admissions preferences, such as legacy status, designed to benefit the white Protestant applicants who had populated university classrooms for centuries. Despite the ignominious roots of legacy admissions, the practice persists at many of the country’s most prestigious universities, including every member of the Ivy League. Colleges defend the practice as beneficial for building strong alumni communities across generations and encouraging financial contributions, even though one analysis found “no statistically significant evidence that legacy preferences impact total alumni giving”. Progressives have mocked legacy admissions as “affirmative action for the privileged”, and the supreme court’s decision against race-conscious admissions has reinvigorated their efforts to end the widely unpopular practice altogether. According to one Pew Research Center survey conducted last year found, 75% of Americans believe alumni relations should not be considered in the admissions process. “Many of the legacy kids simply would not have gotten in had they not had legacy [preference],” said Rashad Robinson, president of the racial justice group Color of Change. “This is the result of a system that was designed to operate exactly the way it’s operating.” Last month, Merkley and Bowman reintroduced their bill, the Fair College Admissions for Students Act, to prohibit universities participating in federal student aid programs from giving an admissions advantage to the relatives of alumni or donors. Noting the financial advantages legacy students often enjoy in the college admissions process, Merkley suggested those applicants do not require additional assistance to gain entry to elite universities. “As the first in my family to go to college, I know the struggles facing students whose parents have never been through the process,” Merkley said. According to an analysis conducted by the Harvard research group Opportunity Insights, legacy students were only slightly more qualified than the average applicant to elite private colleges, but were nearly four times more likely to be admitted than those with the same test scores. The boost appears to disproportionately harm students of color, as one study found that white students account for 40% of Harvard’s total applicant pool but nearly 70% of the university’s legacy applicants. Opportunity Insights’ research also concluded that legacy applicants are more likely to come from wealthy families, giving them more access to resources like private education and preparation courses for standardized tests. “Children of donors and alumni may be excellent students, but they are the last people who should get reserved seats, enabling them to gain admission over more qualified students from more challenging backgrounds,” Merkley said. The battle over legacy admissions has now also attracted the attention of the Department of Education. Last month, the department opened a civil rights investigation into Harvard’s use of legacy admissions following a complaint filed by the group Lawyers for Civil Rights on behalf of three racial justice organizations. The complaint accused Harvard of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by giving an admissions edge to the children of donors and wealthy alumni. “We know that schools like [Harvard] set students up for success – and for great success – and introduce them to new innovative ideas and a great network,” said Michael Kippins, a litigation fellow with Lawyers for Civil Rights. “They should reflect the type of diversity that we see in our communities the same way that we would want fair access for anything else.” Olatunde Johnson, a professor at Columbia Law School, viewed lawsuits against colleges’ legacy admissions policies as somewhat inevitable after the supreme court’s decision on affirmative action. “The supreme court opened the door to that challenge by leaving legacy and donor preferences untouched while it got rid of race-conscious affirmative action, so it made it kind of an easy target,” Johnson said. Sign up to First Thing Our US morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion She predicted other universities would be closely watching the outcome of the civil rights inquiry into Harvard as they reconsider their own legacy admissions policies. “People might wait to see how this challenge is resolved because some of the broad contours of this complaint are going to mirror what people would do in future cases,” Johnson said. “Whatever kind of ruling there is, it’s going to have implications more broadly for other institutions, even without separate complaints or lawsuits.” Some colleges aren’t waiting on the federal government to make the change. The liberal arts college Wesleyan University announced last month that it would scrap its legacy admissions policy, joining other private institutions like Amherst College and Johns Hopkins University. The practice is already prohibited at a number of public colleges, including all schools in the University of California and the California State University systems. The trend of abandoning legacy admissions policies may accelerate in the face of mounting criticism from political leaders, including some Republicans. After the supreme court’s decision in June, South Carolina senator and Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott praised the ruling and simultaneously suggested universities needed to revisit their legacy preferences. “I think the question is, how do you continue to create a culture where education is the goal for every single part of our community?” Scott told Fox News. “One of the things that Harvard could do to make that even better is to eliminate any legacy programs.” Robinson is somewhat skeptical that a bipartisan coalition will materialize to meaningfully challenge legacy admissions, and the Republicans in control of the House have so far shown little appetite to take up Merkley and Bowman’s bill. But even if legacy preferences do come to an end, Robinson believes much more will need to be done to build a truly just college admissions process. After all, he said, the practice of legacy admissions is only one piece of a much broader system that disadvantages students of color. “Racism is like water pouring over a floor with holes in it. It will always find the cracks. So, yes, we should deal with legacy admissions. But I want to make sure that we don’t think that this is some sort of silver bullet,” Robinson said. “We shouldn’t fool ourselves into thinking that those who are working every day to shut the doors of opportunity and access to those who have been excluded are not going to find other ways to to hold the side door open for people who look like them.”

There are no quick fixes to an unequal school exam system | Letters

2023-08-16

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/16/there-are-no-quick-fixes-to-an-unequal-school-exam-system

Readers respond to Fiona Miller’s article on how Labour could reform education in England Having worked as a teacher for 10 years in a grammar, an independent and now a community comprehensive school, the calls to tax independent schools, as echoed by Fiona Millar, ring with the ideological purity of those who are prepared to place motives above outcomes (Reform grammar schools and ditch the GCSE treadmill – here’s how Labour can fix education in England, 13 August). I wholeheartedly believe in her summative closing paragraph, calling for an educational experience that supports and ensures success according to each child’s needs and ambitions. She is also correct in recognising that this is what parents are paying for through independent education. And yet, where many parents opt to ensure this for their children, with no guarantee that their local underfunded and oversubscribed comprehensive school can, the position of many on the Labour left is to penalise these children and their families. Motive and means, it seems, trump outcomes in an educational retelling of Margaret Thatcher’s “so long as the gap is smaller”. Labour should be identifying and distilling the underlying principles that make many independent, comprehensive and grammar schools successful, and subsequently ensuring a programme of training and funding to deliver this. Success would remove many of the motivating factors for an independent education, and organically render most of the market for a private education untenable. Millar’s rallying cry, to “bring children together rather than divide them” should be our aspirational measure of success, not the mechanism by which to achieve it.Jake DewarCockermouth, Cumbria Fiona Millar’s proposal to bring in an all-embracing school or college leaving qualification has many attractive features, but it does not sit well in an enabling framework for lifelong learning, which needs to be at the heart of Labour’s bold new era. GCSEs may be a soulless treadmill for children in school who are aiming for higher qualifications, but GCSEs and A-levels are essential entry qualifications for many jobs and professional courses such as nursing and teaching. Many children and adults have experienced disruptions and need to study for these qualifications outside school, often alongside family and work commitments. It is hard enough at present for an independent student to access these courses and exams, but it would be impossible to achieve a school leaving certificate if you were not at school. This is one reason why the demise of GCSEs and possibly A-levels would close many doors for lifelong learners. I write from the experience of being a former CEO and now trustee of the National Extension College, an education charity set up 60 years ago with the remit to ensure that there is an opportunity for those left behind to catch up.Ros MorpethCambridge Fiona Millar makes some excellent points but, as a teacher who teaches International baccalaureate (IB), A-level and GCSE qualifications, I have to highlight that her proposed baccalaureate would need exceptionally careful design if it were to solve the inequalities she correctly highlights, for several reasons. First, scrapping the now almost pointless GCSEs is a good idea for the reasons she cites, but such a change comes with the caveat that if her baccalaureate were to involve terminal exams, then those baccalaureate exams would be the first occasion that students would undertake such high-stakes tests, which presents an issue. Second, the IB, which requires students to do most of what Millar proposes, works them into the ground. Sixth-formers taking the IB have an entirely different experience of years 12 and 13 to that of their peers doing A-levels, as the IB students are run ragged trying to jump through so many disparate hoops. Third, well-resourced schools offering a wide range of co-curricular activities (not least independent schools) will inevitably afford their students greater opportunities to excel across a diverse curriculum than less well-resourced schools. The children of those with the sharpest elbows and greater resources will still succeed disproportionately, whatever the final qualification offered. And the inequalities of outcomes highlighted by Millar cannot be effectively addressed to any significant extent by changing the qualifications regime without also changing the entire structure of the UK’s education system.Name and address supplied Fiona Millar’s article is a valuable contribution to the debate about a future Labour government’s education policy. However, previous major reforms undertaken by both parties were effected through local education authorities (LEAs), now stripped of many of their powers and functions. I wonder if those currently responsible for the running of academies and free schools will be as cooperative with central government as LEAs were, despite political differences. A reforming Labour government will need resources, courage and time to unravel the present inequitable patchwork and create a fairer system for all our children. It will be a huge challenge.John BaileySt Albans, Hertfordshire Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.

King Charles criticises lack of vocational education while on The Repair Shop

2022-10-25

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/oct/26/king-charles-criticises-lack-vocational-education-the-repair-shop

Outspoken comments about schools policy were made before he became king in one-off episode of BBC show King Charles has criticised the lack of vocational education in schools during his appearance in a special edition of the BBC television show The Repair Shop. In the one-off episode, to be broadcast by the BBC on Wednesday, he praises the value of technical skills and apprenticeships, and describes the lack of vocational education as a “great tragedy”. His comments were made during filming at Dumfries House in Scotland before the Queen’s death, when he was still Prince of Wales, but as king they could raise eyebrows for straying into education policy and political comment. In The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit, the then prince seeks help from the presenter, Jay Blades, and his team to mend an 18th-century bracket clock and a piece of Wemyss Ware pottery made for Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee. During the course of the episode, Charles is filmed meeting students from the Prince’s Foundation building craft programme, a training initiative that teaches traditional skills including blacksmithing, stonemasonry and wood carving. He says: “I still think the great tragedy is the lack of vocational education in schools, actually not everybody is designed for the academic. “I know from the Prince’s Trust, I have seen the difference we can make to people who have technical skills which we need all the time, I have the greatest admiration for people. “I think that’s been the biggest problem, sometimes that is forgotten. Apprenticeships are vital but they just abandoned apprenticeships for some reason. It gives people intense satisfaction and reward.” Although Charles’s views may find sympathy with many of those responsible for education policy in Westminster, experts say he is unlikely to have been so candid had he been king at the time he expressed them. “I think he’s on the right side about education,” said the author and historian Sir Anthony Seldon. “He is progressive and holistic. He’s been a lifelong champion of skills and people using their head, heart and hands.” But he added: “I think he probably wouldn’t have said it had he been the king.” As Prince of Wales, Charles was notoriously outspoken in his views on GM crops, architecture and the environment and was accused by his critics of “meddling” in government policy. As king, however, he has ppromised to stay out of politics. “I think he understands that as monarch he cannot enter the political fray,” said Seldon. Stephen Clear, a lecturer in constitutional and administrative law at Bangor University, said everyone accepted the king would have private, personal views on education and how best to nurture individuals to realise their talents. “However, in respect of criticising the education system, these comments should be viewed in the same light as the king’s formerly expressed views surrounding climate change, agricultural policy and the environment – prior to becoming monarch. “Since the start of his reign, the king has vowed to change his working practices, uphold the nation’s vital parliamentary traditions, and in essence not intervene in political affairs. Out of necessity, for the constitutional monarchy to survive, it must remain politically neutral and not intervene in lawmaking processes or matters of politics. “King Charles’s public statements and declarations, so far, are all indicative of him fully appreciating and recognising the ‘rulebook’ which also governed his mother’s reign, and not wanting to meddle in political affairs as king.” A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We recognise that an academic route is not for everyone. Young people now have a range of high-quality technical and vocational training options to choose from including apprenticeships and new T-level qualifications in a range of exciting subjects, helping them gain the skills they need to forge a great career.”

Sunak’s student visas clampdown continues boom-and-bust pattern

2024-03-31

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/31/sunak-student-visas-clampdown-boom-and-bust

Move coincides with financial difficulties for universities arising from high inflation and freezing of domestic tuition fees Rishi Sunak may not go down in history as “the man who destroyed UK higher education,” as one former university leader put it, but the prime minister’s sabre-rattling on international student visas could end up doing just that. Sunak’s willingness to clamp down on international student numbers coincides with what one expert called a funding crisis for universities that could undermine the entire sector. At the last general election, the Conservative party under Boris Johnson claimed it would “maintain and strengthen our global position in higher education”. The manifesto’s immigration section pledged: “Our student visa will help universities attract talented young people and allow those students to stay on to apply for work here after they graduate.” But the political climate around immigration has changed dramatically. By the end of last year, James Cleverly, the home secretary, was declaring that “enough is enough” and announcing plans to review post-study work visas, which allow international graduates to stay and work in the UK for two years. Sunak posted on social media: “Immigration is too high. Today we’re taking radical action to bring it down,” including by “banning overseas students from bringing their families to the UK”. Immigration is too high.Today we’re taking radical action to bring it down.These steps will make sure that immigration always benefits the UK. pic.twitter.com/osz7AmcRgY That was the latest twist in what the former universities minister Chris Skidmore calls the UK’s “boom and bust” policies towards international students. Noting that the remarks by Sunak were widely reported overseas, Skidmore said: “Everyone is already saying that what the prime minister said has been catastrophic. Having the prime minister coming out and saying, ‘We are now cracking down on international students’ was an enormous signal.” David Pillsbury, a former deputy vice-chancellor of Coventry University and a member, with Skidmore, of the International Higher Education Commission, said the government had probably “run out of legislative road” to scrap the graduate route before the general election. “But that won’t stop these really appalling messages going out to the world when the prime minister throws red meat to his base,” Pillsbury said. “My own personal view is that he won’t want to be seen as the man that destroyed UK higher education. So I would hope that would limit the extent to which they are going to do anything else.” Skidmore resigned the Conservative whip in January when he stood down as a MP. He worries that his former party has “lost its compass” over the issue. “Now we’ve decided to follow a sort of nihilistic, nationalist mirage of our past that we can’t get back to. “What we’re seeing now is obviously the dying days of a party that is likely to lose power, flailing around, trying to scrape the bottom of the barrel with some messaging that is divisive, and is more about what they are against rather than what they stand for. “Sometimes they say, ‘Yes, we’ve got the best universities in the world.’ Well, you’re about to destabilise the best universities in the world with your policies. So you either think we’ve got some of the best universities in the world, and you want to support that ecosystem, or you want to damage it. Which side are you on?” For Mark Corver, a data analyst who advises universities, high inflation and the government’s freezing of domestic tuition fees have created financial difficulties for universities that will become worse if international students stay away. Corver said the government was often sceptical of universities “crying” about their funding. “However, that in itself doesn’t stop a funding crisis from arising. And it’s my view that we are now at that point,” he said.

Peter Bainbridge obituary

2024-03-27

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/27/peter-bainbridge-obituary

My dad, Peter Bainbridge, who has died aged 76 after a bad fall from which he never regained consciousness, truly believed in the transformative powers of education. He spent his life working in different aspects of social work and education, always putting others before himself. After early posts as a community worker in Newport and London, in 1974 he moved to Rochdale, north Manchester, to become head of community education at Balderstone community school, then the borough’s head of community education. He went on to become director of education in north Tyneside, then an inspector for the Further Education Funding Council, and from 2001 until his retirement in 2006 worked as an independent education consultant. Born in London, Peter was the son of Sylvia (nee Densham) and Norman, with a sister, Gillian, and two brothers, David and Richard. Norman was the vicar at St James’ church in Muswell Hill, where Peter first met Katherine Bongard, my mother, when he was 12, in the late 1950s. After leaving Monkton Combe school, Somerset, Peter spent a gap year volunteering for VSO and ended up in Botswana, which had just gained independence, where he was tasked with famine relief and organising the country’s first elections for an area the size of Wales; a ridiculous task for an 18-year-old, but he loved a challenge and working with people. Returning from Botswana, he studied sociology and politics at Durham University, where he bumped into Katherine again. They married in 1970 in Durham, and after spells in London and Watford, settled in Rochdale, where my brothers, Sam and Ben, and I grew up. Years later, when I was working as a music journalist, a fellow writer, Mark Hodkinson, told me that Dad had helped him photocopy his punk fanzine at school in Rochdale in the 70s and it was the first time anyone had shown an interest in his work and helped him. It was just one small example of how Peter helped others to be who they wanted to be. A keen football fan, runner and sailor, after retirement, and living in Devon, Peter took up bowling and volunteered as a coastguard and with Refugee Support Devon, transforming the latter from a local concern to one with a regional and national voice. He is survived by Katherine, Sam, Ben and me, eight grandchildren, Joe, Jack, Ella, Lexi, Erin, Jake, Ava and Edie, and his siblings. His granddaughter Billie predeceased him.

‘Direct link’ between Ruth Perry’s death and Ofsted inspection, inquest told

2023-11-30

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/nov/30/direct-link-ruth-perry-death-ofsted-inspection-inquest-told

Chair of governors and two deputy heads say ‘inadequate’ rating brought about deterioration in Perry’s mental health There was a “direct link” between Ruth Perry’s death and the Ofsted inspection that rated her school inadequate, the chair of the board of governors has told an inquest. The school’s two deputy headteachers also told the inquest in Reading there was “absolutely” a link between the inspection and Perry’s subsequent mental deterioration and death earlier this year. The inquest is investigating the circumstances around Perry’s death, which occurred shortly after Ofsted’s inspection of Caversham primary school in Reading where Perry was headteacher. Ofsted downgraded the school from “outstanding” to “inadequate” over ineffective safeguarding, with Perry’s family saying she took her life as a result. When asked by Heidi Connor, the senior coroner for Berkshire, if he saw a link between the inspection and her death, Neil Walne, a former army officer and the chair of governors at Caversham school, said: “In my opinion, yes.” Witnesses told the inquest that Perry appeared traumatised by the inspection visit by the Ofsted team, and that she was concerned an inadequate judgment would force the maintained school to become an academy and that she would lose her job after 13 years as headteacher. Clare Jones-King, one of Caversham’s deputy heads at the time, was asked if Perry had shown any mental health problems in the 12 years they had worked together. “Absolutely not,” Jones-King replied. But the school leaders detailed the anguish and distress that Perry appeared to experience during the inspection. Jones-King said she took part in an “unpleasant” meeting between Perry and the Ofsted lead inspector, Alan Derry, on behaviour. Jones-King said: “I did not feel it was a professional conversation – I was not being listened to, the voice of others was not being listened to.” Describing Derry’s approach in the meeting, Jones-King said Derry used dismissive hand gestures and tone of voice, interrupting speakers and not allowing them to complete sentences. Jones-King said: “At one point there was a hand lifted up to stop me speaking, at one point there was a sneer, and Mr Derry said: ‘I beg to differ.’ And that pretty much stopped that conversation in its tracks.” During the meeting Jones-King said it was “clear” that Perry was upset: “She was very red in the face, her makeup was smudged, she was crying.” Jo Grover, the school’s other deputy head, said Perry’s distress was clear to other members of the inspection team. After the final meeting, Grover said one of the inspectors, Claire Wilkins, told her: “Make sure you look after Ruth.” Connor asked Grover: “Do you see a direct link between the Ofsted inspection and Ruth’s death?” Grover replied: “Yes, absolutely I do.” Walne, the chair of governors, when asked a similar question, said: “In my opinion, yes.” Both school leaders and Walne said they were not aware the school could have asked for the inspection to be paused. Jones-King said: “It’s very tricky that the person you raise any issues with is also at the centre of those issues.” Walne said Derry told a meeting of the school’s governors that Caversham primary had a “robust safeguarding culture” and that no child at the school felt unsafe. Walne said: “[Derry] certainly said pupils felt safe and that everyone knew who to turn to if they felt unsafe.” But when it was revealed at the end of the inspection that Ofsted was going to rate the school’s safeguarding as inadequate – which in turn meant an overall grade of inadequate – Walne said he challenged Derry over his earlier comments. Walne said: “[Derry] said words to the effect of: I should not have said that, I was wrong.” In his earlier evidence, Derry told the inquest: “My response around safeguarding, and how I described it, was not as clear as it should have been.” The inquest continues for two more days with the coroner’s final report to be announced on 7 December. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

England scraps 50% rule on faith school admissions

2024-04-30

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/may/01/england-scraps-50-rule-on-faith-school-admissions

Allowing 100% faith-based access would be divisive and likely penalise disadvantaged children, say campaigners Faith schools in England will no longer have to offer up to half of their places to children who don’t belong to their religion, under changes to state school admissions rules announced by the government. Currently, new faith schools can only fill a maximum of 50% of their places using faith-based admissions criteria, but the change announced by the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, will allow them to turn away other children. The consultation opened by the government on Wednesday would also allow churches and religious groups to open faith schools for children with special educational needs, which campaigners warned could raise ethical concerns. Proposals to scrap the 50% cap – which only applies when schools have more applicants than places – are opposed by Rowan Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury, and artists including Philip Pullman and Ian McEwan, on the grounds that it would be divisive and likely to penalise disadvantaged children by denying them access to local schools. Andrew Copson, the chief executive of Humanists UK, said: “The proposal to allow 100% religious discrimination in new state faith schools will increase religious and racial segregation in our schools at a time when integration and cohesion has never been more important. “It will further disadvantage poorer families, non-religious families, and families of the ‘wrong’ religion. “Rather than expanding religious selection, a government that cared about cohesion would be seeking to create a single admissions system where all state schools are open to children from any background or belief.” But supporters including Ruth Kelly, the former Labour education secretary under Tony Blair, celebrated the announcement as a victory for the Catholic church, which was unwilling to open new schools under the restriction and lobbied ministers to abolish the cap. Kelly, a vice-president of the Catholic Union, said: “I’m delighted that the education secretary has taken this decision. The Catholic church is one of the oldest providers of education in this country, and Catholic schools consistently produce higher than average results. The fact that Catholic free schools were prevented from opening never made sense. “This decision is well earned recognition of the success of our schools and a vote of confidence in Catholic education in general.” Keegan, who attended Catholic primary and secondary schools, said: “Faith groups run some of the best schools in the country, including in some of the most disadvantaged areas, and it’s absolutely right we support them to unleash that potential even further – including through the creation of the first ever faith academies for children with special educational needs.” Stephen Evans, the chief executive of the National Secular Society, said the move was “entirely wrongheaded,” and that his group was particularly worried by religious groups running more special schools. “The creation of ‘special faith-based academies’ raises ethical issues concerning the imposition of religion on children with special educational needs and disabilities [Send]. We will be keen to ensure that Send provision is not used to expose vulnerable children to religious proselytising,” Evans said. Nigel Genders, the Church of England’s chief education officer, said: “By enabling Church of England special schools, we can serve the needs of more children in more communities, irrespective of their faith background.” The cap was applied in 2010 to new schools launched as part of the government’s free school programme, to address concerns that churches and religious groups would create a new wave of faith schools. Of the 20,000 mainstream state schools in England, more than 4,500 are Church of England faith schools, 1,955 Catholic faith schools and 139 of other Christian faiths. There are only 34 Islamic faith schools, with 50 Jewish, 12 Sikh and two Hindu faith schools. Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said the decision could lead to selection “by the backdoor” and make it harder for pupils to get places at their local school. “Such a change in policy feels inappropriate so close to an election and is something that should be incorporated into a manifesto,” Whiteman said.

School leaders warn of ‘full-blown’ special needs crisis in England

2024-05-04

https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/may/04/school-leaders-warn-of-full-blown-special-needs-crisis-in-england

Survey by NAHT union finds funding shortages mean pupils are losing out on vital support Shortages and funding cuts are causing a “full-blown crisis” in special needs education for children and young people in England, according to school leaders who say they are struggling to give pupils the support they require. Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the school leaders’ union the NAHT, accused the government of treating schools as a “sideline” compared with headline-grabbing issues such as immigration. “This is a full-blown crisis and bad news for children, families, schools and local authorities. Ahead of the general election, it is incumbent upon all political parties to pledge the system-wide investment needed to tackle this crisis head on,” Whiteman said. Leaders of both mainstream and special schools told the NAHT they were being forced to reduce the number of teaching assistants or hours worked because of financial pressures, cutting vital individual support for pupils with special education needs and disabilities (Send). The NAHT’s survey of 1,000 school leaders found that 78% said they had cut back on support staff such as teaching assistants within the last three years, and 84% said they also expected to do so within the next three years. Some leaders said they feared funding shortages meant they would be unable to keep children and staff safe, while others said they were unable to pay for speech and language therapy, mental health support or specialist training. Ian Kendal, the executive headteacher of Our Lady of Fatima trust in Essex, said the funding was insufficient and that it was “astonishing” per pupil Send funding had not increased for more than a decade. This, he said put huge pressure on dwindling school budgets. “There just isn’t capacity within special schools in our area, meaning we are supporting even more pupils with complex needs within our mainstream settings. “We believe in inclusion and are currently doing our best with the limited funds, but, put simply, it is not good enough for the children with the most complex needs – they deserve so much more than we can give them. “It should never have come to this, and we need the government to urgently put more funding into the system to ensure all children’s needs are met, especially the most vulnerable.” Funding for pupils in special schools has been frozen at £10,000 per pupil since 2013, with its value being steeply eroded in recent years by high inflation. The school leaders’ complaints come as the number of pupils with identified Send, including those with education, health and care plans (EHCPs), has ballooned. Gillian Keegan, the education secretary for England, has previously acknowledged the extent of the crisis, saying earlier this year: “All too often I hear from parents with children who have special educational needs having to fight to get the right support.” The Department for Education says the government is tackling the issue, with high needs funding for children and young people increasing above £10.5bn in 2024-25. The government is also allocating £850m for councils to eventually create 60,000 new places in mainstream and special schools. But Louise Gittins, the chair of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, said: “Councils’ high needs deficits currently stand at an estimated £1.9bn, rising to £3.6bn by 2025 with no intervention. We urge the government to write off these deficits.” Whiteman told the NAHT’s annual conference on Friday that the government’s neglect of schools had been “pernicious”. “For the best part of 15 years now, schools have been treated as though they’re a sideline, a niche portfolio to be considered once all populist talk on immigration, polarised positions on trans rights, and removing the right to protest have been exhausted,” Whiteman said. “If political parties think the electorate haven’t noticed, or simply don’t care, I strongly suspect they’re all going to have a nasty shock during the election campaign.”

No evidence foreign students are abusing UK graduate visas, review finds

2024-05-14

https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/may/14/no-evidence-foreign-students-abusing-uk-graduate-visas-review

Migration Advisory Committee says the risks are low, despite Tory claims the route is being exploited There is no evidence of widespread abuse of the UK’s graduate visa route, the government’s immigration advisers have concluded, despite repeated claims from senior Conservatives that it is being exploited to enter the jobs market. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said the graduate visa entitlement – allowing international students to work for two or three years after graduating – should remain in place. Members said the risks of abuse were relatively low and were “not undermining” the integrity and quality of the higher education system. The report’s release has stoked an internal Conservative party row over net migration, with senior rightwing MPs describing it as a “whitewash”. Robert Jenrick, a former immigration minister, wrote that the committee’s inquiries were tightly controlled by the commission from James Cleverly, the home secretary. “The MAC’s conclusions have clearly been constrained by the narrow terms of reference deliberately set by the government. If you order white paint, you get a whitewash,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Neil O’Brien, a Tory MP who is an ally of Jenrick, described the report as a “whitewash” on Substack: “We are pursuing an arbitrary target, and the expansion of universities for their own sake.” Another Conservative MP said backbenchers were “piling pressure” on Rishi Sunak to ignore the committee’s conclusions. The government has so far declined to say whether it will accept the MAC recommendations. A source close to the home secretary said he would read the review thoroughly and listen to Prof Brian Bell, the committee’s chair, carefully before he makes any decision. They were due to meet on Tuesday afternoon. The committee’s decision was greeted with relief by university vice-chancellors, who have warned that abolishing the graduate visa would spell financial turmoil for the sector. But higher education leaders said they still feared No 10 could cherrypick elements of the report to justify a further crackdown. University leaders had been told to expect the government’s response in the middle of next week, alongside the publication of the ONS’s net migration figures. But the MAC report in favour of retaining graduate visas may have scuppered plans by ministers to use it as the centrepiece of a fresh crackdown. Cleverly commissioned the review amid a growing clamour in Tory circles that graduate visas were being abused to gain access to employment. Last week, Jenrick published a report with the Centre for Policy Studies thinktank that called for the graduate visa to be abolished, claiming it “allowed people to come and work in the gig economy and on very low wages”. In a forthright response, Bell said: “Our review recommends the graduate route should remain as it is, and is not undermining the quality and integrity of the UK’s higher education system. “The graduate route is a key part of the offer that we make to international students to come and study in the UK. The fees that these students pay helps universities to cover the losses they make in teaching British students and doing research. Without those students, many universities would need to shrink and less research would be done.” The committee said: There is no evidence of widespread abuse specifically for the graduate route. The risks of abuse are relatively low due to the limited number of conditions the route imposes. There is concern about potential exploitation of both student and graduate visa holders due to poor practices by certain agents who recruit students on to courses and may be mis-selling UK higher education, but this is a separate issue from abuse of the rules of the graduate route. 114,000 graduate route visas were granted for main applicants in 2023 with a further 30,000 granted for dependants. The use of the graduate route is concentrated among four nationalities: the top four – India, Nigeria, China and Pakistan – account for 70% of all graduate visas with India accounting for more than 40%. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Most of those on the graduate route completed postgraduate taught courses. Graduate visa holders are initially “overrepresented in lower-paid work” but their outcomes improve over time, the report said. The MAC review was unable to assess the risk of overstaying due to a lack of Home Office data. Alex Proudfoot, the chief executive of the representative body Independent Higher Education, said: “We urge the government to swiftly confirm they will follow their experts’ recommendation that the graduate visa be retained in its current form, and commit afresh to working with the education sector to maximise the benefits that international students bring.” Tim Bradshaw, the chief executive of the Russell Group of leading research universities, said: “The overall message from the MAC is that the graduate route is achieving its objectives as set out by the government. We would therefore urge ministers to end the uncertainty and confirm as soon as possible that the route will continue in its entirety.” In February, Universities UK (UUK) said it would review international student admissions processes after the allegations of “bad practice” by agents recruiting overseas students. The MAC has recommended the government should establish a mandatory registration system for international recruitment agents, and universities should be required to publish data on their use of agents to “help protect the integrity” of the UK higher education system. The review was launched in March after Cleverly instructed the committee, which gives independent advice to the government, to investigate “any evidence of abuse” of the graduate route, “including the route not being fit for purpose”, and to look at which universities were producing graduates who used the route. Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of UUK, said: “The MAC’s recommendation that the graduate route should remain on its current terms is extremely important and welcome. “The uncertainty caused by the decision to review the visa has been toxic,” she said. “We hope and expect that government now listens to the advice they have been given and provides categorical reassurance that the graduate visa is here to stay.” A government spokesperson said: “We are committed to attracting the best and brightest to study at our world-class universities, whilst preventing abuse of our immigration system, which is why the home secretary commissioned an independent review of the graduate route. “We have already taken decisive action to address unsustainable levels of migration and our plans are working, with a 24% drop in visa applications across key routes in the first three months of this year, compared with the same period last year. “We are considering the review’s findings very closely and we will respond fully in due course.”

There’s no such thing as a free lunch for schools – but bring on the Toynbee Glee Scale for Ofsted | Letters

2024-03-06

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/06/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-free-lunch-for-schools-but-bring-on-the-toynbee-glee-scale-for-ofsted

Jess Hindes says any new government planning to increase free school meals needs to pay for that, Yvonne Williams extols the benefits of further education, and Dr Helen Care suggests implementing a glee scale for schools Polly Toynbee’s suggestions about bringing joy to the education system through increasing the provision of free school meals and breakfast clubs are nice enough (The Tories have sucked the joy from the education system. Here are three ways Labour can bring it back, 29 February). However, none of this will bring any improvement unless a new Labour government does the really essential thing of reimbursing schools the full cost of providing meals. Currently, the government subsidy does not reflect the actual expense; so the requirement to provide free school meals for children in reception, year one and year two, and the associated increase in uptake, has cost schools thousands of pounds a year, which must be taken from elsewhere in budgets already cut to the bone. Extending free school meals to key stage two would double the size of this deficit, or worse: food prices are increasing, as we all know, and catering companies are passing these costs on to schools. If any new government wants children to be fed and educated then they need to pay for the food.Jess Hindes London Polly Toynbee is right to criticise the current limited provision of further education. It should not be the Cinderella of the education system, with lecturers underpaid in relation to their secondary school counterparts and overworked. Students should feel as valued as those embarking on A-levels and degrees, not just for the sake of their self-esteem but because of the enormous contribution that they and their skills will make to public services and commerce over a lifetime. Apprenticeships should not be abandoned simply because the levy has been opportunistically misapplied by some employers. There are school leavers who would benefit from mixing work and training, but their pay is ludicrously mean. Half the minimum wage is poor compensation for the many hours of hard work that they will contribute to their work placements. It leaves them with the belief that they are simply a source of cheap labour, especially if all their pay is swallowed up by transport and food costs. Happiness is partly derived from being nurtured and cared for, but long-term contentment comes from financial independence, the promise of a career and being valued for making a distinctive contribution to society.Yvonne WilliamsRyde, Isle of Wight I just heard myself actually whoop out loud. I was on my own in my office, but I would happily have explained to any curious listeners that I was whooping with delight at Polly Toynbee’s article. Yes – to all of it. Attendance and exam results will follow if young people feel joy. I would like to propose that Ofsted introduces the Toynbee Glee Scale, to rate schools from (4) Dismal, to (3) Mildly interesting, (2) Generally pleasant, and (1) Joyous. Any school marked as 3 or 4 would be sent a crack team of artists, musicians, actors and educators to help them find the fun. Dr Helen CareWoodstock, Oxfordshire Do you have a photograph you’d like to share with Guardian readers? If so, please click here to upload it. A selection will be published in our Readers’ best photographs galleries and in the print edition on Saturdays.

Thousands of schools serving meals that could contain cancer-causing chemicals

2023-09-01

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/sep/02/thousands-of-schools-serving-meals-that-could-contain-cancer-causing-chemicals

Education authorities across England and Wales shown to use meat that has been treated with either nitrites or nitrates Thousands of schools are serving pupils meals that includes meat that has been cured with chemicals shown to increase the risk of cancer. Local education authorities (LEAs) across England and Wales have said that some or all of the schools in their area are using meat that has been treated with either nitrites or nitrates. They are doing so even though there is evidence that both chemicals, which are commonly used as preservatives and to make bacon and ham look pink, can be carcinogenic. Some scientists and politicians are calling for them to be banned in meat production. The disclosure has prompted concern that children and young people are being exposed to “hidden health risks” as a result of eating the food served in school canteens. “These extremely worrying findings make clear that children are being exposed to the potential health risks posed by nitrites from a young age in schools across the country,” said Prof Chris Elliott of Queen’s University Belfast, who is an expert in the role chemicals play in food production. In response to freedom of information (FoI) requests, 21 LEAs said all their local schools – more than 2,000 in total – were serving meat that may contain nitrates or nitrites. Another 53 LEAs said that some of their schools were doing so. Only nine of the 173 LEAs surveyed said categorically that none of their schools were using such meat. “These figures suggest that children in a very large number of schools across the country are exposed to unnecessary nitrites, potentially frequently,” said Elliott. “This investigation makes clear that the presence of cancer-causing nitrites in food is ignored by decision-makers, probably to save a few pennies per meal.” However, 85 LEAs – almost half those asked – said that they did not hold information that would allow them to respond to the request, so the picture across the two countries was incomplete. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health Organization’s cancer arm, has been warning since 2015 that processed meat – such as bacon, sausages and hotdogs – could be as carcinogenic as tobacco and asbestos. Earlier this year the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) said that it had concluded after an investigation that the levels of nitrites found in food on the continent “raise a health concern”. Nitrites have been identified as a factor that increases the risk of developing bowel cancer. The disease has been rising among younger adults (under-55s) in the United States – where they made up 20% of cases in 2019, up from 11% in 1995 – and Australia, although there is as yet no data showing a similar trend in the UK. Research published in a leading American medical journal in 2021 predicted that bowel (also known as colorectal) cancer will be the leading cause of death from cancer among 20- to 49-year-olds by 2040. “With rates of bowel cancer in young people the highest on record, the very real danger posed by nitrites is clearer than ever,” said Elliott. He reiterated his demand – which is backed by other scientists and a cross-party group of MPs and peers – for the UK government to ban the use of nitrites in meat processing. A study published in January also linked nitrites to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Lady Ritchie, a Labour peer, said a ban was “well overdue”. “Parents have the right to expect their children are kept safe in schools, and that includes being free from exposure to the risk of cancer or diabetes in the food they eat,” she added. The FoI exercise was undertaken by Finnebrogue, a Northern Irish food firm that launched the UK’s first brand of nitrite-free bacon – Better Naked – in 2018. Jago Pearson, the company’s chief strategy officer, said it welcomed other food producers, including Waitrose, Morrisons and Marks & Spencer, introducing similar products “because this can only help improve the health of the nation”. Despite growing concerns, ministers appear unlikely to ban nitrites or nitrates. Thomas Vincent, the head of chemical safety at the Food Standards Agency, said: “Nitrates and nitrites are important preservatives which hinder the growth of harmful organisms, in particular the bacteria responsible for botulism – which can be life-threatening. “They are regulated as a food additive and have undergone a safety assessment prior to being authorised. The safety of food additives is kept under review.” The Department for Education declined to comment. Nitrates (NO3) and nitrites (NO2) are chemicals that are used widely as preservatives in processed meats. Nitrates are compounds that are found everywhere: in water, plants, soil and even in raw meat. Alone, they are not a health risk. It is the process of adding nitrites to meat, cooking that meat and then ingesting it that triggers a chemical reaction that produces nitrosamines, or N-nitroso compounds. These nitrosamines are carcinogenic. Consumers have become accustomed to bacon and ham that is pink in appearance. Historically, bacon and ham produced without nitrites was grey in appearance and had a shorter shelf life. However, new technologies using natural Mediterranean fruit extracts can help to keep the meat pink and create nitrite-free bacon and ham that has a similar shelf life to the nitrite-cured alternatives. This article was amended on 4 September 2023. An earlier version said rates of bowel cancer among younger adults in the US had risen from 11% in 1995 to 20% in 2019. To clarify, those figures were for the proportion of cases that occurred in younger adults, and that age bracket was defined in the study as under-55s, not under-50s.

Call to shut down Bristol schools’ use of app to ‘monitor’ pupils and families

2023-09-21

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/sep/21/calls-to-shut-down-bristol-schools-use-of-think-family-education-app-pupils-and-families

Exclusive: Think Family Education app gives safeguarding leads easy access to pupils’ and relatives’ contacts with police and child protection Criminal justice and antiracist campaigners have raised concerns over an app being used by schools in Bristol to “monitor and profile” pupils and their families. The app, which is being used by more than 100 schools, gives safeguarding leads quick, easy access to pupils’ and their families’ contacts with police, child protection and welfare services. One of the concerns campaigners have is that the Think Family Education (TFE) app includes analysing which children could be at risk of exposure to criminality, which they argue risks leading to more discrimination against pupils from minority ethnic or working-class backgrounds. Staff using the app have told the criminal justice campaign charity Fair Trials that they keep it secret from parents and carers, and admitted many would be concerned about it if they knew of it. Bristol city council and Avon and Somerset police, who worked together on the system, insist it is in place to protect children, not criminalise them, and deny it is secret, pointing out that information about its existence is publicly available. But Fair Trials said the vast majority of parents would know nothing about the app. Griff Ferris, the charity’s senior legal and policy officer, said: “Schoolchildren should not be monitored, profiled and criminalised by secretive police databases. Surveillance is not safeguarding. “Systems like this uphold existing discrimination against children and families from minoritised ethnic and more deprived backgrounds. This system is expanding the net of surveillance. It should be shut down.” A spokesperson for the antiracist organisation No More Exclusions Bristol said: “Technologies that gather and use information in the name of ‘public safety’ overwhelmingly reproduce racialised ideas of problematic behaviour.” Liz Fekete, the director of the Institute of Race Relations, strongly criticised elements of the app, saying the approach “stigmatises whole families and leaves even primary school children vulnerable to police surveillance and intelligence gathering”. When it was consulted, the Bristol City Youth Council, an elected group of young people, expressed reservations that if the system was not used properly it could lead to “prejudice and judgment”. Systems to collate information about children are used in other parts of England but Bristol city council describes Think Family as “innovative” and a number of local authorities are watching how the app works. On its website, the council says the Think Family database, which the app draws on, includes information from about 50,000 families across the city collected from agencies including social care, police and the Department for Work and Pensions. It says it highlights “vulnerabilities or needs” and uses “targeted analytics” to help identify children at risk of sexual or criminal exploitation. Critics say the reality is that this risks children from minority ethnic or poorer backgrounds being profiled as being involved in gangs or county lines operations. Schools using the TFE app receive alerts about children’s and family members’ contact with police, antisocial behaviour and domestic violence incidents. The system also gives schools access to sensitive personal details about families’ financial situations. School safeguarding leads told Fair Trials that they kept the system secret from children and their families. One said: “They [parents and carers] wouldn’t know about this ... parents will have no kind of sight of it at all ... They just don’t know of its existence.” They described the system as “an early warning process” and admitted: “I think there’s a bit of a risk it getting out there that schools hold this kind of central bank of information.” A spokesperson for Bristol city council said the Think Family database was introduced to counter the trend of agencies working in silos at a time of a “generational squeeze” on public finances. The spokesperson said: “The introduction of the Think Family Education app means that schools … have access to appropriate information in a secure and restricted way to make decisions about how they support children. There are strict controls in place about who can access this information, how they do this and the reasons why.” A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset police said the database gave professionals working with children joined-up information to identify and safeguard those at risk of criminal and sexual exploitation. “The TFE app gives professionals immediate access to this information, helping them to act swiftly on any identified risks.” The spokesperson said neither the app or database assessed the likelihood of an individual to commit a crime. The force said “robust privacy and sharing agreements” had been approved by the Information Commissioner’s Office and development of the system done in collaboration with the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation.

Former Ofsted chief says Ruth Perry inspection was error-free

2024-04-02

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/02/former-ofsted-chief-says-ruth-perry-inspection-was-error-free

Amanda Spielman says agency did not get it wrong in school downgrade that contributed to headteacher’s death Ofsted’s former chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, has refused to concede that her organisation made errors in its handling of the inspection that contributed to the death of the headteacher Ruth Perry. Perry killed herself last year after Caversham primary school, which she had led for more than a decade, was downgraded from Ofsted’s highest grade of outstanding, to inadequate, its lowest. Berkshire’s senior coroner ruled that Perry’s suicide was “contributed to by an Ofsted inspection”, after an inquest heard testimony from colleagues and medical professionals of the mental distress Perry suffered during and after the inspection of the school near Reading. Asked in an interview released on Monday if she thought Ofsted “did exactly the right thing, at the right time” over its Caversham inspection, Spielman said: “I absolutely did what I think was the right thing at a tremendously difficult time, when it would have been very easy to say we got the inspection wrong. I couldn’t do that. I didn’t do that.” Asked why she had apologised to Perry’s family, Spielman said: “We were apologising for the distress that resulted.” The coroner’s report described the inspection as “rude and intimidating”, and concluded: “During and after this inspection, Ruth’s mental health deteriorated significantly.” Perry’s husband, Jonathan, revealed that Ruth feared her career was being “destroyed” by the hostile inspection, and that she felt the lead inspector was a bully. Spielman’s remarks, in an interview with the journalist Rachel Johnson on the podcast Difficult Women, were her first on Perry’s inquest since her term as chief inspector ended in January. Spielman’s successor, Sir Martyn Oliver, gave his “heartfelt condolences” to Perry’s friends and family on his first day in office, and shortly afterwards met with Prof Julia Waters, Perry’s sister, on behalf of her family. Oliver immediately halted Ofsted’s school inspections in order for staff to receive extended training on alleviating the stress put on teachers during their visits. Asked how she felt about leading Ofsted at the time of a “fabulous, much-loved head teacher’s death”, Spielman said: “It was deeply, deeply unpleasant … So you’d see Guardian headlines saying: ‘Ofsted is failing because it’s not supporting schools’ – it’s a bit like saying the driving test agency is failing because it’s not giving people driving lessons.” Reflecting on the criticism that Ofsted attracted after Perry’s death, Spielman said: “Sometimes it’s like a doctor; sometimes the doctor has to give you a difficult diagnosis. And you cannot not be upset by it, however kindly and sympathetically they give it to you. “And it’s the same for Ofsted inspectors. There are times when they have to give people really tough messages. And yet, unless problems are made explicit and acknowledged, the right things can’t happen, to move things on and to get things to the place that they should be for children. So these difficult conversations have to happen.” Spielman added: “The thing I have found people incredibly unwilling to acknowledge and discuss is that there is no possible way that you can ever make everybody perfectly happy and totally protect the interests of children, and make sure that you never have to say anything to an adult that could disappoint or upset them.” The National Education Union’s annual conference, starting on Wednesday, will vote on whether the union should lobby for Ofsted’s abolition. A poll of the NEU’s members found that only 3% regarded Ofsted as reliable and trusted, while 82% thought it should be scrapped. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

Tory ministers were ‘dangerously complacent’ on school safety, says whistleblower

2023-09-03

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/sep/02/ministers-were-dangerously-complacent-on-school-safety-whistleblower-reveals

Senior civil servant says ‘many alerts’ crossed education secretary’s desk, but UK government was more concerned with saving money A senior civil service whistleblower has told the Observer that Tory ministers and their political advisers were “dangerously complacent” about crumbling school buildings constructed with aerated concrete, and that they were more concerned with saving money than improving safety. The source, who worked in the private office of Nadhim Zahawi, the then education secretary, saw regular alerts crossing his desk. He said ministers and special advisers were “trying to get away with spending as little as they could” and hoping to “make do” rather than treating the problem with the urgency it required. The insider, who no longer works in the Department for Education, said he had seen four or five detailed “submissions” from other civil servants to ministers and advisers on the specific issue of “reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete” Raac, in the space of a few months in early 2022. Raac is a lightweight, bubbly form of concrete, usually found in roofs and occasionally walls and floors, and was used in many schools that were built from the 1950s to the 1990s. It looks like standard concrete but is weaker and less durable than the traditional reinforced material. The whistleblowers’ remarks echo a series of emails leaked to the Observer last year in which civil servants said more money was desperately needed from the Treasury to repair dangerous school buildings. On 4 April 2022, officials raised the alarm, warning that some school sites were a “risk to life”. The whistleblower added: “It just wasn’t a priority for the Spads [special advisers] or politicians. There is a good case for being cautious and prudent but the general environment of not funding things and trying to make do – that is where we are after 13 years [of Conservative government].” He also pointed out that the DfE had been able to fund a large extra pay settlement for teachers this year from an underspend in its budget, suggesting there had been money available to do more on school rebuilding had the issue been a top priority. On Thursday, with only days to go before children return to their classrooms after the summer holidays, the government ordered more than 100 schools to either shut buildings that were constructed with Raac, or cordon off parts of them. The DfE refused to say how many schools had been closed completely although the number is understood to be about two dozen. Officials said the emergency measures were due to “a small number of cases where Raac had failed with no warning”. One of these is believed to have occurred last week. Hundreds of specialist surveyors are now being sent out to schools known to be have been constructed to varying degrees with Raac to assess their safety, meaning inevitable disruption for pupils and staff, who in some case are being moved to temporary accommodation. Labour is aiming to pin responsibility for spending cuts to the school rebuilding programme on Rishi Sunak after new analysis from the party showed that, since he was appointed chancellor in February 2020, the government’s total spending on the programme had been cut by a cumulative £869m. The leaked emails published last year by this newspaper suggested that the Treasury was blocking more funds for school rebuilding. Labour’s analysis reveals that spending on school rebuilding in 2019-20 was £765m, but after Sunak became chancellor this dropped to £560m in 2020-21 and as little as £416m in 2021-22, a fall of 41% overall. Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, told the Observer in an interview that it was “incredible” that the government had not heeded warnings and had refused to publish a detailed list of schools in danger. “Labour warned time and again about the risks posed by the crumbling schools estate under the Conservatives but were met with complacency, obstinacy and inaction. “Ministers need to come clean about the number of schools affected, what they knew, and when they knew, about the risks posed by Raac so that parents can be reassured their children are safe at school.” Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Labour is planning to force a Commons vote this week to compel the government to reveal information about what it knew about the use of Raac and the dangers it posed. The party plans to put forward a “humble address” – an arcane parliamentary mechanism sometimes used to demand papers from government departments – to force the publication of a list of affected schools. As parliament returns from its summer recess, Opinium’s latest poll for the Observer has Labour leading by 14 points with 42% of the vote share (+1 compared with a fortnight ago). The Conservatives are on 28% (+2). The Liberal Democrats are on 9% (-2), Reform UK is on 8% (-1) and the Green party is also on 8% (+1). Sunak will be disappointed to see that his approval rating has not seen any recovery during the summer, despite a series of announcements on immigration and schools, which have been dogged with problems such as the concrete crisis. The prime minister’s rating has fallen two percentage points in the past two weeks to -25% net (24% approve, 49% disapprove). The Labour leader Keir Starmer’s approval rating is -7% net (28% approve, 35% disapprove). Similarly, views on who would make the best prime minister have also remained stable – Starmer now leads with 27% choosing the Labour leader, versus 23% who told pollsters they would pick Sunak. A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Professional advice from technical experts on RAAC has evolved over time and the issue of managing its risks - across all sectors - has spanned successive governments since 1994. “The Department has been supporting those responsible for the maintenance of schools, such as Local Authorities and Multi-Academy Trusts to identify and mitigate against the safety risks posed by RAAC panels since 2018. “In 2022, the Department went even further, and launched a questionnaire and survey programme, to ensure we had a good understanding of the prevalence of RAAC and that appropriate mitigations were in place. This is the most proactive approach to RAAC in schools of any Government in the world or indeed the UK.

Must try harder: a report on Britain’s prep schools, 1965

2023-04-02

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/apr/02/from-the-observer-archive-a-report-on-britains-prep-schools-1965

The Observer Magazine of 24 January 1965 took a look at private primary schools (‘Report on our prep schools’). ‘All except the best and strongest of them feel vulnerable,’ wrote Paul Ferris. ‘They suspect that politicians see them as the soft underbelly of the private system.’ The fear was that the public schools – the only reason for their existence – would, if pressed politically, abandon them, and ‘settle for state-educated children’. ‘Many prep schools are in and around London. They’re day schools occupying converted Victorian buildings, some of them are moderately good, others are well below state-school standard in everything but snob-appeal,’ concluded the writer. Even the smarter schools were on edge. ‘If you’ve got an axe to grind,’ warned one Birmingham headmaster, putting the grind into Gradgrind, ‘I’ll grind it afterwards by correspondence, and I guarantee I’ll grind you up.’ A number of snobbish prep-school masters had only contempt for state schools – and sometimes, you feel, for state people, too, wrote Ferris. ‘R---- on a Saturday afternoon is hell,’ said one senior master referring to the nearest town. ‘Awful-looking people, far too much money. Half of them can’t read or write. Half the time you don’t know if they’re male or female – the only way is to take their trousers off.’ One master said the pupils used their nicknames. ‘In a way it’s a sign that a boy has finally made it when he plucks up courage to call you by your nickname,’ argued one. ‘Mine’s Beakie, because of my long nose.’ Some of the bad prep schools were indifferent to arranging for boys to see films, plays or paintings. ‘We can’t risk infection,’ was the standard excuse, as it seemed it was with sex education. ‘I’m against it,’ said one headmaster. ‘It might put ideas into the younger boys’ heads.’ Or… educate them?

Republicans’ classroom gagging bills are ‘attack on education’, report says

2022-08-17

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/aug/17/republican-schools-gag-bill-lgbtq-race-speech-teachers

PEN America says ‘educational gag orders’ have increased 250% since 2021 with focus on race and LGBTQ+ issues Republicans have mounted an “attack on education” in 2022, according to a report, as lawmakers have introduced a soaring number of bills aimed at limiting classroom discussion of race and LGBTQ+ issues. The number of “educational gag orders” introduced has increased by 250% compared with 2021, according to PEN America, a non-profit organization that works to protect freedom of expression in the US, as Republican legislators have sought to censor discussion of race and LGBTQ+ issues from the classroom. According to PEN, 137 of the gag orders, which it defines as “state legislative efforts to restrict teaching about topics such as race, gender, American history, and LGBTQ+ identities in K–12 and higher education”, have been introduced in 36 states so far this year. In 2021 the organization recorded 54 gag order bills in 22 states. “It’s unquestionable that things have got worse,” said Jeremy Young, PEN’s senior manager, free expression and education. “Attacks on education, on educators, have got more coordinated and more dangerous. Escalation is the word that defines what we’re seeing. This is a series of increasingly vitriolic and dangerous attacks on teachers, educators and the educational system.” PEN found that gender identity has been an increasing focus of conservative lawmakers. From the beginning of January this year through to mid-August, 23 bills have been introduced which would limit how teachers can discuss gender identity. There is also an increased focus on punishments for discussing banned topics, with severe fines proposed for schools, universities and teachers themselves. Young said a main reason for the rise in legislation is a “bandwagon effect”. A minority of the 137 educational gag order bills have been passed into law. But the backdrop of conservatives jostling for classroom censorship, and the threat of potential punishment at some point in the future can still serve as a looming threat for teachers and school administrators. “There is some evidence that attacks on public education have resonated particularly with conservative voters,” Young said. “So now, instead of attacks on public education simply being the province of people who have always fought public education for social reasons, cultural reasons, or because they support private schools or homeschooling, now there is this bandwagon effect where just about every conservative legislator feels some pressure to support or propose or vote for these bills.” The bills, introduced by conservative lawmakers, hardly represent public demand. More than 70% of parents are satisfied with the education their children receive, according to a 2021 Gallup poll. Earlier this year a NPR survey found that fewer than 20% of parents are dissatisfied with the way their children are taught about gender and sexuality, and race. Missouri has had the most gagging bills in 2022, but Florida has had more success in passing legislation, Young said. In March, Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, signed a bill dubbed “don’t say gay” into law. The heavily criticized legislation restricts instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, while the state also passed a law which places restrictions on discussion of race and racism. Separately, DeSantis signed a law in May which orders that students must receive at least 45 minutes’ instruction every November about the “victims of communism”. Young said the legislation is often characterized by the banning of vague concepts, rather than providing specifics about what teachers can and cannot say and teach. Florida’s don’t say gay bill, for example, reads in part: “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Classroom instruction is not defined, and as the New York Times noted, it could mean “eliminating books in the classroom with LGBTQ+ characters or historical figures”. Similarly, no guidance is given on what “classroom discussion” actually means, and could be interpreted by teachers to mean, as the Times put it: “A student with gay parents should not talk about those families with the entire class.” “The vagueness is the point,” Young said. “Because the vaguer the bills are, the more self-censorship is going to go on, the more afraid teachers will be, and the more afraid administrators will be. “So it is absolutely by design – it is the plan to get teachers and administrators on the defensive, to get them on their toes, to make it so that they don’t go anywhere near potentially prohibited concepts.”

Thousands fewer students in England awarded top A-level grades

2023-08-17

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/17/a-level-results-in-england-show-biggest-drop-on-record

Education secretary Gillian Keegan accused of ‘adding insult to injury’ for remarks about significance of exam results Thousands of students in England have missed out on top marks in their A-levels as results plummeted across the board after the government enforced a reversal of pandemic-era grade inflation. The sharp fall in As and A*s came as the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, was accused of “adding insult to injury” for suggesting no one would be interested in pupils’ exam results 10 years after the event anyway. Five thousand fewer students in England gained three A* grades than in 2022, while the proportion of top A*-A grades shrank from 35.9% to 26.5% within a year, with 67,000 fewer awarded this year. The proportion of A* grades awarded in England was 8.6% – a steep fall on the 14.5% awarded last year and but still above the 7.7% awarded in 2019. The proportion of A* and A grades combined were also higher than in 2019, by 0.7 percentage points. Headteachers said they were alarmed to see that in some cases grading was even more stringent than the last set of A-level exams taken before the pandemic, with the proportion of A*-C grades this year lower than those awarded in 2019 because of a sharp increase in the number of lowest grades. For the first time, more than one in 10 entries in England were awarded an E or U (unclassified) – a 10% increase on such grades in 2019. The increase is likely to be the result of more students taking A-levels based on their GCSE results awarded by teacher assessment when exams were cancelled in 2021. England’s results also showed a large gap in top grades compared with Wales and Northern Ireland, where regulators have taken into account the long-term impact of the pandemic through more generous grading. Northern Ireland awarded A*-A grades to 37.5% of its A-level entries, while Wales awarded 34% – in stark contrast to the 26.5% in England. As school-leavers opened the results they had worked towards for two years, Keegan said those who didn’t receive their expected grades “shouldn’t be disappointed”, adding: “They won’t ask you anything about your A-level grades in 10 years’ time. They will ask you about other things you have done since then, what you have done in the workplace, what you did at university. “And then, after a period of time, they don’t even ask you what you did at university.” Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, responded that Keegan’s remarks were “downright rude” and that she needed to apologise. “This is a nerve-racking day for young people who’ve worked incredibly hard. The last thing that they need is the secretary of state offering comments like that. “It really does add insult to injury coming from a government that completely failed to put in place the kind of support that our young people needed,” Phillipson said. Keegan later qualified her remarks, saying: “It is true; it is just real. It’s an important step to get to your next destination, but when you’re a couple of destinations further on there’ll be other things that they look at.” Jo Saxton, the head of Ofqual, the exam regulator for England, defended the fall in grades, saying: “There are no surprises here and the changes in grading that we’re seeing are very similar to the changes that we saw last year. And these results are above those of 2019 so these students have absolutely had the protection that they deserve, given everything they went through.” But Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said this year’s set of students should be proud of what they achieved. “Whatever the rationale, however, it will feel like a bruising experience for many students, as well as schools and colleges which will have seen a sharp dip in top grades compared to the past three years,” he said. Ucas, the university admissions organisation, said 79% of UK school-leavers qualified for their first choice of undergraduate course starting in autumn – slightly below the 81% who did so last year but higher than the 74% who got their first choice in 2019. About 60,000 students entered clearing in the hunt for university courses. Jeremy Miles, Wales’s minister for education, said there was no evidence the differences in approach between England’s grading and the rest of the UK was creating difficulties. “What’s been happening behind the scenes is that the exam regulators have been working closely together, and with universities, so that everyone understands the approaches being taken in the four countries, and I don’t think we have any evidence that is causing issues,” he said. Independent and grammar schools had the largest drop in top grades compared with last year but both received more top grades than in 2019. Forty-seven per cent of entries from independent schools received A* or A grades, as did 39% of entries from grammar schools in England. There were also sharp regional disparities. While London and south-east England recorded a greater proportion of top grades compared with 2019, there was a fall in the north-east of England, and in the Yorkshire and Humber regions. There was an 8 percentage point gap between students getting A*-A grades in south-east England and those in the north-east – wider than the 5 percentage point gap in 2019. Chris Zarraga, director of Schools North East, said: “If these challenges across different stages are not addressed, we risk this year’s gaps and inequalities becoming the norm.” Mathematics remained the most popular subject, while economics replaced geography in the top 10, with more than 39,000 students taking the subject. English literature went up in popularity, after two years of declining entries, while computing recorded the highest increase with 16% more entries this year. The second cohort taking the new vocational qualification, T-levels, also received their results, with a third of the students who enrolled dropping out before the end of the two-year course. Of the 3,119 students who received results, 90% achieved at least a pass and 22% earned a distinction or better. This article was amended on 18 August 2023. An earlier subheading incorrectly described Gillian Keegan as the health secretary.

Experts divided over implications of prayer ban ruling at London school

2024-04-17

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/17/experts-divided-over-implications-of-prayer-ban-ruling-at-london-school

Some say more schools may ban organised prayer after court ruling but others say judgment was based on unique circumstances The ruling on a prayer ban at a top London school has created a “classic English policy muddle” that has divided school leaders over its implications, with some experts predicting that more schools could ban organised prayers as a result. The warning came after a high court judge upheld the ban at Michaela community school in Brent, north-west London, dismissing a challenge by a Muslim pupil who claimed it was discriminatory and breached her right to religious freedom. The Muslim Council of Britain, commenting for the first time, called on the school to reconsider the policy, warning that it “sets a dangerous precedent for religious freedom in this country as it does for the future of inclusivity in our educational institutions”. Colin Diamond, a professor of educational leadership at Birmingham University, said: “I think we are in a classic English education policy muddle now and it will take some thinking through, not least at the Department for Education.” He said he was surprised by the ruling as there was “no such thing as a secular school” in England, with state schools still legally required to provide a daily act of collective worship that is “broadly Christian”. Prakash Shah, a reader in culture and law at Queen Mary, University of London, said the judgment could encourage other schools to introduce a similar ban. He said it was significant that the judge ruled the prayer ban did not interfere with the pupil’s freedom to manifest her religious beliefs. “The court could have easily said that there was an interference but that it was justified,” Prakash said. “This judgment sets a somewhat higher bar to future claimants who would have to establish both that there was interference and that it was not justified. So some reading the judgment might well conclude that a prayer ban is more likely to be within the law. This could therefore encourage headteachers and/or governing bodies to decide to effect such a prayer ban.” Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, disagreed. “This judgment was on a very particular set of circumstances and turned on the school’s existing policies and ethos, its physical environment, and its community, so it is very hard to see that other schools would be in comparable circumstances,” Cruddas said. “Schools and trusts will have existing policies on their approach to prayer that reflect their settings and we believe it is unlikely they would change these as a direct result of this case.” The Church of England’s chief education officer, Nigel Genders, agreed that the case related to the day-to-day decisions of a particular school in its own circumstances. “We do not believe this judgment challenges the principle of freedom of religion or belief, or indeed collective worship in schools, which we strongly support,” he said. Reza Gholami, a professor of sociology of education at the University of Birmingham, said the prayer ban was part of a political pattern of education policymakers and leaders using ideas of Muslim extremism as a “shock tactic” to make Muslim pupils seem “alien and segregationist”. “There may well be legitimate concerns about the specific ways in which certain groups want to practise their religion or culture, but schools – as key institutions in a liberal democracy – should enter into deliberation and negotiation with the communities they represent … and not issue blanket bans citing fears of Muslim extremism and a greater allegiance to ‘our country’,” he said. The DfE’s behaviour adviser, Tom Bennett, said the “unique history” of religion and schools in the UK had resulted in “an often ambiguous set of principles and laws guiding how religion is taught and expressed in schools”. He said: “So I welcome – and think heads will welcome – any clarity on this area, and the precedent this provides to guide the way they want to build their school cultures, with or without provision for the multiple ways in which faith can be expressed.” A recent report by Ofsted found that religious education in schools in England was often “limited and of a poor quality”, leaving many pupils with only a superficial or misleading understanding. In one example given by Ofsted, “when asked to give three reasons why God sent Jesus into the world, one pupil wrote: ‘To be king, be kind and pick up litter.’” Ofsted’s report concluded that the government “should urgently update guidance for schools about its statutory expectations for RE”.

Teachers in England and Wales could strike again in September, says NEU chief

2024-04-03

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/03/teachers-england-could-strike-again-september-neu-daniel-kebede

Daniel Kebede warns of ‘growing frustration’ within profession as UK heads towards a general election Teachers in England and Wales could strike again as early as September, according to the head of the UK’s largest education union, who warned of “growing frustration” within the profession as the country heads towards a general election. Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, said further strikes were still on the table after nearly 150,000 teachers voted for industrial action in an indicative ballot, the results of which were published last week. Speaking to the media before a debate on pay at the NEU’s annual conference in Bournemouth, Kebede said education was in a “polycrisis” and urged the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, to “listen deeply” to avoid ending up on a collision course. Kebede, who is attending his first conference as general secretary, did not mince his words, accusing the government of “burning down the house” as it prepared to leave power and describing a recent meeting with Keegan as “absolutely abysmal”. He was due to address delegates in a private session on Wednesday to give them full details of the preliminary ballot results, in which 90.3% of voting members in England said they supported strike action, with a turnout of just above the legal threshold of 50%, before a full debate on Thursday. An emergency motion, which will go before conference, falls short of calling for a formal ballot for strike action, focusing instead on building a campaign for a fully funded above-inflation pay rise. However, there are likely to be amendments. “Should conference commit us to a formal ballot, I will absolutely be fighting for that and putting all efforts into that campaign,” said Kebede. Last year, members took part in a series of strikes, causing widespread disruption, which were finally called off after the government made an improved pay offer of 6.5%. The motion before conference this year contains a warning for both Conservatives and Labour: “Conference believes the strongest use of the ballot at this moment is to serve notice on Rishi Sunak – and Keir Starmer – that members are prepared to act industrially if they fail to deliver. “Conference understands that Labour will likely form the next government. Whilst we will be able to work with a Labour government on some policy areas, we will need to campaign against them on others.” Whatever the outcome at conference, the union leadership can decide to call a formal ballot for strike action at a later date. “The priority is that we win on the issue of pay and funding. The campaign will remain and industrial action will remain a tactic that could be deployed to win on the issue,” said Kebede. Asked about the potential turnout in any formal ballot, Kebede said: “We have to absolutely consider the amount of work it would take to get through this government’s anti-democratic threshold in the context of a formal ballot. I don’t think, however, the mood is declining. I think, if anything, there’s becoming more and more frustration amongst the profession. They are realising this government is burning down the house as they leave government.” Asked what the earliest date for future strikes might be, he said: “My view is, if there’s a decision to go for a formal ballot, we should conduct that over a fairly significant period of time, looking to take action in September.” Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion In February, the Department for Education published its submission to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), the independent group that advises on teachers’ pay. Rather than specifying a percentage pay increase, the education secretary asked the STRB to make its recommendation “more sustainable” for school budgets, which has been taken to mean 1%-2%. Kebede said the NEU would be campaigning alongside other unions on cuts and funding. But it could find itself alone if it presses ahead with a formal ballot. Last weekend, delegates at the annual conference of the NASUWT teaching union passed a motion that called for political campaigning to “take priority over industrial action”. A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The independent STRB is currently considering evidence for this year’s pay award. Unions should engage with this process instead of striking before they even know what the pay recommendations are. “Further strike action would cause more disruption to pupils who have already lost over 25m school days due to last year’s industrial action. Overall school funding is rising to over £60bn in 2024/25, its highest ever level in real terms per pupil – and teachers have already benefited from two historic pay awards totalling over 12% in just two years.” A Welsh government spokesperson said: “The UK government’s austerity agenda places significant pressure on all budgets. As a result, the budget for 2024-25 is now worth £700m less in real terms than when it was set in 2021, and meeting the cost of the teachers’ pay award should be considered in this context. “We recognise NEU Cymru’s concerns and will continue to work and engage with them as part of the social partnership approach here in Wales.”

Paying a heavy price for grammar school | Brief letters

2023-06-26

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jun/26/paying-a-heavy-price-for-grammar-school

Private v state education | In praise of aprons | Exit music | Tipple bypass The assertion that “the rest of us” are subsidising private school education is incorrect (Private schools are on the offensive because Labour looms – and their privileges are under threat, 21 June). I pay a stinging annual amount to send my daughter to a local grammar school, and also a stinging amount of tax, part of which is ostensibly for her state education. Since we’re paying the tax, but not consuming the resources, it is “we” who already subsidise the state sector.Peter AndersonLeeds On doing less laundry (The no wash movement, 20 June), can I recommend the use of the humble apron? When I was a teenager I regularly found my nan and great-nan wearing aprons or “housecoats” (a very thin, buttoned-up coat). These were kept on until all the housework and gardening was finished, and would be used again when cooking. So clothing stayed cleaner for longer. I am a late adopter of the apron, but now own several to keep my clothes clean when doing tasks.Elaine HarrisDursley, Gloucestershire Re funeral songs (Letters, 25 June), as usual, Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields has the perfect song. I commend to you the one minute and nine seconds of The Dead Only Quickly. If you don’t like Stephin’s gloomy baritone, there’s always the cover by the Divine Comedy, which is six seconds shorter.Mark Ynys-MonGlasgow My country-loving cousin chose Hank Williams singing I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive to be played as the crematorium curtains closed on his coffin.Marilyn RowleyDidsbury, Greater Manchester Re your article (Heart monitors on shopping trolleys ‘could identify people at risk of stroke’, 24 June), perhaps a better way to prevent cardiovascular disease would be a shopping trolley handle that becomes very, very sticky when going down the alcohol aisle. Dr Jon FentonRochester, Kent Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.

Jon Nixon obituary

2023-11-12

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/nov/12/jon-nixon-obituary

My husband, Jon Nixon, who has died aged 72 from sepsis and pneumonia, was a university professor, mentor and author. During a distinguished teaching career, he touched many lives. Jon began his career in the early 1970s as an English teacher at a school in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, before becoming head of drama at Woodberry Down comprehensive school in north London (1975-81). From 1981 onwards, he held research, professorial, visiting and honorary positions at the universities of Canterbury Christ Church, Stirling, Sheffield, Liverpool Hope and Middlesex, and the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the Education University of Hong Kong. He wrote widely on education as a public good, and on ideas that took in friendship (Hannah Arendt and the Politics of Friendship, 2015), political action and intercultural thinking (Rosa Luxemburg and the Struggle for Democratic Renewal, 2018), and narratives of memory. His writing and his academic career encompassed drama, education, social and political theory, literary analysis, and cultural and intellectual history. Curious about people and ideas, he loved to talk. Colleagues remember him as generous in spirit and a kind mentor, with an extraordinary skill in shedding light on all the delicate shades and nuances of artists, writers and thinkers. After his retirement in 2010, Jon visited Hong Kong periodically to give lectures and attend conferences at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, and to work with colleagues on various publications. He also taught at summer schools in Copenhagen for three consecutive years, and spent short periods in Uppsala, Helsinki, Vienna and Strasbourg, speaking at conferences and teaching on courses. Jon and I met in Kendal at an art exhibition in 2006 and were married two years later. In 2007 he moved to Cumbria and loved going for a daily walk by the river in Kendal, looking for otters and herons, and the return of the swallows, enjoying conversations with those he met on his way, before returning home to write. Born in Pocklington, east Yorkshire, to Rhoda (nee Dent), a renowned Methodist speaker in her youth, and Ernald, a Methodist minister, Jon attended Queen Elizabeth school in Kirkby Lonsdale, and won a scholarship to study English at Pembroke College, Oxford, where he directed and acted in plays. Jon is survived by me, his children, Hannah, Ben and Isaac, from his marriage to Elizabeth O’Brien, which ended in divorce, his stepchildren, Jonathan, Amy and Jessica, from my previous marriage, his grandchildren, Kofi and Arlen, and his sister, Judith.

Jeremy Hunt under fire after Treasury says no new cash to fix Raac in schools

2023-09-03

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/sep/03/jeremy-hunt-under-fire-after-treasury-says-no-new-cash-to-fix-raac-in-schools

Chancellor had pledged to ‘spend what ever it takes’ on concrete crisis but repair costs will come from existing education budget Jeremy Hunt has been accused of abandoning children disrupted by the concrete crisis in schools after the government admitted there will be no extra cash for the education budget to cover repair costs and closures. As dozens of schools shut buildings for weeks and prepare to evacuate children to other sites as the new term begins, Whitehall sources said additional costs for headteachers – such as transport to alternative schools and catering – will not be covered by central government. The deepening row over the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in schools, which is threatening to dominate parliament this week, comes after the chancellor said the government would “spend what it takes” to deal with the crisis. Hunt told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that he would not speculate on the potential cost of fixing the problem, but said: “We will spend what it takes to make sure children can go to school safely, yes.” But hours later, Treasury sources briefed that any such funding will come from the Department for Education’s existing budget for buildings – and not from additional funds. Whitehall sources said schools, academies and local authorities forced to bus their pupils to alternative sites will not be given extra cash either. The briefings have prompted Labour, union leaders and a senior Conservative to demand clarity from ministers about who will pay for the fallout from the Raac crisis. Priti Patel, the Tory former home secretary who has five schools with Raac facing closures in her Essex constituency of Witham, said the government should offer money to help schools struggling with the crisis. “Many of the affected schools are maintained local authority schools and single academy trusts which cannot afford the costs of repairs,” she told the Guardian. “It is also unrealistic to place the funding burden on local councils which are already feeling the brunt of national policy costs.” Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said it was “essential that all costs are covered by government, not this halfway house where school leaders are uncertain and unable to trust government guidance as to what costs will be incurred by their school”. Mike Short, head of education for Unison, said: “When the chancellor promises he’ll do ‘whatever it takes’, he must do just that. Offering nothing extra is totally at odds with his own pledge.” Research published by the House of Commons library found that between 2009-10 and 2021-22, the DfE’s capital spending budget fell by about 50% in real terms. Furthermore, the Raac crisis has been compounded by the longstanding problem of asbestos in school buildings. Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, said the crisis stemmed from the Conservatives’ decision in 2010 to axe the Building Schools for the Future programme – the investment strategy introduced under Tony Blair – and what she described as repeated raids on education capital budgets. “Using already-allocated money to just make safe school buildings with Raac is funnelling money away from other necessary work to upgrade schools and remove dangerous asbestos, storing up problems for the future,” she said. Hundreds of specialist surveyors are being sent to schools known to be have been constructed to varying degrees with Raac to assess their safety from Monday. More than 150 schools were told last week – days before they were due to reopen – that they would have to close buildings containing the material. According to a National Audit Office (NAO) report published in June, the DfE has identified 572 schools that may contain the material. But hundreds of schools are yet to reply to the DfE’s request for information on their buildings. Last year the Office of Government Property issued a notice that stated: “Visually, Raac planks may look the same as precast concrete, and may be hidden above false ceilings.” Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, a chartered surveyor and a Tory member of parliament’s public accounts committee – which has examined the crumbling concrete crisis – said it will take the government until the end of this year to examine every school for Raac. “As a matter of urgency, we should ensure that the remaining schools are surveyed, which I understand will take until the end of the year,” he said. “Everything can look fine one day and then a roof collapses the next day. This must be our priority.” Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Dozens of schools are preparing evacuation plans for pupils to other schools or to portable classrooms, leading to disruption for pupils and staff, who will have to be transported by coach or minibus. The DfE has told schools and school trusts the department will pay for remedial costs, propping and portable classrooms for schools. However, Whitehall sources said the DfE will not pay for additional transport costs while another source said the government will not pay for additional catering costs. A DfE source confirmed on Sunday evening that additional transport costs will not be supported by central funds, but added that the department “will work with schools to review funding on a case-by-case basis”. Schools should speak to their school catering team or provider about the best arrangements for providing school meals for pupils in this situation, the DfE source said. Lydia Hyde, a Labour councillor from Southend, Essex, said additional costs will be a crucial issue in her ward for Kingsdown school, a special educational needs centre for children with complex needs including cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome and autism. The school is preparing to send dozens of pupils to alternative sites but should not be asked by Hunt to pay from existing funds, she said. “The chancellor cannot say he is going to pay whatever is needed and then it turns out that there are these hidden extras,” she said. “The government cannot rely on schools with very little money to pay to transport these children and not help out.” Engineers have warned that Raac, which was used by builders between the 1950s and 1980s and is often described as “Aero bar” concrete, can become unstable when it exceeds its 30-year lifespan. Phil Purnell, professor of materials and structures at the University of Leeds, said Raac “planks” were reinforced with steel bars and dipped in a coating such as bitumen to prevent water getting in. “When this coating goes because it’s not maintained, the plank starts to crack. We have known about the issues of longevity and collapse since about 1992,” Purnell said. Unlike normal concrete or timber, Raac can fail “with very little warning”, Purnell added. As parliament returns, Labour plans to put forward a humble address – an arcane parliamentary mechanism sometimes used to demand papers from government departments – to force the publication of a list of affected schools. The government has so far declined to publish it.

Bob Cowen obituary

2023-07-25

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jul/25/bob-cowen-obituary

My friend and colleague Bob Cowen, who has died aged 84 following a heart attack, was emeritus professor of comparative education at the Institute of Education, University College London. He became a leading light in the development of this particular field of study, in which social science is used to analyse and compare educational systems and explore how they relate to wider social and global factors. Bob helped to shift comparative research away from describing similarities and differences towards a focus on the “transfer, translation and transformation” of educational ideas and policies, and how educational systems navigate global influences. Thus he promoted comparative education as an area of academic inquiry, in an era when many were drawn to the rewards of consultancy work and advising policymakers, and ensured that the Institute of Education was seen globally as an institution leading the field. From 1991 he was a member of the editorial board of the journal Comparative Education. He was also a leading member of the Comparative Education Society of Europe (CESE), and served as its president and vice president. Bob was born in Darlington, County Durham, the son of Joseph Cowen, who was then in the army and later ran a farm, and Margaret (nee Minto), a teacher. He went to Queen Elizabeth grammar school and did his first degree in economics at the London School of Economics. He then trained as a teacher at Trinity College, Dublin, and taught social sciences at a secondary school in East Ham, London, while undertaking postgraduate study at the Institute of Education. From 1971 to 1975 he was an assistant professor at the University at Buffalo, New York, before joining IOE in 1976. He rose from lecturer in comparative education, to senior lecturer, reader and professor. He retired in 2004, but as emeritus professor continued to research, write, supervise and teach. Bob’s priority in all his professional roles was the next generation. In a talk to students in Cyprus last year he was asked about the future of comparative education. He replied, “I will die a happy man if I have helped to leave the field in safe hands.” He was an insightful teacher who demanded rigour but he was also kind, supportive and possessed a wicked sense of humour. He continued to encourage, inspire and support many of his former students, and later friends, long after they graduated. He was living in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, at the time of his death, having moved there in 2019. He went initially for a short trip but the Covid-19 pandemic prevented his return. Bob is survived by his second wife, Maria (nee de Figueiredo), whom he met at IOE and married in the 1980s; and by two children, Paul and Maura, from his first marriage, to Olive.

Let’s rekindle the spirit of 1924: lifelong learning for all | Letters

2024-01-29

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/29/lets-rekindle-the-spirit-of-1924-lifelong-learning-for-all

John Holford reflects on the funding for adult education enabled by the first Labour government a century ago, and hopes for something similar today. Plus letters from Ian Barge, Jennifer Basannavar and Jenny Braithwaite Jonathan Michie is, as usual, spot-on in arguing for universities to provide adult education. Whether by accident or design, his letter appeared in your print edition on the centenary of the formation of the first Labour government, 22 January. This matters. It was Sir Charles Trevelyan, president of the Board of Education in Ramsay MacDonald’s administration, who brought the Board of Education (Adult Education) Regulations 1924 on to the statute book. These enabled universities and voluntary organisations to be properly funded to provide liberal adult education for all – a system that enriched the nation and its democracy until Margaret Thatcher unleashed her wrecking ball. The 1924 regulations were achieved by a short-lived minority government. Sir Keir Starmer hopes shortly to begin a rather longer term in office, with a solid majority. Let us hope that Sir Keir and his ministers, like MacDonald and Trevelyan, will see the need to create a system of lifelong adult education in what RH Tawney called “a broad and generous, humane and liberal spirit”. Siren voices will tell them we cannot afford it: the economy is in a bad way. So it was in 1924.John HolfordRobert Peers professor of adult education emeritus, University of Nottingham I echo Prof Jonathan Michie’s lament for the erosion of lifelong learning opportunities since, significantly, 2010. I was privileged to help pioneer and teach on an access programme at our local sixth-form college. This enabled adults with no entry qualifications, sometimes disenchanted by previous educational experience, to reach university entry level in a single year. Their motivation was an inspiration to tutors and conventional sixth-formers alike – opening what Aldous Huxley might have called “the gates of perception”. Access courses in this and many other further education colleges were cauterised under the Tory/Lib Dem coalition. Refunding them would surely help fire and inspire a vital feature of any egalitarian society: lifelong yearning.Ian Barge Ludlow, Shropshire Prof Jonathan Michie’s letter prompts me to express my gratitude to University College London for its programme of continuing education. I have been able to attend several courses in the Hebrew and Jewish studies department over the past five years in the company of brilliant young undergraduate and postgraduate students. The fee is £750 per course unit for two terms and there’s even a reduction for senior learners. Classes are small, teaching is superb, and the academic atmosphere is totally inclusive. A call out for Prof François Guesnet and others at UCL for their support of lifelong learning. Oldies like me are so fortunate.Jennifer Basannavar London The University of the Third Age (U3A) offers continuing education to retired people, at minimal or even no cost. A variety of different subjects are covered and vary from branch to branch, with the teachers (quite often retired lecturers) for one group being students at another. Thus, I am learning history and languages, while teaching ukulele.Jenny BraithwaiteFaringdon, Oxfordshire Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.

The unaccountable academy model is failing our schools and students | Letters

2024-03-20

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/20/the-unaccountable-academy-model-is-failing-our-schools-and-students

John Marriott would like to see all state schools returned to local authority control, answerable to their communities. Plus letters from Max Hunt, Timothy McQuay and Colin Richards When the school where I taught for 23 years went “grant-maintained” in the early 1990s, I had an uneasy feeling that it was putting children in charge of the tuck shop (Editorial, 14 March). The Blair government’s conversion of grant-maintained schools into foundation schools, largely independent of the democratically accountable local education authorities (LEAs), and the conversion under subsequent governments of most schools to academies, largely independent of the LEA (unless, of course, they were deemed to be failing), was just another example of casting around for alternative solutions instead of making a perfectly adequate model work properly. It has now ended up with so-called multi-academy trusts, with superheads/CEOs ultimately accountable to central government in what are, to all intents and purposes, privatised LEAs. We need to scrap all such unaccountable organisations and return state schools to LEA control, whose sole purpose should be to provide schools for the local community.John MarriottLincoln Good to see the Guardian calling out the appalling burden being placed on the state education budget by the academy model of school governance. Your editorial says that research shows that an average top slice of 7.4% is taken from school budgets to cover burgeoning central management costs. When Stockport local education authority – which I served as chief education officer – was subject to an Ofsted inspection in 2001, the inspectors reported central management costs of £29 per pupil – something under 2% of the total spend per child. No school had chosen to “opt out” of council control, as they could have done under government policy. The Ofsted report concluded that the council was “a good LEA with few areas of significant weakness” and that its “services for vulnerable pupils are exceptionally consistent in their effectiveness”. Of course, there were no highly paid chief executives remote from school classrooms, and education committee members were accountable to their local electorate.Max Hunt Bewdley, Worcestershire On the question of academies, I was amazed that there is no inspection of academy governing bodies, only the schools within their jurisdiction. I appreciate that the original idea was to get “professionals” on board. However, the opposite seems to have occurred. In my area, the same people, with the same educational views, are sitting on the governing bodies of several schools at the same time. At least with the old system the local authority had some form of representation. The benefits appear to favour the lucky few who run the academy trusts, and not the education of our children.Timothy McQuayHayle, Cornwall As a governor of a community secondary school, I was very anxious about the inspectorate’s feedback at our latest inspection. The governance of our rural school was at stake, and with it the possibility of the school being taken out of the community’s hands and being given over to a distant, undemocratic multi-academy trust out of touch with our parents and students. However, following that feedback, we governors can retain one of our core aspirations – to be the very last community school in England to resist academisation.Prof Colin RichardsSpark Bridge, Cumbria Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.

Pupils in Wales perform only as well as disadvantaged children in England – IFS

2024-03-21

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/21/pupils-wales-disadvantaged-children-england-ifs-study-vaughan-gething

Improving schools is first challenge for new first minister, Vaughan Gething, as IFS study shows lower attainment is not due to poverty Wales’s new first minister, Vaughan Gething, faces a major challenge in improving the country’s schools, after the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that pupils in Wales were performing only as well as disadvantaged children in England. The IFS study follows Wales’s weak performance in the OECD’s most recent Programme for international student assessment (Pisa) standings, in which results in Wales declined by more than in other UK nations and were well below the average across OECD countries. Wales’s lower attainment cannot be explained by higher levels of poverty, according to the IFS, as pupils in areas of England with higher or similar levels of deprivation such as Liverpool or Gateshead achieved “significantly higher” GCSE results than their counterparts in Wales. The IFS said the Pisa results showed the average pupil in Wales performed at the same level as the most disadvantaged children in England, despite education spending per pupil being similar. Luke Sibieta, the author of the IFS study, said: “Faced with this gloomy picture, policymakers should have the courage to make reforms based on solid evidence, such as increasing the emphasis on specific knowledge in the curriculum and making better use of data to shine a spotlight on inequalities throughout the system. Without reform, the picture may worsen.” The IFS urged the Welsh government to revise its recent curriculum changes, which it said emphasised general skills over knowledge, and to pause its planned GCSE changes that would increase the amount of teacher assessment in place of exams, as well as removing biology, physics and chemistry as individual subject options. But a spokesperson for the Welsh government said its GSCE reforms would go ahead and defended its performance, saying that before the Covid pandemic Wales had been the only UK country with improving Pisa results in literacy, numeracy and science. “We recognise that the pandemic has had a detrimental impact on this improvement and have set out clear plans on how we will address this,” the spokesperson said. “The minister for education and welsh language [Jeremy Miles] has been very clear that there is more to do, and recently hosted an education leaders’ summit to reflect on the challenges facing education in Wales. He has also published the annual report on personalised assessments, which includes data on attainment in reading and numeracy in years 2 to 9. “The role of knowledge is at the forefront of our new curriculum and it is wrong to claim otherwise. Having worked with teachers and experts to create a curriculum fit for the modern world, we are pleased to see evaluations showing schools confidently embracing the opportunity to raise the aspirations of all learners.” Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The IFS’s report comes as Conservatives in Westminster have been targeting Wales’s performance under a Labour government in the run-up to the UK general election. Laura Anne Jones, the shadow education minister in the Senedd Cymru, said: “The state of education in Wales is incredibly concerning and this report highlights how badly Labour have got it wrong with their reforms.” Laura Doel, the national secretary at the National Association of Head Teachers Cymru, cautioned against exaggerating the Pisa results, saying: “Schools in Wales are working hard to deliver for their pupils, but this dedication hasn’t been matched by the investment needed, especially on the back of the pandemic and cost of living crisis. “While we support the renewed focus from the Welsh government on numeracy and literacy, schools do not have the time or funding to deliver this in the way they would like to.”

GCSE results show return to pre-Covid levels but also widening inequalities

2023-08-24

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/24/gcse-results-show-return-to-pre-covid-levels-but-also-widening-inequalities

Pandemic’s effects on education were felt more acutely in parts of the north and the Midlands than in London As students receive their GCSE results on Thursday, much of the discussion will focus on the fact that they are significantly lower than last year, but this was very much expected. After the use of teacher- and centre-assessed grades in 2020 and 2021 inflated grades substantially, the qualifications regulator, Ofqual, began a two-year process to return grades to where they had been pre-pandemic. Some students will inevitably be asking if this is fair, given the level of disruption that they have experienced in their education. This is one of those situations in which there was no perfect solution to address the big increases in grades. But we believe the approach adopted to try to return things to normal was ultimately reasonable and pragmatic. Headline figures show the proportion of entries from 16-year-olds in England awarded a grade 4 or above is down from 79% at the peak and 75% last year to 70% today, and the proportion getting the higher grades (grade 7 and above), which peaked at 30% in 2021 and was 27% last year, has fallen to 22% this year. While these percentages sound large, it represents a change in the average GCSE grade change of just one-third across all entries since last year. But the changes in grades this year have not been equal across subjects. Some subjects required bigger drops to return to something like the 2019 distribution. Subjects with smaller numbers of candidates had particularly large rises over 2020 and 2021 and so have seen the largest falls this year. The percentage of candidates receiving top grades (7 and above) in subjects such as computing, music and PE have fallen by about 10 percentage points compared with last year. While grades have returned to normal, the schooling experience of pupils picking up their results today has been anything but. They faced periods of school closure and remote learning while they were in years 8 and 9, and additional disruption has been caused by industrial action over the past year. Pupils in this cohort, along with other older pupils, also appear to have found it difficult to return to school consistently after the pandemic, with significant increases in pupil absence and, most worryingly, persistent absence. Given the return to pre-pandemic distribution of grades is by design, the headline results tell us very little about the impacts these events have had on these pupils’ learning. Results from the national reference tests in English and maths, which are sat by a representative sample of year 11 students, provide a better way of tracking standards over time. While outcomes in English appear to have held up, the results of these tests do appear to show that standards have fallen significantly in maths since the start of the pandemic. This is consistent with our own research, which demonstrated bigger effects of learning loss in maths than in reading. So we should be under no illusion that everything is back to “normal”. The breakdown of results by region is another indicator of the disparities in pupil outcomes. Just over 28% of grades awarded to pupils in London were at grade 7 or above this year, but in the north-east it was just under 18% and these gaps are widening. We cannot yet say whether this is as a direct result of the pandemic, but again our own analysis highlights that the pandemic’s effects on education were felt more acutely in parts of the north and the Midlands than in London, certainly for younger pupils. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion While the grades seen in Thursday’s results represent a return to pre-pandemic times, the environment for schools remains challenging. The pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in pupil outcomes and its effects are still being felt, with the disadvantage gap at its widest in a decade and pupil absences remaining stubbornly high. Narrowing disadvantage gaps should be a firm focus for the years ahead, with greater targeted support needed to counter persistent inequalities. Louis Hodge is associate director of the Education Policy Institute

School absences are a sign the curriculum could be failing children | Letters

2024-03-29

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/29/school-absences-are-a-sign-the-curriculum-could-be-failing-children

Chris Parker calls for an emphasis on the whole child rather than exams and rigid learning, and Simon Gibbs asks whether pupils have lost faith in the system As a retired child psychotherapist, I am only too aware of the impact of mental health issues on school attendance. I was, however, surprised at the emphasis placed on this in your article (Record numbers of pupils in England absent for long periods, DfE data shows, 21 March). It was correct to point out the link between qualifying for free school meals and non-attendance, but both the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders and the shadow schools minister placed an emphasis on mental health as being a key in reducing absences. What was not mentioned was the impact on attendance of the national curriculum and other school pressures. For a number of children, the curriculum is unsuited to their needs and they see it as meaningless. Prior to training as a child psychotherapist, I was a teacher and was very aware of the number of children who stopped attending as they moved into years 10 and 11. The sense was that they were voting with their feet. The article stated that concerns over absence are “prompted by evidence that pupils who are repeatedly absent get lower exam grades”. I wonder if an emphasis on the whole child by the Department for Education, rather than a focus on exams or a rigid curriculum, might reduce non-attendance. There are many committed teachers who would like to see change. Children who are not succeeding in school will generally blame themselves, and perhaps the desire to escape the pressure is unsurprising.Chris ParkerWirksworth, Derbyshire Your report on the rising number of young people who are absent from education for prolonged periods of time will rightly alarm many. However, I wonder if a factor not reported here is worth consideration: that young people may not feel that education is sufficiently relevant or interesting. For them, perhaps, education as it is currently constituted has no value?Simon GibbsEmeritus professor of inclusive educational psychology and philosophy, Newcastle University Do you have a photograph you’d like to share with Guardian readers? If so, please click here to upload it. A selection will be published in our Readers’ best photographs galleries and in the print edition on Saturdays.

Most schools in England facing real-terms cuts since 2010 thanks to Tories, analysis shows

2024-02-24

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/24/schools-england-real-terms-cuts-since-2010-tories

Urgent investment of £12.2bn needed to reverse effects of 14 years of austerity, unions say Almost three-quarters of schools in England are facing real-terms cuts since 2010 due to government funding decisions, analysis from a coalition of education unions has shown. New data released from School Cuts suggests before the spring budget next month that £12.2bn of investment is needed to reverse the cuts 70% of English state-funded schools have faced in the last 14 years under the Conservatives. That would include funding to repair crumbling school buildings and tackle the crisis in special educational needs funding, the unions said. The analysis also showed that real-terms cuts had affected 66% of maintained primary schools and 88% of secondary schools. Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said the effects of 14 years of austerity were plain to see. “We have the largest class sizes in Europe,” he said. “In September, children in more than 100 schools couldn’t start school on time because ceilings were falling in and posing a risk to their lives. “This year, yet again, the government has failed to hit its teacher training recruitment targets for almost all secondary subjects. This neglect of education services has failed an entire generation of children; the government must not fail another. We need to see substantial investment in the upcoming spring budget.” School Cuts is run by the National Education Union, the Association of School and College Leaders and the National Association of Head Teachers, and supported by Parentkind and the National Governance Association. Sam Henson, deputy chief executive of the National Governance Association, urged the government to bring substantial investment to protect high-quality education and meet the needs of vulnerable pupils. He said: “Our members governing in all settings, from MATs [multi-academy trusts] to maintained schools, are telling us that balancing the budget is their biggest governance challenge. The growing difficulty in keeping their schools and trusts financially sustainable, and the impossible choices often required to do so, is causing volunteers huge stress and worry.” Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The School Cuts website lays bare the impact of the government’s underfunding of schools. “The reality is that there are school and college leaders across the country, working from buildings that are no longer fit for purpose and being forced to calculate what extra cuts they are going to have to make in order to balance their budgets. The government must make education a priority at the spring budget, giving schools and colleges the investment they urgently need while addressing the worsening condition of buildings and the growing crisis in special educational needs funding.” Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “The prime minister pledged to make education his main funding priority in every spending review at the last Conservative party conference, but there was no sign of this happening in the subsequent autumn statement. Many schools are struggling to finance the basics, let alone to deal with crumbling buildings and support the growing numbers of children with special educational needs and disabilities. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day’s headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion “It is imperative that this spring budget brings an end to more than a decade of underinvestment in schools and real-terms funding cuts. We need to see a sustained commitment from the government to ensure all schools are equipped with the resources they need to offer all pupils a fulfilling and safe education.” A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Our well-established methodology, confirmed by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, shows that overall school funding is rising to more than £59.6bn next year – the highest ever level in real terms per pupil. “The NEU’s analysis fails to take into account the significant investment into the high needs budget, which will have risen to £10.5bn next year – an increase of over 60% since 2019/20.”

Labour considering graduate-led nurseries to fight inequality

2023-07-03

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jul/03/labour-would-focus-on-early-years-to-close-education-gap-in-england

Exclusive: Bridget Phillipson says early-years education key to improving life chances More graduate teachers would be parachuted into nurseries under plans being considered by Labour to improve education for under-fours, the Guardian has learned. There could also be more nursery places in primary school settings as the opposition works up proposals to drive up standards and formally integrate early years into the English education system. Experts have long argued that nurseries should employ degree-level early years teachers, alongside other staff, to help toddlers develop skills including speech and language before they start primary school. Currently, however, nurseries are struggling to recruit and retain staff, who can receive higher wages in retail jobs, forcing some childcare settings to close. The shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said she wanted to put early years on an equal footing with schools to give children the best start in life in a way that could not be reversed by future Conservative governments, which had “chipped away” at Sure Start. In an interview with the Guardian, she said: “We know that so much is determined for children early on and that you can make the biggest impact in the early years, yet the system we’ve got right now deprioritises so much of what goes on in our early years settings. “We need to raise the standing of the sector, make it part of the education system so that it is regarded with the same parity as our schools. What you achieve in the early years makes such a big difference.” Phillipson, who will introduce Keir Starmer as he launches the last of Labour’s five policy missions on Thursday, said she was “determined to deliver graduate-led nurseries” and more training for childminders with a workforce plan to get more highly trained staff teaching the youngest children. With falling school rolls across many parts of England, including London, and childcare “deserts” in areas such as Cumbria and the south-west, Labour officials are also understood to be looking closely at how they integrate early years education into existing primaries. “In so many communities there just aren’t the places for children, and that’s why we’re setting out plans for how we will allow councils to deliver more childcare places,” she said. There are about 400 state-maintained nurseries in England, all with degree-level leadership and attached to primary schools, and another 1,300 primaries without early years settings on site. There are thousands more private nurseries. Labour has been reluctant to commit to extra spending for education as it attempts to convince voters that it can be fiscally responsible ahead of the next election. However, Phillipson hinted that a Labour government would focus on early years as the economy recovers. “When I visit secondary schools, headteachers tell me: if you have any more money to spend, please go and spend it on the early years, because by the time children arrive at my door, so much has already been determined and we do our best but it’s really hard,” she said. “We need to start earlier and have a focus on early years because by the time children arrive at school that gap has already started to widen.” Phillipson denied that the chancellor had stolen a march on childcare in the budget when he announced a £4bn expansion of free childcare for all preschool children from 2025. “Jeremy Hunt didn’t shoot our fox at all. In fact, he’s given us a better baseline from which to build a better system,” she said. Education faced “enormous pressures” that would take time – and money that Labour was unable to commit – to address, she said. But she would have a “clear plan” coming into office. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion “I’ve got to be upfront about the fact that as education secretary I won’t be able to fix that overnight – it will take time. But if we win the election, we can hit the ground running and make changes straight away. Teachers and parents will see a difference.” With two days of school strikes planned for this week, Phillipson said she would “rather they didn’t go ahead” as children would miss out on more time at school, but said the responsibility lay with the government rather than teachers. She refused to commit Labour to pay rises for teachers, saying only that in the government’s position she would sit down and negotiate. However, she said the real-terms pay cuts of the last decade were “not the situation” under Labour and that she would love to commit to more support for teachers as she “knows how hard they work”. Phillipson said she wanted to reset the relationship between teachers and the government, with too many feeling underpaid and undervalued. Labour has already offered a retention payment for those new to the profession worth about £2,400 each. With almost 600 schools in England identified as being at possible risk of structural collapse, she revealed her own children were among those who had time out of school because of the “terrible nature of the school’s estate”. She added: “If we’re just patching up buildings when bigger changes are required, that’s poor value for money for the taxpayer. It costs more money in the long run.” The Labour politician defended the party’s plan to end tax breaks for private schools, which would help raise £1.6bn to allow state school children to have the opportunity to take part in activities such as sports, debating and music. After the body representing independent schools in the UK described her as “very chippy” in private messages as a result of the policy, she said she was “proud to be chippy”, adding: “It’s chippy people who get things done and make a difference”.

Record numbers of pupil absences in England, DfE figures show

2024-03-21

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/21/record-numbers-of-pupil-absences-in-england-dfe-figures-show

Number of severely absent children was 150% higher last year than pre-Covid, with one in 50 children missing at least half of lessons Record numbers of pupils in England were absent for long periods last year, with one in 50 missing at least half of their lessons, according to official data showing absences remain far higher than pre-Covid levels. The updated Department for Education figures show 150,000 children at state schools were classed as severely absent in 2022-23 – 30,000 more than the year before and 150% higher than the 60,000 who were severely absent in 2018-19, before the pandemic. The overall attendance figures showed small improvements compared with 2021-22 but school leaders and experts said much more needed to be done. Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Advertising slogans and attendance hubs are just not going to make a tangible difference to pupils who are missing days or weeks of school at a time. We have to be far more ambitious. “We need greater mental health support for children who are suffering from anxiety and depression. There needs to be a network of support available to allow all pupils to feel able to attend school regularly, and this can only be achieved if public services are funded appropriately.” The number of pupils classed as persistently absent – out of school for 10% or more of sessions – fell compared with 2021-22, from 22.5% to 21.2%, but remains substantially higher than before 2020, when about 11% of pupils were persistently absent. In secondary schools, 26% of pupils are persistently absent compared with 16% in primary schools. Disadvantaged children or those with caring responsibilities had acute levels of absence, with pupils receiving free school meals twice as likely to be absent than their peers. The Carers Trust said 39% of young carers were persistently absent and missed an average of 23 days of school last year. Andy McGowan, the Carers Trust’s policy manager, said: “These figures should ring alarm bells in government, showing all too starkly how being a young carer can have a devastating impact on children’s education and future prospects. “There are 1 million young carers in the UK – that’s two in every classroom – including at least 15,000 children caring for over 50 hours each week. By selflessly looking after loved ones they’re saving the state millions in social care costs and deserve targeted support.” The national absence rate fell year on year, from 2.4% to 2.1%, with illness the most common reason given. But there was a slight rise in the percentage of unauthorised absences, including those on unauthorised family holidays. Concerns over absence are prompted by evidence that pupils who are repeatedly absent get lower exam grades. The Department for Education’s data shows only 11% of severely absent and 35% of persistently absent pupils gaining grades 4 or above in GCSE English and maths, compared with 68% of all pupils. Earlier this year the DfE announced funding for “attendance mentors” offering support for pupils and their families in 10 of the worst-affected areas, as well as increasing fines for extended absences. But an independent evaluation of one mentoring pilot operating in Middlesbrough found mixed results after its first year: while attendance improved for half of pupils taking part, it worsened for 36%. Catherine McKinnell, the shadow schools minister, said: “We seem to be in a downward spiral when it comes to persistent and unauthorised absence, with worrying numbers of children missing vital time at school.” McKinnell said Labour would tackle absences through a combination of funding mental health professionals in secondary school and free breakfast clubs in primary school. Schools in Scotland have reported even higher levels of absence, with figures published earlier this week revealing that 41% of secondary school and 32% of primary school pupils were persistently absent in 2022-23.

Phillip Williams obituary

2024-02-23

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/23/phillip-williams-obituary

My father, Phillip Williams, who has died aged 97, was one of the first educational psychologists, guided by a strong belief in equal opportunity. Phill joined the education department at the University of Wales (Swansea) in the 1960s, and moved in the early 70s to the Open University, where he became dean of education. He took a sabbatical year in 1974, visiting India, Iran and Columbia for the British Council, mainly giving talks on the development of the Open University, and was then part of the Warnock committee for special education (1975-77) while lecturing at the OU, before going back to the University of Wales (Bangor) as professor of education (1979-83). Born in Pontypridd, south Wales, to Ceinwen (nee James) and Edward Williams, who were both teachers, Phill left the Valleys aged 13 when his mother moved to work in rural Berkshire, but he remained a proud Welshman throughout his life. He gained a scholarship to the Leys school in Cambridge and a chemistry degree from St John’s College, Cambridge University. In 1948, after national service in industry, he did teacher training at the Institute of Education in London, where he met Glenys Davies, whom he married two years later. In 1949 he began teaching chemistry at Archbishop Tenison’s school in Kennington, studying at night for a psychology degree through Birkbeck College. Following a postgraduate year at the Tavistock Institute in London he became an educational psychologist for the local authority in Southampton (1953-57) and then for Glamorgan county council (1957-60), in the early years of the profession. After that he took a more academic route, beginning with his appointment at the University of Wales and ending with his retirement. A loving father and grandfather, Phill was warm, patient and full of interests, whether reciting a poem from memory, restoring an old chair or proudly offering a glass of wine made from his Anglesey grapes. He loved company, connecting as easily with eminent academics as he did with stroppy teenagers. A keen hill-walker who would often “find” hidden chocolates and coins on his rambles, to the delight of any accompanying small children, he climbed Snowdon, with family, on his 80th birthday. Having played rugby as a young man, he followed the national team with passion well into his 90s. Apart from his published academic work, Phill also wrote The Edge of Death, a mountaineering crime novel, At a Stroke (under the name Huw Watkins), a book describing his experiences surrounding Glenys’s death in 2003, and The Insider’s Guide to Being a Brilliant Grandparent. After Glenys’s death, Phill became a partner to Rosemary Housden; they lived together initially on Anglesey and then in Elmbridge retirement village in Surrey, where Phill continued to live after Rosemary’s death in 2015. In his final years he was cared for lovingly by the team at the Old Rectory care home in Ewhurst, Surrey. Phill is survived by his children, Gwyneth, Peter and me, seven grandchildren and brother, Dillwyn.

Sunak refused to fully fund repairs of England’s crumbling schools, says ex-official

2023-09-04

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/sep/04/england-crumbling-schools-rishi-sunak-repairs-civil-servant

Former top civil servant at Department for Education PM says there was evidence of ‘critical risk to life’ when PM was chancellor Rishi Sunak refused to properly fund a school rebuilding programme when he was chancellor, despite officials presenting evidence that there was “a critical risk to life” from crumbling concrete panels, the Department for Education’s former head civil servant has said. After the department told Sunak’s Treasury that there was a need to rebuild 300 to 400 schools a year in England, he gave funding for only 100, which was then halved to 50, said Jonathan Slater, the permanent secretary of the department from 2016 to 2020. Conservative ministers more widely believed building new free schools was a greater funding priority, Slater told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday, as pupils returned to many schools in England for the new term. “For me as an official, it seemed that should have been second to safety,” Slater said. “But politics is about choices. And that was a choice they made.” Sunak hit back, saying it was “completely and utterly wrong” to suggest he was to blame for failing to fully fund the rebuilding programme. In his first public comments since the crisis escalated over the weekend, the prime minister said “new information came to light relatively recently” and the government “acted on it as swiftly as possible”. Sunak acknowledged “the timing is frustrating” for parents preparing to send their children back to school for the autumn. But he added: “There are around 22,000 schools in England and the important thing to know is that we expect that 95% of those schools won’t be impacted by this.” Questions for ministers are mounting about the row over schools built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) from the 1950s to 1990s. The education secretary, Gillian Keegan, said it was still not known how many could be affected, and how many might need to close, with engineers still to inspect more sites. Keegan, who said the full list of affected schools would be published this week, said the DfE had taken “a very cautious approach” to the issues, and that parents should be reassured that “the vast majority of children will be going back today”. In a damning interview on Monday morning, Slater said two surveys of Raac in schools had uncovered the extent of work needed to remedy a building method supposed to be time-limited to about 30 years of use, with a risk in some cases of sudden and catastrophic failure beyond this. He said it was “frustrating” the Treasury would fund only between a third and a quarter of the work needed. “With the Treasury, of course, you’ve got a concern that there’s never enough money for everything, but we were able to present really good data,” Slater said. “We weren’t just saying there’s a significant risk of fatality, we were saying [there was] a critical risk to life if this programme is not funded.” While he was permanent secretary, in 2018, a concrete block fell from the roof of a primary school, Slater added, “so it wasn’t just a risk. It was actually starting to happen.” A separate analysis by Labour of the amount spent on schools rebuilding while Sunak was chancellor said it fell from £765m in 2019-20, shortly before he took over at the Treasury, to £560m in 2020-21, and £416m in 2021-22, a fall of 45%. Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, said: “Rishi Sunak bears huge culpability for his role in this debacle: he doubled down on Michael Gove’s decision to axe Labour’s schools rebuilding programme and now the chickens have come home to roost – with yet more disruption to children’s education.” When questioned on Today about the slimmed-down rebuilding programme, Keegan presented it as a standard to-and-fro discussion over funding between a department and the Treasury, saying Sunak’s department might not have seen the specific plan as good value for money. “There’s always a challenge in terms of putting forward your case for funding, and how much you get,” she said. “And every department will always put forward a case for more than they actually get. What you have to do is demonstrate good value for money.” Following Slater’s comments, the Liberal Democrats said ministers must publish the evidence presented to the Treasury by the DfE. Munira Wilson, the party’s education spokesperson, said: “This bombshell revelation shows the blame for this concrete crisis lies firmly at Rishi Sunak’s door. He slashed funding to repair crumbling classrooms when officials said it needed to be increased. Now children and parents across the country are paying the price for this disastrously shortsighted decision.” Speaking earlier on Sky News, Keegan said the DfE “isn’t strictly responsible for the [school] buildings”, as they are maintained by councils or academy chains, but that it would fund any work from the department’s existing budget. “There will be some where they’ve got quite extensive Raac, so they may close so that we can put temporary accommodation in place,” she said. “Many schools are either looking for alternative accommodation, if they’re within a multi-academy trust or within a local authority, or moving to another classroom, if they’ve got a spare classroom. If it’s across the whole school, then that gets more difficult,” she said.

The damage done to children goes beyond Ofsted’s effect on schools | Letters

2023-12-18

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/dec/18/the-damage-done-to-children-goes-beyond-ofsteds-effect-on-schools

Alasdair Macdonald on education policies that Labour could introduce at virtually no cost, and Alison Walton and Nick Frost on the Ofsted regime’s harmful impact on children’s social services Polly Toynbee rightly highlights not only the impact of Ofsted’s “reign of fear” but also the many other negative legacies of Michael Gove and Nick Gibb (The Ruth Perry tragedy must mark the end of Ofsted’s reign of fear, 12 December). Teacher recruitment and retention have reached crisis proportions, and the answer is to not address this as a discrete issue but to recognise that it is the result of the pressures that schools have been placed under over the last 13 years, not least in their role as the last service standing for many families, given the cuts to children’s services. If we accept Labour’s requirement that all policies must be funded, there is still much that could be done at virtually no cost, but that would indicate its understanding of the context and future intentions. Top of the list would be the abandonment of one-word Ofsted judgments. Others include saving the highly valued BTecs, scrapping the narrow Ebacc, reaccrediting the higher education institutions that have been blocked from training teachers, and pausing further academisation. I am sure readers could come up with more. In addition, major reviews of Ofsted and the curriculum and assessments could be started now.Alasdair MacdonaldChair, New Visions for Education Group; former headteacher, Morpeth school, Tower Hamlets, London While I agree with Polly Toynbee’s analysis of the impact of assessments on teaching staff and on the distortion of the curriculum from a rounded education to a narrow, exam-focused regime, it is important to remember that it is not just schools that are subject to this culture of inspections. Ofsted has also been responsible for the inspection of children’s services, including children’s homes, safeguarding services, and fostering and adoption services since about 2007. These services have also been subjected to single-word judgments and inspectors who are driven by process, many of whom do not understand the complex needs of families and see success as a well-written case file. Ofsted has played a damaging role in driving out good social work practice, to be replaced by formulaic actions. It has to be hoped that a Labour government will replace Ofsted with an inspection regime that promotes good practice and service improvement in a supportive and positive way. Our public servants deserve nothing less.Alison WaltonNewcastle upon Tyne Polly Toynbee correctly points out that her argument applies to the health sector, and her analysis also applies to children’s social care, which is subject to the Ofsted regime. I conducted in-depth interviews in 2020 for my study, The Myth of Measurement (Sage, 2021). Senior managers from children’s social care described the anxiety and stress of the inspection and the damaging impact of single-word judgments, followed by a cycle of resignations, staff turnover, instability and massive expenditure on agency staff, who often charge extortionate fees. A scorecard system, or review by independent professionals and citizens, offers a more rational and humane way forward.Emeritus Professor Nick FrostDenby Dale, West Yorkshire Do you have a photograph you’d like to share with Guardian readers? If so, please click here to upload it. A selection will be published in our Readers’ best photographs galleries and in the print edition on Saturdays.

Hard-up English councils ration access to special needs tests

2024-03-24

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/24/hard-up-english-councils-ration-access-to-special-needs-tests

Many local authorities are increasingly rejecting requests to assess children who need help in schools, new data reveals Councils are increasingly ­rejecting requests to assess children for ­special needs such as autism amid the financial crisis in the education system, according to figures seen by the Observer. Long-term underfunding combined with rising demand ­aggravated by the pandemic has left many councils facing significant ­deficits on their schools budgets. Freedom of information data sourced by the website Special Needs Jungle shows that councils in England have responded by increasingly refusing to carry out education, health and care needs assessments (EHCNAs). These assess whether a child has special needs severe enough to require an education, health and care plan (EHCP), which sets out the provision that child must receive by law. Figures from 107 English councils show that on average they refused 26.4% of requests for an EHCNA in 2023, up from 21.6% in 2022 – a rise of more than a fifth. “Councils are refusing EHC needs assessments at an unprecedented rate, but the legal threshold for securing an EHC needs assessment hasn’t changed,” said Tania Tirraoro, co-director of Special Needs Jungle. “It’s the same threshold, whether the request comes from a school or from a family. And when ­families appeal to the Send [Special Educational Needs and Disabilities] tribunal, over 90% of them get reversed. Councils are rationing access to vital support, to balance their books and to maintain their grip on a collapsing system.” The figures show a near 30% average rise in the number of requests for a needs assessment in 2023, with most made by schools and colleges rather than parents. If a child is denied an assessment despite having unmet special needs, there is a risk that their mental health and educational performance could suffer and their needs worsen, and the ultimate cost to the state may grow. The Department for Education said the analysis was “based upon incomplete and early data, so it would be wrong to draw any conclusions from it”. A spokesperson added: “The vast majority of education, health and care needs assessments and plans are concluded without the need to resort to tribunal hearings.” In December a high court judge said there were “serious questions” over how Hertfordshire county ­council responded to EHCNA requests, in a judicial review relating to a child known as W. Hertfordshire had ­initially refused to carry out a needs assessment for W, before changing its mind shortly before the case went to tribunal. The council then broke the legal time limit to finalise W’s EHCP. A judge ruled that failing unlawful. “A lot of mainstream education at the moment, the way it is results-focused rather than child-focused, provides a toxic environment for anyone that’s slightly different, slightly neurodiverse,” W’s father told the Observer. “They basically don’t want them in the school – they want to throw them on to the local ­authority. “The local authority hasn’t got the money for it and they haven’t invested in any special educational schools, so they have to go to the private sector which is incredibly expensive. “Which is why they don’t want to do an assessment, because they know what will happen.” He said W’s school failed to make reasonable adaptations for his daughter, and put pressure on her by ­contrasting her performance with her ­sibling’s. The council refused to ­conduct a needs assessment after failing to ­follow the Children and Families Act 2014 – instead of basing its ­decision on whether W may have special needs, it refused to assess her because it felt her needs could be met in other ways. Her father said this may have made her situation worse. “I think there were two things about it. One was that we couldn’t offer any hope, because they’d refused to even do an assessment. The second thing is that had they agreed to an assessment, then she would have had access to an educational psychologist. And the educational psychologist would have been able to intervene and prevent self-harm.” Hertfordshire county council has now completed an assessment and EHCP for child W. A council ­spokesperson said: “We’ve apologised to the family involved in this judgment and have recognised the wider issues identified by the court, which are not unique to Hertfordshire. “The judgment relates to a decision made in February 2023, and we have taken steps subsequently to address this situation.”

Pupils in England ‘facing worst exam results in decades’ after Covid closures

2024-04-24

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/24/pupils-in-england-facing-worst-exam-results-in-decades-after-covid-closures-says-study

GCSE results in key subjects to steadily worsen until 2030, predicts research that blames failure to tackle impact of schools lockdown Children in England could face the worst exam results in decades and a lifetime of lower earnings, according to research that blames failures to tackle the academic and social legacies of school closures during Covid. The study funded by the Nuffield Foundation predicts that national GCSE results in key subjects will steadily worsen until 2030, when it expects fewer than 40% of pupils to get good grades in maths and English. Lee Elliot Major, a professor of social mobility at Exeter University and one of the report’s co-authors, said: “Without a raft of equalising policies, the damaging legacy from Covid school closures will be felt by generations of pupils well into the next decade.” The report recommends “low-cost” policies to improve results, such as recruiting undergraduates to work as tutors, and rebalancing the school year by shortening the summer break and spreading holidays more evenly throughout the year. Pepe Di’Iasio, a former headteacher and the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the research was “a devastating warning” of the risk of educational decline. “The current government failed to rise to the challenge during and after the pandemic because its investment in education recovery fell woefully short of what was needed. The same mistake must not be made again, and ministers both now and in the future must invest in schools, colleges and teachers,” Di’Iasio said. The work by academics at Exeter, Strathclyde and the London School of Economics is the first to gauge how the Covid-era school closures hindered children’s social and emotional skills as well as their skills in reading, writing and maths. Last year, 45% of students taking GCSEs achieved grade 5s in English and maths, regarded as a “good pass” by the Department for Education (DfE). But the report expects the rate to continue falling below 40% by 2030, when children who were aged five at the time of school closures sit GCSEs. The group concluded that the learning losses “will significantly damage the education prospects of five-year-olds at the time of Covid school closures”, and widen the existing “disadvantage gap” in exam results between disadvantaged children and their peers. It also calculates that the lower GCSE results could lead to lower lifetime earnings of £31bn for the generation. “These results represent a double whammy to the educational progress for successive Covid generations: they are on course for the biggest overall decline in basic GCSE achievement for at least two decades, and a significant widening of the socio-economic gap in GCSE prospects,” the report states. A spokesperson for the DfE said: “We have made almost £5bn available since 2020 for education recovery initiatives, which have supported millions of pupils in need of extra support. “We are also supporting disadvantaged pupils through the pupil premium, which is rising to almost £2.9bn in 2024-25, the highest in cash terms since this funding began. “This is on top of our ongoing £10m behaviour hubs programme and £9.5m for up to 7,800 schools and colleges to train a senior mental health lead.” The DfE’s schools budget is just under £60bn this year. The pupil premium was introduced in 2011 as an annual payment to schools for each pupil eligible for free school meals, currently £1,480 for primary pupils and £1,050 for secondaries. Esme Lillywhite, a researcher at the University of Strathclyde, said: “Compared with most other nations, England’s pandemic response was heavily focused on academic catch-up with less emphasis on socio-emotional skills, extracurricular support, and wellbeing. “Much more could be gained by closer international collaboration to learn what approaches have been promising elsewhere.”

Universities in England risk closure with 40% facing budget deficits, says report

2024-05-16

https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/may/16/universities-in-england-risk-closure-with-40-per-cent-facing-budget-deficits-report-office-for-students

Analysis by Office for Students says increasing number will need to make significant changes to their funding model An increasing number of universities in England face “a material risk of closure” unless they dramatically cut costs or merge over the next few years, according to the higher education regulator’s annual health check. The report by the Office for Students (OfS) paints a bleak picture of universities overreliant on international students to plug the gaps left by the declining income from domestic student fees, with the OfS warning that 40% of England’s universities are expected to run budget deficits this year. Susan Lapworth, the OfS chief executive, said: “Financial performance and strength vary significantly for different institutions and our analysis shows that an increasing number will need to make significant changes to their funding model in the near future to avoid facing a material risk of closure. “Many universities have already started this important work to secure their long-term sustainability. They are taking difficult, but necessary, decisions about the shape and size of their institution. They are working with others on mergers or centralised services. And they are doing all of this while protecting the quality of their courses and the interests of their students.” Lapworth said the report was “a signal” for universities to question their assumptions about future student recruitment at home and abroad, saying: “The numbers reported to us for the sector as a whole are just not credible.” While the OfS said it had no concerns about the “short-term viability” of most providers, its modelling for a “reasonable worst-case scenario”, involving significant reductions in international student numbers without cost-cutting, forecast that four out of five institutions would be in the red by 2027. Alex Bols of the GuildHE group, representing 60 universities and colleges, said: “As the financial health of the higher education sector becomes ever more challenging the need for a long-term funding solution becomes ever more urgent. “The increasing costs facing universities, decreasing real-terms tuition fee income and risks to other income streams mean that the likelihood of institutional closure or merger increase.” The government’s recent restrictions to its student visa regime – such as barring many international students from including family members on their visas – have already seen a significant fall in international applications, with one survey reporting a 27% drop in applications for taught postgraduate courses for next year. James Cleverly, the home secretary, is still considering restrictions to the graduate visa route, which allows international students to stay and work in the UK for two to three years after completing their studies, which universities say is vital to compete with rivals such as the US and Australia that have similar offers. The shrinking in applications and the continued freeze on domestic undergraduate tuition fees, which have been set at £9,250 since 2017 and are frozen until 2025-26, has set off a wave of course closures and redundancies. Figures compiled by the University and College Union (UCU) show more than 50 universities and colleges are already making redundancies and other cuts. Jo Grady, the UCU general secretary, said: “The funding model for higher education is broken and needs radical change to put the sector on a firm financial footing. Unfortunately, the Tories seem intent on making the situation worse through constant attacks on migrant students and workers.”

University marking boycott: government urges both sides to negotiate

2023-08-13

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/13/university-marking-boycott-government-urges-both-sides-to-negotiate

Education minister writes to university employers and union as tens of thousands of students are left without degree results Both sides in a university pay row that has left tens of thousands of students without their degree results have been urged by the government to enter negotiations to settle the dispute. The education minister, Robert Halfon, has written to university employers and the union behind the marking and assessment boycott to say how “deeply concerned” he was about the impact of the row on students. The boycott, which affected students at 145 universities, was part of a pay dispute between the University and College Union (UCU) and the University and College Employers Association (UCEA). In separate letters to the heads of both organisations, Halfon said: “I strongly urge both UCU and UCEA to resume negotiations, which I hope, if successful, will bring an end to the boycott and further action.” The union, which welcomed Halfon’s intervention, says the employers were refusing to settle the dispute by insisting that they would not improve their pay offer, while continuing to dock the pay of lecturers who have taken part in the marking boycott. The UCU is due to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to decide its next steps in the dispute. In his letters, Halfon pointed out that the government had no formal role in resolving the dispute, but pleading to both sides, he said: “It is unacceptable that students, many of whom have already suffered significant disruption to their studies over recent years, face further disruption and uncertainty. This disruption is particularly damaging to those students who are due to graduate and looking to enter the jobs market or progress to further study.” The refusal of UCU member to mark final exams, dissertations and coursework since April has led most universities to issue provisional results or certificates to allow students to graduate on time. Affected students have been told that their class of degree will be issued only when the assessments are completed in several months. In his letter to Raj Jethwa, chief executive of the UCEA, Halfon said: “It is imperative that higher education providers and their staff continue to do all they can to minimise disruption and provide clarity to their students. This means that all students who are eligible should be able to graduate as soon as possible, enabling them to continue to enter planned graduate employment or postgraduate study. Wherever possible, I would encourage higher education providers to award degrees when they have enough evidence of a student’s prior attainment to do so.” In his letter to Jo Grady, general secretary of the UCU, he said: “Whatever the rights and wrongs of the current dispute, action that damages students’ prospects is the wrong thing to do.” Grady said: “I’m glad to see the government has taken notice of the crisis our members and university students are facing. We’ve done everything possible to settle this dispute, protect UK degree standards and students’ graduations, including calling for the talks to restart in the first place. “Unfortunately, UCEA, and university bosses have made it clear they would rather throw students under the bus than settle this dispute. If Robert Halfon wants to see change, he needs to get UCEA to use the sector’s huge wealth to support staff and allow students to graduate.” The UCEA said it was continuing to meet union officials to try to settle the dispute. Jethwa said: “UCEA believes there is a clear need to reset industrial relations and to end the cycle of industrial action in higher education. However, significant changes to the sector’s funding model over the last decade have placed increasing strain on industrial relations in recent years. “To that end, UCEA has suggested an independent facilitated review of sector finances and the trade unions have stated their agreement. UCEA has suggested a joint approach to Acas for facilitation of these talks and is awaiting the trade unions’ response to this proposal.” He added: “This year’s pay uplift of 5%-8% prioritised the disproportionate effect of high inflation falling on the lower-paid.” Earlier this month, Halfon ruled out raising the £9,250 cap on the tuition fees that universities charge students.

‘Almost beyond belief’: axing of teacher recruitment scheme will worsen crisis, say critics

2024-04-27

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/28/axing-uk-teacher-recruitment-scheme-now-teach-older-workers

The government’s scrapping of the Now Teach scheme, which has overdelivered on targets for older workers, has sparked an outcry Ministers have been accused of making a crisis in the recruitment of teachers even worse after axing funding to a much-praised programme helping older workers start a new career in the classroom. An outcry is already beginning over the decision to axe the career change programme, with organisers complaining that there “will be barely anyone left to teach our children” unless Rishi Sunak lives up to his party conference pledge to prioritise education. Now Teach, the charity co-founded by journalist-turned-teacher Lucy Kellaway that runs the scheme, said the £1.7m programme was being scrapped despite overdelivering on its recruitment targets. It said the Department for Education (DfE) would not renew its contract. This means it will recruit no new teachers from September despite stating that applications were still “flying in”. It comes soon after figures suggesting that 10 out of 17 secondary subjects are likely to under-recruit in the current financial year, with the recruitment of secondary school teachers projected to reach around 61% of the official target. Primary recruitment, which usually meets its target, is forecast to reach only 83% of its new target. The end of the scheme appears to be part of a wider government drive to find savings wherever it can as the DfE tries to deal with a shortfall estimated to be as much as £1.5bn because of the funds needed to meet teacher pay rises. Existing budgets have had to be used to meet much of the cost. Funding has already been scaled back for free national professional qualifications for all schools, as well as a programme for teacher training top-up courses. A governor recruitment scheme will also be axed in September. More cuts are expected. Kellaway, who quit as a journalist to become an economics teacher, said: “What the government is saying to people is: ‘Now don’t teach, as there won’t be any specialised support for you.’” Recruits to the scheme have an average age of 47 and most go into Stem subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths). Kellaway said many had “unretired” to enter the profession or had used the scheme to come out of long-term economic inactivity – something Sunak has made a priority of. She said the recruits were more likely to stay in the classroom than other teachers in their age group. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT, said this demonstrated that the government had “lost all ambition and all innovation if we’re really beginning to cut things like this”. He added: “The fundamentals just aren’t there. We’re still losing people within three years of coming into the profession. We’re still losing longer-serving teachers now in their 40s and 50s because they can’t pay the bills.” Some Now Teach support services will continue until 2026, but its recruitment will stop in September with no further funding. Lord Blunkett, the former education secretary, said the scheme should be saved. “Experienced people taking on teaching is an imaginative, effective way to get the high-quality specialist teachers our classrooms so badly need,” he said. Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion Sam Freedman, director of ­strategy at Teach First, who advised Michael Gove as education secretary, said: “We are in the middle of a major teacher recruitment crisis, so it is almost beyond belief that the government would choose this moment to scrap a proven and successful route into teaching that attracts people who would not otherwise enter the profession and costs less than what the DfE spends refurbishing its own offices. It’s the definition of ‘penny wise, pound foolish’, and I hope ministers see sense and overturn this decision.” A DfE spokesperson said: “The Career Changers programme has, and continues to, support career changers to enter teaching. We’d like to acknowledge the contribution being made by Now Teach in delivering it. Career changers make a valuable contribution to the teaching profession and bring a wealth of experience and expertise. We remain committed to continuing to recruit and support them into initial teacher training, through services such as Get Into Teaching, which offers one-to-one support and advice.” The headline of this article was amended on 28 April 2024 because an earlier version incorrectly referred to the Now Teach scheme as a “UK” teacher recruitment scheme, whereas it operates in England.

The logic of charging VAT on private school fees | Letters

2023-10-08

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/oct/08/the-logic-of-charging-vat-on-private-school-fees

A two-tier education system based on wealth has a negative effect on the society we all live in, says Nick Richards. Plus letters from Stewart Goacher, Ian Bourne, and Chris Jones Priyanjali Malik says Labour will alienate “swathes” of middle-class voters by introducing VAT on private school fees (Letters, 3 October). Given that only 6.5% of pupils in the UK are privately educated, the word “swathes” seems an exaggeration. Dr Malik also says it is the business of the parents if they choose to send their children to private school. A two-tier education system based on wealth is everybody’s business, as is the negative effect it has on the society we all live in. Nick RichardsBurnham-on-Sea, Somerset State education contributes to a more civilised society and a better-educated workforce, from which we all derive economic and social benefit. In the same way, taxation funds the police, giving us safer streets, and refuse collection, reducing disease. If Priyanjali Malik chooses to buy privilege for her children by paying private school fees, I see no reason why VAT should not be charged on this.Stewart GoacherLoughborough, Leicestershire The “logical extension” of VAT on school fees, says Dr Priyanjali Malik, “is to ask those who turn to private medical care to pay VAT on that too, so that their care can subsidise a flailing NHS”. What a brilliant idea. It makes so much sense. Private medical care borrows NHS doctors and their NHS consulting rooms, so make its users repay these loans through VAT, with the proceeds helping to rescue the NHS. Ian Bourne London Your correspondent says she and others make sacrifices to send their children to independent schools. Some families have to make sacrifices just to feed theirs. Chris Jones Bewdley, Worcestershire Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.

UK’s black children ‘face cultural barriers’ in accessing help for autism and ADHD

2024-03-31

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/31/uk-black-children-cultural-barriers-accessing-help-autism-adhd

Campaigner Marsha Martin says ‘there is a lot of stigma within black community’ that prevents issues from being discussed Cultural barriers are preventing black children who are autistic or have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from accessing the help they need, the founder of a UK campaign for better support has said. Hundreds of children with special educational needs (Send) routinely wait for more than a year to get help as local authorities across England struggle to meet unprecedented need in a dire financial climate. A Guardian investigation last month found more than 20,000 children were waiting longer than the mandated 20-week limit to be issued with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that details the support they require. Black children face even greater barriers, said Marsha Martin, a former behavioural therapist who has three neurodivergent children and is autistic herself. She founded Black SEN Mamas to try to raise awareness of autism and ADHD in the black community. “There’s a lot of stigma perpetuated within the black community regarding neurodiversity. So we’re not openly discussing autism, ADHD and other developmental issues,” she said. The education secretary, Gillian Keegan, said on Tuesday that special educational needs provision in England was in the grip of a crisis as she promoted plans to deliver 60,000 more places to meet the needs of pupils and their families. Department for Education (DfE) data from 2023 shows black Caribbean pupils are the second most likely to have an EHCP (5.8%), with only Irish Traveller children more likely (6.1%). Among black African children, 4.8% have an EHCP, while 4.5% of white British children have one. The percentage of black Caribbean pupils receiving Send support without plans is more than triple those on EHCPs (17%). Martin said black parents could misunderstand their children’s behaviour as being disrespectful rather than a result of neurodiversity. A sensory processing issue could cause a child to be confrontational but “culturally, the expectation is to put punitive measures” in place to address those things, rather than look for help and understand that unmet need, she said. Martin’s organisation has provided support to more than 2,000 families from London to Birmingham, with online sessions that help parents navigate systems to get help for their children. She says the women she helps have had very similar experiences to her own and have come up against systemic racism as well as cultural barriers in their own communities. “I think a lot of us in Black SEN Mamas have a very similar story. And it really has a lot to do with the lack of support from the local authorities, from the school and the education system. My own personal experience is reflective of that, in that I have three children who all are neurodiverse.” Martin says her advocacy on behalf of her children has often been misunderstood as aggressive. “There’s so many layers of this when we look at the intersection of race, and neurodiversity, because I can’t just advocate for my child with the same volume as another non-black parent because they will be given a level of empathy that I won’t be given,” she said. Last month a report published by the NGO Global Black Maternal Health in partnership with Black SEN Mamas looked at the experiences of parents and professionals in accessing Send provision for black and mixed black heritage children. It called for there to be recognition of the link between poor Send provision with poverty, race and ethnicity and its role in exacerbating poor educational outcomes. It recommended culturally appropriate mental health support for Send parents and children requiring additional support. It also said professionals working with Send children should undergo training in cultural competency so they could better help children from minority backgrounds. Martin added: “Parents of children with Send should have a say in how teachers are trained. When a child doesn’t have their needs met with the correct intervention, that has disastrous outcomes, not only for their mental and emotional development but also for their education, and then you see that they can end up in the wrong kinds of spaces … The school to prison pipeline is littered with children or adults who had unmet needs.”

‘Harsh’ post-Covid grade markdown set to hit 60,000 A-level students

2023-08-12

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/12/harsh-post-covid-grade-markdown-set-to-hit-60000-a-level-students

Rush to push results back to pre-pandemic levels will hit England’s school leavers hard this year, say education experts This year’s school leavers could be among the most disadvantaged by the pandemic, according to education experts, as data reveals twice as many sixth formers as last year could fail to get the high A-level grades they need to take up a place at a prestigious university. Ministers have been emphatic about their intention to push A-level results in England back down to 2019 levels by this summer, after teacher-assessed grades replaced exams during the Covid pandemic, leading to a significant ramping-up of grades in 2020 and 2021. But education experts questioned this weekend whether the government is rushing to stamp out grade inflation too fast, given that these students missed out on sitting their GCSEs – seen as important preparation for high-stakes A-level exams – and had their learning heavily disrupted by Covid. Under the government’s plans, nearly 60,000 sixth formers with predicted A-level grades of AAB or higher – the results typically required to net a place at one of the top third most selective universities – won’t get the grades they are expecting on Thursday, according to analysis by DataHE, a consultancy that advises universities on admissions. This is an increase of 27,000 on last year – the largest ever shift in those expecting high grades and not getting them. Mark Corver, founder of DataHE, said: “If this happens it will certainly be a big shock for these students, who had the strongest ever GCSE results.” Corver said sixth formers hadn’t pulled back from applying to the most competitive universities this year, despite all the warnings about grades dropping. He thinks this is because their unusually good GCSE results boosted their confidence, as well as that of their teachers, and watching older siblings getting good A-level grades during the pandemic also made them more hopeful. Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said: “I really feel for the 2023 generation. On paper they look like a bunch of geniuses, because they got their GCSE results in the year of highest grade inflation. But now with their A-level results they will suddenly be among the most disadvantaged.” Hillman pointed out they would be competing for jobs with the cohorts just in front of them who had the highest A-level results ever. He warned they may have “a tough time” explaining to future employers, who probably won’t remember the swings in grading, why their results didn’t live up to their great GCSEs. “If I was 18 this would feel harsh to me,” he said. “There is a very strong case for rooting out the pandemic grade inflation more slowly, given that these young people’s education was very heavily disrupted by Covid.” Most Russell Group universities are expected to have no courses or very few in clearing next week. Ucas is urging applicants who miss their offer grades to act quickly to secure a place elsewhere. Mike Nicholson, director of recruitment, admissions and participation at the University of Cambridge, said: “We are talking about a return to 2019 grade distribution, but back then we were also at the lowest point for many years in the number of 18-year-olds. Since then there has been a significant surge in UK applicant numbers.” He said those who “clustered their choices” around popular courses probably received fewer offers. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion “Computer science applications have gone through the roof at all universities, so I think vacancies will be in short supply,” he said. “Economics will be similar, because it is seen as a degree that will get you a good job.” He added that medicine would once again be hugely competitive, with the government adamant it would not fund any extra places this year. Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, warned that this year’s A-level results could be “a huge backwards step” for poorer students. He warned: “They are not only more likely to have suffered greater learning loss during the pandemic, but have been hit by the cost-of-living crisis, with many absent from the classroom altogether.” Prof Elliot Major fears “it will be middle-class students with sharp-elbowed parents” who will be most prepared to snap into action and fight for the best remaining courses in clearing this week. “All the dials are pointing in the wrong direction when it comes to social mobility,” he said. A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “Grading is largely returning to normal to make sure qualifications maintain their value and credibility, but Ofqual has built protection into the grading process to recognise the disruption that students have faced.” She added: “The number of top grades has no bearing on the number of university places available. Students can also be assured that the options available to them are the best they have ever been, with 18-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds far more likely to be accepted to university than a decade ago.”

Every year spent in school or university improves life expectancy, study says

2024-01-23

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/23/every-year-spent-in-school-or-university-improves-life-expectancy-study-says

Analysis also says not attending school is as deadly as smoking or heavy drinking Every year spent in school or university improves our life expectancy, while not attending school is as deadly as smoking or heavy drinking, according to the first systematic study directly linking education to gains in longevity. Using evidence from industrialised countries such as the UK and US as well as developing countries such as China and Brazil, the review found that an adult’s risk of mortality went down by 2% for every year in full-time education. Completing primary, secondary and tertiary education is the equivalent of a lifetime of eating a healthy diet, lowering the risk of death by 34% compared with those with no formal education, according to the peer-reviewed analysis in The Lancet Public Health journal. At the opposite extreme, not attending school at any point was as bad for adult health as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks every day or smoking 10 cigarettes each day for a decade. The study adds impetus to efforts in England to ensure children stay at school, with experts saying the results underline connections between school attendance and health. It also implies that increases in the school leaving age and rising numbers of young people staying on into further and higher education could add years to future levels of life expectancy. While the benefits of education on life expectancy have long been recognised, the review by academics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the University of Washington in Seattle is the first to calculate the number of years of education and its connections to reducing mortality. Neil Davies, professor of medical statistics at University College London and an expert on the links between education and health who was not involved in the research, described it as “an impressive piece of work”. But Davies cautioned that associations seen in the past may change, given the UK’s recent expansion in higher education and other factors such as the decline in smoking so that rates are now similar among graduates and non-graduates. Higher rates of school absences could also see children missing out on the future health benefits, Davies noted, saying: “It’s worth noting that the increased rates of absence from school have major consequences beyond their effect on health. “The relationship between time spent in education and earnings has been very well studied and is pretty robust. This is also likely to be worse for more disadvantaged students. “Quite honestly, the links between education and mortality are the least of our worries about the increased rates of school absence – the labour market consequences are likely to be worse.” The researchers said the meta-analysis, backed by the Norwegian government’s research fund and the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, was “compelling evidence” in support of increased investment in education as a way to reduce inequalities in global death rates. “Education is important in its own right, not just for its benefits to health, but now being able to quantify the magnitude of this benefit is a significant development,” said Dr Terje Andreas Eikemo of NTNU, the study’s co-author. The analysis also found the improvements in longevity to be similar in rich and poor countries, and regardless of sex, social class and demography. David Finch, an assistant director of the Health Foundation who has studied life expectancy as part of its healthy lives team, said: “We have really big inequalities in the UK, the gap in life expectancy between the least and most deprived areas in England is 9.4 years for men and 7.7 years for women, and it isn’t surprising that you see a significant difference when comparing by qualification level. “So it’s not surprising in that sense but it’s really interesting to see it quantified.” Finch said greater level of education improved life expectancy in different ways, including through “soft,” non-financial benefits. “It helps you to build better social connections. It makes you better at accessing and understanding information that can help you make better choices, essentially, whether it’s financial or what you choose to do and participate in,” Finch said. “It can help you feel empowered and valued. Those are slightly softer and really important things that can help people. “A key channel is through which education leads to higher lifetime earnings and that itself in turn helps you to access lots of other things that are really important, like better quality of housing, a better diet.” Finch said that whether a longer lifespan would continue to be enjoyed by those who spend longer in education depends on whether benefits remain in place. “Will that translate into better standards of living over their lifetimes, in the future? That’s where there is a question: can people access affordable housing? Are young people’s career earnings trajectories what they were for people 30 or 40 years ago, at the same age? The prospects aren’t as rosy,” Finch said.

Fines for unauthorised absence from school in England to rise by 33%

2024-02-29

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/29/fines-children-england-to-rise-33-percent-unauthorised-absence

Daily registers will also be shared online with DfE as part of government drive to improve attendance Taking an unauthorised family holiday is about to get more expensive, with the government announcing that fines for children in England missing school are to rise by 33%. The education secretary, Gillian Keegan, is to overhaul the way local authorities fine parents for unauthorised school absences by bringing penalties “under a national framework to help tackle inconsistencies”. The Department for Education said that fines “must be considered if a child misses five days of school for unauthorised absence”, with local authorities currently having wide variation over whether they levy fines. Under the new rules, the initial penalty notices will be raised from £60 to £80, if paid within 21 days. Those who delay payment will have fines raised from £120 to £160. Schools’ daily registers will also be shared online with the DfE and local authorities, as part of the government’s drive to improve attendance from its post-Covid slump. Keegan said: “Our fantastic schools and teachers unlock children’s imagination, potential and social skills, which is why improving attendance is my number one priority. “Today we are taking that next step to further boost attendance and I want to thank those who are working with us, including teachers and heads.” Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, stressed that most fines were applied to children taken on holidays during term time, while higher absences were often the result of serious issues such as mental health problems. Barton said: “There is a wider issue about absence relating to the growing number of children who suffer from anxiety, families who are struggling to cope, and disengagement with education, which schools are endeavouring to address by working with families and pupils to improve their attendance rather than using fines. “Schools need more help from the government in this work, both in terms of the funding they receive and investment in local social care, attendance and mental health services. “Education has become an unofficial fourth emergency service, picking up the pieces for a decade-long erosion of support services. This cannot go on.” In 2022-23, out of a total 399,000 penalty notices, a record 350,000 parents in England were fined for taking their children out of school for unauthorised holidays. The total was 20% higher than in 2018-19, the last full school year before the pandemic. Labour’s Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, said: “The Conservatives are only just waking up to the damage of persistent absence that has reached historic levels on their watch, but their answer addresses the symptoms of absence, not the causes. “Persistent absence was rising long before the pandemic, the result of growing unaddressed mental ill health, the impact of years of economic decline hitting family finances and a breakdown of trust between schools and families.”

Teachers in England and Wales report vermin and pests in schools

2024-04-06

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/06/teachers-england-wales-schools-vermin-sewage-mould-survey

Union poll on school buildings also highlights sewage and wastewater leaks, overheating, severe cold and mould A survey by the UK’s biggest education union on the state of school buildings in England and Wales has found two in five teachers reporting signs of vermin or pests and more than a quarter complaining of sewage or wastewater leaks. Of the 8,000 members of the National Education Union who responded to the online poll, two-thirds (68%) said they worked in buildings that leaked, with one in 10 describing the problem as “severe”. A third of respondents said pupils were being taught in “severely overheated” conditions in summer and one in six (16%) complained of the severe cold in winter. More than half (57%) said the state of their school facilities was so bad it was having a negative impact on the learning environment. The dilapidated state of England’s ageing school estate was thrown into sharp focus by the recent crisis involving crumbling concrete – Raac, which stands for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete – which resulted in emergency school closures at the start of term in September. A parliamentary inquiry found that 700,000 pupils were learning in classrooms that needed a major rebuild or refurbishment. Respondents to the NEU poll complained of windows that either did not open or close, carpets sodden with rainwater, creeping mould, holes in ceilings, out-of-order boilers and classrooms off limits due to asbestos or crumbling concrete. Almost half (45%) of respondents reported mould or damp in their workplace, with a fifth (21%) describing it as “moderate or severe”. One respondent said: “The conditions have led to diagnosis of asthma in staff and pupils, and led to long-term sickness due to lung infection and exacerbation of asthma.” Another said: “My hands were bleeding during the cold spell earlier this year because the classroom was so cold. This is unhygienic and painful.” On leaks, one respondent said: “We have a ceiling leak that is causing severe damage that has been left for four years.” Another comment read: “Two years ago, the ceiling fell in in my classroom after some heavy rain. It was lucky this happened in the middle of the night or people, including me, would have been seriously injured.” And another contributor said: “One of our classrooms has fungus growing out of the carpet. The site manager has to remove it regularly.” Another NEU member said: “Our building is full of asbestos and is falling down. Pieces of the plaster/concrete on walls and ceiling regularly flake off.” The NEU general secretary, Daniel Kebede, said: “Leaks and ventilation are a chronic issue for many. The fact is that this government has neglected school and college buildings for 14 years. At the present rate of 50 schools a year, the government’s school rebuilding programme will take 460 years to complete its work. That is many more generations of children to fail. “This must change. We need to see a serious injection of new money into projects that will regenerate the school estate and ensure that asbestos, Raac and time spent learning in Portakabins are a thing of the past. If this government was serious about education and the wellbeing of staff and students then it would do so.” A Department for Education spokesperson said schools and sixth form colleges will benefit from £1.8bn this financial year to help maintain buildings, taking the total amount of funding to over £17bn since 2015.

How to use the Guardian University Guide 2024

2023-09-09

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/sep/09/how-to-use-the-guardian-university-guide-2024

Don’t be overwhelmed by the choice on offer – use this guide to help make a selection Welcome to the Guardian University Guide 2024. With a cost of living crisis and longer repayment terms on student loans, deciding whether university is worth it has never been such a pressing question. This guide is here to remind you that going to university is about more than how much you’ll earn after graduating – it’s also about learning new things, discovering new interests, making friends and having fun. The Guardian rankings will help you figure out which universities give their students the best experience, rather than just showing you which are strongest in academic research, like most other league tables. We rank universities through eight different scores, which form a total out of 100. These include what students say about their teaching and feedback in the annual National Student Survey. We also look at how big class sizes are through the student-to-staff ratio and how much universities spend on teaching each student, as well as students’ A-level grades and whether their academic performance improves at university (the value-added score), and how likely they are to continue with their course. There’s also data on how many students get graduate jobs 15 months after leaving university. Any blank spaces mean there is data missing, so we focus on the other measures. In the guide, you’ll find our overall league table of UK universities as well as individual subject profiles and tables. We’ve also got lots of advice to help you make up your mind and start planning for university, from recipes to learn to how to find a part-time job. The rankings change annually, and some universities may benefit from temporary measures such as funding boosts. Don’t forget that universities languishing at the bottom of the overall table can be top for certain subjects – so check out our subject tables and profiles to build up a full picture.

Multi-academy trusts have higher secondary-level teacher turnover than local authority schools

2024-04-16

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/16/multi-academy-trusts-higher-teacher-turnover-secondary-level

Teacher retention problems particularly acute in larger Mats, analysis finds Multi-academy trusts (Mats) in England have significantly higher annual turnover of classroom teachers at secondary level than schools maintained by local authorities, analysis has found. Teacher recruitment and retention is a challenge facing all schools but the problem is particularly acute in larger Mats where annual teacher turnover stands at 19.5% on average compared with just 14.4% at the median local authority, the research showed. Larger Mats, with 10 or more schools, also have higher rates of persistent pupil absence, suspension and unexplained departures than smaller Mats and local authority schools on average, according to the Education Policy Institute (EPI) analysis. The findings are the result of a tool developed by the EPI to compare the performance of academy trusts, local authorities, federations and dioceses across a range of performance indicators. The school system in England has undergone rapid and far-reaching change since Labour introduced academies in 2002 as a means of raising educational standards in disadvantaged communities and areas of low performance. Academies are state schools that are not controlled by the local authority, but are usually in Mats, which are not-for-profit companies that run more than one academy. The rollout of the academies programme has escalated under the Conservatives and now eight out of 10 state-funded secondary schools are academies or free schools, while two out of five primary schools have converted to academies. While the EPI research is cautious about suggesting causality, on teacher retention it says that at secondary level, high teacher turnover is negatively correlated with overall attainment and post-16 destinations. It adds: “Some staff turnover is … necessary and desirable, but excessively high turnover can be disruptive to learning and may imply staff are unhappy with the working conditions in their current role.” On persistent pupil absence, suspensions and unexplained exits, the EPI notes by way of context that larger Mats admit greater rates of disadvantaged pupils and help them to make greater progress. Another significant area the EPI has investigated is the financial health of different groups of schools. It found in the case of secondary schools, Mats are almost three times as likely to have positive in-year balances than other school groups. At primary level, Mats are twice as likely. The EPI does not reach a conclusion about which school structure is best. It says: “This report shows there is no identifiable general optimal organisational structure for school groups. We cannot conclude that, based on performance alone, the Mat structure should be preferred to the local authority model, or vice versa.” Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said it was commonplace for students to be taught by three different, often non-specialist teachers in a given subject within a year. “That is why the recruitment and retention crisis is such an urgent issue for the present and any future government,” he said. “The EPI highlights that this problem is even greater within multi-academy trusts, which is yet further evidence that the obsession with forcing schools into trusts has nothing to do with what is best for education. “There has been a fundamental failure by successive Conservative governments to make teaching attractive and paid well enough for people to stay. The expansion of academies has been at the heart of this failure.” Louis Hodge, associate director for school system and performance at the EPI, said: “With large increases in academisation over the last decade, an increasing number of schools are now working as part of wider groups and networks. “Yet our understanding of the relative strengths and weaknesses of different groups has, to date, been patchy and inconclusive. “This new research provides a strong foundation on which to build a more rounded understanding of how school groups in England are performing.” A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “As the report highlights, there are also positive drivers to teacher turnover. Many teachers leave their current roles due to promotion and move between schools within the same trust.” “We now have more teachers than ever before, with over 468,000 teachers in the workforce, a 27,000 increase on 2010.”

Pupils to get unique ID number linking service records under Labour

2024-01-09

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/09/labour-would-link-services-data-for-children-in-england-to-boost-standards

ID number would connect children in England’s school, health and council information Children in England should be given a unique number to link their records held by schools, health visitors and councils, allowing governments to harness artificial intelligence and data-mining to improve standards, according to the shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson. In a keynote speech, Phillipson also praised the former Conservative education secretary Michael Gove for his high expectations, in contrast to the “merry-go-round” of ministers that have followed him. Phillipson told an audience of education policymakers that current levels of pupil absences were “frankly terrifying”, and backed legislation for a register of home-schooled children as well as making data more available for those in school. “Information about children isn’t shared in the way it needs to be. Today, too often, for too many children, that simply isn’t happening. “We need, and Labour will bring, a simple single number – like the NHS number – that holds records together, and stops children’s needs falling through gaps within schools and between them, between all the services that wrap around them,” Phillipson said. “The vast opportunities of the technology we have today, of artificial intelligence, of data-mining, of the automated search for patterns and learning, [offer] the promise of a country and a culture where the drive for high and rising standards is embedded in all that we do. “All of that is useless if we don’t even collect and collate the information we have.” Labour’s policy was announced by the party’s leader, Keir Starmer, in July, when Labour said it would pilot the use of a “children’s number” for use in education, social care and other support services. A unique identifier has also been backed by Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, who has called for a “consistent child ID” number to allow data sharing and highlighting areas such as attendance, safeguarding and special education needs. Phillipson confirmed proposals that Labour would use to tackle slipping attendance rates in England’s schools, ranging from free breakfasts in primary school to increasing mental health support in secondary schools. She also accused the government of bungling its efforts to repair the life chances of children affected by the Covid-era lockdowns that saw schools closed to most pupils. “If I’m secretary of state for education, if and when such a national crisis comes again, school should be the last to close and the first to open,” she said. While Phillipson did not mention the current education secretary, Gillian Keegan, by name, she did offer rare praise for Gove, who was education secretary for England from 2010 to 2014, and piloted a wave of divisive reforms including the creation of free schools and imposing more academic curricula. “What Michael Gove brought to education, for all of our disagreements about many of the approaches that he took, was a sense of energy and drive and determination about education being central to national life,” Phillipson told an audience that included Sir Michael Wilshaw, the former Ofsted chief inspector appointed by Gove, and Lord Nash, who served under Gove as schools minister in the Lords. “But what we’ve seen in recent years with this merry-go-round of education secretaries – I’ve had five in my time as shadow education secretary – is the lack of priority being given to education. “I think it speaks to a wider truth about how far education has been deprioritised since Michael Gove’s time. I want to make sure, and Keir wants to make sure, that Labour will ensure education is front and centre of national life.” Asked about attempts by private schools to avoid Labour’s policy of adding VAT to tuition fees by encouraging parents to pay years in advance, Phillipson said she would look at closing the loophole with provisions used by the government in 2010, when the VAT rate was raised from 17.5% to 20%.

Steep rise in schools in England recruiting teachers from Jamaica

2024-04-02

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/02/steep-rise-in-schools-in-england-recruiting-teachers-from-jamaica

Exclusive: Schools following NHS and social care in recruiting from overseas as work visas for secondary school teachers double Schools are following the NHS and social care providers by increasing their recruitment of teachers from overseas to fill vacancies, leaving classrooms empty in countries such as Jamaica. Immigration figures show a jump in the number of skilled worker visas issued to teachers from abroad, while the government in England is using bonuses to boost the number of teacher trainees from overseas – at a time when Rishi Sunak said legal migration to the UK was “too high” and vowed to reduce it. While the numbers remain modest compared with the NHS, the trend is rising steeply upwards and will continue rising as the increase in trainee teachers recruited overseas enter the workforce. Last year nearly 1,100 work visas were issued to qualified secondary school teachers, double the 555 visas issued in 2022 and well above the 205 in 2021. So far this year, more than one in four applicants to teacher training courses in England have come from outside Europe. Jamaica alone supplied 486 qualified teachers last year, twice as many as in 2022, as schools in England launched recruiting drives in a country with a population of just 2.8 million and suffering its own chronic shortages of qualified teachers. Emiliana Vegas, a professor of practice at Harvard’s graduate school of education, said: “The reality is that, from the perspective of a Jamaican teacher, moving to the UK to work is economically a good idea. Salaries and working conditions are much better in the UK than in most low- and middle-income countries, like Jamaica. “But for Jamaican society, it has the impact of pulling away scarce talent, thus perpetuating the challenge of raising education quality in Jamaica and similar countries and increasing the gaps in student learning between high- and low-income societies.” Leighton Johnson, a headteacher and president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, said teacher shortages were so severe that some schools had vacancies unfilled for over a year, with the government allowing retired teachers, untrained specialists and even teachers on holiday to be hired. In other cases, Jamaican schools were cutting subjects because they could not find qualified teachers, while others had resorted to sharing teachers. We want to hear from teachers who have recently moved to England from Jamaica and other countries, following a rise in overseas recruitment. Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you include other people's names please ask them first. Contact us on WhatsApp at +447766780300. For more information, please see our guidance on contacting us via WhatsApp. For true anonymity please use our SecureDrop service instead. “Schools have had to be very creative. Some in close proximity have been designing their timetables to ensure a teacher can serve two schools, and some schools are utilising technology where a teacher can be in one school and streamed to another so the students can benefit,” Johnson said. “These are the extents that many schools have had to go to in order to make it work.” While teachers from Jamaica are often sought by schools in the US, Canada and the Middle East, because of their training and language skills, Johnson said there had been increasingly “aggressive” recruitment by countries including England, using advertising, holding seminars or directly approaching teachers in Jamaica, with higher rates of pay being offered. “What I know for a fact is that these recruiters, they network and once they have an individual from Jamaica, they employ these individuals, they employ teachers, to assist in the recruiting process. So they’ll say, get your colleagues to come, you be the testimonial, help us to recruit. And they become the point person, they are given a stipend or salary or some kind of remuneration, to get other teachers to come,” Johnson said. Schools in England that have directly recruited from Jamaica include those in the Harris Federation academy chain, based around London. Last year, Schools Week reported that the Harris Federation flew staff to the island to hold interviews, and hired 50 teachers mainly in science and maths. Dan Moynihan, the federation’s chief executive, said at the time: “We recruit Jamaican teachers who are fantastic people, but we are having to do that because we can’t find teachers here.” UK health and social care organisations cannot actively recruit qualified staff from countries on the World Health Organization’s “red list”, which includes Zimbabwe and Nigeria. But there are no similar barriers to hiring teachers: 60 UK work visas were issued to teachers from Nigeria last year, up from six in 2022, while Zimbabwe’s total rose from 11 to 59. Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The aggressive recruitment of teachers from other countries can have a significant impact on their ability to deliver good quality education to the children there and that is why the government needs to address the causes of not being able to recruit and retrain sufficient UK trained teachers.” The focus on overseas recruitment comes as schools in England report acute teacher shortages in some subjects. Record numbers quit the profession last year and experts at the National Foundation for Educational Research have warned that teacher supply “is in a critical state that risks the quality of education”. The Department for Education (DfE) in England has sought to meet its targets for trainee teachers by recruiting more from overseas, introducing a £10,000 “international relocation package” for physics and modern foreign languages teachers, as well as easing requirements for applicants from countries including Jamaica, India and others to gain qualified teacher status. A DfE spokesperson said its international recruitment “aims to support the best qualified applicants from abroad to make valuable contributions” to its workforce. “Our recruitment and retention strategy will always be focused domestically and schools in England now have more teachers than ever before with nearly 470,000 teachers in the workforce, a 27,000 increase on 2010,” the spokesperson said. “We are focused on striking the right balance between acting decisively to tackle net migration, which we are clear is far too high, and retaining and developing highly skilled teachers.” Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, warned against schools following the health and social care sectors in using “short-term, sticking plaster” solutions. “Recruitment from overseas is workload intensive, costly, and bureaucratic for hard-pressed schools. Often, international teachers only stay a short time, as they may not be granted indefinite leave to remain or permitted to bring their families, adding to teacher churn which is bad for pupils,” Whiteman said. “Ministers must do more to make teaching a more attractive and sustainable profession that will inspire people to commit to decades-long careers.”

Parents outline ‘woeful’ mental health support for students at UK universities

2023-06-02

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jun/02/parents-survey-mental-health-support-students-universities

Survey follows petition demanding legislation for a statutory duty of care in higher education Students who are struggling with their mental health can wait a whole academic year to receive help from university counselling services, while others are allowed only six sessions for their entire degree, according to a new survey. Parents who took part in the survey criticised UK universities for failing to contact them when their child was struggling with their mental health. Others said that when they got in touch with their child’s university to raise concerns, these were not escalated. Some accused providers of failing to act even when a student did not turn up for a single lecture all term. “We did not know anything was a problem until our son sent us a message indicating that he did not want to live,” said one parent, whose son had stopped attending. “My son did not attend lectures for a whole term due to mental health issues and no one noticed or cared,” said another. Parents, along with others who contributed to the survey, also expressed concern about the level of support for students’ mental health at university which varies widely across the sector and was described as “woeful” by one. “Students can wait a whole academic year to be seen and supported, and the burden of care is often left with personal tutors in the department,” one university worker said. Others are entitled to just six counselling sessions over the course of their entire degree and can face long waiting lists. “My son’s experience was very poor, despite a history of mental health struggles and a SEND [special educational needs and disability] diagnosis, he was not supported sufficiently. No attempt was ever made to reach out to him,” one parent said. The survey, which attracted 1,500 responses, was conducted by the Commons petition committee ahead of a debate on Monday when MPs will discuss a petition calling for the creation of a statutory duty of care from higher education providers towards students. It follows widespread and prolonged coverage of a number of student suicides in recent years. The survey was circulated among those who had signed the petition, which has more than 128,000 signatures. It states: “No general statutory duty of care exists in HE [higher education]. Yet, a duty of care is owed to students, and the government should legislate for this. HE providers should know what their duty is. Students must know what they can expect. Parents expect their children to be safe at university.” Responding to the petition, the government said higher education providers already have a general duty of care not to cause harm to their students through their own actions and further legislation to create a statutory duty of care would be “disproportionate”. The parents who took part in the survey disagreed. “Duty of care exists in all areas of work and apprenticeships but not for vulnerable young adults,” said one. “Lack of duty of care in higher education is a serious omission in the UK legislation that needs to be rectified. We need a level playing field. Students should have the same right to duty of care as everyone else.” Another said: “It is not enough for universities to be advised on what they should do. A statutory duty of care is a bare minimum for such large businesses. There are more regulations in place for shelf stackers than there are for students at university.” Robert Abrahart, whose daughter Natasha killed herself in 2018 while a student at Bristol University, described the current system as a lawless wild west. “And, given no relevant legal responsibility, there can be no accountability when things go badly wrong. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion “Most providers could design and implement safer processes and procedures. But they won’t, because they don’t want to, and don’t have to – so something needs to be changed. The proposed duty would establish a minimum standard of professional behaviour – requiring all members of staff to do what might reasonably be expected.” Just 1% of the students who took part in the survey said their university was “very supportive” of their mental health. One student said: “The systems for accessing mental health support are complex and not fit for purpose for those in crisis or suffering poor mental health. Please make it easy – a 24-hour support line. Don’t fob us off with text lines and the Samaritans’ line.” Prof Steve West, vice-chancellor of the University of the West of England Bristol and president of Universities UK, which represents 140 providers said: “Record numbers of children and young adults are now experiencing poor mental health and this is reflected in growing student need. “Although universities are investing in student support and developing partnerships with NHS services, their primary role is as settings for adult learning not health care. “We do not believe the proposed additional statutory duty of care, beyond the existing duties that already apply to universities, would be practical, proportionate, or the best approach to supporting students. “We continue to work with the government, and its student support champion, Prof Edward Peck, on proposals to improve outcomes for students.” In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, Mental Health America is available on 800-273-8255. In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978

Striking teachers in England accused of undermining pupils’ pandemic recovery

2023-07-05

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jul/05/striking-teachers-england-children-pandemic-recovery-education-secretary-gillian-keegan

Gillian Keegan says she ‘can’t think of a worse time’ for action by NEU members The education secretary, Gillian Keegan, has accused striking teachers of undermining children’s recovery from the Covid pandemic, saying she did “pretty well” at winning extra funding for schools from the Treasury. Keegan told a conference in Bournemouth: “Let me be clear, we should not be having these strikes in general, but certainly not now. Children have been through so much in the pandemic and I can’t think of a worse time to be willingly keeping them out of school.” The strike over pay by National Education Union members in England is said to have affected around half of the country’s 23,000 state schools, with many closed or restricting attendance for the seventh day of industrial action this year. An eighth strike day is scheduled to take place on Friday. About one in 20 schools in England are thought to have closed completely and many more restricted access to certain year groups, with some having to cancel sports events or transition days for incoming pupils. “This disruption is undermining the stability we have been working so hard to recover after the pandemic,” Keegan told the Local Government Association annual conference on Wednesday, while teachers protested outside the centre where the event was being held. Pressed by Laura Wright, the deputy leader of Exeter city council and a former teacher, to meet union leaders to discuss pay and funding, Keegan hinted there could be an announcement soon on the 2023-24 pay round. She said: “I think I’ve done pretty well actually in terms of getting money from the Treasury, but all of it has not stopped a single strike so it’s very disappointing. I’m hoping that we can be in a different place, let’s say soon, but it is very disappointing.” Keegan is said to have received the report of the School Teachers Review Body (STRB), the independent group that advises the government on teachers pay rates in England. Reports suggest the STRB has recommended teachers receive a 6.5% pay increase from September, above the 4.3% plus £1,000 bonus offered by the government that was decisively rejected by all four main teaching and headteachers unions this year. School leaders have been calling for Keegan to publish the report and the government’s response to allow them to finalise budgets from the coming school year. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion All four unions – the NEU, NASUWT, National Association of Head Teachers and Association of School and College Leaders – are balloting their members in England over potential strike action from September. If theballots pass the legal thresholds required, combined industrial action would close almost all state schools in England, in unprecedented coordinated strikes. Daniel Kebede, the NEU’s general secretary-elect, told a rally of thousands of members at Parliament Square in London: “If this government doesn’t deliver there will be a general strike in education, get ready now. It’s not going to be easy, and it will get harder, but we will win because we have justice on our side.”

Academics win claim against Oxford University over ‘sham contracts’

2024-02-21

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/21/academics-win-claim-against-oxford-university-over-sham-contracts

Rebecca Abrams and Alice Jolly claimed they were denied important workplace rights for 15 years Two academics who sued Oxford University for employing them on “sham contracts” as gig economy workers, have won their claim for employee status in a ruling that could have implications for other higher education workers on precarious contracts. Rebecca Abrams and Alice Jolly, both respected authors, taught on Oxford’s prestigious creative writing course for 15 years, but were employed on fixed-term “personal services” contracts, which they claimed denied them important workplace rights. After an employment tribunal hearing last month, the judge found in their favour, ruling that they were engaged on fixed-term contracts of employment and should therefore be classed as employees. Lawyers said a hearing would be held to assess the implications of the ruling. Abrams welcomed the judgment and said she hoped it would prompt “an urgently needed reboot” in the way universities treat teachers. “Alice and I are skilled professionals teaching at one of the world’s top universities, yet we’ve been employed year after year on sham contracts that have denied us our employment rights and legal protections. “With nearly 70% of its teaching staff on precarious contracts, Oxford is one of the worst offenders, but this is an issue that extends across UK higher education. Casualisation is a race to the bottom – bad for teachers, bad for students, and bad for universities.” Abrams and Jolly had long argued their contracts were sham. According to their lawyers, Oxford said it would offer more appropriate contracts in a letter to the Society of Authors in April 2022. Two months later their contracts were not renewed. “Both will seek a judgment that the failure to renew these contracts was an act of victimisation as result of their whistleblowing and trade union activity,” said a statement from Leigh Day solicitors, who represented the pair. The University and College Union, which represents lecturers and other university staff, has campaigned on the issue of casualisation in higher education, taking extensive industrial action in recent years over insecure contracts, as well as pay and conditions. “I simply cannot understand why the university has spent four years (at huge cost) trying to silence me and Rebecca when they knew all along that the contracts are a sham,” said Jolly. “This legal action is not about our personal circumstances. It is about the future of higher education and also about the status of writers who teach in universities.” David Graham, co-founder of the litigation fund Law for Change, which supported the pair, said: “Our mission is to back legal actions that have a clear social benefit and the continuing erosion of lecturers’ employment rights in higher education institutions is an area Law for Change is particularly concerned about. “This positive outcome for the claimants will not only secure better contract rights for lecturers at Oxford University but also help others working under exploitative contracts across the academic community.” Ryan Bradshaw, a solicitor with Leigh Day, added: “This is an important case that highlights the need for higher education providers to review and rethink their treatment of precariously employed staff. It is not acceptable for these institutions to continue to seek to avoid their legal obligations. The gig economy has no place in our universities.” In a separate dispute, a group claim brought by students against University College London, alleging breach of contract after Covid and industrial action disrupted their studies, is to proceed to court after talks aimed at finding a settlement ended without agreement last month. A judge halted proceedings last July to allow more time for talks between the two sides but there has been no progress, so both sides have mutually agreed to lift the stay on high court proceedings. Meanwhile, thousands more claimants have joined the action, taking the total to around 5,000, according to lawyers. An Oxford University spokesperson said: “We have been notified of the tribunal’s ruling on this preliminary hearing and are currently reviewing it.” UCU general secretary Jo Grady added: “This is a huge win in the fight against gig economy working practices in higher education. Despite being one of the richest institutions in the world, the University of Oxford keeps thousands of academics on low-paid insecure contracts that leave staff impoverished. “It’s completely unacceptable and it has to stop. This victory shows these contracts are often a sham and staff on them are entitled to the benefits of secure employment. Every employer in the sector now needs to pay attention to this ruling and begin working with UCU to move their employees onto secure contracts.”

Distraction and cyberbullying are key concerns over phones in UK schools

2023-07-25

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jul/26/distraction-cyberbullying-key-concerns-phones-uk-schools

Rise in ownership among pupils has sparked a wave of research into pros and cons of mobiles in education Mobile phones are so pervasive that many children have their own device before they reach secondary school. Between the ages of five and seven, about one in five children in the UK own a phone, and the figure soars to more than 50% in children aged eight to 11, according to the media regulator Ofcom. The rise in ownership among school pupils has sparked a wave of research into the pros and cons of mobile phones in education. The findings, and direct experience of the effect on students, have prompted some countries such as France and the Netherlands to ban mobiles in schools. Others, such as the UK, let schools decide what restrictions to make. One big concern is that having mobiles in class is an immense distraction for some pupils. Research from the London School of Economics found test scores for schoolchildren in Birmingham, London, Leicester and Manchester rose when their schools introduced mobile phone bans. The benefits were not spread evenly. The greatest improvement was seen in low-achieving students, with the ban having almost no impact on the most capable pupils. Lower achievers may be more prone to distraction, the researchers think, with high achievers retaining their focus despite having a phone to hand. What schoolchildren find distracting on phones differs across students. Canadian researchers looked at what secondary school pupils got up to during “bring your own device” lessons. Beyond doing their work, students were often using social media, instant messaging or playing games. Social media, which are driving a wave of mental distress, absorbed more of the girls’ time, while boys became engrossed in games. Distraction levels peaked when pupils were working on their own or in small groups rather than listening to their teachers. Much of the research around mobile phone distractions is in undergraduates, a plentiful resource for academic psychologists, and the results are a mixed bag. Research at the University of Chicago concluded that the mere presence of a mobile phone, and avoiding the temptation to check it all the time, was enough to reduce people’s cognitive capacity. Meanwhile, psychologists at Rutgers University in New Jersey found mobile devices divided students’ attention and reduced their ability to retain information, which subsequently hit their exam performance. On a more positive note, Danish scientists said the harm done to student learning was easily overblown. Mobile phones might well be distracting, but students have always been distracted, they argue, gazing out the window, staring at the ceiling or passing notes while the teacher is deriving pi from first principles. Distraction is not the only problem. Many countries that have banned mobiles in schools are worried about student wellbeing and cyberbullying. Research on more than 4,000 eight- to 11-year-olds in the US found half owned phones and nearly 10% were victims of cyberbullying. Unsurprisingly, it was the children with phones who experienced the most abuse. The effect bans can have on cyberbullying was clear in work carried out in Spain last year. Scientists looked at rates of cyberbullying in two regions of the country that introduced phone bans in schools. After the bans were brought in, rates of cyberbullying fell while maths and science learning improved. The debate around mobile phones in schools comes on top of the broader concerns around children and screen time. Research on eight- to 11-year-olds has shown that children are at their cognitive best when they are on screens for less than two hours a day, sleep for nine to 11 hours and do at least one hour of physical activity a day. But not all screen time is the same: educational apps may bring more benefits than watching mindless videos, for example. Overall, the work supports the case that children need exercise, play, communication, social interaction and sleep for healthy development.

DfE to investigate claims of bad practice in recruitment of international students

2024-01-29

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/29/department-education-investigate-recruitment-international-students-uk-universities

Move follows reports overseas students face lower entry requirements, a claim universities reject The Department for Education is to investigate allegations of bad practice by agents who recruit international students to study at British universities. It follows reports over the weekend claiming that overseas students are being admitted to prestigious institutions while subject to lower entry requirements than domestic students. The higher education minister, Robert Halfon, speaking in the Commons during education questions on Monday, said he was “very disturbed” by reports in the Sunday Times that he said “clearly showed bad practice in the use of agents and that’s not acceptable”. University leaders, however, said the reporting unfairly compared entry requirements on non-degree courses with those of mainstream undergraduate courses. It also ignored figures showing rising numbers of UK students enrolled at Russell Group universities. Questioned by MPs, the minister agreed it was important to ensure “we are comparing like with like” on the issue of entry requirements. He added: “While I am a strong supporter of international students, I want a level playing field for all domestic students as well. “I met with vice-chancellors only yesterday afternoon, as soon as I’d seen the report in the Sunday Times, and I’m absolutely clear I’ve asked the DfE to take out an urgent investigation into bad practice by agents where it occurs. “I was very disturbed with what I saw, and what we want – as I say – is absolute fairness of entry for domestic students as much as international students.” The Sunday Times claimed Britain’s top universities were paying agents to recruit overseas students – who pay considerably higher fees than domestic students – on “far lower grades” than those required of UK applicants. Universities rejected claims that British students were being “squeezed out” by international applicants. Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of Universities UK, which represents 140 universities, said: “International students are a key part of the success story that is UK high education. However, the Sunday Times story fails to distinguish between entry requirements for international foundation years and full degrees. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion “International foundation years are designed to prepare students to apply for full degree programmes. They do not guarantee entry to them. They are designed for students who come from different education systems where, in many cases, students might have completed 12 rather than 13 years of secondary education. “We entirely agree that the entry requirements for international and domestic students to full degree programmes should be equivalent. It is essential that the integrity of entry routes be protected. “However, it must also be understood that entry routes for international students will reflect the diverse countries and education backgrounds that these students come from, and that some will need bridging courses to enable them to progress to UK degrees.”

‘United front’ of teachers could launch biggest strikes in a decade in England

2023-07-05

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jul/05/united-front-teachers-could-biggest-strikes-decade-england

New head of National Education Union says four unions could take action in autumn over pay dispute Teachers could launch the biggest strikes in a decade from September as part of a “united front” by all four education unions in England, the next head of the biggest union has warned. In his first interview since being elected general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), Daniel Kebede predicted that Rishi Sunak’s threats to overrule the results of an independent pay review body would spark outrage among teachers and further strikes. All four education unions are balloting their members over further strike action in the autumn, while NEU members are striking on Wednesday and Friday in the long-running pay dispute. “What strike action looks like very much depends on the government,” said Kebede, who takes over as general secretary in August. “But it’s not just going to be our union with a strike ballot, there will also be the headteachers’ unions and the prospect of the NASUWT taking action on strike ballots in thousands of schools up and down the country. “This government could be faced with the very real prospect of a united front demanding a change of course.” Kebede said Sunak and the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, could have averted further strike action by publishing the report of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), which is said to recommend a 6.5% pay increase for teachers. But Sunak and other ministers are considering overruling public sector pay reviews if they deem them to be “unaffordable” and inflationary, according to reports. “We have the prime minister now advising that he’s going to amend the pay review body awards of two and a half million workers – not just teachers but also soldiers, prison officers and other public servants – and amend them down,” said Kedebe, a former primary school teacher in Durham. “That’s a big problem for us, as union and as a profession, because pay is a key issue in the recruitment and retention crisis. The fact is that we can’t recruit and retain teachers, and pay is one reason why that is happening. We are in a fight to save comprehensive education. “Rishi Sunak might think education is expensive but we don’t have to try the cost of ignorance, do we?” Negotiations between the Department for Education and the unions ended in March, with the NEU, NASUWT, National Association of Head Teachers and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) all decisively rejecting the government’s offer of a 4.3% pay rise and £1,000 one-off payment. Since then the government has refused to reopen talks, with Keegan saying ministers would wait for the STRB’s recommendations before making a further pay offer for the 2023-24 school year. Keegan is said to have received the report last month. A DfE spokesperson said: “Any strike action is hugely damaging. We have made a fair and reasonable pay offer to teachers, recognising their incredible work and commitment. “Thousands of schools received significant additional funding as part of the extra £2bn of investment we are providing both this year and next. As a result, school funding will be at its highest level in history next year, as measured by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.” This week’s strikes by the NEU mean some schools in England will have been closed for a total of eight days this year. But Kebede defended the strikes late in the summer term as necessary to stop the outflow of teachers. “The fact of the matter is that we had nearly 10% of the profession leave teaching last year. If that happened in a private sector company, it would grind to a halt,” Kebede said. “A million children are being taught in classes of over 31 pupils or more, OECD data is showing that the pupil to teacher ratio in British primary schools are the fourth highest after Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. There is a real crisis, and the fact that strikes are happening at this time of year shows just how strongly our profession is feeling.” The ASCL headteachers’ union is balloting its members on national strike action for the first time in its 150-year history, with results to be published at the end of July. Geoff Barton, the ASCL general secretary, said: “This week’s strikes are a problem of the government’s making through its neglect of education and refusal to resume formal negotiations with unions. Unless the government changes its approach then there will likely be further strikes in the autumn term.”

Teaching assistants routinely cover lessons in England and Wales, survey finds

2024-04-26

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/26/teaching-assistants-deployed-to-routinely-cover-lessons-in-england-and-wales

Exclusive: Research shows extent to which schools are struggling to provide qualified teachers for every class Hundreds of thousands of pupils in England and Wales are being educated “on the cheap” by low-paid teaching assistants (TAs) covering lessons for teachers who are off sick or have quit, according to new research. A desperate teacher recruitment crisis, compounded by inadequate funding, means schools across the country are struggling to put a qualified teacher at the front of every class, unions say. TAs – who earn as little as £14,000 with salaries rising to £21,000 for the most experienced – are being asked to plug the gaps for little or no extra pay. At primary level they describe being told to lead classes ranging from nursery to year 6, with just minutes to spare. In secondary schools, TAs are teaching subjects at GCSE level where teachers have left and not been replaced. The use of TAs to supervise classes was introduced in 2004 in cases of unexpected teacher absence, to allow for supervision for limited periods. The current teacher shortage, as well increased levels of long-term sickness, means TAs are routinely being deployed as teachers, though national guidance states they should not “actively teach”. Children with special educational needs (SEN) are among the worst-affected by the crisis, according to research by the public service union Unison. As TAs are increasingly asked to step in for teachers, many of the 1.5 million children with SEN they normally support are left to struggle in class on their own. The survey of almost 6,000 TAs found two in five (39%) were covering classes for regular teachers for at least five hours a week – roughly the equivalent of one school day a week or half a term’s cover over a school year – while 15% said they were expected to teach entire classes for at least 11 hours a week. “I don’t think parents have any idea how much of their children’s education is being delivered by unqualified teaching assistants,” one primary higher-level TA told researchers. The research shows that the crisis is getting worse. Almost half (45%) of TAs who participated in the survey said they were teaching more classes than they did last year, while more than two-thirds (68%) said that it was having a negative impact on the quality of learning in their school. A higher-level TA working in a secondary school in the north-east told the Guardian he had covered 448 lessons last year, and it would be more this year. “It can be anything,” he said. “French, maths, science, PE. I’m quite comfortable teaching maths and PE, but French and English I’m not so good at. “Before Covid, when teachers were off, cover would come in, but it’s harder to find teachers since Covid. It’s sad for the kids. It’s sad for the school – they want the best for the kids, but half the time they can’t get anyone.” Another TA, working in a primary school in the north-west, said: “When we were doing training, we were aware there would be occasional times – if a teacher goes home poorly – we might have to step in. But not to this extent. It all comes down to money. If schools were given a proper budget, there would be adequate support.” TAs are particularly concerned about the consequences for children with SEN or additional learning needs (ALN). Four in five (81%) said that covering for teachers was having a negative impact on SEN and ALN provision in their school. As a result, pupils were missing out on classroom support (63%) and intervention sessions (58%), while those with more complex needs who have an education, health and care plan were missing out on one-to-one support (52%). The Unison head of education, Mike Short, said: “Schools’ budgets are so tight that, instead of getting in supply teachers to cover classes, heads are having to use teaching assistants on the cheap. This is neither right, nor fair. “Parents will rightly assume their children are being taught by teachers, not teaching assistants. The government must ensure all schools have the budget and staff to provide the education they’re meant to deliver. “This over-reliance on unsatisfactory stopgap measures and overburdening teaching assistants in this way has to stop.” Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day’s headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the school leaders’ union, the NAHT, said: “It is not right that teaching assistants should be asked to routinely cover classes but sadly sometimes schools have literally no other choice. “Teaching assistants play a crucial role in our schools, particularly for pupils with additional needs, but we should not expect them to fulfil the role of the teacher.” Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, added: “Without action from the government to address the teacher recruitment and retention crisis by improving pay, conditions, and school funding, it is difficult to see how things will improve.” Parents are also concerned. One mother of two told the Guardian: “My daughter is in reception and has not had a teacher since coming back from the Easter holidays. We don’t know what’s happening. She’s been taught by a range of TAs – never the same person. “She’s at the very foundation of learning, and she’s getting bored. The TAs are struggling to hold the class. It means the ones who are able are missing out, and the ones who are struggling are missing out too.” Rob Webster, a researcher and expert on teaching assistants, said: “This study reveals the hidden costs of deploying teaching assistants to plug gaps in the teacher workforce. It disrupts support for pupils who need it, and prevents teaching assistants from doing their essential work. “The special educational needs system in England is already at breaking point. Parents of children with additional needs will wonder what effect this considerable loss of teaching assistant capacity is having on their child’s provision. “The current situation is having a detrimental effect on teaching assistants’ workload and wellbeing too. Left unaddressed, it could exacerbate the existing recruitment and retention crisis facing schools.” A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We have undertaken the biggest reform of training and development in a generation, and … recognise the key role teaching assistants play in supporting children and young people with SEND. We are developing practitioner standards for all frontline staff to help them identify and support the needs of these children.”

Frank Bowling sells signed prints to buy art supplies for 100 schools

2024-02-12

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/12/frank-bowling-sells-signed-prints-to-buy-art-supplies-for-100-schools

Abstract painter hopes to inspire young people with fine art after government cuts made it the ‘preserve of the elite’ Sir Frank Bowling, one of Britain’s most celebrated abstract painters, is selling prints of his work to help fund art supplies for 100 primary schools in England as part of a project that he hopes will be a “gamechanger” in art education by making state school students realise art isn’t off limits. Proceeds from the sale of 100 hand-signed prints will fund “art packages”, including canvas, paint and a six-lesson curriculum that could give about 30,000 primary schoolchildren an “alternative” introduction to art. The project comes as arts education in state schools is under threat with spending per pupil in England falling by nearly 10% in real terms since 2009 and many institutions having to cut back on provision. Many teachers have criticised the government’s approach to art education, particularly the decision to introduce the English baccalaureate, which excludes all arts subjects – while private schools are free to focus on the arts. A study by the Fabian Society in 2019 found that 68% of primary school teachers in England felt there was less arts education now than in 2010, with just under half believing the quality had decreased. Bowling’s son, Ben Bowling helped organise the project, which hopes to raise £500,000. He said: “Bridging that gap and enabling children of all ages, irrespective of their family background or their means, to have access to art education and material is the goal.” He said the project’s objective was “widening access in the most direct and immediate sense” for schoolchildren. He added: “Dad’s ambition is for this to be a gamechanger in the way that children are introduced to fine art so they’re introduced to canvas, to the pleasure and the possibilities of paint and the idea that they can make art.” Frank Bowling, 89, who moved from Guyana to Britain in 1953, is best known for the large-scale abstract “map” paintings he produced in the late 1960s after graduating from the Royal College of Art a decade earlier at the same time as David Hockney and other “pop artists”. While Hockney went on to superstardom, Bowling felt “squeezed out” of London and moved to New York. He didn’t achieve recognition in the UK until relatively recently. It was not until 2019 that he had a major retrospective in the UK when Tate Britain held a decade-spanning exhibition dedicated to him, which led to him being hailed as “a shunned giant of British art” after its success. Frank Bowling said: “Artists will always do what they have to do and find ways of doing – art finds a way, but young children need schools to be a place of artistic possibilities. It’s not just about making art; it’s about making sure they feel empowered to create, no matter what.” The hand-signed prints (titled Understanding Frank) are of another map painting, this time of the British Isles, taken from a book Bowling produced in 1980. The idea for the project came at the same time Bowling began to receive invites from schools in London whose students were using his work as inspiration following his rise to prominence after the Tate exhibition. Ben Bowling said: “We started visiting schools and doing presentations to six and seven-year-olds and we realised there were things that they needed. “One of the paradoxes here is that when you get to university level, Royal College of Art, Courtauld, Slade, Central Saint Martins – these are world-class institutions but art schools in England have become the preserve of the elite, there has been a massive shift.” The project coincides with Bowling’s 90th birthday on 26 February, and is in collaboration with the arts platform, Cultural Institute of Radical Contemporary Arts (Circa), which projected Bowling’s first digital art work in Piccadilly Circus in 2023. Frank Bowling has previously donated prints to the Hepworth Wakefield’s School Prints campaign. The Circa pipeline: Frank Bowling Arts Programme 2024/45 is supported by education supply company, Findel Education, and schools across the UK can apply for the packages from 13 February.

UK teachers defy minister to back pro-Palestine motion

2024-04-04

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/04/national-education-union-neu-teachers-back-palestine-motion

NEU members at conference vote in favour of motion criticised by Gillian Keegan as inappropriate Teachers at the National Education Union conference have voted in favour of a motion calling for solidarity with Palestine and criticising the Israeli government as racist, and declared they would “take no lectures” from the education secretary. Gillian Keegan said the motion was “wholly inappropriate” and would cause significant hurt to members of the Jewish community and thousands of Jewish children and parents in British schools. Speakers at the NEU’s annual conference in Bournemouth on Thursday said there was nothing in the motion that attacked Jewish people or the Jewish religion, and it was carried with overwhelming support. One speaker who opposed the motion was heckled after he likened the debate to “an anti-Zionist rally”, and he left the stage to a slow handclap. Peter Block, a retired supply teacher from London, accused fellow delegates of uncritically jumping on the anti-Israel bandwagon and said it amounted it to “a glorification of Hamas”. Block, who is Jewish, later told reporters: “They’re ignoring the whole picture. They are just taking a very blinkered, biased, one-sided view of everything and there is no opportunity to question, as you saw.” The successful motion reaffirmed the NEU’s support for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Stop the War coalition and called on the union to “publish and circulate educational resources that members can use to increase understanding of Palestine and Israel”. An amendment that was also carried said attempts to clamp down on the right to protest and discuss the issue must be opposed. The education secretary criticised the motion for ignoring the attacks committed by Hamas on Israel on 7 October. She said: “These motions reflect the NEU’s divisive ideology, which I don’t believe is representative of our teachers. Teachers have a duty to remain politically impartial and to ensure all sides of contested views are presented fairly and without bias or prejudice.” Debs Gwynne of Halton in Cheshire, who proposed the motion, responded: “I’m very proud that this trade union has a long history of solidarity with Palestine. Last week Gillian Keegan said she was appalled that this motion was being discussed at conference because it’s inappropriate.” She said the NEU was in turn appalled that the government had failed to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. “This union will take no lectures from Gillian Keegan and this racist government on what is and what is not appropriate. There’s nothing in this motion that attacks Jewish people or the Jewish religion,” Gwynne said. Earlier, the head of the Palestinian mission to the UK, Dr Husam Zomlot, was given a lengthy standing ovation when he addressed delegates, many of whom were wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh and some of whom shouted “Free Palestine”. One person shouted the controversial slogan “from the river to the sea”.

GCSE grades a good predictor of life chances and wellbeing, research shows

2024-02-22

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/22/gcse-grades-a-good-predictor-of-life-chances-and-wellbeing-research-shows

Study of 23-year-olds found the exams were even more important for those from disadvantaged backgrounds GCSE grades have an excellent track record in predicting the future lives and careers of young adults, according to researchers, who found the exams were even more crucial for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Academics from Leeds and York universities found that the predictive power of GCSE results outstripped those of gender or later qualifications, including university degrees, in charting the development of young people from the age of 16 into their early 20s. “What we can definitely say is that GCSEs have a considerable impact on how your life develops into your early 20s, and that the benefits from GCSEs are over and above the education someone obtains later,” said Alexandra Starr, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of York and one of the study’s authors. “The main message I would say is that GCSE grades are important in real life. We always talk about whether exams are only important within the education system, to climb the next rung in the educational ladder. But it’s also important beyond that.” The research, published on Thursday in the journal Developmental Psychology, comes as nearly 800,000 students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland prepare to sit their GCSE exams this spring. The researchers interviewed 6,500 people aged 23, recording their GCSE grades and later qualifications such as A-levels and degrees, along with their current occupation, income and questions on their financial and emotional wellbeing, as well as other measures including family background. While those with strong GCSE results also did well in terms of university entry and prestigious occupations, the results were particularly marked for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. “It’s important to encourage children to perform well in school because it’s important for their overall future. And it’s important to acknowledge this is especially true for children from less privileged backgrounds,” said Starr. “For them it is more important to obtain good grades at GCSE level, to then have further educational opportunities such as going to university and being admitted into the courses they want to study, compared to their more privileged peers, who might have more of a support system they can rely on.” Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, who was not involved in the research, said: “Education can be the great social leveller for children from under-resourced backgrounds – the huge challenge we face in the post-pandemic era is that too few are securing the basic GCSE grades needed to function and flourish in later life. “Our country would be a fairer and more productive place if we targeted more education resources to those pupils who have been held back by the rising levels of inequality we are now experiencing.” The Sutton Trust, which campaigns for social mobility through education, warned that there is a “ticking time bomb” being created by the widening attainment gap between rich and poor pupils in England. The trust is calling for the next government to create a long-term national strategy to close the gap, including rebalancing funding back towards schools serving the most disadvantaged communities.

Funding should be made available for lifelong learning | Letters

2024-01-21

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/21/funding-should-be-made-available-for-lifelong-learning

Prof Jonathan Michie says lifelong learning is vital for the economy and society – there will be no levelling up without it You are right that Britain needs a universities review (The Guardian view on universities: Australian lesson might spark much-needed change, 16 January). The final report from the Australian review is not yet published, but the interim report stressed the importance of lifelong learning, calling for the university system “to be better at providing a more flexible and adaptive approach to learning”. Any review of British universities needs to address the particular crisis in adult education and lifelong learning. Reviewing Britain’s growth crisis in 2022, the Economist pointed out that in Britain “adult education has gone to seed”. Recent reviews of UK higher education have called for funding to be made available for lifelong learning. Instead, the lifelong learning entitlement is based on loans and debt. Lifelong learning is vital for the economy, and also for society – there will be no levelling up or building back better without it. Adult education also contributes to personal wellbeing. And to tackle the great challenges we face, such as the climate crisis, requires an engaged debate and an ability to bring about change across communities, workplaces and societies. All this requires a government strategy for lifelong learning. A review of higher education could be the launchpad.Prof Jonathan MichieChair, Universities Association for Lifelong Learning Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.

Sir Martyn Oliver: what can schools expect from Ofsted’s next chief?

2023-07-20

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jul/20/sir-martyn-oliver-what-can-schools-expect-ofsted-next-chief

The leader of an academy trust renowned for high suspension rates has been formally nominated by the education secretary Sir Martyn Oliver, the leader of an academy trust renowned for high numbers of suspensions, has been nominated as Ofsted’s next chief inspector to oversee England’s inspectorate of schools, children’s services and prison education in the new year. Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, formally recommended Oliver to succeed Amanda Spielman as His Majesty’s chief inspector, a decision that will be ratified by parliament after a pre-appointment hearing in autumn. “Sir Martyn Oliver has demonstrated exemplary leadership and an unwavering commitment to driving up standards in areas of disadvantage in his time as a school and trust leader,” Keegan said. She praised Spielman for her key reforms to Ofsted over the last seven years, adding: “I am confident the breadth of Martyn’s experience will enable him to build on this vital work as Ofsted moves into the future.” The government also praised Oliver’s “track record of driving up standards in areas with high levels of disadvantage”, as the chief executive of Outwood Grange Academies Trust (Ogat) based in Wakefield, which administers 41 schools in the Midlands and the north of England. Oliver, 51, said he was “deeply honoured and hugely privileged” to be nominated. He said: “I can promise that I will work extremely hard and very closely with the whole sector so that we can together build on what has been done to date to create the best system in all areas of education, children’s services and skills for the benefit of children and young people.” Oliver, a former teacher, took over as Ogat’s chief executive in 2016 and has overseen a doubling in size of the trust. His annual salary at Ogat is a comparatively modest £180,000 a year, in a sector where chief executives are often paid £250,000 or more. Oliver has benefited from appointments to influential roles, including to the government’s commission on race and ethnic disparities. He is also a trustee of the Education Endowment Foundation and the Office for Students, the independent higher education regulator for England. In common with recent chief inspectors, Oliver has little experience outside the schools sector, despite Ofsted’s legal responsibility for evaluating local authority social care provision, children’s services and residential homes for children in care. Earlier this year Spielman apologised for Ofsted’s failure to uncover violence and abuse at three children’s homes in Doncaster, which inspectors had rated as “good” despite dozens of complaints. Oliver’s promotion comes in spite of criticism – including from Ofsted inspectors – of his trust’s record on pupil suspensions and exclusions. A 2018 Guardian investigation found that Ogat’s schools had some of the highest suspension and exclusion rates in England. Two out of five students at Outwood academy Ormesby in Middlesbrough had been suspended at some point during the previous year. Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Trust, has said Oliver had “serious question to answer” on why Ogat’s suspension rates were so much higher than other schools, and that Oliver was an “inappropriate” choice as Ofsted’s chief inspector. Official figures revealed record high levels of suspensions by state schools in England in 2021-22, although permanent exclusions were down by 20% compared with pre-pandemic levels. The Department for Education figures showed that 578,000 pupils were suspended from state schools last year, nearly 7% of the total – the highest rate since current records began in 2006-07, and well above the 5.4% recorded in 2018-19 before the pandemic. However, the number of permanent exclusions was lower than the three years before the pandemic, at 6,500, amounting to 0.08% of pupils. In 2018-19 the rate was 0.1%. Tom Bennett, the government’s behaviour adviser, said it was difficult to explain why suspensions were rising quickly while exclusions were falling. “One possible reason for higher suspension rates might be that schools use them more as a way to prevent permanent exclusions – the theory being that if a student receives a suspension, then it gets through to them that their behaviour is unacceptable. In that scenario, we could interpret higher suspensions [and] lower exclusions as a success,” Bennett said. “Another reason could be that post-pandemic behaviour has worsened because some students have partially lost the social habits of being present in an institution. Behaviour habits can be lost easily. Suspensions may be a result of that.” The DfE’s breakdown of exclusions and suspensions by ethnicity showed that white pupils were more likely to be suspended or excluded than black or Asian pupils in 2021-22. The exclusion rate for white pupils was 0.08, compared with 0.07 for black and 0.03 for Asian pupils. Sir Martyn Oliver faces a bulging in-tray of demands for Ofsted reform and political landmines to be avoided. 1 Ruth PerryWhen Oliver takes over in January – assuming he is confirmed by parliament and the privy council – it will be only a few weeks after a high-profile inquest into the death of the Reading headteacher Ruth Perry, who is said to have killed herself after an Ofsted inspection downgraded her school to “inadequate”. The coroner has already named Ofsted as an interested party in the proceedings, and the questioning of its inspectors and Ofsted’s handling is certain to make headlines, regardless of the verdict. The worst-case scenario for Ofsted would be the coroner deciding to hold an enhanced inquest into the wider circumstances of Perry’s death, or issue a “report to prevent future deaths”. 2 School inspection overhaulPerry’s death has ignited long-simmering unhappiness over the way Ofsted conducts inspections, especially the use of one-word summary ratings such as “outstanding” or “inadequate” that brand a school and its teachers as successes or failures. The Department for Education and Ofsted have already announced a few changes, but most think more can be done. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders and a former headteacher, said: “There is widespread support for the scrapping of blunt single-word judgments and we hope that this will now be a priority.” 3 Outcomes or inputs?Some critics of Ofsted say its school inspections under Amanda Spielman have veered too far towards the theoretical and away from the practicalities of schools such as exam results, behaviour and attendance. Oliver is said to support the greater use of outcomes in inspection results but the danger is that Ofsted grades then simply follow GCSE results, meaning grammar schools and schools in middle-class areas will always do better. 4 Children’s servicesOfsted’s inspections of children’s services remains a fraught and undervalued part of the organisation, lacking the public profile of school inspections but forming a systemic danger to the organisation if things go wrong, especially in cases involving vulnerable children. With a high turnover of social workers, a reliance on agency staff and heavy caseloads, many council services are overburdened, leading to cases such as that of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, when Solihull’s children’s services were rated as “requiring improvement” by Ofsted. 5 ReputationOfsted has recently lacked a strong media presence to inspire public confidence in the services it inspects. Sir Michael Wilshaw, Spielman’s predecessor, was a savvy and well-recognised media figure, at ease with appearing before inquiries and select committees. Oliver has largely avoided publicity and media appearances, so it remains to be seen if he has the ability to reinvigorate Ofsted’s image. 6 Political pressuresOfsted is an independent inspectorate, but its independence relies on being able to defend itself from politicians on the warpath. The most recent spectacle was the equalities minister, Kemi Badenoch, pushing the organisation into holding a snap inspection of a school based on a TikTok video snippet of a classroom argument and the subsequent media coverage. Ofsted’s inspection later cleared the college. Oliver may be less inclined to embarrass senior ministers, which may backfire if there is a change of government.

Schools are still reeling from Michael Gove’s arrogant meddling | Letters

2023-12-05

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/dec/05/schools-still-reeling-from-michael-gove-arrogant-meddling

The fragmentation of the education system into multi-academy trusts has created waste and a lack of accountability, writes Prof Ron Glatter. Plus letters from Penny Perrett, John Martin and Andrew Keeley Michael Gove did even more severe damage during what Polly Toynbee calls his “thunderous four years” as education secretary than she lays out (Too many pupils miss lessons, says Ofsted, and that’s right. Call it the Michael Gove effect, 28 November). He created a radical but unsustainable change to the architecture of the system. There are now 2,500 academy trusts. Many are individual schools, but nearly half of them are organised into chains, so-called “multi-academy trusts”, containing up to around 60 schools. They are all contracted directly to the government via “funding agreements”, their ownership having been decided without public involvement. In addition, a number of schools still operate under the old local authority arrangements. The system has been shown to generate unjustifiably high costs, particularly in relation to management, and provides minimal local accountability. It is a completely random and incoherent setup which cannot be left as it is.Prof Ron GlatterHemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire Think back to your memories of school. What stands out? The school play that helped to keep the rebels in school? The annual theatre trip? The outdoor education experience? The range of sporting activities? Playing in the orchestra? Or repeating GCSE maths three times? Polly Toynbee rightly talks about the Govian curriculum teaching children to fail. The government has made it difficult for many schools to keep the arts in the curriculum (despite the fact that the UK continues to be respected for the quality of its dancers, musicians and actors), preferring instead to focus on traditional learning for testing. Children are voting with their feet: staying away from school has become all too common. The arts help young people understand their place in the world and develop empathy. Schools that have retained the arts are exciting places in which to learn. Pupils are motivated to come into school, and success in arts subjects can foster a more positive attitude to learning. Penny PerrettWorcester Polly Toynbee prompts a difficult question: what were the greatest crimes committed by Michael Gove during his time as secretary of state for education? Near the top of the list must be his destruction of the school sports partnerships established by the Youth Sport Trust. These highly successful collaborative networks ensured that most pupils participated in regular meaningful physical activity that met or exceeded the health department’s recommendations for children. Many adults who exercise regularly today owe it to the habits inculcated in them when at school during the early 2000s, because of this visionary, well-funded government programme. Is it a coincidence that we have seen such an increase in children’s obesity and mental health issues since 2010?John MartinShrewsbury, Shropshire Polly Toynbee is right to describe Michael Gove’s term as education secretary as “thunderous” in fixing subsequent government policy. I was one of the first of many headteachers to lose their jobs after the introduction of the disastrous Ofsted framework devised by Gove and his then special adviser Dominic Cummings, when my school went overnight from “good with many outstanding features” to “inadequate”. After Gove’s appearance at the Covid inquiry, is it too much to expect him to repeat the apology he made to Covid victims and families for their “pain and loss” to the family of Ruth Perry (Ruth Perry ‘amazed’ more heads did not kill themselves, inquest hears, 1 December)?Andrew KeeleyWarrington, Cheshire In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

Fresh thinking: after 20 years, I’ve gone back to university

2023-12-17

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/dec/17/fresh-thinking-after-20-years-why-i-have-gone-back-to-university

Last time I had a first week at university, I successfully shaved a balloon covered in shaving foam without popping it, for which I won shots at the local nightclub, possibly jelly. It is 20 years later, and I am having my first week at university again. This time, I am 41. I am sticking a very strict and detailed timetable to my fridge, making plans for who is going to walk the dog on which days and desperately trying not to say anything that makes me stand out as a late millennial, such as “I used to write all my essays by hand,” and “Wow, literally everything’s online,” both of which came out of my mouth very early on. There are no jelly shots. I am horrified to find that I am constantly on the verge of letting an “in my day…” slip out. I don’t smoke, but I find that in my head, I am always sucking hard on a metaphorical cigarette, hoary with age and experience. Last spring, I applied to study an MA in a new-ish discipline called Environmental Humanities. Over the summer, I struggled to explain what this was to anyone who asked, but I settled on “literature, with a Greta Thunberg twist”. There is more to it than that, it turns out. In the academic language that I am having to relearn, it is “interdisciplinary”, covering art, philosophy, social sciences and history, but with a focus on the climate crisis. The idea is to look at what might work alongside cold, hard science, in order to communicate new ways of thinking about the planet. Warwick University offered me a place and I am coming to the end of my first term. Like Adele, education was calling me. At a recent Q&A, the singer told fans that at the end of her Las Vegas residency, she was planning to study for a degree in English Literature. Kim Kardashian seems to have been at law school for the best part of a decade. Alison Moyet told her followers that she had been awarded a first class honours degree in fine art printmaking, at the age of 62. “Did that graduating thing today. All a bit late doors but bees & bonnets & wot not,” she wrote, on X, formerly Twitter. On campus, I look around, and feel as if there are not many of us “mature” students. In freshers’ week, I turned up at a mature students’ coffee morning. Nobody had handwritten their essays. Mature meant 22 or 25, at most. I puffed on that imaginary fag and left early. I asked Warwick how many postgraduate students are over 30 this year. Across all subjects, taught and in research, there are 857, out of 6,087 students in total. During Covid, our numbers dropped and dropped: in the academic year 20/21, there had been 1,887 over-30s. National figures are harder to come by. The last few years have been tumultuous and the definition of mature is loose. The most recent figures appear in a government briefing paper from 2021, which reported that there were 202,805 mature (defined as over-25) postgraduate students in the UK for the 2018/19 intake, making up 50% of entrants. There may be more of us than I thought. I started my undergraduate degree when I was 18, going straight from sixth form college to university. Education changed the direction of my life completely. I am from a working-class background in north Lincolnshire. My grandparents were Irish immigrants who came to England in the 1960s for work; my grandmother liked to say that Angela’s Ashes had nothing on her childhood. I was the first person in my family to do A-levels. A teacher at my college suggested I apply for a summer school, run by the Sutton Trust, which sent kids with no family history of higher education to an Oxbridge college for a week, to show them what it was like to study there. I loved it, applied to Oxford University proper, and then I got in, which was a shock to the system for everyone. Honestly, I had a fantastic time, even if it occasionally meant playing the working-class clown. Once, without malice, someone told me that I was his only poor friend. It was 2000, so there were tuition fees, but one of the many benefits of coming of age under a Labour government was that these were means-tested, so I was exempt from paying anything at all. I borrowed money for my living costs and had part-time jobs, which was against the rules, but they were rules for people wealthier than me. By my late 20s, I had paid off my student loan because it was so small. What a luxury. I have always been bookish, always loved learning about new things. (This is part of the appeal of being a journalist. You find out a lot about a subject, write about it, forget everything, and move on to the next.) But I always felt as if I had given up on it too early. This is what happens when you’re 18, immature for your age, and leaving home for the first time. I had landed in a world so entirely different to anything I had known that it span me around and left me dizzy. I skipped lectures. I barely scraped by in my first-year exams. I shaved balloons. I did fine, because I knuckled down eventually, but I always had a niggling sense that I hadn’t quite appreciated it enough. I wanted to do an MA then, but the idea seemed impossible. Better to get a job. If you are working class, or were once (and that’s another story), then it is instilled in you, usually, to find security where you can, as quickly as you can. Education hauled me out of one world and dropped me into another. Since then I have seen the wheels of social mobility stiffen and rust. We should be furious about this. For the last few years, I have volunteered for a charity called the Access Project. You get paired with what they call a “high potential, under-resourced student”, usually with no history of higher education in their family, and once a week you have a tutorial with them. I had one student who was a great talker and enjoyed arguing a point. I started to realise that I was enjoying it, too, all that reading, arguing and thinking. It was this enjoyment that led me to consider that maybe I could go back to university, after all this time. This is important. The idea that there might be pleasure in learning more about the world runs counter to the current and prevailing narrative about education, particularly higher education, particularly in the arts, particularly after 13 years of Conservative rule. Education has become a question of “usefulness”, defined in economic terms, by a drumbeat of questions about how studying anything other than Stem subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) could possibly turn a profit. It is pernicious and sinister and seeds a slow-creeping notion that we should not get ideas above our station, that we should not bother to find out more or ask deeper questions. Who and what does that suit, but a divided government that feeds on culture wars, and a society that prioritises hot takes and empty arguments, just as long as they sound good? The past 13 years have seen swingeing cuts to arts and education funding across all levels, and after hearing why the arts don’t matter from so many education secretaries for so long, it is hard not to internalise a sense of pointlessness about studying anything that cannot be immediately monetised. But when I feel this way, I think about Iris Murdoch, the novelist and philosopher, who I learned about at university. In The Sovereignty of Good, she examines the idea of morality, which is not very profit-minded of her. “We are men and we are moral agents before we are scientists, and the place of science in human life must be discussed in words. This is why it is and always will be more important to know about Shakespeare than to know about any scientist,” she wrote. I’d trust a dentist with a filling over a dramatist for sure, but her point stands, nevertheless. How useful was my undergraduate degree in language and literature? I learned about great writers and their ideas, but I also learned to express myself and to have the confidence to be in spaces filled with people who have been confident and self-assured since they learned to speak. Is that of low value or high? I wonder if the people doling out these value judgments, insisting on funding cuts, have any idea what it means for education to truly matter, especially when it is hard-won, and not handed over at birth. It requires an enormous leap of faith to pay for an arts or humanities degree today, if you consider that young people do not have the luxury of a £3,000 cap on annual fees or any government exemption that would assist “under-resourced” families. The average debt for a student graduating in England in 2023 will be £44,940. If that had been the case when I was 18, I doubt I would have gone anywhere near a university. Still, even now, returning to study has been a massive decision, and it was possible for several reasons. I don’t have children, so I have more time and expendable income than my friends who are parents. Going to Warwick meant that I could live at home, which is close-ish to the campus, and commute, which keeps living costs at a basically manageable level. I took out the government’s postgraduate loan to cover the fees, which it just about does, though not on every course I looked at, and it certainly doesn’t stretch to anything beyond that. But again, I find that I am lucky, as I can still work, albeit less, and my work is flexible, and can be shifted around. I have never been so tired and busy, and I’ll be in debt again, but not as much debt as my fellow students, who are starting out in their adult lives under an enormous and unfair financial burden. When I told my friends that I was going back to university, several sent me the same meme, from 30 Rock: a middle-aged Steve Buscemi, wearing a T-shirt that reads MUSIC BAND, holding a skateboard, in a backwards baseball cap, in a school hallway, saying “How do you do, fellow kids?” (Writing out a description of a meme is exactly the sort of thing a young person would not do.) A couple of them asked if I was “doing a Miranda” – in the most recent series of And Just Like That, the former corporate lawyer starts an internship at the Human Rights Campaign, in her 50s, where she is semi-bullied for her privilege by her far younger colleagues. It’s not very Miranda at all. The students in my classes are open and kind. They have accepted the presence of an older person in their midst and I am grateful to them for being so nice. There are days where I feel ancient and ossified. I am the only person over 25 on the bus. It stands out to me that there are plugs everywhere and that young people are relentlessly hydrated, water and coffee on the table throughout all seminars. There is nonstop marketing, constant surveys: tell us your opinions on academic integrity and win an Amazon voucher. I have realised how often I say, “Did you see so-and-so on TV?” and how often, ie every time, young people say no, as they don’t watch TV. Is any of this valuable? Will it be worth it? It depends on your definition of value and worth. Considering that I am studying the environment and all the terrible things that are happening to it, I feel strangely happy, happier than I have in years, even hopeful. I feel awake and alive. Looking at it directly, instead of burying my head in the sand, is invigorating. If you are working class and “clever”, you might feel an odd sense of shame about it. I did, and do; I can’t even write clever without dressing it up in punctuation. But for the first time in my life, that shame is starting to leave me. I have given myself permission to think again, and in doing so, I notice, more and more, how much and how often this instinct is stifled. Education is powerful. It is valuable. It is worthy. We must guard it ferociously, for everyone.

Students suspended even for short spells fare worse at GCSEs, study finds

2024-03-14

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/14/students-suspended-even-for-short-spells-fare-worse-at-gcses-study-finds

Charity says findings from schools in England show need for early intervention and fewer exclusions Children who are suspended from school in England even for short periods see their GCSE results suffer, according to research that highlights the need for early interventions to reduce suspensions. Pupils who had been suspended were found to be lagging a year behind their peers and on average were unable to achieve a standard pass in GCSE maths and English. The research also found a strong overlap between children being suspended and those diagnosed with special needs and mental health issues, while children who were repeatedly absent were also more likely to be suspended. Ben Gadsby, the head of policy and research at Impetus, the youth education charity that commissioned the research, said: “While it is not a surprise that suspended pupils get worse outcomes, this new research puts a number on the ‘suspension grades gap’ for the first time. “While suspensions are sometimes necessary, supporting pupils who are struggling to engage in mainstream education must continue to be a priority for whoever is in government. We should aim for lower exclusion levels not simply for the sake of it but because it would be a sign of a more effective education system for pupils and teachers alike.” The study by the Education Policy Institute tracked one year group of more than 550,000 state school pupils in England from the start of secondary school until sitting GCSEs. After adjusting for each pupil’s characteristics, including their previous academic record and whether they received free school meals, the negative effects of suspensions diminished but results remained significantly lower than their peers’. The research noted: “Although the associations between suspensions and GCSE grades persist after controlling for a wide range of student and school characteristics, we cannot be sure that the suspension itself causes the difference in GCSE grades. Other unmeasured characteristics could be contributing to the association.” The likelihood of a child having special educational needs or disabilities (Send) increased in line with the number of times they were suspended, the researchers found. Pupils suspended 10 times were almost three times as likely to have special educational needs as pupils who were suspended only once. Social, emotional or mental health issues were the most common issues among suspended pupils. Rates of suspension at state secondary schools were rising in the years before the pandemic, and in 2022 they reached their highest point in a decade, with 296 suspensions for every 10,000 pupils. The report concluded: “Given that suspended pupils are more likely to experience poor outcomes, schools should proactively identify those at risk of suspension and plan early intervention to reduce the need for suspension.” Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said schools used suspensions only as a “last resort” to ensure the safety of pupils and staff, and often faced long waiting lists for support or received no help at all. Whiteman said: “As this report points out, suspensions themselves do not necessarily cause worse grades – the picture is far more complex, with suspension rates and lower GCSE grades being driven by a range of complex and common causes. “We need to see the government invest far more in the support services that sit around schools, which should be there to support children and families to get early help before problems become entrenched and harder to solve.”

Ofsted has failed us for 30 years. Can it be fixed? | Letters

2023-11-08

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/nov/08/ofsted-has-failed-us-for-30-years-can-it-be-fixed

Bernard Clarke tries to imagine a better education system, while Rosalind Harrison reveals how Ofsted impacts apprenticeship providers. Plus letters from Dan Willis and Simon Clements At long last, a consensus seems to be emerging that Ofsted is not fit for purpose and needs reform (Ofsted’s ‘simplistic judgments’ no longer fit for purpose, schools experts warn, 4 November). Just suppose the English education system had at its heart a national curriculum based not on an arbitrary list of prescribed subjects and parcels of information but on the real needs of young people and the society of which they will become members. Just suppose that all learning was based on collaboration, creativity, imagination and enjoyment, aimed at ensuring success for every child every day. Just suppose that the training and professional development of all who work in education and the arrangements for student assessment were designed to ensure those things. Hard to imagine, perhaps. As long as the English education system continues on the profoundly misguided and damaging course it has followed for more than 30 years, Ofsted will have some sort of purpose for which it will never be fit. Bernard Clarke Oxford Your editorial says Ofsted “must find a way of helping schools improve – and feeling more like a critical friend instead of a persecutor to school leaders” (6 November). I worked for many years as head of the English department at a large secondary school in Kent. We had county advisers rather than inspectors, and these did indeed become valued friends; one of their responsibilities was circulating good practice as well as submitting reports. If Ofsted inspectors became advisers, that would change their relationship with schools significantly and radically improve their function.Dan WillisGillingham, Kent One aspect of the necessary reform of Ofsted must be its link with the slow death of local authorities dating back to about 1990 and involving both Conservative and Labour. The old HM inspector of schools could not have functioned effectively without the “handmaid” of local inspectors and a network of advisers and advisory teachers. Every curriculum and subject initiative needed the support of local authorities. Until we return to that model of local governance, education will swing haphazardly among idiosyncratic models of teaching and learning.Simon Clements Former HM inspector of schoolsSheffield Concern about Ofsted inspections should not be confined to schools, as it also inspects apprenticeship providers. The Association of Health Professions in Ophthalmology (AHPO) delivered a level 4 apprenticeship and BTec diploma for ophthalmic technicians. We have excellent reports from the BTec awarding body, and all our apprentices passed the end-point assessment, yet in March Ofsted graded us as inadequate and our delivery was terminated. The inspectors, who had no expertise in ophthalmic practice, did not visit any workplaces, but phoned apprentices while at work. Leaving aside the validity of assessment by impromptu telephone calls, an inspector has to know the subject. There is one other provider of this apprenticeship, but will they continue if they too can be failed by Ofsted? Patients are losing their sight and, if the conclusions of our Ofsted report are not challenged, all government funding for training ophthalmic technicians could be withdrawn.Rosalind Harrison Head of centre, AHPO Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.

The rights and wrongs raised by an exam marking boycott | Letters

2023-12-31

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/dec/31/the-rights-and-wrongs-raised-by-an-exam-marking-boycott

David Mead says there is a strong case that deducting pay may be unlawful as well as morally indefensible, while Prof Colin Bailey of Queen Mary University of London says it will not accept disruption to its students’ education Aditya Chakrabortty’s article shed welcome light on some of the horrendous industrial relations practices in the higher education sector (The miserly tale of how a university took its staff’s wages – and the public paid the price, 22 December). Particularly welcome was his exposure of the punitive deductions from salary for taking part in lawful industrial action at institutions such as Queen Mary University of London. In some cases, lecturers have received no pay at all in their monthly pay packets for failing to mark only a handful of exam scripts over a few hours, pursuing a collectively agreed grievance. No one disputes that striking employees lose the right to pay for every day they strike. Deducting pay in full for taking action short of strike for a few hours is different. Not only is it morally indefensible, there is also a strong case that it is unlawful as a matter of human rights law to deduct pay like that. While cases in the 1980s appear to establish that employers have such a right as a matter of common law/contract, the advent of the Human Rights Act, and its protection for union rights in article 11, has changed the legal landscape quite considerably. The loss in pay to every lecturer outweighs by some way any measurable loss to their university from that small partial performance. In human rights terms, a university employer that makes full deductions for partial performance has interfered disproportionately with its employees’ right to take industrial action. Even the threat to deduct can constitute a “chill” on the exercise of that right. Human rights law is rightly very wary of sanctioning such a full-blown attack on a worker’s associative right and the collective strength of the union and its members to seek improvements in pay and conditions.David MeadProfessor of UK human rights law, University of East Anglia Aditya Chakrabortty’s article quotes only part of the statement provided by Queen Mary University of London, in which we made three directly relevant points. First, as a university, we have a moral and regulatory obligation to deliver our students’ education and experience. That is why, from the outset of industrial action, we have been clear that our top priority is to protect our students’ education and experience above all other activities carried out at the university. We do not withhold pay from staff so long as they deliver all their educational activities. Second, industrial disputes are resolved by negotiation. It was therefore disappointing to see industrial action at Queen Mary over the summer focused expressly on disrupting our students’ education despite a nationally agreed Acas agreement and two local agreements with the University and College Union, including a 21% local pay increase in London weighting. Third, in the event, fewer than 1% of Queen Mary staff took part in industrial action over the summer. The resulting disruption affected fewer than 2% of our final-year graduating students, all of whom were studying English and drama. We have been transparent on these and all other points from the outset of industrial action. All information – including a governance review conducted by Queen Mary’s council – is publicly available on the university’s website. Of course, union members are entitled to take industrial action. Our students are equally entitled to their education and should not have their futures jeopardised by industrial action. While we will accept disruption as a result of industrial action to research or administration, we will not accept disruption to our students’ education.Prof Colin Bailey President and principal, Queen Mary University of London Do you have a photograph you’d like to share with Guardian readers? If so, please click here to upload it. A selection will be published in our Readers’ best photographs galleries and in the print edition on Saturdays.

University marking boycott will affect students’ mental health | Letter

2023-06-23

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jun/23/university-marking-boycott-will-affect-students-mental-health

The cohort who left sixth form in 2020 have had an education plagued with setbacks, notes one reader While university staff have every right to take part in industrial action and fight for better pay and conditions, the current marking boycott affecting 145 universities seems a step too far in terms of its negative impact on the students involved and their mental health (The pandemic ruined my A-levels – now the marking boycott casts a shadow over my degree, 12 June). It seems particularly cruel as not all students are involved, as only UCU union members are taking part. My daughter has just finished her degree and has been informed that one of her modules will not be marked. With no news of negotiations, she’s due to graduate with a provisional classification and no final mark, while most of her friends are unaffected. At 21, she belongs to a cohort who left sixth form in 2020 and have had an education plagued with setbacks. This was the first year to take newly reformatted GCSEs with a marking system that meant nothing to most people at the time. During the pandemic, they were abruptly told not to return to school, with no goodbyes and no prom. Their A-levels were cancelled and incorrect grades awarded on results day, which were later corrected. Most started university mid-pandemic. They were sent home for a good part of the first year, and they didn’t start in-person teaching until partway through second year. The second and third years were blighted by significant striking. On finishing their degree and looking forward to finally relaxing, they are hit with another setback and uncertainty about their graduation. This educational chaos has doubtless negatively affected students’ mental health. We’re hoping that negotiations are happening, but we’re not holding our breath.Name and address supplied Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.

School in ‘cat pupil’ controversy given Ofsted all-clear after snap inspection

2023-07-13

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jul/13/school-in-cat-pupil-controversy-given-ofsted-all-clear-after-snap-inspection

Inspectors praise ‘sensitive and impartial’ teaching of relationship and sex education at Rye College after secret video raised concerns Ofsted has given the school at the centre of the “cat pupil” allegations a clean bill of health, with inspectors praising its “culture of kindness” as well as its handling of relationship and sex education. Ofsted inspected Rye College in East Sussex after a complaint by Kemi Badenoch, the minister for women and equalities. There had been media coverage of a video of pupils arguing with a teacher over gender and identity, with one pupil appearing to claim that a student identified as a cat. The new report from the education watchdog – after its snap inspection last month – has exonerated the school, saying: “The concerns relating to the teaching of [relationship, health and sex education] that led to this inspection do not reflect pupils’ normal experiences at school.” Although the report does not directly address the argument between the teacher and pupils, or the question of whether any pupils identify as animals, it praises the quality of staff training and teaching of relationship and sex education “in a sensitive and impartial way”. Ofsted’s lead inspector, Matthew Haynes, said in the report: “Pupils are taught how to debate contentious subjects. Most pupils learn to do so respectfully and maturely. “For example, pupils are clear that there are contested views about gender, sexuality and whether these are assigned at birth. One pupil summed up the views of many when he said, ‘We are taught to think for ourselves, but also to respect everybody’s point of view.’” The report also found the majority of parents were “impressed” with how the school handles complex issues. “Reflecting the views of many other parents, one commented, ‘Rye College is a great school. My child is very happy, feels safe and is supported by teachers,’” the report notes. A spokesperson for Rye College said: “We welcomed Ofsted’s visit as we were confident in what they would find and in the conclusions they would reach. “We are pleased that the letter clearly states that the event that led to the inspection ‘[does] not reflect pupils’ normal experience at school’. We remain committed to offering our community an inclusive education, in line with best practice that prepares our young people for the world in which we live.” The controversy began when a student secretly recorded the discussion involving year 8 pupils and posted an excerpt to TikTok. In the brief clip, a pupil describes the idea of another pupil identifying as a cow or cat as “crazy” and extends her remarks to include biological sex and gender as binary. A teacher is heard telling the student that their views were “despicable” and saying: “If you don’t like it, you need to go to a different school.” The video provoked a string of outlandish media reports, including one that claimed schools were “taking children who identify as horses out cantering and feeding strips of meat to those who consider themselves to be dinosaurs”. Katharine Birbalsingh, a head teacher and the government’s former social mobility tsar, said she knew of a private school in England where “a bunch of girls identify as cats”. Rye College has said no child at the school “identifies as a cat or any other animal”, but apologised to parents for the handling of the original discussion. Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “There was a huge amount of political and media noise around the incident which led to this inspection and which we can now see very clearly from the findings of this report was blown out of all proportion. “The most ridiculous aspect of that media and political noise was the suggestion that children were identifying as animals in schools on a widespread basis – something we have never heard of and never had reported to us by any school or college leader. “We would urge politicians in particular to establish the facts before leaping on stories in the media and remember that there are real people – students, staff, and parents – who are deeply affected by suddenly finding themselves in the eye of a manufactured storm.”

Methodology behind the 2024 Guardian University Guide

2023-09-09

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/sep/09/methodology-behind-the-2024-guardian-university-guide

The compiler of the Guardian university league tables explains the technicalities of the process We use eight measures of performance, covering all stages of the student lifecycle, to put together a league table for 66 subjects. We regard each provider of a subject as a department and ask each provider to tell us which of their students count within each department. Our intention is to indicate how likely each department is to deliver a positive all-round experience to future students and, in order to assess this, we refer to how past students in the department have fared. We quantify the resources and staff contact that have been dedicated to past students, we look at the standards of entry and the likelihood that students will be supported to continue their studies, before looking at how likely students are to be satisfied, to exceed expectations of success and to have positive outcomes after completing the course. Bringing these measures together, we get an overall score for each department and rank departments against this. For comparability, the data we use focuses on full-time first-degree students. For those prospective undergraduates who have not decided which subject they wish to study, but who still want to know where institutions rank in relation to one another, the Guardian scores have been averaged for each institution across all subjects to generate an institution-level table. The structure and methodology of the rankings has remained broadly constant since 2008 and, after a major review of subjects last year, the latest edition has only one major change. National student survey – overall satisfactionThe only major change to this year’s methodology has been the discontinuation of the overall course satisfaction metric. In previous editions this measure carried a 4% weighting and was derived from final core question of the national student survey. The review of the national student survey led to the question being discontinued for providers in England and, under plans to use the new survey that was conducted in 2023, the decision was taken to remove the measure from the Guardian University Guide and afford the other metrics that are derived from the NSS – satisfaction with teaching and satisfaction with feedback – an extra 2% each. In the event, 2023 results were published too late to be used in this year’s edition of the University guide and 2022 results were used instead. The decision to drop the overall course satisfaction metric was retained. National student survey – satisfaction with feedback and teachingAs mentioned above, each of these measures had their weighting increased from 8% to 10% and 2022 results were used alone. This entailed a different approach to recent years, when results had been aggregated over two years with a minimum total population of 23 respondents. This year the threshold is 15 respondents in 2022 for 2022 results to be used alone or 10-14 2022 respondents to trigger a two-year average across 2021 and 2022. ExpenditureThe spend per student metric depends on information about how much each university spends on academic services and on subject delivery. In 2022, data from 2019/20 was used due to the delay to the release of data from 2020/21. 2023 has seen the timely release of 2021/22 data and so this was used, as per the normal schedule. Where it is necessary to refer to 2-year averages, 2020/21 data was used for the earlier year. Value added and continuationBoth of these metrics operate by assigning each student a probability of a successful outcome and then comparing observed outcomes to these expectations. An error in the data used last year resulted in the effects of BTec qualifications relative to other types of entry qualification not being factored into the setting of expectations. This was corrected in the new edition. Entry standardsThis measure seeks to approximate the aptitude of fellow students with whom a prospective student can expect to study and reports the observed average grades of students joining the department – not the conditions of admission to the course that may be advertised. Average tariffs are determined by taking the total tariff points of first-year, first-degree, full-time entrants who were aged under 21 at the start of their course, if the qualifications that they entered with could all be expressed using the tariff system devised by Ucas. There must be more than seven students in any meaningful average and only students entering year one of a course (not a foundation year) with certain types of qualification are included. This metric contributes 15% to the total score of a department (24% for medical subjects) and refers to those who entered the department in 2021/22. Student-staff ratios Student-staff ratios seek to approximate the levels of staff contact that a student can expect to receive by dividing the volume of students who are taking modules in a subject by the volume of staff who are available to teach it. Thus a low ratio is treated positively – it indicates that more staff contact could be anticipated. Staff and students are reported on a “full-time equivalent” basis and research-only staff are excluded from the staff volume. Students on placement or on a course that is franchised to another provider have their volume discounted accordingly. At least 28 students and three staff (both FTE) must be present in an SSR calculation using 2021/22 data alone. Smaller departments that had at least seven student and two staff FTE in 2021/22, and at least 30 student FTE in total across 2020/21 and 2021/22, have a two-year average calculated. This metric contributes 15% to the total score of a department (24% for medical subjects). It is released at HESA cost centre level, and we map each cost centre to one or more of our subjects. Expenditure per studentIn order to approximate the level of resources that a student could expect to have dedicated to their provision, we look at the total expenditure in each subject area and divide it by the volume of students taking the subject. We exclude academic staff costs as the benefits of high staff volumes are already captured by the student-staff ratios but recognise that many costs of delivery are centralised: we add the amount of money each provider has spent for students on academic services such as libraries and computing facilities for each student, over the past two years. This metric is expressed as points/10 and contributes 5% to the total score of a department (10% for medical subjects). ContinuationTaking a degree-level course is a positive experience for most students but is not suited to everybody and some students struggle and discontinue their studies. Providers can do a lot to support their students – they might promote engagement with studies and with the broader higher education experience or offer dedicated support when students face an obstacle – and this measure captures how successful each department is in achieving this. We look at the proportion of students who continue their studies beyond the first year and measure the extent to which this exceeds expectations based on entry qualifications. To achieve this, we take all first-year students on full-time first-degree courses that are scheduled to take longer than a year to complete and look ahead to the first of December in the following academic year to observe the proportion who are still active in higher education. This proportion is viewed positively, regardless of whether the student has switched course, transferred to a different provider, or been required to repeat their first year – only those who become inactive in the UK’s HE system are counted negatively. To take the effect of entry qualifications into account we create an index score for each student who has a positive outcome, using their expectation of continuation up to a maximum of 97%. To calculate the score there must have been 25 entrants in the most recent cohort and 50 across the last two or three years. This index score, aggregated across the last two or three years, contributes 15% to the total score of non-medical departments and 10% to those of the medical subjects. However, it is the percentage score – also averaged over two or three years – that is displayed. Student satisfactionUntil the changes of 2023, the national student survey asks final year students for the extent to which they agree with 27 positive statements about their academic experience of the course and support that they received. Responses were on a five-point Likert scale (1 definitely disagree to 5 definitely agree) and we take the responses from full-time first-degree students registered at the provider to produce two statistics: a satisfaction rate and an average response. The satisfaction rate looks across the questions concerned and reports the proportion of responses that were “definitely agree” or “mostly agree” while the average response gives the average Likert score between one and five that was observed in the responses to those questions. To assess the teaching quality that a student can expect to experience we took responses from the 2022 NSS survey and aggregated them for the following questions: Staff are good at explaining things. Staff have made the subject interesting. The course is intellectually stimulating. My course has challenged me to achieve my best work. The satisfaction rate for each provider is displayed, and the average response is used with a 10% weighting (16% for medical subjects). To assess the likelihood that a student will be satisfied with assessment procedures and the feedback they receive we took responses from the 2022 NSS survey and aggregated them for the following questions: The criteria used in marking have been clear in advance. Marking and assessment has been fair. Feedback on my work has been timely. I have received helpful comments on my work. The overall satisfaction rate for each provider is displayed, and the average response is used with a 10% weighting. Data was released at the CAH (common aggregation hierarchy) levels of aggregation and we used details of how these map to HECOS (Higher Education classification of subjects) to weight and aggregate results for each of our 66 subjects, prioritising results from the most granular level. Our aggregation rules required that there were 15 or more respondents to the 2022 survey. In order to avoid the exclusion of smaller departments, if there were only 10-14 respondents in 2022 but 23 or more across 2021 and 2022 then we used a two-year average across those years. Value addedIn order to assess the extent to which each department will support its students towards achieving good grades, we use value added scores to track students from enrolment to graduation. A student’s chances of getting a good classification of degree (a first or a 2:1) are already affected by the qualifications that they start with so our scores take this into account and report the extent to which a student exceeded expectations. Each full-time student is given a probability of achieving a first or 2:1, based on the qualifications that they enter with or, if they have vague entry qualifications, the total percentage of good degrees expected for the student in their department. If they manage to earn a good degree, then they score points that reflect how difficult it was to do so (in fact, they score the reciprocal of the probability of getting a first or 2:1). Otherwise they score zero. Students completing an integrated master’s award are always regarded as having a positive outcome. At least 30 students must be in a subject for a meaningful value-added score to be calculated using the most recent year of data alone. If there are more than 15 students in both the most recent year and the preceding year, then a two-year average is calculated. This metric is expressed as points/10 and contributes 15% to the total score of a department but is not used for medical subjects. Career prospectsUsing results from the Graduate outcomes survey for the graduating cohorts of 2019/20 and 2020/21, we seek to assess the extent to which students have taken a positive first step in the 15 months after graduation, in anticipation that similar patterns will repeat for future cohorts. We value students who enter graduate-level occupations (approximated by SOC groups 1-3: professional, managerial and AMP; technical occupations) and students who go on to further study at a professional or HE level and treat these students as positive. Students report one or more activities, and for each of these give more detail. If students are self-employed or working for an employer, we treat them as positive if the occupation is in SOC group 1-3, if they have either finished a course or are presently taking one then we look at the level and treat them positively accordingly. Students who have no activity that is regarded positively, but who either reported that they were unable to work, or only partially completed the survey leaving details of an activity incomplete, are excluded from the metric. The metric refers only to students who graduated from full-time first-degree courses and we only use results if at least 15 students in a department responded in each of the two years or if at least 22.5 students responded in the most recent year. Partial responses are used if the respondent provided details for any of the activities that they reported undertaking. We exclude the responses if, for an activity, we are unable to determine if it should be treated as a positive outcome. We have always avoided averaging results across years for this metric because the national economic environment that leavers find themselves in can have such a big effect on employment and this is especially true when a pandemic affects the economy. Unfortunately, response rates for the graduate outcomes survey are not high enough to maintain this stance. We therefore average the career prospects statistics across the two years in an unweighted manner, in order to avoid any advantage or disadvantage for a department that had a higher response for a cohort in which economic conditions were better/worse. In situations where only the most recent year of data meets the threshold for usage we have applied the year-on-year sector difference observed for the subject concerned in order to simulate what a two-year average might have looked like given changing economic conditions. This metric is worth 15% of the total score in all the non-medical subjects. Using metric resultsFirst of all, we determine if a department has enough data to support a ranking. Often individual metrics are missing and we seek to keep the department in the rankings where we can. An institution can only be included in the table if the weighting value of any indicators that are missing add up to 40% or less, and if the institution’s relevant department teaches at least 35 full-time first degree students. There must also be at least 25 students (FTE) in the relevant cost centre. For those institutions that qualify for inclusion in the subject table, each score is compared to the average score achieved by the other institutions that qualify, using standard deviations to gain a normal distribution of standardised scores (S-scores). The standardised score for student: staff ratios is negative, to reflect that low ratios are regarded as better. We cap certain S-scores – extremely high NSS, expenditure and SSR figures – at three standard deviations. This is to prevent a valid but extreme value from exerting an influence that far exceeds that of all other measures. For metrics in subjects where there are very few datapoints we refer to the distribution of scores observed for a higher aggregation of subjects (CAH1). We also set a minimum standard deviation for each metric and make adjustments to the mean tariff that is referenced by departments with students who entered with Scottish highers or advanced highers. Although we don’t display anything, we need to plug the gap left in the total score that is left by any missing indicators. We use a substitution process that firstly looks for the corresponding standardised score in the previous year and then, if nothing is available, resorts to looking at whether the missing metric is correlated to general performance in that subject. If it is, the department’s performance in the other metrics is used – effectively assuming that it would have performed as well in the missing metric as it did in everything else. If not, the average score achieved by other providers of the subject is used. Using the weighting attached to each metric, the standardised scores are weighted and totalled to give an overall departmental score (rescaled to 100) against which the departments are ranked. The institutional rankingThe institutional table ranks institutions according to their performance in the subject tables but considers two other factors when calculating overall performance. First, the number of students in a department influences the extent to which that department’s total standardised score contributes to the institution’s overall score. And second, the number of institutions included in the subject table determines the extent to which a department can affect the institutional table. The number of full-time undergraduates in each subject is expressed as a percentage of the total number of full-time undergraduates counted in subjects for which the institution is included within the subject table. For each subject, the number of institutions included within the table is counted and the natural logarithm of this value is calculated. The total S-score for each subject – which can be negative or positive – is multiplied by these two values, and the results are summed for all subjects, to give an overall S-score for each institution. Institutions are ranked according to this overall S-score, though the value displayed in the published table is a scaled version of this, that gives the top university 100 points and all the others a smaller (but positive) points tally. Each institution has overall versions of each of the indicators displayed next to its overall score out of 100, but these are crude institutional averages that are otherwise disconnected from the tables and give no consideration to subject mix. Therefore these institutional averages cannot be used to calculate the overall score or ranking position. The indicators of performance for value-added and for expenditure per student are treated slightly differently, because they need to be converted into points out of 10 before being displayed. Therefore these indicators do read from the subject level tables, again using student numbers to create a weighted average. Institutions that appear in fewer than eight subject tables are not included in the main ranking of universities. Course directoryThe KIS database of courses, to which institutions provide regular updates to describe courses that students will be able to apply for in future years, is the data source of the courses that we list under each department in each subject group. We have associated each full-time course with one or more subject groups, based on the subject data associated with the courses. We gave institutions the freedom to adjust these associations with subjects and also to change details of the courses. We include courses that are not at degree level, even though such provision is excluded from the data used to generate scores and rankings.

Record north-south gap in top GCSE grades blamed on ‘London-centric policies’

2023-08-24

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/24/record-north-south-gap-in-top-gcse-grades-blamed-on-london-centric-policies

North-east school leaders call for government to recognise challenges for pupils in different parts of England The largest gap on record between top GCSE grades awarded to pupils in London and those in north-east England has prompted warnings of a “continuing widening” in the north-south education divide. School leaders in the north-east accused the government of “London-centric” policies, while Labour said it showed that “levelling up is dead and buried” through the failure to help disadvantaged communities. More than 28% of entries by pupils in London were awarded grades 7 or higher, equivalent to an A or A*, compared with just under 18% of entries by pupils in the north-east. The gap in top grades between the two regions widened to more than 10 percentage points, wider than the pre-pandemic gap up to 2019 and the largest since the numerical grading system for GCSEs was introduced in 2014. Schools North East, which represents more than 1,000 state schools in the region, said the results were evidence of “the disproportionate impact of the pandemic, and the failure of government ‘catch-up’ policies to impact on the most deprived regions”, with the north-east’s challenges being exacerbated by Covid and the cost of living crisis. Chris Zarraga, the director of Schools North East, said: “It is clear that significant challenges remain, with education recovery policies too London-centric. “If policy continues to be ‘one-size-fits-all’, we risk a continuing widening of the gap between the north-east and London. Recognition of the perennial contextual challenges, and the impact of the pandemic on more than just those students that had exams cancelled, is long overdue.” Experts said one reason for the widening attainment gap could be attendance levels. Preliminary Department for Education figures show secondary pupils in London schools had the highest average weekly attendance between September last year and July this year, while those in the north-east, south-west and Yorkshire and the Humber had the highest absence rates. Overall grades fell across England as regulators enforced a return to the pre-pandemic grading standards of 2019. Top grades were down more than four percentage points on last year, leading to disappointment for many pupils – with 22.4% of entries for 16-year-olds at grade 7 or above. Among 16-year-olds, the three science subjects, chemistry, biology and physics, had slight falls in pass rates and top grades compared with 2019, as did Spanish. Nick Gibb, the schools minister, said the results “are a testament to this government’s longstanding work to drive up standards and expanding opportunities for all in our education system”.Jo Saxton, the head of England’s exam regulator, Ofqual, said results were “back to normal” after the disruption of the pandemic and higher grades awarded in 2020 and 2021. However, Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, said the gaps “confirmed that Conservative promises to level up education are dead and buried”. “Young people who have worked so hard are being let down by a government that has no interest in shrinking attainment gaps or raising education standards, and a prime minister who seems to have more interest in supporting American private colleges than schools in this country,” said Phillipson, alluding to Rishi Sunak’s $3m donation to Claremont McKenna college in California. The number of pupils failing to get passing grades of 4 or above, equivalent to a C, also increased this year, to 30%, similar to the 30.1% figure in 2019 but five percentage points above 2022. Analysis estimates that about 38,000 more 16-year-olds failed to gain at least a 4 in English compared with 2022, while an additional 22,000 failed to gain a 4 in maths. Becky Francis, the chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, an independent charity dedicated to improving social mobility, said the drop in pass rates had “serious implications” for the life chances of many students, who will have to resit English or maths for two more years. “This means there’ll be more young people required to carry on studying for these qualifications in an already stretched post-16 sector. As things stand, many are unlikely to achieve a pass even through resits,” she said. “It is likely that those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds will be most affected, so the attainment gap must be carefully monitored, and support targeted towards pupils in greatest need of it.” In England, boys did better than previous years compared with girls, narrowing the gap in results between the two. Boys did particularly well in maths, with this year’s results the first year since 2016 in which more boys achieved a grade 4 or above in maths than girls, by 72.6% to 71.9%. As with A-level results reported last week, England’s regulator imposed more stringent grading than their counterparts in Wales and Northern Ireland. In England the proportion of top grades was just 0.9 percentage point above 2019 levels, while in Wales they were 3.3 percentage points higher and in Northern Ireland 4 percentage points higher. Jeremy Miles, the Welsh education minister, said: “We have taken the same approach with GCSEs as A-levels, which is to find the midway point between 2019 and last year. The results are broadly in line with that. “As with A-levels, the intention is to be back to a pre-pandemic approach by next year.” Additional reporting by Michael Goodier, Carmen Aguilar García and Steven Morris

‘Staggering incompetence’: DfE under fire as new school buildings closed

2023-08-23

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/23/staggering-incompetence-dfe-under-fire-new-school-buildings-closed

Disruption as buildings shut due to safety fears while others under construction have had to be demolished The government has been accused of “staggering incompetence” after new school buildings it commissioned had to be closed due to safety fears, while others under construction were demolished before they even opened. Main buildings at two secondary schools and a primary school in England, which were all completed relatively recently using a modular, off-site construction method, were told to close with immediate effect, disrupting the start of the new term for many pupils. A government minister admitted there were issues with the structural integrity of some buildings, prompting fears they would not be able to withstand extreme events, including severe weather or being hit by a vehicle. Labour and the Liberal Democrats called for an investigation to find out whether other schools could be at risk after it was reported that the contractor responsible for the affected schools was involved in the construction of at least 15 state schools in England. The company, Caledonian Modular, has since gone into administration and the government is reviewing all Department for Education (DfE) contracts to identify other projects where the company may have been involved. Other departments have also been alerted. “The Conservatives have bungled management of the schools estate from top to bottom,” said the shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson. “How can parents expect their children to receive a first-class education in second-rate buildings?” Sir Frederick Gibberd college in Harlow, Essex, which opened in 2021 having cost £29m to build, was ordered to close its main building and sports hall on Sunday. Buckton Fields primary school in Northampton, which opened two years ago, was advised not to reopen. The education minister Nick Gibb told BBC Essex that the DfE had carried out a review that identified problems with the modular design of the schools, which allows buildings to be prefabricated off-site and then assembled quickly. “[The review] identified issues that related to the structural integrity of the buildings, weakening its ability for example to withstand extreme events such as high winds or a big snowfall or indeed a collision from a vehicle.” Asked if the school buildings could collapse because of extreme weather, such as a winter storm, Gibb said: “That’s the risk and we are not prepared to take any risk with children, or teachers or staff’s lives in a school, and that’s why we intervened very quickly.” Haygrove school, an academy in Bridgwater, Somerset, has also been told to close its main building, completed in October 2020, after technical investigations. It will be out of bounds “until further notice”. Two primary schools in Cornwall also built by Caledonian Modular using the same construction process were pulled down this year before completion after the government identified a number of defects. Caledonian Modular was one of a number of contractors appointed by the DfE as part of a flagship £3bn school building programme. It went into administration in 2022. The Liberal Democrats’ education spokesperson, Munira Wilson, said: “Parents, staff and pupils at these schools will be horrified at the government’s staggering incompetence. Ministers must apologise to them for putting them in danger, disrupting their start of term and flushing millions of pounds down the drain.” Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Labour’s Phillipson added: “The Conservatives clearly can’t be trusted to fix the mess they have made of our school buildings. Ministers must investigate how many more buildings could be affected and make clear how they intend to minimise further disruption to children’s education.” The government has been under fire for its record on maintaining the school estate because of concerns about the historical use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), which deteriorates over time and is susceptible to sudden failure. Specialists have been carrying out checks on almost 600 schools in England identified as being at possible risk of structural collapse. The presence of RAAC was confirmed in 65 schools after 196 surveys, of which 24 required emergency action. A DfE spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important than the health and safety of pupils and teachers, which is why we assess school buildings regularly to make sure they meet our high standards. “Following surveys conducted at our request, we have identified concerns with building work carried out by a specific contractor that is no longer in business. We are working closely with school leaders on temporary measures to safely accommodate pupils and minimise the disruption to their learning.”

‘I haven’t had a single normal year at university’: the UK students graduating without a graded degree

2023-06-24

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jun/24/uk-students-without-graded-degree-graduating-covid-strikes-boycott

An unlucky cohort of undergraduates has been plagued by Covid restrictions, education strikes and finally a marking boycott Emily Smith, a final-year geography student at Durham University, never imagined her already heavily disrupted university experience could end like this. She won’t be graduating this summer because half her work remains unmarked owing to a national marking boycott by lecturers. She refuses to attend the “completion ceremony” Durham has offered her instead. Without an actual degree classification it seems like a “farce”. Like so many in this deeply unlucky cohort of students, she feels this is the last straw. “I’m so fed up with everything now,” she told the Observer. “Every single stage of my education since A-levels has been overshadowed by factors out of my control.” Smith was in her last year of A-levels in 2020 when the pandemic broke out, and her exams (like her school prom) were cancelled. Her initial A-level results, marked using Ofqual’s controversial algorithm, were lower than the predicted grades she applied to university with. The government’s last minute U-turn to accept teacher-assessed grades meant that her maths grade went up, but she still felt cheated.“Other schools were more generous. My teachers were harsh with their grades because they didn’t want to be caught out,” she says. It felt deeply unfair. But she told herself: “When I get to university it will all get better.” She was wrong. Smith arrived at Durham for a freshers’ week in which most events were online to reduce the spread of infection. She was initially only allowed to leave her room for college meals. Then on the final day she was put into isolation in her student flat. “I had irresponsible housemates who went out and brought Covid back,” she says. She spent a term of her first year back at home due to Covid restrictions, and the other two terms “basically on my own studying in my room. I didn’t set foot in a lecture theatre until my second year,” she says. Even then her first experience ended with her being evacuated because the air-quality sensors said it wasn’t safe. In her final year, her father was in hospital with sepsis, and with her dissertation deadline looming she had to go home to help her mother. She requested a week’s extension but was refused. Now, with her longest ever piece of work languishing unmarked on a pile, she is furious. “I didn’t sleep for three days because I was up writing that dissertation,” she says. “No one has even looked at it.” Smith and her friends don’t know what their future holds. Some are worried about whether they can get a job – or take up an existing offer – with no degree yet. One of her friends has just lost her place on a masters degree course in Switzerland. Smith wants to be a teacher and had a place to do postgraduate training at a university, but it was conditional on her obtaining a 2.1 degree. She has contacted the admissions officer but has yet to receive a concrete answer. Durham told the Observer that it would negotiate directly with employers or universities offering master’s courses to help students. A spokesperson said: “We deeply sympathise with our students, already impacted by the pandemic, who now endure further uncertainty and anxiety.” He added that it was “deeply disappointing” that the UCU (University and College Union) had launched the national marking and assessment boycott “and that some of our staff have chosen to take part”. Smith says none of this is reassuring. “I feel so powerless,” she says. “But mostly I’m very angry.” Although universities are keen to stress that many of their students are graduating as normal, thousands of students across the UK won’t get a graded degree this summer, as a result of the marking boycott in the increasingly acrimonious standoff between the UCEA (Universities and Colleges Employers Association) and the UCU. Isabelle Murray, a final-year English student at the University of Edinburgh, still doesn’t know if her work will be marked in time for her graduation in mid-July. If they can’t offer a grade she probably won’t attend. “It feels like a fancy-dress charade to walk up on to that stage when I don’t know what I’m celebrating,” she says. Murray has set her heart on becoming a doctor but needs to submit her Ucas application for postgraduate medicine by 15 October. If she doesn’t have a degree classification by then, she thinks it will be “incredibly difficult” to get a place on what is one of the most fiercely competitive courses in the country. “If they have a candidate with a first-class degree and then me asking them to be patient, it’s pretty obvious who they will choose,” she says. Murray feels students have trusted universities to sort out marking problems after everything they have already been through – and many have been let down. Because of strike action as well as Covid, she says: “I haven’t had a single normal year at university.” After paying £36,000 in tuition fees for her degree, Murray is incredulous that the university can allow her to graduate without a grade. “It feels like all the sides in this dispute are pointing the finger of blame at each other, and we are just trapped in the middle,” she says. A spokesperson for the university said: “We recognise the significant impact this is having on our students’ lives and plans, and we share their disappointment at being caught in the crossfire of this national dispute.” They said delays were happening because they couldn’t rush the process of sorting out marking without risking academic standards. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Some affected students are quick to defend striking lecturers. Jess Wilson went to her graduation ceremony at the University of Glasgow with a placard round the neck of her gown saying: “Renegotiate now!” – a message aimed squarely at university management. Wilson graduated with a piece of paper that just said “qualified”. “I was so angry with the university,” she says. “I didn’t see how I could possibly walk across that stage and not make a statement about what is happening.” She was outraged that no one even alluded to unclassified degrees during her ceremony. She adds that in the law graduation before hers the university’s principal walked out to the theme music from Indiana Jones. “What was the university thinking?” she says. “That was in incredibly poor taste.” A spokesperson for Glasgow said it “appreciates this is a particularly stressful time” for those waiting for grades, and added: “We have written to all students with the latest information, advice and support, and the university is doing everything it can to mitigate against the impact of this industrial action.” A final-year student of English and Spanish at University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, who asked not to be named, says many students support the lecturers who haven’t marked their work. “One of my lecturers has been on insecure contracts for eight years,” she says. “At the end of each semester she says: ‘I don’t know if I’ll see you again.’” There hasn’t been a single semester when her degree hasn’t been affected by strikes. “The university has this narrative that it’s all the lecturers’ fault,” she says. “But I think they are ignoring the real problems.” A spokesperson for Strathclyde said the university regrets the uncertainty that the marking boycott is causing. The student says she is one of the lucky ones, because she has just been told she will receive a classified degree based on an average of marked work, even though many of her friends in humanities and social science subjects won’t. “The one thing I’m missing is my dissertation mark,” she says. “It feels so selfish to complain when others are worse off, but that is the thing I worked hardest on and it is going completely unnoticed.” The Institute of Student Employers (ISE) is urging students who are worried about existing job offers to contact their employer and explain what is happening. Stephen Isherwood, the ISE’s chief executive, says: “A typical graduate employment process is about much more than grades. A bit of ambiguity shouldn’t put them off.” He says to those who don’t yet have a job: “Plough on and apply anyway. You know you will graduate whatever happens.”

Foolishness of Tory education policy laid bare | Letters

2022-04-03

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/apr/03/foolishness-of-tory-education-policy-laid-bare

Vast sums have been spent on an academy system that has failed, writes Michael Pyke, while Brett Wigdortz says the plan for England’s schools is pointless without an early years strategy To describe the record of the academy schools programme as “patchy”, as your print headline did, is a gross understatement (Editorial, 29 March). The rapid expansion of academies since 2010, on the whim of an ignorant education secretary, has led to vast sums of public money being thrown at a system that has failed to raise standards while being repeatedly mired in scandals. The most recent report of the cross-party public accounts committee (PAC) complains of “tens of millions of public money used to ‘prop up’ poorly managed academy schools” in a system that lacks financial transparency and is unaccountable to parents and the local community. Similar complaints have been repeatedly made by the PAC since 2010, and investigative journalists have repeatedly exposed the murky governance and dubious financial behaviour of academy trusts. An outstanding example of the latter from 2018 is on the Guardian’s own website. Schools and councils may indeed be worn out by repeatedly fighting the government’s agenda, but their resistance might have been strengthened had there been any worthwhile political opposition. Michael PykeCampaign for State Education Re your article (Plans for England’s schools include national behaviour survey, 28 march), the education targets set out in the government’s white paper are unrealistic if we continue to overlook the importance of early years education. We cannot expect primary school children to achieve ambitious results in key stage 2 reading, writing and maths if they are not given the right support in their pre-school years. A recent survey of teachers by the Early Years Alliance found that 50% of reception-age children are not ready to start school. By the time children reach the age of five, disadvantaged pupils are already more than four months behind their better-off peers when it comes to educational development. It’s a gap that will persist throughout their schooling. Without an associated early years strategy, these new targets place a disproportionate strain on overworked primary school teachers and won’t get the results ministers are looking for.Brett WigdortzCEO, Tiney, and founder, Teach First Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication.

Jennifer Nias obituary

2024-01-19

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/19/jennifer-nias-obituary

My former work-colleague Jennifer Nias, who has died aged 90, was a lecturer in education at King Alfred’s College in Winchester, the School of Education at the University of Liverpool and then the Cambridge Institute of Education, before becoming a part-time professor of education at the University of Plymouth in the early years of her retirement. She was also the author of Primary Teachers Talking: A Study of Teaching as Work (1989), a longitudinal study in which she repeatedly interviewed 50 former teacher training students as they progressed through their careers. It was a study that almost failed to see the light of day, as the only copy of her manuscript was inadvertently sent to the local authority rubbish dump. When she found out what had happened, Jennifer rushed down there and – with the help of a council worker – was able to dig it out of the piles of refuse. Jennifer was born in Penzance, Cornwall, to Frances (nee Richmond) and her husband, Carl Nias, a manager at Cable & Wireless whose work meant that the family often spent significant periods abroad, including in Malta, from where they had to be evacuated during the second world war. After leaving Cheltenham Ladies college in Gloucestershire, Jennifer studied modern history at Oxford University, then gained a PGCE from London University and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, before beginning her teaching career in Winchester. We worked with each other at the Cambridge Institute of Education, and while there we co-authored two books: Staff Relationships in the Primary School: A Study of Organisational Cultures (1989, with Robin Yeomans); and Whole School Curriculum Development in the Primary School (with Penelope Campbell). Jennifer also wrote many journal articles as well as chapters in various books. In retirement in Cornwall from 1992 onwards her interests included gardening, swimming and conversation with family members. She is survived by her brother Jon.

The end of empire: revamped British Academy stakes claim for modern role in UK’s global mission

2024-04-27

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/27/the-end-of-empire-revamped-british-academy-stakes-claim-for-modern-role-in-uks-global-mission

Rana Mitter, vice president for public engagement, keen to move on from colonial guilt and post-Brexit introspection Britain’s most revered academic institutions ought to stop worrying about their outdated image, since they now offer the best route to global influence, according to British historian Professor Rana Mitter. The renowned China expert, now based at Harvard’s Kennedy School, told the Observer that educational prestige is an increasingly important tool for tackling challenges to trust and fresh threats to the world order – and he wants a newly revamped British Academy in London, where he is vice-president for public engagement, to play a key role. “Outside our concerns with Brexit and decolonisation, the wider world has moved on and it still wants Britain to play a big part. “Our leading universities, and the BBC, continue to be admired. If we really want a reach that goes beyond our islands, and not just an inward discussion, we must embrace this. That is the academy’s mission. There is much more appetite for real interaction out there than we realise,” he said. Mitter is also concerned about fears, voiced once again this weekend, over the influx of foreign students in Britain’s universities. Security worries like those set out by MI5 on Friday could thwart more positive international exchanges, he argues. The domestic security service warned the heads of 24 leading institutions, including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London, that hostile foreign states are targeting their sensitive research, with suspicion pointing at China. The deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, has also recently warned that some universities’ reliance on overseas funding may open them up to being “influenced, exploited, or even coerced” by a foreign power. But Mitter, who will oversee the programme of public events when the academy officially reopens this summer, believes the majority of Chinese people retain a genuine interest in British culture and should not be stereotyped as a sinister force. “First of all, of course, it is really important that UK universities are funded as well as possible so that they can offer the right level of education to everyone in Britain. But China, for all its rhetoric, is still keen on the British way of life and we can see that in the number of students who come here.” Mitter’s positive stance now stands to be weighed in the balance during the Westminster inquiry launched on Friday by the select committee on education that will look into academia’s reliance on international student tuition fees. “We are really overdue a comprehensive review of university funding, most would agree,” said Mitter, “but the problems being experienced in humanities departments are as much to do with social structures as with education budgets. Much of the work that these studies can lead to is not well enough paid here.” The British Academy, established in 1902 and based in a grand town house next to the Mall in central London, is soon to emerge from building redevelopment and will mark the occasion with a summer drive to engage with the public. Themed events, coupled with the installation of state of the art digital links, are intended to open up its activities for the first time beyond academia, although still calling upon the finest thinkers. The academy’s large modern art collection, including an unseen new work by Hew Locke, will also now be made available online through a new partnership with Bloomberg Connects. Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion “Social sciences and the humanities have never been more necessary. They give shape and meaning and so the core of what the academy does will be to make that case,” said Mitter. “How can a technological age move forward without pausing to think? If it doesn’t stop and breathe, society is diminished.” The academy is giving a taster of its public programme at its annual summer Showcase which will feature Gary Younge and David Olusoga, both honorary fellows of the academy. Early next year it will also offer an in-depth look into the Age of Mistrust (Jan-March) and into folklore and identity in Folklore Reimagined (March-June), as well as keeping up an ongoing partnership with the popular podcast, The Rest is History. This article was amended on 28 April 2024 to correct the title of the academy’s folklore season next year, which is Folklore Reimagined.

Hunger, homelessness and gang grooming: just a normal week at one London academy

2024-04-03

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/03/hunger-homelessness-and-gang-grooming-just-a-normal-week-at-one-london-academy

The Guardian spent time at Oasis Academy Hadley, where more than half of pupils are in poverty but ambitions are high “It’s the biggest story, mark my words. I think it’s really worrying. There are going to be dead children.” Zoë Thompson is not a drama queen. She studied physics at King’s College London, and thought she would work for Nasa. In fact, she went into teaching and has been principal of a large academy in a tough corner of north-east London for six years. In that time she has seen it all, but the surge in the number of children being taken out of school by parents on the pretext of home education is alarming, she says. Elective home education (EHE) is just one of the issues that comes up during a week-long visit to Oasis Academy Hadley (OAH) in Ponders End, Enfield – an all-through community school catering for 1,600 pupils aged two to 19 – to see first-hand how schools, students and their families are faring in the aftermath of Covid, as the cost of living crisis continues. Thompson, who is warm, extrovert and dedicated to giving her pupils the same opportunities as their wealthier peers, discusses attendance, mental health, children not getting enough food, families living in hotels, gangs, and the recruitment crisis in English schools as new graduates reject a career in teaching and qualified teachers leave for Dubai. But it is her warning about EHE that stands out. Oasis Academy Hadley, which is part of the Oasis Community Learning multi-academy trust, is rated “good” by Ofsted. Like most of the 53 schools in the Oasis chain, it is located in an area with high levels of deprivation, but is high in ambition for its students and serves its local community well. More than half of pupils are on free school meals, and many more are growing up in poverty, their parents on low incomes, working as cleaners, Uber drivers and school meal assistants. Mobility is high, with families moving in and out of the area. “Almost every day someone is joining or leaving here,” says Thompson. Pupils, who often start at a disadvantage, make strong progress, and by the end of sixth form, 70% achieve A*-B grades and 95% of sixth-formers go on to university, including four to Cambridge this year. Situated a stone’s throw from Ponders End station, the academy building – designed by John McAslan, one of Britain’s leading architects – is modern and uplifting. Inside, the white walls are plastered with triumphant “Did it here” posters featuring smiling students photographed next to impressive results, and their destination university. All 72 classes are named after global universities, so Stanford, Princeton, Oxford and Cambridge are part of pupils’ vocabulary. The head of sixth form’s office is covered with thank you cards from grateful pupils. A significant number come back to teach at OAH, including the head of sixth form herself, Yesim Albay. One pupil told Ofsted that school is “better than the outside world”. Many stay late because it can be hard to study at home because of family demands and cramped conditions. An A-level student with caring responsibilities at home told the Guardian: “They really care about us.” The school prides itself on being inclusive – no child has been permanently excluded for six years. If pupils are struggling in mainstream lessons, rather than send to alternative provision outside the school, there are special provisions within school that offer a full curriculum and extra support, followed by reintegration. The week I visit, new figures published by the Department for Education showed the number of children in England being home schooled increased by more than 10,000 last autumn, increasing the total to 92,000 children on record as being home schooled on a single day last term, compared with 80,900 at the same point in autumn 2022. At OAH, though it is only halfway through the academic year, elective home education (EHE) numbers are already where they were for the whole of 2022-23. Five pupils have already been removed from the school roll to be home educated, and there are more in the pipeline. A further eight are listed as children missing education (CME), a separate classification covering school-age children not enrolled at school and receiving “unsuitable” education. Last year the figure was six in total. Once a parent notifies the school that they wish to home educate, usually in a brief email, Thompson and her team try their utmost to persuade the family to keep the child in school, offering a variety of support measures. If that fails, the school’s responsibility ends. There are no checks, no follow-ups and no questions asked. “It makes me shudder,” says Thompson. “It really does.” It has become a national problem, especially since Covid, often driven by unmet special education needs, school anxiety and other mental health problems. In other scenarios, struggling parents where concerns have already been flagged may find it easier to just take their child out of school. Attendance is a huge issue for schools across England post-Covid. At OAH the level is 93.6% which is above the national average, but it involves a massive effort by staff to get children in. The school will chase, provide lifts, make phone calls and pay home visits to struggling parents. Some have lost control of their child, while others have run out of energy or have stopped seeing the value of school. Children and staff are also more likely to take time off sick since Covid, with staff absence a third higher than five years ago. On a wet Thursday when I visit, 12 teachers are off sick, and more parents are taking their children out of school for term-time holidays because they are so much cheaper. In some cases families are issued with a £60 penalty notice. The week the Guardian visits, the government announced that fines will go up 33% to £80. Those who delay payment will have fines raised from £120 to £160. An Oasis founder, Steve Chalke, made his view plain on social media. “School attendance has never returned to pre-pandemic levels. So fines for parents of children who are missing without permission are set to face even bigger fines. But it won’t work. Why? Because families need support rather than penalties and the fines in place now don’t work.” “Our communities are finding life harder,” says Thompson. “There are lots of social issues, especially since Covid – mental health issues, financial issues. Life for lots of families is more volatile and these things have an impact on children. People are worried about the cost of living, they’re worried about paying the rent, covering their bills. Things are more challenging than they used to be.” Teachers describe the signs: a child with a single button left on their shirt, a pupil walking around with torn trousers his parents can’t afford to replace. Some families are struggling to provide enough food, and breakfast club, which is free to all, is packed to the rafters every day. There’s a well-used food bank and a uniform cupboard. The head of sixth form has crates of snacks in her office for “snack and study” sessions with her students. Parents whose children are not eligible for free school meals are building up large deficits because they cannot afford school lunch, which are often just written off. Because of the high levels of need within the community, the school benefits from a school-based community hub with family support workers, youth and mental health support. It offers the kind of wrap-around care that helps keep children who might otherwise be excluded in school and parents on board, but the school finances are such that Thompson fears she will not be able to afford it next year. “My energy bill went up £200,000 last year. I’ve cut to the bone.” Although the housing crisis is affecting all areas of London and the UK, the problem is particularly acute in Ponders End because of a vast regeneration scheme. A series of 1960s high-rises, part of the Alma Estate, have all been demolished bar one to make way for low-rise, modern brick-built blocks, the style of which can be seen replicated across most London boroughs today. The regeneration process has involved decanting everyone from the towers. Affordable housing is in desperately short supply in the area. As a result a number of families have ended up in the local Travelodge, while others have been dispersed to hotels elsewhere: parents and children sharing a single room, without access to a microwave, cooker, fridge or washing machine. “You can’t wash your clothes or cook a meal,” says Thompson. “It’s awful.” Often families are moved out of the area, so it can take up to two hours to get to school. One tearful mother calls the school on an almost daily basis desperate for help. She has been temporarily housed in a Travelodge, and has just been moved to a room in a shared house but it is in Newham, where there are rat droppings on the fridge and she cannot get her child to school. “We’ve always had housing issues, but not as bad as now,” says Thompson. The school manages to secure transport via the local authority, but only for a few weeks. While the government moved recently to ban mobile phones in schools in England as a way of improving behaviour, OAH’s policy is to allow phones, but not in class. If seen during lessons they are confiscated. The school tried an outright ban, but it caused more problems than it solved. Thompson, however, says she cannot wait for the ban on disposable vapes. The school has the highest number of perpetrators and victims in the borough, and gangs and gang affiliation are an ever-present danger. “We are in the middle of gang central here,” says the safeguarding manager, Naomi Hall. “With children who are gang-affliated, we’re looking at who they’re talking to, monitoring who their friends are, and making sure we are in there before anything escalates.” Thompson says you can spot when a child has been groomed because they suddenly become more compliant in school to avoid attention. There have been cases where children have been sexually exploited. The school would like a dedicated police officer but the Met does not have the resources. “Because things have got much worse really quickly, everyone is scrapping around for the same resources,” says Thompson. Recruitment is a nightmare, getting enough staff to put a teacher in front of every class is a daily struggle. OAH has students enrolled on physics A-level but there’s no physics teacher. A WhatsApp group of headteachers post desperate pleas for help to fill gaps in staffing. “Can anyone spare a maths/computing/French teacher for a day? Half a day?” “People don’t want to go into teaching any more,” says Thompson, who spends £40,000 a year on recruitment advertising. Despite the bonuses she offers there are few applicants and staff are leaving. “This year I’ve got three off to Dubai.” She doesn’t blame them. “It’s right we are held responsible for children’s outcomes and wellbeing, but to do it with less resources, less money, less teachers and less central support, and with more challenges around families – it’s hard. I understand why my colleagues are leaving and retiring. It’s something I hear every day.”

Government ‘fanning culture war’ over free speech, says UK’s first LGBTQ+ history professor

2023-06-10

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jun/10/government-fanning-culture-war-over-free-speech-says-uks-first-lgbtq-history-professor

Issue blown out of proportion, says Matt Cook, after appointment of ‘free speech tsar’ for higher education Oxford University’s new professor of LGBTQ+ history has accused the government of “fanning a culture war” over freedom of speech, insisting it is alive and well in higher education. Matt Cook, who was this week named as the first Jonathan Cooper chair of the history of sexualities, a newly created post at Mansfield College, was speaking only days after the appointment of the government’s first “free speech tsar” for higher education. Cook said the issue had been blown out of proportion and there were only a “tiny fraction” of cases where speakers were cancelled. He pointed to the recent appearance of the gender-critical feminist Dr Kathleen Stock at the Oxford Union, which went ahead despite protests by trans activists. “I completely stand with the position that the university and the college takes on freedom of speech. And I also stand by the right to the freedom to protest. I think both things are important.” His comments, in an interview with the Guardian, were made only days after Arif Ahmed, a Cambridge philosophy professor, was named as the government’s new director for freedom of speech and academic freedom for higher education in England. The role was created by the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, which received royal assent last month, and will oversee a regime that could impose fines on higher education providers and student unions if they prevent speakers appearing without good reason. “Free speech and academic freedom are vital to the core purpose of universities and colleges,” Ahmed said. “They are not partisan values. They are also fundamental to our civilisation. As director, I will defend them using all means available.” Cook, a renowned cultural historian who has written extensively on queer urban life, the Aids crisis and queer domesticity, denied that free speech was under threat in higher education. “Of course there’s protests about certain people speaking and there has been historically, about figures as diverse as David Icke and Enoch Powell, and that’s right,” he said. “But these people still spoke in university contexts, despite the protests and despite the calls for people not to speak in university forums. It’s only a tiny fraction of cases where people actually don’t speak. “So my sense is that it’s not a huge problem. I think the issue has been blown out of proportion. I also think there’s some political expediency in this. It’s a way of fanning a culture war. I don’t think we need additional protections for free speech in the university. Free speech is pretty alive and well.” Cook will take up his role as the UK’s first fully endowed professor of LGBTQ+ history in October after 18 years at Birkbeck College, University of London. On the trans debate, he said he hoped to bring together scholars and activists to look at it from a historical perspective. “There’s a way of thinking historically about cycles of fear and phobias. So it’s very striking to me the way in which gay men in the 1950s and also the 1980s were vilified as a threat to children, as treacherous, as deceitful. “We can see the same kind of recycling of fear at the moment, in very, very similar terms. So I think in a way history can help us think through, what is it about these particular moments of fear and why? “The trans people I know currently are facing real daily prejudice that’s misogynistic, transphobic. And I think we need to think very seriously about how we allow everybody in this country to have a livable life, and that includes trans people. Part of that is understanding how people have found ways of living their lives in the past. “I’m very hopeful that the kind of work that we’ll be doing in Oxford, and is going on in other places, in 10-15 years hence, people say, ‘Oh OK, so this is how trans people have lived their lives historically. And this is how they’ve been part of this cultural society.’ “It doesn’t solve the immediate febrile issue, but hopefully it gives some kind of grounding going forward, for thinking through these issues historically.” Does he feel optimistic or pessimistic about how the culture war will play out in the run-up to the general election? “Thinking historically, the Thatcher government used very cynically the ‘threat of gay men and lesbians to children in schools and public life’ as an electoral move and it helped their re-election. “The Conservative party know that you can mobilise fear in a way that can win you some votes. Whether it will succeed I don’t know. There’s certainly an attempt to stoke fear about trans people and that will be deployed towards the election unfairly.” But, he went on: “I do feel hopeful because I think trans people and the LGBT community more broadly is being heard more and at the moment that’s deeply controversial, but in 10 years’ time, the fact those voices have been heard will have had its effect as well. “The fact that Oxford and Mansfield have put their heft behind this role, and also committed further fundraising and possibly another post in the future, is a real sign that they’re keen to underpin debate and scholarship going forward.”

If pupils avoid school due to anxiety, the system needs to change | Letters

2024-02-07

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/07/if-pupils-avoid-school-due-to-anxiety-the-system-needs-to-change

Prof Diane Reay writes that absenteeism is linked to lack of social support, while Prof Priscilla Alderson says children are being blamed for systemic faults and Dr Lorna Chessum blames draconian school rules and a rigid curriculum Persistent absenteeism in schools has become an area of increasing concern in education (Nearly a third of UK secondary pupils avoid school due to anxiety, survey finds, 2 February). The response to that absenteeism is still focused on children and young people changing their attitudes and behaviour in order to fit in better into the educational system, with cognitive behaviour therapy suggested as one solution. The education select committee found in 2023 that a major reason that large numbers of children had not returned to school after Covid were the barriers to attendance presented by poverty. Absenteeism, like exclusions, is a race and class issue. As Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner, said in her response to the persistent absence inquiry: “Children are not absent from school because they don’t want to learn. They are desperate to learn but everyday thousands of children find themselves without the support that they need to engage in education and attend school.” Sadly, the harsh discipline, excessive rules, regimented daily timetable and teaching to the test in predominantly working-class schools have been a further deterrent. The result, as the article points out, is increasing numbers of children and young people “experiencing extreme anxiety or distress relating to attending school”. It is the educational system that needs to change. Schools should be more welcoming and supportive, especially for those predominantly working-class and ethnically diverse young people who lack the resources to make educational success more than a remote possibility. Prof Diane ReayUniversity of Cambridge Therapists flocking around distressed school students no doubt mean well. Yet they often treat symptoms, not causes, and position problems within young individuals instead of within adult-run systems, and so increase the problems. If so many young people avoid school due to anxiety, like canaries in coalmines they warn that many schools damage mental health – by punishing failure to learn, and enforcing petty rules and detentions, isolation rooms and exclusions. Ofsted bullies teachers, who frequently feel forced to bully students, who, unsurprisingly, often bully peers, in a pyramid of fear and coercive control. This echoes the Post Office’s transfer of blame on to individual post office operators, with expensive use of controlling professionals (inspectors, police, lawyers, etc). Here, pupils are blamed and the costly professionals supporting the system include social workers, doctors, therapists and police. The Children’s Manifesto that the Guardian published in 2011, and many good schools, show how the most important work can be achieved: to prevent distress and work with children and young people to promote ways to enjoy living and learning together.Prof Priscilla AldersonInstitute of Education, UCL The charity stem4’s latest survey found that poor mental health is the major driver of absenteeism. In all the discussions of possible contributory factors, I’ve seen no mention of the role of today’s unprecedented levels of authoritarianism in UK schools. Strict enforcement of uniform, punishments for infringements of draconian rules and the liberal use of isolation and exclusion have created a harsh culture in many schools. If the rigid and narrow curriculum – with reduced opportunities for creativity – plus endless testing is added to students’ experiences, it is hardly surprising that they are anxious. Such a culture is anti-educational and anti-learning.Dr Lorna ChessumFormer principal lecturer in education, Brighton

Where blame lies for England’s crumbling school buildings | Letter

2023-07-02

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jul/02/where-blame-lies-for-englands-crumbling-school-buildings

Paul Martin points to a lack of funding from central government and the dismantling of local education authorities It’s little wonder that many schools are “crumbling” (Pupils in England sent to churches and village halls as crumbling schools close, 29 June). In the early 2000s, the Labour government required local education authorities (LEAs) to draft capital asset management plans based on detailed surveys of school condition. Many “crumbling” schools had had temporary additional classrooms built cheaply to house the extra year created by the raising of the school leaving age to 16 in 1972. Large amounts of money were channelled via local authorities, who then repaired and renewed long-neglected school buildings. Since then, Tories – led by Michael Gove – have dismantled those LEAs in favour of multi-academy trusts (Mats). While Mats reward themselves handsomely, they take no responsibility for the long-term condition of their premises. Once again, local authorities are expected to step into the breach, but without the resources to do so.Paul MartinLondon This article was amended on 3 July 2023. An earlier image showed a school in Wales. Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.

Ruth Perry’s family dubious after ex-Ofsted chief appointed to review inspectorate

2024-04-08

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/08/ruth-perry-family-dubious-after-ex-ofsted-chief-appointed-to-review-inspec

Christine Gilbert will examine response to headteacher Ruth Perry’s suicide after her school was downgraded A former head of Ofsted is to lead a learning review into the inspectorate’s response to the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry, prompting concerns from the family about how independent it will be. Dame Christine Gilbert, who served as Ofsted’s chief inspector from 2006 to 2011, will produce a written report of her findings later this year, it was announced on Monday. Prof Julia Waters, Perry’s older sister, warned: “Given that Dame Christine Gilbert is a former head of Ofsted, we and others will need to be convinced that she has the necessary independence of perspective that is required for the task. “The review needs to be rigorous and explore Ofsted’s systems, practices and culture in depth if it is to learn the lessons required to lead to significant change. “I hope we get that assurance, and I hope she can do what is needed.” Perry killed herself last year after the school she had led for more than a decade, Caversham primary school in Reading, was downgraded from the highest Ofsted rating of outstanding, to the lowest, inadequate. “It could feel a bit like Ofsted has set its own homework and has got an old friend to mark it,” Waters added. “I hope that isn’t the case. Only a truly independent and deep inquiry will be able to reassure my family, and teachers, parents and others that Ofsted is serious about change.” Waters also raised concerns about the published terms of reference, describing them as “rather limited and limiting”. Ofsted said the review would consider the actions the inspectorate took in response to Perry’s death and whether internal policies and processes for responding to tragic incidents needed to be revised. Gilbert will also look into Ofsted’s communications, engagement with stakeholders and information sharing within the inspectorate about the incident, as well as the support offered internally to staff including inspectors. She will not, however, look into the inspection itself nor the judgments reached. Berkshire senior coroner Heidi Connor concluded that Perry’s suicide was “contributed to by an Ofsted inspection”. Her death sent shockwaves through the teaching profession, prompting calls for inspection reform. Gilbert said: “I intend to take a very detailed and thorough look at all areas of Ofsted’s work – from the moment the Caversham inspection ended, through to the conclusion of the coroner’s inquest. “I will scrutinise the approach taken and advise on future actions and revisions needed to improve Ofsted’s policies and processes for dealing with any tragic incident. “Importantly, I will hear first hand from the family of Ruth Perry to gain a better understanding of the impact of Ofsted’s work. I would like to thank them in advance for agreeing to engage with my review.” Gilbert, who is currently chair of the Education Endowment Foundation, spent 18 years in schools as a teacher and secondary headteacher, and has worked in London boroughs as director of education and chief executive. Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said Gilbert was a widely respected and knowledgeable figure in education. “We believe that she will have the insight and determination to carry out a comprehensive review of Ofsted’s response to the tragic death of Ruth Perry. However, it is important to confront head-on the concern that some might express about a former chief inspector reviewing the work of Ofsted.” * In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

Brian Howes obituary

2023-06-05

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jun/05/brian-howes-obituary

My husband, Brian Howes, who has died aged 88, was a foreign language teacher who went on to become a chief education inspector. He was also a champion fencer. After teaching German and French at Uppingham school, Rutland (1958-60), Brian became the bursar at Saint Martin’s school for girls in Solihull (1960-63). He then joined his old school, Dulwich college, in south-east London, to teach German and French (1963-68). At Uppingham and at Dulwich he was also in charge of fencing. In 1968, Brian was appointed headteacher of the International school in Hamburg, and, three years later, head of St George’s English school in Rome. He returned to the UK in 1975 to serve as an inspector of schools specialising in modern languages, becoming chief education inspector for Croydon local education authority (1989-95). In 1975 he also took on the job of organising the Public Schools’ Fencing Championships and did so for the next 34 years. When Brian retired at the age of 60, he became a consultant for the European Council of International Schools, and for the next 15 years travelled in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and South America, setting up and accrediting schools. He was born in Croydon, Surrey (now a greater London borough), to Doris (nee Loynes) and Bill Howes, who served in the Metropolitan police. Brian was educated at Dulwich college as part of the Dulwich Gilkes experiment, which brought in many pupils on scholarships, and went on to study German and French at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University. He and I met at a party on his last evening at Oxford; I was at Lady Margaret Hall studying French and Russian, and had another year to go. We married in 1959. At the time of our marriage I was teaching at Saint Martin’s and it was when the headteacher became ill that Brian left Uppingham to take on the role of bursar there, helping the school gain charitable status. Brian had started fencing at Dulwich when he was 11 – he medalled in all three weapons in the Public Schools’ Fencing Championships, winning the senior sabre two years running, and was a fencing blue at Oxford. He fenced in the world championships in Paris in 1957 and I was there to watch him. Although Brian was selected for the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 – and given a huge jar of Horlicks to help him train – in the end, for reasons that were difficult to fathom, he was not taken. In 2020, Brian became ill. We moved from Dulwich to a retirement flat in Streatham, south London, in 2022, and three months later Brian went into a care home nearby. He is survived by me, our son Peter, grandsons, Anton and Nicholas, and his brother, Alan. Another son, Justin, died in 2005.

Parents and teachers: what is being done to educate young people on misogyny at your school?

2023-01-25

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jan/25/parents-and-teachers-what-is-being-done-to-educate-young-people-on-misogyny-at-your-school

We want to hear from parents and teachers about what is being done to educate pupils on misogyny in schools The recent arrest of Andrew Tate made many aware of the controversial media personality and self-proclaimed misogynist for the first time. But Tate, and other internet figures promoting misogynistic values, have been circulating on the internet for some time, gaining popularity on TikTok, Twitter and Youtube. Among those drawn to Tate are children and young people, according to schools across the country. Many schools are giving teachers training on how to talk to students about Tate and misogyny, while others are hosting assemblies or using personal social and health education lessons to encourage students to question the content such influencers put out. We want to hear from parents, teachers and young people over the age of 18 about misogyny in schools and what is being done to educate young people on figures like Tate, and to counteract their misogynistic messages. Does it seem to be effective or could more be done? If you are 18 years or over, you can get in touch by filling in the form below or contacting us via WhatsApp by clicking here or adding +44(0)7766780300. Your responses are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. One of our journalists will be in contact before we publish, so please do leave contact details. We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature. We will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For more information please see our terms of service and privacy policy. If you’re having trouble using the form, click here.

One in three teachers have no behaviour support for pupils with additional needs, poll finds

2024-04-03

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/04/one-in-three-teachers-have-no-behaviour-support-for-pupils-with-additional-needs-poll-finds

Long waiting lists and insufficient resources part of system that is ‘failing’ children, according to NEU members in England and Wales One in three teachers say they have no behaviour support team for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), while one in four have no educational psychologist or speech and language therapist to help them, according to a union survey. The online poll, which attracted responses from 8,000 members of the National Education Union (NEU), indicated that seven in eight teachers feel resources are insufficient to meet growing demand, with three-quarters calling for more learning support assistants in classrooms. Two in five (41%) said they had no access to counsellors or occupational health specialists to support pupils with Send, and more than half (56%) were not confident that a referral for a Send assessment, diagnosis or specialist support would lead to that pupil getting the help they needed. One respondent complained of a six-year wait for support for pupils, “meaning students don’t receive the help they need until too late”. Another said: “Waiting lists mean that some children will never be seen. They will ‘age out’ and join adult waiting lists.” “The current system is failing children,” another NEU member said. “We do not have the resources, environments, skilled staff or time to support these students. Funding is completely inadequate and paying to support children with high-level need has wiped out our school budget and negatively impacted all other pupils.” On education, health and care plans (EHCP), legal documents that set out a child’s needs and the additional specialist support they require, one contributor said: “There is a thinking in my school that it’s not usually worth applying for an EHCP because either it will be rejected or won’t make any difference.” Another said: “We are drowning. The children are not getting what they need or deserve. Parents are not getting what they need. The people in charge should feel ashamed.” The NEU general secretary, Daniel Kebede, said it was “shameful” that the government had done so little to help schools and local authorities meet the growing Send challenge. “The crisis in Send funding has gone on for too long,” he said. “It weighs heavily on schools that want to help but are stretched to the limit. We are seeing children spending too much of their journey through the school system without the support they need.” Calling for a major funding commitment from government, he added: “It is in the interests of everyone in the school community and government to resource Send well and ensure that children’s engagement is not jeopardised simply because of cuts.” Results from the poll, which was conducted among NEU members in England and Wales, were published as delegates meet on Thursday for the second day of the union’s annual conference in Bournemouth, where the crisis in Send funding will be debated. The motion calls on the union to lobby the government for increased funding for Send provision, warning that the situation is becoming critical. It adds: “Children and their families are being let down by a system which is seemingly blind to the impact on future generations.” A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We want all children to have the chance to reach their potential, which is why we are increasing funding for young people with complex needs by over £10.5bn next year – up 60% in the last five years. “We are actively delivering against our Send and AP (alternative provision) improvement plan, reforming the system across the country with earlier intervention, consistent high standards and less bureaucracy. “We are committed to training thousands of workers so children can get the help they need, including investing over £2m to train 400 more educational psychologists from this year and increasing the number of teaching assistants by 59,600 from 2011.”

Sir Tim Brighouse obituary

2023-12-20

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/dec/20/sir-tim-brighouse-obituary

It is given to very few senior education officials to be both universally respected and admired by teachers, but Tim Brighouse, who has died aged 83, was one of that rare breed. He did it not only by respecting the profession and encouraging its members, but also by showing them pragmatically how their lessons and thus their schools could be – and were – improved, without the threats and coercion offered by successive secretaries of state and his adversary, the former chief inspector Chris Woodhead. He was in turn a classroom teacher, deputy head – at 24 – then, climbing the administrative ladder, chief education officer for Oxfordshire, then Birmingham, then schools commissioner for London from 2003 to 2007, leading the London Challenge to improve education in the capital. In a career also interspersed with professorships of education, he not only earned respect but had done the jobs and secured improvements in ethos and results in the areas he touched. He championed state schools (sending his children to them), fizzed with ideas, not all of which came off although they showed a keen intelligence at work, and spoke and wrote with charisma and morale-boosting wit. He needed it as education ministers came and went with increasing frequency: 10 in the last 13 years alone. Brighouse was scathing about the turnover, not so much of the personalities as the policy stasis it produced; they had, he said, too much power and too little judgment. A tall, somewhat dishevelled figure, he looked as though he had just stepped out of the classroom – which he probably had, given that he frequently chose to observe lessons during school visits rather than pontificate about them in the headteacher’s study – and was at least once reported by a school caretaker as looking dodgy as he turned up unannounced. But he was not to be taken lightly, as the Tory education secretary John Patten learned to his cost when he gratuitously libelled Brighouse in 1993. Born in Leicestershire, he was the son of Mary (nee Howard) and Denison Brighouse, who sold early television sets for a living, flitting between jobs that took the family around the country. Tim was educated first at Loughborough grammar school, whose forbidding atmosphere unnerved him as a child, and then at the more welcoming Lowestoft grammar in Suffolk, where he flourished under an inspirational teacher before securing a place to study history at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. He thought he would like to be a journalist but was dissuaded by his parents, who thought the job too hazardous. Instead he trained as a teacher, moving to his first teaching post at a grammar school in Buxton, Derbyshire, then became deputy head in charge of adult education and warden at Chepstow’s new Community College for two years from 1964. From there he went into administration, overseeing Monmouthshire’s transition to comprehensive education. There were further posts in Buckinghamshire and then two years as deputy education officer with the Inner London Education Authority (Ilea) before in 1978 he was made chief education officer of Oxfordshire, where he was to make his name nationally. It was a large local authority with both rural and urban schools, some already high achieving and with demanding parents, many of them academics themselves. In Oxfordshire he gained a reputation for creating an educational esprit de corps, not only among teachers, but support and ancillary staff as well. He could remember names and would send handwritten notes to classroom teachers, praising their work and making encouraging suggestions for improvements: “It’s about being human,” he said. His 20 rules for teachers, which many must have copied if only aspirationally, included greeting every child in the morning, remembering birthdays, “finding the invisible child” and even stealing crisps, though only one or two, never the whole packet, because children liked the kudos of sharing with Sir. It was, he said, “making a climate in which teachers and support staff feel honoured, valued and respected” and it did wonders for morale. He spoke their language and was on their side. After 11 years in Oxfordshire, in 1989 – with Kenneth Baker’s schools reforms introducing a more uniform education system intended to knock schools into shape – Brighouse took up a professorship in education at Keele University. Although he was not entirely hostile to innovations such as the devolution of school budgets from local authorities to heads, he felt the reforms were too regimented, particularly the national curriculum, which he described as more prescriptive than the Stalinist Soviet Union. In Oxfordshire he had pioneered the publication of school exam results and the setting of targets for improvement, though bottom up, not top down: schools comparing local results, not having them enforced by government. Within a few years of arriving at Keele, though, a dream job came up, as chief education officer of schools in Birmingham. This was one of the largest and worst performing authorities in the country, with a huge multiethnic pupil population and mediocre schools from which the middle classes were fleeing to former grammar schools that had already opted out of local control. Characteristically, Brighouse was nowhere to be found in the authority’s headquarters in the week he was supposed to start: instead, he was out quietly visiting schools, talking to staff and pupils to see how they were performing. Within weeks, as if his job was not demanding enough, he found himself under direct and personal attack by Patten, the Major government’s education secretary, whom he had known for years as his local MP. Patten, who was an Oxford academic, attacked Brighouse by name during a fringe meeting at the 1993 Tory conference, saying: “I fear for Birmingham with this madman let loose, wandering the streets, frightening the children.” Patten attempted to laugh the remarks off as satirical and, hubris rapidly succeeding arrogance, apologised. Friends of Brighouse rallied round to pay for a libel action which cost the minister more humiliation and a reputed £30,000 in damages plus almost as much in costs, from which his standing as a minister never really recovered. Within months he would resign through ill health following a mass teacher boycott of the new Sats tests. Brighouse donated the money to setting up his scheme for a so-called University of the First Age, aiming to improve the literacy rates of Birmingham’s most deprived teenagers. When Brighouse resigned from Birmingham after nine years in 2002, Roy Pinney, the council’s cabinet member for education, listed the visible academic improvements the city had achieved in the Birmingham Post. At key stage two English, taken at 11, the percentage of pupils obtaining level four (the expected standard) or above had risen from 46% to 71%, maths scores had risen from 44% to 67% and science from 48% to 85%. He wrote: “He really is the most inspirational character.” In 1997 Brighouse had been approached by David Blunkett, the new Labour education secretary, to become an adviser in the department. He refused, but did agree to chair a task force on standards, only to find it was a post that would be shared with Woodhead, whose educational vision was much more prescriptive and admonitory than his own. When the education inspectorate reported in 1998 on Birmingham as a schools authority, Woodhead, who had not been on the visit, altered the findings to criticise both the authority and Brighouse himself, saying the schools lacked focus and his rhetoric was running ahead of the schools’ performance. The report was moderated after Brighouse complained, and a subsequent inspection in 2002 – after Woodhead’s departure – was fulsome in its praise for Birmingham’s education standards as exemplary, thanks to “the energising and inspirational example set by the chief education officer.” Brighouse had resigned from the standards task force within two years and from Birmingham moved to become the government’s London schools commissioner, or chief adviser for London schools, as the role was later renamed. Inevitably he became a “schools tsar” in ministerial parlance, though not one with any executive power beyond persuasion and lobbying ministers. Nevertheless, he encouraged local school partnerships to pool talents and resources, promoted a charter teaching scheme to recruit teachers for subjects where there were shortages with bonuses and extra qualifications: “There’s no more challenging nor worthwhile thing to do than to teach in London,” he told the Guardian in 2003. “Ten years of teaching in London should count more than teaching somewhere else where the wind is at your back.” Such measures must have contributed to the dramatic improvements in London schools, which have gone from worst to best performing nationally in recent years. Brighouse retired to Oxford in 2007 and was knighted two years later. He wrote several books on how to improve education and training, and was awarded a string of honorary degrees. His most recent book, About Our Schools, co-written with Mike Waters, was published in 2022. In 1962 he married Mary Demer and they had two children before divorcing in 1988. His second wife, Liz (nee Kearney), whom he married in 1989, is currently the leader of the Labour group on Oxfordshire county council. He is survived by her, his son and daughter, and two stepchildren. Timothy Robert Peter Brighouse, educationist, born 15 January 1940; died 15 December 2023

Teachers’ union calls for abolition of Ofsted inspections after death of Ruth Perry

2023-04-05

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/apr/05/teachers-vote-to-abolish-ofsted-inspections-after-death-of-ruth-perry

Delegates at National Education Union’s annual conference vote to back union campaign School inspections in England and Wales should be abolished and headteachers should refuse to work as inspectors until “toxic” pressures on mental health have been resolved, a teachers’ union says. Delegates at the National Education Union’s annual conference on Wednesday backed a new campaign by the union to abolish Ofsted, which has been blamed by the family of a headteacher for contributing to her death. The motion calls on the NEU to develop alternative methods of school assessment in England that are more “supportive and collaborative”, and states that “Ofsted is causing significant risk of harm to our members”. Mary Bousted, the NEU’s joint general secretary, said her union would be campaigning for Ofsted to be replaced with a system that was “supportive, effective and fair”. She said the union was conducting focus groups with a research team working to develop a better alternative. “For school leaders, the excessive high stakes and punitive nature of inspection can be intolerable and have a devastating impact on their professional and personal lives,” Bousted said. The motion also calls for Estyn, the schools inspectorate in Wales, to be abolished. The conference in Harrogate heard from teachers who worked at schools near that of the Berkshire primary school head Ruth Perry, the NEU member who killed herself in January after being told Ofsted inspectors would downgrade her school to “inadequate”, its lowest rating, from outstanding. Paul Arnold, who teaches near Perry’s former school in Reading, said he could “not begin to describe the damage and loss felt by our community”. “Thirty-two years of passion for the profession, destroyed in a single word,” Arnold said. Perry’s family said they had “no doubt” her death was a “direct result of the pressure put on her by the process and outcome” of the Ofsted inspection. After the motion was carried, Louise Atkinson, the NEU’s president, read out a message from Perry’s sister, Julia Waters: “Thank you NEU. Ruth’s name must not be lost in vain.” One consequence of the motion would be that headteachers who are NEU members could decline to work as part-time inspectors, which could limit the number of inspections that Ofsted carries out. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said he had heard of headteachers resigning as Ofsted inspectors as a result of the controversy after Perry’s death. Whiteman said the feeling among school leaders was that the response to Perry’s death “needs to be a watershed moment”. “We now know, not just through the tragic death of Ruth Perry but the others that have come to light since, that not only does [inspection] create stress within the system, but that it is a serious stress that is leading to harm. It has to be dealt with immediately,” Whiteman told journalists in Harrogate. Robin Bevan, an NEU executive member and the head of a school in Essex, said Ofsted’s inspection regime was “an international outlier” and that teachers in other countries looked at England “with pity and with ridicule”. Bevan said: “For a long time the argument would have been reform, but the organisation has utterly lost any public credibility.” He accused Ofsted of refusing to investigate the reliability of its inspections, with more than 2,000 schools having been given the wrong grade. “At the moment Ofsted does really nothing at all around financial efficiency or financial prudence, and yet that needs to be in there somewhere,” Bevan said. “Because of that, Ofsted is tragically silent on underfunding, because there are things they say are wrong in schools and the reason they are wrong is that schools can’t resource it or recruit staff to deliver it.”

Sir Peter Newsam obituary

2023-12-08

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/dec/08/sir-peter-newsam-obituary

Peter Newsam, who has died aged 95, first made his mark in education as a champion of the fledgling comprehensive school system, which aimed to replace grammar, secondary modern and technical schools in England and Wales. This came in the 1970s, while he was at the helm of the Inner London Education Authority (Ilea). The London county council’s London School Plan of 1947 had committed to reorganising schools along the comprehensive model, and this was reiterated in 1970 when Labour won back Ilea from the Conservatives, with an aim for all schools to be comprehensive by 1980. Newsam was Ilea’s education officer – effectively chief education officer – from 1977 to 1982, and his influence and guiding hand were critical in persuading its education committee to end selection in schools smaller than the ideal intake of 240 pupils. The capital had more than 200 secondary schools, most of which were delighted to go comprehensive. Its 45 grammar schools proved a tougher nut to crack, but Newsam successfully persuaded 39 to switch during his period in charge. Under Newsam, Ilea became the first authority in the UK to introduce tailored policies to improve provision for minority ethnic pupils, including appointing a racially diverse team of inspectors and launching a programme to raise awareness of the effect of race, sex and class on pupils’ outcomes. Another innovation was the launch of a groundbreaking educational television service that ran throughout the 70s, with programmes transmitted on a closed network from studios in Battersea to schools across the authority. Newsam’s charm meant he was as comfortable and effective briefing ministers, for example, as he was telling parents that their grammar school was likely to close, while assiduously attending numerous meetings with the latter. All-night lock-ins by anxious parents were common, and he mused to colleagues that “when you see the blankets and coffee flasks you know you are in trouble”. His own education had come at private establishments – the Dragon prep school in Oxford and then as a boarder at Clifton college in Bristol. Born in Gloucester, he was the youngest of four sons of immigrant parents – Delphine Lelievre, from France, and William Newsam, who had won the only annual scholarship in Barbados to Oxford University, eventually becoming a circuit judge in India – which later influenced his thinking on multicultural issues. He lived in India for most of the first five years of his life and also won a scholarship to Oxford, studying philosophy, politics and economics at Queen’s College. After graduating, in 1952 he entered the civil service at the Board of Trade, but left after three years to train to be a teacher. Following a spell teaching in Oxford, Newsam switched to local education authority services, serving in what was then the North Riding education authority in Yorkshire from 1963 to 1966. He was then assistant director in Cumberland and in 1970 became deputy to the long-serving chief education officer Sir Alec Clegg – an inspirational mentor – in the West Riding of Yorkshire. In 1972 he moved to London to become deputy, until 1977, then education officer of Ilea until 1982. Unusually, Newsam was prepared to intervene personally if he felt a child was at risk from the education system. In his two-part memoir The Autobiography of an Education (2014), he recounts how, when working in North Yorkshire, he re-marked a twin’s 11+ paper that was one short of the pass mark so that the boy would not be separated from his twin brother. He stepped down from the ill-fated Ilea – it was finally closed down in 1990 by the Conservatives – in August 1982, reflecting that “10 years’ service there was equivalent to working 20 elsewhere”. He continued his interest in bolstering equal opportunities across racial and ethnic groups, and at the invitation of the Conservative home secretary, Willie Whitelaw, became chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality (1982-87). He was briefly secretary of the Association of County Councils (1987-89) and then became director of the Institute of Education (now part of UCL, 1989-94). There he oversaw the creation of an extension to the “ziggurat” building in Bloomsbury designed by Denys Lasdun, which now houses the extensive Newsam Library. Newsam also served as deputy vice-chancellor of the University of London from 1992 to 1994. Following Tony Blair’s general election victory in 1997, he was appointed by the new education secretary David Blunkett as the first chief adjudicator of school organisation and admissions in 1999 – ruling on disputes – and became a member of the Commission on the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain. His political instincts were by nature left-leaning. As the Blair government’s ambitious new policies on “education, education, education” began to be rolled out, he voiced his fierce opposition to the new academies and free schools (frequently in letters to newspapers, including the Guardian) because the model gave the education secretary total control. He was one of the few people to warn that in this way the previously local authority-led education service was being nationalised by stealth. In 2013 he went even further, claiming that the office of secretary of state for education – by now held by Michael Gove in the Conservative government – had become “totalitarian”. His peers recall a quintessentially “English gentleman” – he was knighted in 1987 – and a smart, dapper figure who could quote Shakespeare at ease and at length. Interested in the arts and culture, he took his work seriously but was also renowned for his good sense of humour. He enjoyed golf and cricket, and in later years, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, he enjoyed walking his dogs. He was married three times: first, in 1953, to Elizabeth Greg, with whom he had a daughter and four sons; then in 1988 to Susan Addinell, with whom he had a further daughter; both marriages ended in divorce. In 2017 he married Sarah King, who survives him, along with his children, Anita, Nicholas, Anthony, Paul, Robert and Georgia, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Peter Anthony Newsam, educationist, born 2 November 1928; died 16 November 2023

Student complaints in England and Wales at record levels, watchdog says

2023-04-20

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/apr/20/university-student-complaints-england-and-wales-record-levels-watchdog

Higher education adjudicator expresses concern about ‘increasing levels of distress’ among university students University students made a record number of complaints last year to the higher education watchdog in England and Wales, which expressed concern about “increasing levels of distress among students who are struggling to cope”. The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) received 2,850 complaints in 2022 – its highest ever number and a 3% increase on the previous year – which resulted in financial compensation of more than £1m in total. The OIA hears appeals from students only if they have exhausted their institution’s internal procedures and are still dissatisfied. According to its annual report for 2022, 25% of complaints were justified, partly justified, or settled in favour of the student. The watchdog reported a big jump in the proportion of complaints about academic appeals of assessments and grades, up from 29% in 2021 to 38% in 2022, while complaints about teaching, course delivery and supervision fell from 45% to 38%. “This rebalancing of our caseload is likely to reflect the end of the ‘no detriment’ or safety-net policies that had been in place during the pandemic and had resulted in fewer appeals, as well as the reduction through the year in the number of complaints related to Covid-19 disruption,” the OIA said. The watchdog did, however, conclude its handling of complaints from a group of more than 400 arts students at a single provider about disruption caused by Covid, which were found to be partly justified. In total, the students received about £640,000 in compensation, but the details do not form part of the overall 2022 data. Felicity Mitchell, the independent adjudicator, said it had been another difficult year for students and universities, with the cost of living crisis and strikes. “We are seeing increasing levels of distress among students who are struggling to cope, and this is a major concern. At the same time the pressures on providers make it more difficult for them to support students effectively.” One example was of a student on a healthcare course who had a mental health condition that meant they were unable to start their second placement on time. The student has since dropped out and was awarded a partial refund of tuition fees and compensation after the university failed to support them adequately. The OIA also recommended compensation to a group of students on a distance learning course who complained the course did not live up to their expectations, based on the marketing materials. It also reported an increase in complaints relating to harassment and sexual misconduct, though numbers remained small. Chloe Field, the vice-president for higher education at the National Union of Students, said: “Students are at breaking point, with the cost of living crisis and spiralling rents pushing many over the edge. It is no surprise the OIA has received a record number of complaints.” A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Whilst complaints have increased, it is good to see that the OIA is working to resolve these issues, ensuring that more complaints were closed than ever before in the last year.”

Harvard president resigns amid claims of plagiarism and antisemitism backlash

2024-01-02

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/02/harvard-president-claudine-gay-resigns

Claudine Gay announces in letter she is stepping down after just six months and returning to position as member of the faculty Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard University, has resigned amid pressure over her response to questions about antisemitism at US colleges and allegations that she has plagiarized some of her academic work. In her resignation letter, Gay announced that she will be returning to her position as a member of the faculty. “As I now return to the faculty, and to the scholarship and teaching that are the lifeblood of what we do, I pledge to continue working alongside you to build the community we all deserve,” she wrote. Gay’s resignation comes just six months after her presidency began, making hers the shortest tenure in Harvard’s history. The daughter of Haitian immigrants, Gay was appointed the first Black person and the second woman to the lead the Ivy League institution.On 5 December, Gay, along with the presidents of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania testified before Congress about their campuses’ handling of accusations of antisemitism, following the beginning of the Israel-Gaza war. All three presidents offered legalistic answers. Following their testimonies, more than 70 US lawmakers signed a letter in response demanding the presidents be removed. The University of Pennsylvania’s president resigned on 9 December. Gay apologized later for her answers.The campaign against Gay’s presidency was largely promoted by conservative activists, including those who oppose diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. They argued that Gay was hired not because of her decades of academic work and recognition, but rather because she is Black. New plagiarism allegations surfaced on Monday in a conservative online journal that has led the campaign against Gay. Following the initial complaints, Gay defended her work. “I stand by the integrity of my scholarship,” she wrote. Gay later added additional quotes and citations to the articles. Further commenting on the allegations, Gay wrote in her resignation letter, “it has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigor – two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I am – and frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus”.Despite the plagiarism accusations, Gay won a statement of confidence from Harvard Corporation, the school’s governing board. She maintained support from colleagues, including hundreds of professors signing a petition opposing calls for her to back down, and advocates who saw the attacks on her presidency as threatening free speech. Sign up to First Thing Our US morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Gay’s resignation is effective 2 January. “When my brief presidency is remembered, I hope it will be seen as a moment of reawakening to the importance of striving to find our common humanity – and of not allowing rancor and vituperation to undermine the vital process of education,” she wrote in her letter. “I trust we will all find ways, in this time of intense challenge and controversy, to recommit ourselves to the excellence, the openness and the independence that are crucial to what our university stands for – and to our capacity to serve the world.”

Gerwyn Davies obituary

2024-03-22

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/mar/22/gerwyn-davies-obituary

My father, Gerwyn Davies, who has died aged 97, was a primary school teacher who was instrumental in setting up an innovative teaching facility for Traveller children in the early 1970s. A Welshman, Gerwyn spent most of his classroom career in Bedfordshire, and it was there, while serving as headteacher of a primary school in the village of Kensworth, that he helped to set up the Travellers school in 1970. The initiative came about during a teachers’ strike that year, when Gerwyn and a friend, both away from school as a result, decided to take a caravan to the village and, with some volunteers, began teaching a group of Traveller children from the Luton and Dunstable area. The numbers were small to begin with, but the idea attracted the support of the Advisory Council for the Education of Romany and Travellers, and was later boosted by a donation from John Lennon and Yoko Ono. It was also eventually backed financially by the local education authority, on whose land the caravan was sited, and the Traveller children, while taught separately, joined the other Kensworth kids for PE, meals and assemblies. Gerwyn was born into a Welsh-speaking community in Cwmafan in south Wales to Emlyn, a collier, and his wife, Louisa (nee Hill). He won a scholarship to the county school in Port Talbot, and was taught by Philip Burton, who became the adoptive father of his more famous classmate, Richard Burton. After teacher training at Caerleon College in Newport and then national service in the Royal Navy, he moved to England in 1948 to take up a teaching post at Tennyson Road primary school in Luton. It was in Luton that he met Gwyneth Sault, also from Wales and also a teacher, when they found themselves sitting together on the bus on the way to the town’s Welsh chapel. They married in 1950. After seven years at Tennyson Road, Gerwyn moved to Beecroft school in nearby Dunstable and in 1964 he was appointed headteacher of the primary school in Kensworth, where the Travellers school sprang into life. In between his teaching, organisation of a local poetry society and playing and refereeing rugby, Gerywn became the local secretary of his National Union of Teachers branch and was a frequent visitor to its headquarters at Hamilton House in London in the days when the NUT leader Doug McAvoy was a thorn in the side of governments. As a result of his Travellers school initiative, his employers later gave him a sabbatical year to go to Birmingham University to study educational psychology in relation to the needs of Traveller children. On retirement from Kensworth in 1983, for five years he was a Labour county councillor in Bedfordshire, and despite the Conservatives having overall control he was given the chairmanship of the education committee. In 1989 he and my mother moved back to Wales, where he became chair of the Aberavon constituency Labour party, playing a role in the selection of the current MP, Stephen Kinnock. He was also active in campaigning on the “Yes” side of the 1997 referendum on devolution which led to the setting up of the National Assembly for Wales in 1999. He is survived by Gwyneth, their three children, me, Roderick and Jonathan, and six grandchildren.

Ex-schools tsar blames Tories for north-south exam divide

2023-08-27

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/27/ex-schools-tsar-blames-tories-for-north-south-exam-divide

Sir Kevan Collins says government failure to back his £15bn post-Covid catch-up plan caused the stark disparity in this year’s English GCSE results The former schools recovery tsar, Sir Kevan Collins, has blamed the government’s failure to back his catch-up plan for the stark north-south divide in last week’s GCSE results. While more than 28.4% of entries received the top grades of 7-9 in London, only 17.6% got these scores in the north-east and 18.6% in the north-west of England. A-levels results showed a similar picture. While in London 30% of A-level grades were graded A or A*, in the north-east it was 22% and in the north-west 24%. Collins told the Observer this weekend that his “greatest fear” after Covid was that without proper investment gaps would widen between children in the north and south, and between the least and most privileged. He resigned two years ago as schools recovery commissioner when ministers agreed to fund only 10% of the £15bn package he said was vital to boost school education nationwide in the wake of the Covid pandemic. He said: “I take no comfort in the idea of ‘I told you so.’ It feels very sad. “This was the biggest disruption in education since the second world war and there was no moment of saying: ‘Right, we are going to grab this and address it.’” He added that ministers made a “huge mistake” and “let children down”. Children who were well supported by families and schools had recovered pretty well from the pandemic, Collins acknowledged. However, he said that those without such support “have been really badly hit in ways that I could not have imagined then”. This point was backed by the Rev Steve Chalke, whose Oasis foundation runs 54 academies in deprived areas of England. “It is so frustrating that the government didn’t back Collins’s recovery plan. The writing was on the wall then and these GCSE and A-level results put the final nail in the coffin of levelling up. The geographical differences are stark.” Jonny Uttley, chief executive of the Education Alliance academy trust, which runs eight schools in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, also endorsed criticisms of the government’s failure to act to tackle schooling issues. “Sir Kevan laid out exactly what needed to happen to help children catch up, and policymakers chose not to hear it. As a consequence you are now seeing yawning gaps again between the advantaged and the less advantaged.” The criticism was joined by former Tory MP Justine Greening, who resigned as education secretary in 2018. “In its decision to reject that plan just months later, not for being wrong, but for being too expensive, the leadership of the Conservative party showed a breathtaking level of short-termism,” she writes in the Observer today. “It also showed a profound ignorance of the education recovery plan’s social, economic and political need. Ignorance of the social need because its impact would so inevitably fall on the most disadvantaged. Ignorance of the economic need because in a 21st-century UK economy, driven by human capital and facing an acute skills shortage, a country with no long-term talent strategy is the definition of a country with no long-term economic strategy. And ignorance of the political need, because as this week’s GCSE results illustrate, so many schools on the wrong side of the education inequality divide are disproportionately in the northern “red wall” seats crucial for the Conservative party’s electoral fortunes.” The Department for Education said: “Millions of students are receiving extra support to catch up including through tutoring, and backed by £5bn.”