Tag: Department for Education

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 7 February 2012.

The competition is open to all seven- to 12-year-olds at schools in England. It will launch in the autumn.

The Department for Education is considering bids to design and co-deliver the competition and will choose a preferred partner in the coming weeks.

The competition will:

• Involve school-led events which Ministers envisage will result in local, regional and national prizes to make reading more attractive.
• Contain a strong peer-to-peer element including getting young people to select competition titles.
• Create a link between school and home to encourage the involvement of parents to support their children.

Nick Gibb said:

I am passionate about wanting all children to develop a real love of books and of reading for pleasure.

Children should always have a book on the go. The difference in achievement between children who read for half an hour a day in their spare time and those who do not is huge – as much as a year’s education by the time they are 15.

A new national reading competition is designed to give a competitive spur to those reluctant readers who are missing out on the vast world of literature.

The Government is committed to driving up reading standards of young people because:

• One in 10 boys leaves primary school with the reading age of a seven-year-old.
• 15 per cent of seven-year-olds do not reach the expected level (level 2) in reading.
• 16 per cent of 11-year-olds do not achieve the expected level (level 4) in reading.
• England has slipped down the international table for reading in primary schools. The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) of 10-year-olds saw England fall from third out of 35 countries in 2001 to fifteenth out of 40 countries in 2006.
• Fifteen-year-olds in England are at least six months behind those in Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Australia, according to the Department’s analysis of the OECD’s 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study.

Evidence shows that the regular enjoyment of reading leads to higher achievement at school.

• A 2010 survey by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) of eight- to 17-year olds and their reading showed that more than 96 per cent of those that read daily were reading at or above the expected level.
• A 2009 PISA study shows that almost 40 per cent of pupils in England never read for pleasure and that the difference in reading ability between these pupils and those who read for just half an hour a day is equivalent to a year’s schooling at age 15.
• Another survey by the NLT of primary and secondary pupils showed that only 48 per cent of young people think they read enough and that more young people preferred to read websites and text messages than fiction.

The Government wants every child to leave school with a lifelong love of reading and the necessary literacy skills to succeed in life. The Department’s phonics evidence paper shows that the teaching of systematic synthetic phonics is proven to be the best method of teaching early reading. Once a child has mastered the mechanics of reading, building on it in a literacy-rich environment will enable them to become accomplished readers. Only then will they find it easier to read a wider range of literature for their own enjoyment.

The Department announced a scheme to help primary schools teach systematic synthetic phonics and drive up reading standards by offering them up to £3,000 match funding to spend on materials and training. Since the launch of the scheme in September 2011, more than 4,200 schools have signed up to spend more than £10 million on approved products and training.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 7 February 2012.

• £6m Higher Apprenticeship Fund will deliver thousands more degree level places.
• £250m given directly to businesses, so they can take control of the way skills training is delivered.
• £1,500 apprenticeship incentive for small firms now available.

Marking National Apprenticeship Week, the Prime Minister announced a new round of Government funding to help deliver the world class skills firms need to drive growth.

_ Read the Prime Minister’s article on apprenticeships in the Huffington Post _

Businesses and training providers can bid for a share of £6m from the Higher Apprenticeship Fund, which will support the development of thousands of new Higher Apprenticeships in sectors including aerospace, energy and renewable technologies.

The Prime Minister also opened the bidding for the new Employer Ownership pilot, inviting employers in England to apply to access up to £250m of public investment and secure more control over how skills training is designed and delivered. Detailed guidance and application forms for the pilot will be issued towards the end of February. Bidding will close on 26 April 2012.

He also announced that from this week, small firms will be offered an incentive of £1,500 to hire their first apprentices aged 16-24. This is expected to support up to 40,000 new apprenticeships over the next year.

Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“I’m delighted to underline our commitment to strengthen our economy by helping employers take on apprentices and ensure that the UK workforce has the skills that businesses need. Under this Government apprenticeship starts are increasing at a record rate, with improvements across the age range, in all sectors, throughout the country.

“By making apprenticeships a gold standard option for ambitious young people, we are sending a message that technical excellence is as highly valued as academic prowess. And by focusing investment where it is most needed to deliver sustainable growth and offering real ownership of vocational training to employers, we are equipping businesses with the skills they need to rebalance our economy and distribute opportunity more widely.”

Skills Minister John Hayes said:

“Clarity of policy and certainty of purpose in Government has delivered a record number of apprenticeships and driven up standards at every level. We must now go further to create new pathways to excellence for the brightest and best young people and help employers to secure the high-quality skills they need.

“Our mission is to put practical training on a level playing field with academic study, creating a highly skilled, creative workforce that can take on the best in the world.”

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 2 February 2012.

Dame Patricia Hodgson DBE has been appointed to serve as Chair of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) from 1 February 2012 for three years.

The STRB provides independent advice to the Government on pay and conditions for just under half a million teachers and school leaders in England and Wales.

Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, said:

I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Dame Patricia Hodgson as the Chair of the School Teachers’ Review Body. She will bring considerable experience to the STRB, which is responsible for providing independent advice on teachers’ pay and conditions.

The right framework for pay and conditions is key for taking forward my vision to drive up standards by enabling heads and governors to recruit and retain high quality teachers.

Having begun her career as a producer and journalist, Dame Patricia Hodgson is currently Deputy Chair of Ofcom, where she previously served as a Board Member. She has a wealth of experience having been Principal of Newnham College, Cambridge, since 2006. From 1993 to 2000 she was Director of Policy and Planning at the BBC, where she was responsible for Charter and licence renegotiations, and for project managing the BBC’s switch to digital.

Accepting her new role, Dame Patricia Hodgson said:

Good teachers change lives. I very much look forward to leading the work of the School Teachers’ Review Body in supporting them.

The Secretary of State will provide the STRB with a remit to introduce greater freedoms and flexibilities in the teachers’ pay framework in due course.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 24 January 2012.

These changes, proposed for September 2012, are intended to raise expectations for further improvement in the performance of these schools, for the benefit of children, parents and carers.

Inspection reports will provide a clear assessment of how children are doing in the context of their age and ability. They will be based on observations of work, taking into account starting points and a school’s record of pupil progress.

Read the consultation: Introducing a new framework for inspecting non-association independent schools.

The key inspection judgments proposed are:

• overall effectiveness
• pupils’ achievement
• pupils’ behaviour and safety
• quality of teaching
• quality of the curriculum
• provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
• provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety
• leadership and management

In view of the diversity in size and nature of independent schools Ofsted is seeking to consult as widely as possible to gain the views of all interested parties on the proposals.

Ofsted Director of Education and Care, Jean Humphrys said:

The quality of teaching is the key driver of school improvement. One of the main findings from Ofsted inspection in this sector is that the quality of teaching in non-association independent schools tends to be competent but seldom inspiring.

It is vital that our inspection is incisive and rigorous, and that judgments are fair, clear and helpful to a school’s further development. With these new arrangements we will focus more sharply on what makes teaching truly effective.

The proposals build on the current arrangements for inspection. Ofsted will continue to use a 4 point scale to make qualitative judgements. Detailed grade descriptors will seek to provide more consistency, openness and transparency and encourage independent schools to strive further for improvements to the quality of provision.

Ofsted currently gives independent schools 2 days’ notice of their education inspection but for inspection of care in boarding and residential special schools no notice is given. Ofsted intends to adopt a similar system for the education inspection of independent schools. Pupils, parents and carers have told Ofsted that inspection without notice is important as it lets the inspectors see the school as it really is.

The views of the pupils themselves, as well as parents, carers, staff and local authorities who use the services of independent schools are highly valued by inspectors who follow up the issues they raise. These views will continue to be an important feature of inspection.

Despite recent improvement, the biggest single weakness in non-association independent schools remains the high proportion of schools (12%) which do not have sufficiently robust arrangements for safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety. Ofsted will continue to check that secure and robust arrangements are made to provide a safe environment for children. It is therefore proposed to retain the separate judgement for pupils’ welfare, health and safety.

Additional proposals put forward for consultation cover children’s homes offering education, focussing on the quality of education where it is weakest: for looked after children in independent children’s homes which are registered education providers.

Among independent children’s homes which are registered education providers there is a comparatively lower proportion that makes good or outstanding educational provision. The new framework will focus on the educational progress and achievements of looked after children and look critically at what schools are doing to close the gap between their achievements and other pupils.

Following the consultation, Ofsted intends to test the new inspection arrangements in pilot inspections, before introduction in September 2012.

Ofsted inspects all non-association independent schools in England. These comprise around half of more than 2,000 independent schools. The remainder is inspected by the independent inspection bodies, Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), School Inspection Service (SIS) and Bridge Schools Inspectorate (BSI).

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 23 January 2012.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has extended the appointments for three Board Members of the Government’s delivery agency, Partnerships for Schools (PfS).

Richard Baldwin, Stella Earnshaw and Brian Rigby will serve on the Board from now until PfS closes and becomes part of the new Government Executive Agency – the Education Funding Agency. They will serve until 31st July 2012 to allow for liquidation to take place. Erica Pienaar will remain as the fourth Board Member, for the same period of time.

Richard Baldwin has also taken over from Mike Grabiner as Chair of the Board of Directors this month.

Richard Baldwin was first appointed as a PfS Board member in January 2005, and was reappointed in January 2008 for a further three years. Richard has a strong background in the private sector including the construction industry. He was previously a non-voting member of the BSFI Investment Committee. More recently, Richard chairs a national Centre for Innovation in Health and Social Care and is a Visiting Professor to the Centre for Research and Innovation (Construction and Property Management) at the University of Salford.

Stella Earnshaw is the Chair of the PfS Audit Committee. Stella was originally appointed to the PfS Board in 2005, and her appointment has now been extended three times. Stella has held various board positions in the public and private sector, Stella is also Vice Chair of the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Brian Rigby was first appointed to the PfS Board in 2005. His appointment has been extended three times. Brian is a Visiting Fellow of Warwick Business School. He has previously been the Director of the Procurement Group for HM Treasury and enjoyed a long career in senior management with BT.

Erica Pienaar was first appointed to the PfS Board in 2010, to serve until 2013. Erica’s term of office will now run until PfS is liquidated. Erica Pienaar is the executive head teacher of the Leathersellers’ Federation of Schools. She began her career as a science teacher in 1973 and has taught for 36 years in South East London. Erica is also a National Leader of Education (NLE), a Non-Executive Director at James Allen’s Girls School, and a Freeman of the Company of Educators.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 20 January 2012.

Sir

No teacher whose standards fall below an acceptable level will go unpunished as you alluded to in your story – Cases go unheard in GTC “shambles” (6 January 2012).

All serious cases of misconduct that could lead to teachers being barred will be transferred to the new Teaching Agency if those cases have not been concluded by 31 March 2012 when the GTCE closes. Where appropriate, all other cases will have been dealt with at a local level.

The current system does not work – it is weighed down by the bureaucracy of minor cases instead of dealing swiftly with the most serious referrals.

The new system will ensure that serious cases are dealt with much more quickly by giving headteachers greater freedom to deal with incompetent teachers themselves. We are bringing in clear, new standards for all teachers and there will be a new list of teachers barred from the profession available to employers and the public.

Nick Gibb MP Minister of State for Schools

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 19 January 2012.

Gibb: Phonics funding for schools to raise reading standards

So far 3,211 schools have taken advantage of the Government’s match-funding scheme to buy the products. The products include a range of teaching resources, including books, software and games. Additionally, 987 schools have booked phonics training for their staff (at a total spend of £1.3 million) to improve their teaching of phonics, the method internationally proven to improve reading, especially among younger children.

The scheme went ‘live’ in September last year with the publication of the phonics catalogue of approved products and services. Under the scheme, any state-funded school with Key Stage 1 pupils – including Academies and Free Schools – can claim up to £3,000 to buy products and training until March 2013.

Schools have signed up to spend £1.66 million on products in the past month alone. The number of schools that have booked phonics training has almost doubled in the same period.

But the figures present a mixed picture.

Some local authorities – Thurrock, Rochdale, Walsall, Lincolnshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Plymouth, and Sutton – are leading the way. More than one in three of their schools have already signed up for products. In others, a high number of schools have booked training so their staff can teach phonics as effectively as possible.

Two local authorities with reading rates well below the national average at Key Stage 2 – Derby and Coventry – are also among those that have a high proportion of their schools taking advantage of the scheme.

But in other areas, including where there is a higher than average proportion of 11-year-olds failing to reach the expected level in reading, there has so far been a low level of take-up of products. These include Central Bedfordshire, Bedford, Hull, Medway, Portsmouth, Luton and Sheffield. And in 20 local authorities, not a single school has booked training for their staff yet.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

This is a chance for schools to gain extra funding to improve reading standards so I am naturally concerned at the number of areas where few schools have not yet taken the opportunity to do so.

The money is available until March next year so there is still time to claim it.

But every week that goes by is another week that children are missing out on the best possible teaching of reading.

This is an open invitation to all schools to improve the way they teach systematic synthetic phonics – the tried and tested method of improving the reading of all our children, especially the weakest.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 18 January 2012.

In particular, Barclays will target much of its support at academies, Free Schools, University Technical Colleges (UTCs) and Studio Schools. These independent, state-funded schools are free from local authority control, making external expertise on issues like finance and HR invaluable.

Speaking at Westminster Academy, Michael Gove also invited other firms to look at ways of making serious commitments to schools.

Under the scheme, Barclays will:

• encourage hundreds of senior staff members with transferable business skills to sit on the governing bodies of state-funded schools – including academies and Free Schools;
• provide local access to free financial advice to help academies and Free Schools to manage their new financial duties;
• offer structured work experience opportunities at Barclays branches and offices to pupils from academies and Free Schools;
• widen the Barclays Money Skills programme, which helps young people build the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to manage money more effectively;
• provide free online access for school staff to ‘self-service’ functional and business skills training materials;
• provide free banking to new Free Schools and academies, helping them get off the ground; and
• work with the New Schools Network, Baker Dearing Trust and Studio Schools Trust with the aim of offering funding of £5,000, on average, to selected Free School, UTC and Studio School groups in the pre-application stage.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said:

I’m delighted that Barclays has read the new educational landscape so clearly and decided to make a real difference. Thanks to this comprehensive and generous package, students, teachers and governors will benefit enormously.

Since the sixteenth century, when the first City livery companies opened schools, we have seen huge benefits when schools and businesses work together. I want a new generation of businesses to do the same in our changing schools system.

Our reforms to give schools more independence have created great opportunities for businesses and charities to make a lasting commitment to help.

Antony Jenkins, Chief Executive of Barclays Retail and Business Banking, said:

Barclays is supporting Free Schools and academies because we want to boost financial skills for young people. By providing financial awareness training and valuable work experience we can help young people to contribute to and share in future prosperity.

We can also make a positive impact to these schools by encouraging our employees to serve as governors, and by lending our banking expertise to school boards.

The academies programme has expanded rapidly in the last 18 months. In July 2010 the Academies Act made it possible for any good school to apply to become an academy. Since then more than 1500 have applied, with more than 1000 already open. Around 45 per cent of all secondary schools are now academies or are in the process of opening as academies.

24 Free Schools opened in September 2011. A further 71 Free Schools, including special schools and alternative provision schools, are due to open from September 2012 onwards. The offer also covers Studio Schools and UTCs, of which eight are already open and 29 are currently in the pipeline.

The website with full details of the Barclays package, including the options available and how to apply, goes live today. Schools that want to participate in some or all of these proposals should visit the Barclays academies and Free Schools website.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 16 January 2012.

Ahead of a government summit on ‘coasting schools’ to be held at Downing Street later today, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has confirmed his intention to scrap the ‘satisfactory’ judgment for school inspections.

The move is designed to tackle the number of coasting schools that have remained stubbornly ‘satisfactory’ over a number of inspections, as highlighted in Ofsted’s Annual Reports over recent years. The proposals, which will be subject to consultation, would mean that any school that does not provide a good standard of education will be given a new “requires improvement’ grade.

No schools will be allowed to remain in the category of “requires improvement” for more than three years. Under the proposals, schools judged in this new category would be subject to earlier re-inspection, within 12-18 months, rather than up to three years as at the moment. Schools will be given up to two inspections within that three year period to demonstrate improvement. Any school failing to do so will then require special measures.

Speaking in advance of the meeting at No 10, Sir Michael Wilshaw HMCI, said:

We all know that parents want to send their child to a good school and fortunately, thanks to the hard work of teachers and school leaders around the country, many of them do. However, around a third of schools failed to meet this level at their last inspection.

There are too many coasting schools not providing an acceptable standard of education. Of particular concern are the 3,000 schools educating a million children that have been “satisfactory” two inspections in a row. This is not good enough. That is why I am determined to look again at the judgements we award, not only so we are accurately reporting what we see, but so that those schools that most need help are identified and can properly begin the process of improvement.

I make no apology for making even greater demands of an education system which has to respond with greater urgency to increasingly difficult and competitive economic circumstances. We will consult properly about the changes that we make but I am clear about our mission. It’s the same one I have been pursuing for many years as a head teacher: to help ensure our young people get an education that is really good or outstanding, whatever their background.

Sir Michael will draw on Ofsted’s evidence and his own experience to show that it is possible for all schools to be good or better. There are nearly 700 schools in England serving the most deprived 20% of students that were satisfactory at their previous inspection but are now good or outstanding. This is not simply a problem of deprivation. Some 300 stubbornly satisfactory schools currently serve the most affluent 20% of society.

Later this month Sir Michael will outline his full set of proposals for changes to school inspection including the details of the consultation process that will accompany those plans.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 13 January 2012.

Schools will soon find it easier to manage their teachers and help ensure they are performing to the best of their abilities.

Ministers today published new arrangements for teacher and head teacher appraisals in maintained schools in England, and for dealing with underperforming teachers.

It will come into effect from September 2012 and includes:

• giving schools more freedom over managing their teachers through simpler, less prescriptive appraisal regulations;
• removing the three-hour limit on observing a teacher in the classroom (the so-called “three-hour observation rule”) so that schools have the flexibility to decide what is appropriate;
• a requirement to assess teachers every year against the new, simpler and sharper Teachers’ Standards – the key skills that teachers need;
• allowing poorly performing teachers to be removed in about a term – the process can currently take a year or more;
• an optional new model policy for schools that deals with both performance and capability issues; and
• scrapping more than 50 pages of unnecessary guidance.

Ministers are also consulting on new proposals to help schools when they recruit new teachers. This will mean that schools will have to pass on information to prospective employers, on request, about whether a teacher is or has been subject to capability procedures. This would help deal with the problem of ‘recycling’ of poor teachers, by helping schools make better, more informed decisions when recruiting.

Recent research from the Sutton Trust shows that during one year with a very effective maths and English teacher, pupils gain 40 per cent more in their learning than they would with a poorly performing teacher.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said:

We have many excellent head teachers and teachers in the country. They do an outstanding job. We want to help them to do their jobs even better.

These reforms will make it easier for schools to identify and address the training and professional development teachers need to fulfil their potential, and to help their pupils to do the same.

For far too long schools have been tangled up in complex red tape when dealing with teachers who are struggling. That is why these reforms focus on giving schools the responsibility to deal with this issue fairly and quickly.

Schools need to be able to dismiss more quickly those teachers who, despite best efforts, do not perform to the expected standard. Future employers also need to know more about the strengths and weaknesses of teachers they are potentially employing.

Nobody benefits when poor teaching is tolerated. It puts pressure on other teachers and undermines children’s education.

Amanda Phillips is head teacher at the Ofsted-rated ‘outstanding’ Old Ford Primary in Bow, east London. She dealt with underperforming teachers at the school when she took over in 2003, when it was failing. Welcoming the changes she said:

No head teacher wants to dismiss a teacher, but when they are not performing to the required standard despite support, it is not in anyone’s interest – the pupils, colleagues, school and teacher themselves – for that teacher to remain in post.

When I took over at Old Ford Primary School I had to work with the current complex and time-consuming system for managing teachers’ performance. The changes being made now will help head teachers, schools, governors and HR advisers make sure we have the very best teachers working in our schools.

Russell Hobby, General Secretary at the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said:

After teaching, performance management is one of the most important things that happens in schools, because it’s the way we make sure that teaching keeps getting better.

Great performance management is a right, not only for the pupils of a school, but for the staff themselves. Everyone deserves to know how they are doing and how they can develop. And this needs to be done out in the open. The revised procedures reflect a large proportion of NAHT’s hopes. They are simple and flexible, firm but fair. A streamlined approach to capability will, on the rare occasions that it is needed, help schools act more decisively in pupils’ interests and reduce the conflict that these actions can generate.

We believe that the vast majority of teachers are dedicated, talented professionals who do an essential job in often challenging conditions. Better performance management will celebrate this fact. It is not easy; and it is also about far more than policies and procedures. We recognise the duty of school leaders to ensure they apply procedures with integrity and empathy.

Brian Lightman, General Secretary at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said:

ASCL welcomes the clarity of the new teacher appraisal and capability model policy for schools and as such we hope it will be adopted by school governing bodies in maintained schools and academies across the country.

One of the strengths of the policy is the way in which it clearly separates the appraisal process from any formal capability procedure. This new model policy helpfully clarifies the role of lesson observation for the purposes of appraisal and the use of “drop-in” observations by head teachers and other leaders with responsibility for teaching standards to evaluate the standards of teaching and check that high standards of professional performance are established and maintained. We are also pleased to see the retention of the use of an experienced external adviser for the appraisal of head teachers.

The current system for managing teachers’ performance is set out in ‘The Education (School Teacher Performance Management) (England) Regulations 2006’. These regulations are complex, detailed and prescriptive, telling schools what to do at every turn. The overall system fails to respect the professionalism of head teachers and teachers, and makes it harder for schools to manage how staff are trained and rewarded.

In addition to this, the current ‘School Staffing Regulations 2009’ require governing bodies to have “capability procedures” for dealing with poorly performing teachers. Schools are expected to follow a complex “model capability procedure” which means that it can take a year or more to dismiss an underperforming teacher. The performance management arrangements and capability procedures were developed separately and this has created further complexity, overlap and duplication.

More than four out of five respondents to the Government’s consultation supported the overall changes to the system. Previous plans to require schools to pass copies of teachers’ annual appraisal reports to prospective employers are not being taken forward. Responses to the consultation on this proposal were split as to whether it would be an effective way of dealing with ‘recycling’ of poor teachers.

Sutton Trust research shows that heads and teachers support the aims of these proposals. More than half (57 per cent) of those surveyed in November 2010 agreed or strongly agreed that there was not enough freedom for schools to dismiss poorly performing teachers. Less than a quarter (21 per cent) disagreed or strongly disagreed.