The press release issued by the Department for Education on 12 July 2011.

• Over 430,000 children miss a month of school lessons a year
• Government to change definition of persistent absence in school performance tables from 20 per cent to 15 per cent absenteeism

The Department for Education is changing the definition of “persistent absence” to deal with the reality of pupil absenteeism in schools and its impact on their learning.

Latest figures show that while 184,000 pupils miss 20 per cent of lessons, more than 430,000 pupils miss 15 per cent of lessons a year – the equivalent of having a month off school a year.

The Department is reducing the threshold at which a pupil is defined as “persistently absent” to 15 per cent, down from 20 per cent now. Some schools tend to take action to intervene when pupils near the persistently absent threshold, but nearing 20 per cent is too late. Lowering the threshold will ensure that schools take action sooner to deal with absence. Ministers will continue to look at the possibility of further lowering the threshold over time.

The new threshold will be published in statistical releases from October 2011 onwards, with the old threshold being published alongside it. In addition, the Department for Education will also be releasing national figures showing the numbers of pupils who miss 12.5, 10 and five per cent of lessons, although we recognise that pupils could reach this level with relatively minor illnesses.

Ofsted will continue to take into account the number of pupils over the ‘persistently absent’ threshold when looking at a school’s performance on attendance. They will explore ways of taking this new threshold into account in the 2012 framework, which is due to come into effect from January 2012.

Persistent absence is a serious problem for pupils. Much of the work children miss when they are off school is never made up, leaving these pupils at a considerable disadvantage for the remainder of their school career. There is also clear evidence of a link between poor attendance at school and low levels of achievement:

• Of pupils who miss more than 50 per cent of school, only three per cent manage to achieve five A* to Cs including English and maths.
• Of pupils who miss between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of school, only 35 per cent manage to achieve five A* to C GCSEs including English and maths.
• Of pupils who miss less than five per cent of school, 73 per cent achieve five A* to Cs including English and maths.

Charlie Taylor, the Government’s expert adviser on behaviour in schools, said:

As a teacher, I know how the poor attendance of pupils can disrupt their own learning and that of other pupils. Quickly these children begin to fall behind their friends and often fail to fill in gaps in their skills or knowledge – sometimes in basics like reading or writing.

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

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

We know that children who are absent for substantial parts of their education fall behind their friends and struggle to catch up. By changing the threshold on persistent absence, we are encouraging schools to crack down on persistent absenteeism.

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

In secondary schools there has been consistent progress made to improve pupils’ attendance and over the last four years absence rates have been falling. However, in primary schools the picture is not so positive. Whilst the overall rates of absence and persistent absence are lower than in secondary schools, the rates of absence in primary schools have not shown the steady improvement seen in secondary schools.

Primary schools seem to be more reluctant to challenge poor attendance than secondary schools. On average, they allow twice the amount of time off for holidays than secondary schools do. Evidence shows that pupils who are persistently absent in secondary schools have had poor attendance levels in primary school.

Ofsted allows for flexibility around the inspection of attendance and the individual circumstances of pupils with good reason to be off school will not affect the final judgement. For example, there are pupils who are off school for long periods of time for medical reasons and it is important that the government is not being seen to be heavy handed with these families going through difficult times. Nor should schools be penalised for the absence of genuinely sick children.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 11 July 2011.

• More than 600 pages of guidance slashed to just 52 pages

Today the Department for Education has published the final, clearer guidance for teachers on how they should deal with bad behaviour. This guidance will be used by schools from the start of the new academic year this coming September.

Behaviour in good schools is not a serious problem but overall it remains a big concern for parents. Evidence shows there is much to do. For instance:

• Nearly 1,000 children are suspended from school for abuse and assault every school day.[1]
• Persistent disruptive behaviour accounts for nearly a third of all cases of permanent exclusions in secondary schools.[2]
• Major assaults on staff have reached a five-year high with 44 having to be rushed to hospital with serious injuries last year.[3]
• False allegations have been made against one-in-four school staff by a pupil. One-in-six have had an allegation made by a member of a pupil’s family.[4]
• Two thirds of teachers say bad behaviour is driving professionals out of the classroom.[5]
• One in four children have been bullied at school and one in five have been victims of bullying outside of school.[6]

Previous behaviour and search guidance was more than 600 pages long. It left teachers confused about their powers under the law. It also made it much harder for schools to have clear and effective discipline policies.

The Government’s new guidance is 52 pages long and now reflects feedback from teachers, teacher unions and local authorities. It clearly sets out the roles and responsibilities for governing bodies, headteachers and teachers regarding behaviour and discipline. It unequivocally restores adult authority to the classroom. It makes clear:

• Schools should not have a ‘no touch’ policy. It is often necessary or desirable for a teacher to touch a child (e.g. dealing with accidents or teaching musical instruments).
• Teachers have a legal power to use reasonable force. They can use force to remove a pupil who is disrupting a lesson or to prevent a child leaving a classroom.
• Heads can search without consent for an extended list of items including alcohol, illegal drugs and stolen property.
• Heads have the power to discipline pupils who misbehave outside the schools premises and outside schools hours.
• Schools must have measures in place to deal with bullying both in and outside of school.

The guidance also protects teachers from malicious allegations:

• Heads can temporarily or permanently exclude pupils who make false allegations. In extreme circumstances, they can involve the police if there are grounds for believing a criminal offence has been committed.
• Schools should not automatically suspend teachers accused of using force unreasonably where other alternatives exist.
• All but the tiny number of the most complex cases should be resolved within three months and the vast majority should be resolved in four weeks.
• Malicious, unsubstantiated or unfounded allegations should not be included in employment references.

The new Education Bill currently going through the House of Lords will also:

• Extend teachers’ powers to search pupils for any items that have, or could be, used to cause harm or break the law, and for items banned by school rules.
• Stop appeals panels sending excluded children back to the school from which they were excluded.
• Give teachers anonymity when facing allegations.
• Remove the requirement on schools to give parents 24 hours notice of detention.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

This new, clear and concise guidance removes the red tape that has stopped teachers from being confident in maintaining discipline in the classroom. It will also help schools promote good behaviour.

We know that the majority of pupils are well-behaved and want others to behave well too. The role of the Government is to give schools the freedom and support they need to provide a safe and structured environment in which teachers can teach and children can learn.

Charlie Taylor, the Government’s Expert Adviser on Behaviour, said:

For far too long, teachers have been buried under guidance and reports on how to tackle bad behaviour. The new guidance will help teachers to be able to do their job without lessons being disrupted and schools to feel confident when they address behaviour issues.

Andrew Fielder, Principal at Sandy Hill Academy in St Austell, said:

The clarity that this document brings will help to reduce uncertainty in schools. It more clearly highlights rights and responsibilities. What we needed was concise, easily accessible support and guidance, not huge policy documents filled with copious amounts of prescriptive and largely irrelevant text.

Whilst that may have ticked boxes at the centre, it provided absolutely no help to the schools grappling with some of the most extreme behaviour problems imaginable.

Peter Barnes, headteacher at Oakgrove School in Milton Keynes, said:

Reducing the bureaucracy surrounding school behaviour policies allows schools to control their own agendas and apply what works for them in their individual contexts. It is about placing decision making in the hands of those people best placed to make those decisions.

Dame Yasmin Bevan, headteacher at Denbigh High School in Luton, said:

Uncertainty and confusion create bureaucracy. We need to clear the decks because we’re currently drowning under the weight of all the guidance an d regulations. If heads were able to have a clear list of what they have to do and read it would make the job much more attractive. Just hearing about the raft of things you think you need to do can be very off-putting for an inexperienced head.

[1,2] Department for Education, Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2008/09, 29 July 2010.

[3] Times Educational Supplement, 19 November 2010.

[4] 2009 ATL survey

[5] NFER, Teacher Voice Omnibus June 2008 Survey: Pupil Behaviour, June 2008.

[6] Tellus 4 survey, February 2010.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 7 July 2011.

Commenting on today’s publication of statistics showing outcomes for 19-year-olds in England in 2010, Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

These statistics underline the importance of studying the core academic subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate – young people who achieve good grades in these subjects are more likely to go on to higher education and less likely to be NEET.

Publishing information on EBacc attainment will increase the opportunities for all young people – especially those in disadvantaged areas – to study these vital subjects.

Today’s statistics show that:

Of those who achieved the EBacc:

• 80% were in full-time education at age 19 – 81% of them were in higher education
• 3% were NEET at age 19

Of those who achieved five GCSE passes at A* to C or equivalent including English and maths:

• 67% were in full-time education at age 19 – 67% of them were in higher education
• 5% were NEET at age 19

Of those who achieved five GCSE passes at A* to C or equivalent not including English and maths:

• 61% were in full-time education at age 19 – 60% of them were in higher education
• 6% were NEET at age 19

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 7 July 2011.

New figures, published today by the School Food Trust and Local Authority Caterers Association show that an average of 44.1% of children in primary schools and 37.6% of pupils in secondary school opted for school meals in the 2010 to 2011 academic year, up from 41.4% and 35.8% respectively in the previous year.

It means that:

• around 173,000 more children had healthy school meals last year, compared with around 100,000 extra children in 2009 to 2010
• more than three million children now eat a school meal every day
• the equivalent of almost 590 million healthy school lunches were served up last year
• the number of children taking both paid-for and free school meals in the 2010 to 2011 academic year increased
• figures in primary schools have now notched up a rise of almost 5 percentage points over just 3 years

Children’s Minister Sarah Teather said:

Healthy eating has a direct impact on behaviour, concentration and ability to learn in schools so these are hugely encouraging figures – the fastest year-on-year rise in take up since junk food was banned and tough nutritional standards were introduced.

It’s a tribute to caterers’ hard work that tens of thousands of parents and children are voting with their feet by opting to eat lunch at schools, particularly the most deprived.

It is vital that we help schools, children and parents develop healthier attitudes to nutritious food from a young age. We continue to support the School Food Trust and to help set it up as a permanent independent, not-for-profit social enterprise to carry on its outstanding work driving up the quality of school meals.

Further information

The 2010 to 2011 take up figures are published today by the School Food Trust and Local Authority Caterers Association in its annual survey.

The Government announced last year that the School Food Trust was to become an independent, not-for-profit community interest company – although it will still be funded by the government for specific projects. Education Secretary Michael Gove has written to the Trust setting out its remit for 2011 to 2012 while it makes the transition

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 1 July 2011.

Experimental statistics published for the first time show how only 1.4 per cent of children in Alternative Provision in 2009/10 achieved five or more GCSEs at grade A*-C, or equivalent, including English and mathematics GCSEs or iGCSEs. This compares with 53.4 per cent in all schools in England.

Commenting on the statistics, Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

Children in alternative provision are among the most vulnerable in education. Following Ofsted’s recent report, these new statistics confirm that many pupils in alterative provision are not receiving the education they need. Of course children excluded from mainstream schools have had a disrupted education, but an alternative education system for those children that results in only 1.4% achieving five good GCSEs including English and Maths is shameful. It is vital the provision they receive addresses pupils’ problems and is of high quality.

As set out in our White Paper, we want to increase the autonomy, accountability and diversity of alternative provision to help drive up standards. For the first time, we have invited applications for alternative provision Free Schools, so that we can provide more high quality provision for vulnerable young people. It is encouraging to see that 34 groups have put forward proposals.

We are also legislating to allow good and outstanding Pupil Referral Units to benefit from the freedoms that Academies enjoy, and allowing others to benefit from similar freedoms as community schools, including control of their own budgets. Through a new pilot starting later this year, schools in the trial will get the power and responsibility to secure high quality alternative provision for excluded pupils.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 1 July 2011.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb today presented Cambridgeshire County Council with an award after coming top of Stonewall’s 2011 Education Equality Index. The winner was revealed by celebrity stylist Gok Wan at Stonewall’s Education for All Conference in London.

Nick Gibb MP said:

I would like to congratulate Cambridgeshire County Council – the winner’s of Stonewall’s Education Equality Index 2011. They have shown how bullying, and in particular homophobic bullying, can be tackled effectively. Successful schools have clear policies – developed with pupils and parents – that result in pupils understanding what is expected of them.

Tackling poor behaviour and bullying are top priorities for the Coalition Government. We are supporting schools to take a zero tolerance approach to all forms of bullying. We need to send the message that homophobic bullying, of any kind and of any child, is completely unacceptable. No child should have to suffer fear, victimisation or disruption as a result of bullying, either on or off school premises. Homophobic language should become as unacceptable as racial slurs.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 27 June 2011.

• Attracting the best graduates with incentives of up to £20,000
• Best schools to work with universities to lead on teacher training
• New £2 million scholarship scheme to help existing teachers develop

Top graduates will be attracted into the teaching profession to help drive up standards in schools, under new plans published today.

Despite having many excellent teachers, trained in some of the best institutions in the world, other nations are racing ahead in school improvement.

The Government is committed to raising the status of the profession, in the bid to make it a highly attractive career for top graduates.

There has also been a longstanding problem recruiting the high quality maths and science teachers we need.

We know that:

• South Korea recruits teachers from the top five per cent of graduates and Finland from the top 10 per cent.
• Only two per cent of the highest achieving graduates from our top universities train to become teachers on graduating.
• Independent research shows the difference high quality teachers make. An eight-year-old taught by a top performing teacher can make as much as two year’s additional progress by the time they reach 11, compared to a pupil with a low performing teacher.
• Last year we recruited around 260 fewer trainees to physics initial teacher training courses and 80 fewer chemistry trainees than we needed.
• The Institute of Physics have also said we need to recruit around 1000 new specialist physics teachers each year for 15 years to plug the gap.

The Initial Teacher Training Strategy sets out plans to build on the strengths of the existing system, as well as addressing some important weaknesses.

The proposals cover:

• Offering high quality graduates including science and maths specialists significantly better financial incentives to train as teachers – up to £20,000 for graduates with first class honours degree. Trainees will receive the bursary in monthly instalments in their training year, as currently happens. They currently only receive bursaries of up to £9000.
• Offering financial incentives to all trainees with at least a 2:2 so that teacher training continues to be attractive, whilst having graduates with excellent subject knowledge. Graduates with a third class degree will not be barred from teaching but will not receive government funding for their training.
• Requiring all trainees to have high standards of mathematics and English by having to pass tougher literacy and numeracy tests before they start training. Candidates who fail one or both of the skills tests at the first attempt will be limited to two re-sits for each test. Currently they only take the tests after starting their training course and they are allowed unlimited re-sits. New figures show that one in five trainees fail either of the basic tests first time round.
• Allowing and encouraging schools, often working as groups or chains, to lead their own high quality initial teacher training in partnership with a university. Around 100 outstanding schools are expected to become ‘Teaching Schools’ this September. Together with their partners, they will lead the training and professional development of teachers and headteachers.
• Giving schools, as prospective employers, a stronger influence over the content of ITT training as well as the recruitment and selection of trainees. Teachers consistently identify two specific weaknesses in the initial training they have received: being able to confidently teach reading effectively, including using systematic synthetic phonics, and how to manage pupil behaviour.
• Continuing to subject ITT provision to quality controls that focus on the quality of placements and selection.

Michael Gove, Secretary of State, said:

If we want to have an education system that ranks with the best in the world, then we need to attract the best people to train to teach, and we need to give them outstanding training.

We have some excellent teachers in this country, but many who could make a huge difference in the lives of children choose other professions. Our teachers are trained in some of the best institutions in the world, but the schools which employ these teachers do not get enough of a say in how they are trained. Nor does the training focus sharply on the techniques teachers most need, such as behaviour management and the effective teaching of reading.

We value our teachers highly, but the current system of funding does not incentivise the best. The system needs to change.

Stephen Hillier, Chief Executive of the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) said:

The TDA welcomes the Government’s ambitious plans for improving teacher recruitment and training.

The proposals will greatly enhance our ability to recruit the very best graduates into teaching, especially in subjects where demand is high. They will create a significant shift towards schools taking more responsibility for recruiting and training the next generation of teachers, within strong university/school partnerships, ensuring that the quality of training offered by universities and schools is as high as possible.

Professor Chris Husbands, director of the Institute of Education, said:

The quality of teacher education is one of the major determinants of the effectiveness of an education system. Across the world, high performing education systems have paid attention to their teacher education systems. We know a great deal about how to design and deliver outstanding teacher education: it involves schools and universities working as co-equal partners, defining together the way they will shape the teaching profession.

We look forward to further developing our work with our partners in schools to ensure the children get the best prepared teachers.

The strategy is now for public discussion and the final strategy being published later this summer. The new system is planned to come into effect from September 2011, with most changes affecting new trainee teachers starting in September 2012.

Scholarship scheme launched

Ministers today have also launched a new £2 million scholarship scheme for existing teachers.

The Coalition Government firmly believes that the quality of teachers and their professional development are enormously important. That is why, as set out in the Schools White Paper, the Government is committed to developing a strong culture of professional development where more teachers acquire postgraduate qualifications and are supported to progress further academically to deepen their subject knowledge.

The new scheme will be open to all qualified teachers. The maximum scholarship value will be £3500 but the value of each award will vary depending on the type of activity funded. Around £2 million has been allocated for 2011/12 and we expect similar funding in the future.

Scholarships will only be awarded where applications are judged to be of sufficient merit. This will determine the number of scholarships awarded. The first round of the scholarship scheme will be awarded in December 2011 and be based on the following criteria:

• priority subjects/specialism – to include maths, English, science and Special Educational Needs;
• support from school – teachers will be required to demonstrate support from their school in terms of accessing resources and being able to carry out activities within and outside the school; and
• level and type of scholarship activity – encourages serving teachers to pursue knowledge independently to Masters level and beyond.

Around 50 per cent of the scholarships will be awarded for SEN and the remaining split between the three priority subject areas.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

Most high-prestige scholarship schemes are characterised by their limited size and competitiveness. They have high status within their respective professions and are highly sought after. This scheme will be no different.

Scholarships will be awarded against stringent criteria to teachers who have the potential to make a significant contribution to the country’s intellectual heritage through the acquisition of deeper subject knowledge. We believe this will have a positive and sustainable impact on the culture of professional development in schools and children’s education.

The scheme will be administered by the Training and Development Agency for Teachers (TDA). Further details about the scheme and how to apply can be found on the training and development section of the Department for Education website.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 23 June 2011.

Statement from Schools Minister Nick Gibb on recording and reporting significant incidents of use of force in schools.

The Secretary of State for Education has asked Charlie Taylor, his recently appointed Expert Adviser on Behaviour and an experienced and successful head teacher with a track record in radically improving behaviour in troubled schools, to review the implications for schools of the requirement to record and report the use of force in schools, as set out in section 246 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. In particular, Charlie Taylor has been asked to make sure that the accompanying guidance provides the best possible advice to schools on establishing ‘light touch’ systems while still providing protection for pupils and staff. It remains our intention to commence this requirement from 1 September 2011, subject to the outcome of Charlie Taylor’s review.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 20 June 2011.

In a speech today, Education Secretary Michael Gove announced the numbers in the 2012 Free School applications round.

He said:

Our school system leaves children poorly prepared for the world we face. We have just suffered the worst financial crisis since 1929. Our economy is weighed down by a huge debt burden. Europe has major problems with debt and the euro. Meanwhile there is a rapid and historic shift of political and economic power to Asia and a series of scientific and technological changes that are transforming our culture, economy and global politics. If we do not have a school system that is adapting to and preparing for these challenges then we will betray a generation.

The highest-performing education systems are those where government knows when to step back. We want a school system in which teachers have more power and in which they are more accountable to parents – not politicians.

Our critics said it was impossible to open a school in little more than a year. Several will open this September. They told us that schools wouldn’t want to become Academies. They are converting at a rate of two every school day.

Application figures

In the application round that was launched on 17 March 2011 and closed on 15 June 2011, the Department received 281 applications to set up a Free School from September 2012.

There were 37 applications to set up a University Technical College.

Of the 281 Free School applications received, the current analysis shows that

• 227 are for mainstream schools
• 34 are for alternative provision schools (such as Pupil Referral Units)
• 20 are for schools for children with Special Educational Needs.

Of the 227 mainstream applications

• 77 (34%) are for primary schools
• 81 (36%) are for secondary schools
• 65 (29%) are for all through schools
• 4 (2%) are for 16-19 schools.

Of the 227 mainstream applications

• 12 (5%) applications came from existing Academy providers
• 126 (56%) applications came from local groups.

The percentage of applications from independent schools wishing to move into the state sector has decreased in this application round.

• 40 (18%) of the 227 applications are from existing independent schools, compared to 98 (35%) last year

The percentage of schools characterising themselves as faith schools has also fallen

• 65 (29%) compared to 115 (40%) last year.

Recent research shows that, of the 32 groups that the Department is progressing

• two Free Schools are located in the most deprived 10% of Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in the country
• one is in the least deprived 10% of LSOAs in the country
• just under a third (31%) are located in the most deprived 20% LSOAs of the country
• the majority (59%) are located in the most deprived 50% of LSOAs in the country.

A Lower Super Output Area is made up of around 1,500 residents, surrounding the 32 Free Schools. This is judged to a reasonable reflection of the catchment size of many of the Free Schools.

Between 10 and 20 schools are expected to open this September, having taken little more than 15 months to set up from initial application. Previously, parent promoted schools could take up to nine years to set up from conception, and it took three years for the first 12 Academies to open.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 20 June 2011.

Schools Commissioner Dr Elizabeth Sidwell’s speech to Wellington Academy.