First Published Wednesday, 19 November 2008
More than a third of schools are not giving pupils a good education, inspectors have warned.
One in ten 11-year-olds is still leaving primary school without reaching the level expected of their age group in English and maths, Ofsted’s annual report found.
And more than half of England’s teenagers are still leaving school without five good GCSEs, including English and maths.
In her third annual report, Chief Inspector of Schools Christine Gilbert said England must do better if it is to compare favourably with the rest of the world.
She said she was concerned that there was still too much variation in achievement between different areas of the country. Poor quality services existed across the education and care sectors, for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Poorer children, such as those who qualify for free schools meals, were still less likely to achieve five good GCSEs, including English and maths, than their peers.
In 2007, only 21% of children on free school meals achieved this benchmark, compared with 49% of other pupils.
Ms Gilbert said there was a strong link across every sector between deprivation and poor quality services. But she added it was possible to “buck this trend” and there were examples of places that were outstanding.
The report covers the first full year of Ofsted’s new wider remit – they now inspect and regulate social care, children’s services, adult learning and skills, as well as schools and childcare.
It found improvements in school standards, with 15% of schools judged to be outstanding, up slightly from 14% last year. In primaries that figure was 13% while in secondaries it was 17%. But more than a third of schools (37%) were found to be not good enough – given a rating of “satisfactory” or “inadequate”.
Source:Â http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20081119/tuk-schools-are-failing-pupils-report-6323e80.html
Yesterday in Parliament
Educational provision for children with autism
Ministers were warned by the children, schools and families select committee chairman, Barry Sheerman, (Huddersfield) to “pull their fingers out” and take action over educational provision for children with autism. Junior children minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry replied: “I take on board the comments that you made. But it is important that we get it right and I think that getting it right is more important than rushing in with something that might not get it right.”
Source:Â http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/nov/18/houseofcommons-lords
Baroness Warnock gives lecture on education for children with special needs
Baroness Warnock captured the minds of a capacity crowd with her recent public lecture ‘the ideal of inclusion’ held at the University of Reading’s Madejski Lecture Theatre. Organised by the University’s Institute of Education who, with support from the Teacher Development Agency (TDA) are running an 18 month project focusing on Special Educational Needs (SEN), the free lecture focused on Baroness Warnock’s 1978 Report that radically changed the thinking behind this important and often contentious form of learning.
(Media-Newswire.com) – Baroness Warnock captured the minds of a capacity crowd with her recent public lecture ‘the ideal of inclusion’ held at the University of Reading’s Madejski Lecture Theatre.
Organised by the University’s Institute of Education who, with support from the Teacher Development Agency ( TDA ) are running an 18 month project focusing on Special Educational Needs ( SEN ), the free lecture focused on Baroness Warnock’s 1978 Report that radically changed the thinking behind this important and often contentious form of learning.
Under the 1944 Education Act, children with special educational needs were categorised by their disabilities defined in medical terms. Many children were considered to be “uneducable” and pupils were labelled into categories such as “maladjusted” or “educationally sub-normal” and given “special educational treatment” in separate schools.
Baroness Warnock’s report introduced the idea of SEN and an inclusive approach, based on common educational goals, for all children regardless of their abilities or disabilities: namely independence, enjoyment, and understanding.
Professor Andy Goodwyn, Head of the University’s Institute of Education said: “We are honoured and extremely grateful to Baroness Warnock for presenting such an entertaining and informative lecture. This is just one of many events we are holding for this important project, which aims to highlight and discuss the vital issues surrounding the education of children with special needs.”
As part of the Institute’s focus on SEN, Professor Tony Charman will present a lecture about autism on 3 March 2009, and then on 19 November 2009 Professor Maggie Snowling will speak on dyslexia. Both are internationally well respected experts in their field.
Source:Â http://media-newswire.com/release_1079525.html