This
project is financed by the LSC, SEEDA and
the European Social Fund
NATIONAL & REGIONAL
NEWS
GENERAL & POLICY
Growth in South East Construction Sector
The South East’s construction sector is booming
due to a strong housing and commercial property
market according to a market survey by the Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Workloads
related to private commercial properties more than
doubled in the first quarter of 2007.
Source: Kent Online, 24th April 2007
South East Below Average for Sickness Absence
A survey by CBI/AXA has found that during 2006,
the average number of days workers took off sick
rose to 7 – meaning that 175 million working
days were lost at a cost of £13.4 billion
to the economy. Employees in the South East, however,
take an average of 6.2 days off for sickness each
year, which is one of the lowest regional averages
in the country.
Source: Kent Online, 24th April 2007
One Million People Now Use Sure Start Centres
A million children and their parents and carers
are now using 1250 Sure Start Children’s
Centres countrywide. By 2010, there should be 3500
centres, one for every community.
The centres are a one-stop shop for young children
and parents, offering support and advice for parents
and care and education for children.
Children’s Minister,
Beverley Hughes, said:
“We have reached a significant milestone
in rolling out Sure Start Children’s Centres
and the families of one million children can now
easily access the fantastic activities and services
they are providing. I’d urge everyone to
find out if they have a centre nearby and what
it can offer their family.
“I want Sure Start Children’s
Centres to be as much as part of the local community
as
the local school or GP's surgery – and for
that to happen we want everyone to know what they
can offer them and their children.”
Source: DfES website, 11th April 2007
Inflation Rises Sharply Triggering Fears of Rate
Rises
As measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI),
inflation rose to 3.1% in March 2007, forcing the
governor of the Bank of England to write the Chancellor
of the Exchequer a letter of explanation for the
first time since the Bank began to oversee inflation
in 1997. The government’s target for inflation
is 2% and the rise in inflation means UK interest
rates are now very likely to rise in May. The wider
measure of inflation, the Retail Price Index (RPI)
also rose to a 16 year high of 4.8% in March from
4.6% in February. Click
here to go through to our website for
further details.
Source: BBC online, 17th April 2007
2012
Olympics Budget Rises To Over £9bn
The budget for the London 2012 Olympics has risen
to £9.35bn, almost four times the original £2.4bn
estimate. The government says that the increase
in budget now includes the costs of regeneration
and infrastructure. The government’s contribution
will be £6bn, £2.2bn will come from
the National Lottery and the rest from London’s
council tax payers.
The breakdown of the budget is as follows:
£3.1bn: Site construction
£ 1.7bn: Regeneration and infrastructure
£ 2.7bn: Programme contingency
£ 840m: Olympic Delivery Authority tax bill
£ 600m: Extra security
£ 390m: Non-ODA provision
Source: BBC online, 15th March 2007
2012 Olympics Education And Transport Plans Move
Ahead
Nick Fuller has been announced as the Head of Education
for the London 2012 Olympics. He will take up the
post in May and take charge of developing an education
programme and building partnerships with educational
bodies.
Meantime, the Olympic
Delivery Authority (ODA) has announced a £104m initiative to upgrade
Stratford Regional Station in time for the Games.
The ‘Olympic Transport Plan’ aims to
encourage all spectators to travel to the Games
by walking, cycling and public transport. Click
here to go
through to our website for further details.
Source: London 2012 website, 27th March 2007
130
Schemes for South East’s and London’s
Railways
130 rail schemes in the South East and London to
ease overcrowding will be financed as part of £2.4bn
of rail investment nationwide. The 130 projects
are among 900 schemes countrywide that will benefit.
Click
here to go through to our website for further details.
Source: thisislocallondon website, 4th April 2007
Network
Rail Fined £4m
For Paddington Crash
Network Rail has been fined £4m for the
health and safety errors that led to the 1999
Paddington
Rail disaster. 31 people were killed and over 400
injured in the crash, when a First Great Western
train hit a Thames Trains service at Ladbroke Grove.
The Thames train had passed through a red light
at signal SN109. Concerns about this signal had
been raised in November 1995 and there were 7 previous
occasions when drivers had gone through the signal
in the 5 years prior to the crash.
Source: BBC online, 30th March 2007
Home Office to be Split into Two
The Home Office is to be split into separate departments
for security and justice. Probation, prisons
and prevention of re-offending will be overseen
by the Ministry of Justice under the control
of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
The remainder of the Home Office will focus on
security, immigration and counter-terrorism.
In future there will be 350 Home Office employees
working on counter-terrorism, a rise of 150.
Source: BBC Online, 29th March 2007
UK signs new Human Rights Convention for Disabled
People
The UK was one of the first countries to sign the
United Nations Convention on Disability Rights
in March. Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire
signed the Convention at a ceremony at the UN in
New York. The Convention covers items such as disabled
people’s rights to education, employment
and participation in political and public life.
Ms McGuire said: "I am proud to be able to
sign the Convention for the UK… But it's
not just our citizens who will benefit from this.
There are around 650 million disabled people worldwide
who stand to see an improvement in their lives
too - especially in the developing world where
80% of the world's disabled population live. This
Convention at last puts disabled people's human
rights on an equal footing with everyone else's."
Source: GNN, 29th March 2007
Gender Equality Duty Comes Into Force
In April 2007, the Gender Equality Duty (GED) comes
into force, constituting the biggest change in
sex equality legislation since the Sex Discrimination
Act in 1975.
The Duty applies to all public authorities, as
well as private and voluntary bodies that are carrying
out public functions on behalf of a public authority.
The organisations will be legally required to:
Eradicate discrimination and harassment that
is unlawful under the Sex Discrimination Act
1975 (SDA) and discrimination that is unlawful
under the Equal Pay Act 1970 (EqPA).
Promote equality of opportunity between women
and men.
Demonstrate that men and women are treated
fairly in the process of policy-making, public
services and employment practices
The public authorities also have specific duties
to:
Publish a Gender Equality Scheme (including
an Action Plan)
Consult employees, service users and trade
unions
Demonstrate that the Scheme sets out appropriate
actions the authority has taken or intends to
take
Implement the scheme, report annually on progress
and review and revise accordingly
Source: Redbridge Borough Council website, 30th March 2007
Gender Equality Duty to Bring Change to Schools
The Gender Equality Duty came into effect during
April. It applies to all public bodies, and schools
are the largest single group affected by the
legislation.
Governors and Head teachers
in England have been sent guidance by the Equal
Opportunities Commission
relating to the new Duty. As outlined by the guidance,
key issues include stereotyping relating to subject
choice, the poor attainment of boys, lack of exercise
for girls, and bullying. Click
here to go through to our website
for further details.
Source: BBC online, 17th April 2007
200,000 Rise in UK Children Living in Poverty
Recent figures show a 200,000 increase in the number
of UK children living in relative poverty. In
2005-6, 3.8m children were in poverty - in homes
on less than 60% of average income including
housing costs - compared with 3.6m children the
year before. These are the first increases recorded
in 6 years. The government believes an increase
in the number of self-employed people falling
below the line contributed to this year's rise.
John Hutton, Work and
Pensions minister, said: "We
have made considerable progress against our historic
goal to end child poverty in the UK. We need to
go further towards what is a very tough goal to
reach."
To do this the government must raise a further
1.1 million children above the poverty line by
2010. Since 1998-99, 600,000 children have been
lifted out of poverty.
The government has launched
a new £150m
child poverty strategy, which includes: “New
Deal for Families” aiming to get parents
into employment; extending the New Deal for Lone
Parents Plus scheme to help more lone parents;
providing more support to families, particularly
in London, by widening and improving the in-work
credit scheme for lone parents as they make the
transition to work; changing Jobcentre Plus systems
so parents are properly identified in the benefit
system and all parents’ childcare needs and
preferences are recorded; providing advice and
support for the partners of parents claiming Jobseekers
Allowance, with the introduction of mandatory six-monthly
work-focused interviews for this group.
Children’s charities, including Save the
Children and Barnardo’s, have expressed concern
at the rise in child poverty figures, and doubt
that the government will now be able to meet its
own targets for child poverty.
Sources: GNN, BBC Online, 27th March 2007
LSC South East Learning and Skills Awards
The LSC South East Learning and Skills awards took
place on 26th April 2007, hosted by Olympic athlete
Colin Jackson CBE and ITV Meridian news presenter
Mary Green. The awards evening was held at the
Copthorne Effingham Hotel and Resort, Effingham
Park, near Gatwick.
The Awards build on the
previous Apprenticeship Awards, and honoured
learners who are on, or have
been on, Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funded
training programmes. Awards were also available
for employers in the South East with an outstanding
commitment to training. There are now 11 awards,
including three new categories: Skills for Life
Plus Award, Offender’s Learning and Achievement
Award and the Train to Gain Outstanding Learner
Award.
Winners on the evening were:
Train to Gain -
John Hutchinson, Sandown, Isle of Wight
Micro Employer:
1 to 9 employees - Nutley Motor Services, Nutley,
East Sussex
Small Employer:
10 to 49 employees – Phoebes, Kent
Medium Employer:
50 to 249 employees - First Steps Childcare,
Chichester, West Sussex
Large Employer:
over 250 employees - AWE Plc, Berkshire
Young Apprentice
of the /Year - Alice Le Good, Southampton
Apprentice of the
Year - Victoria Nebbett, Surrey
Advanced Apprentice
of the Year - Will Harlow, Gosport, Hampshire
Personal Achiever
of the Year - Tania Kosma
Skills for Life
- Jiminae O'Halloran, Southampton
OLASS - Ms Jade
Fisher, Southampton
All South East finalists in the Apprenticeship
categories have been entered into the National
Apprenticeship Awards that take place in June 2007
at the Hilton Park Lane, London
Source: LSC website, 24th April 2007
Under-Fives Expulsions Triple
Poor behaviour amongst young children has led to
the expulsion of 60 boys aged four last year,
which is three times more than in 2003-04. Each
day, more than 200 children under 11 last year
were sent home for bad behaviour, including attacks
on other children and teachers.
Source: Montrose Reports, 20th April 2007
Careers England Urges Review of All Age Careers
Guidance
Careers England is urging the Government to set
up a major review with a view to establishing a
better defined all-age IAG strategy in the light
of the Leitch report’s stressing the importance
of independent IAG. Careers England has published
a paper, An All-Age Strategy for Career Guidance
Services in England (March 2007), listing a variety
of options for approaching an all-age IAG strategy
review, visit http://www.careersengland.org.uk/ for more information
Source: Montrose Reports, 19th April 2007
Exam Bills Are Too High
The Association of Colleges has raised concerns
that the costs of exam entry for students have
risen by 36% during the last three years. Colleges
are now spending more money on exam entries than
on heating, cleaning or computers.
The Qualifications and
Curriculum Authority (QCA) is currently considering
capping the examination
boards’ charges. The QCA is also looking
at ‘transparency’ relating to pricing,
and will publish the boards’ fees on its
website. The Association of Colleges has welcomed
this review in the light of rising exam bills.
Source: BBC Online, 19th April 2007
Truancy Needs A Long-Term Approach, Study Finds
A recent study has found that there is no link
between a council’s use of fines for parents
of truanting children and levels of attendance.
The research by Ming Zhang, principal education
officer at the Kingston upon Thames local education
authority, found that there was no evidence that
penalty notices or on-the-spot fines for parents
do not work.
Ming Zhang said: "In
this three years' study, I monitored the use
of truancy-related penalty
notices, as well as other punitive measures including
jailing and fining truants' parents.
"I have found no
evidence to suggest that those punitive measures
have any long-term impacts
on school attendance levels, although there are
individual cases in which the legal process does
give some parents a shock and achieve short-term
improvement in attendance."
The research used data from 150 local education
authorities in England, and found no significant
statistical link between the use of penalty notices
and primary and secondary school attendance rates.
The report School absenteeism
and the implementation of truancy-related penalty
notices sees truancy
as a "complex social and historical issue".
It says: "Irresponsible
parents may not be the main cause of children's
absence from schools.
"Poor parenting
itself is very often a symptom of the circle
of poverty and disadvantage that
is difficult to break.
The report recommends a long-term approach to
empower parents in order to reduce school absenteeism.
Source: BBC online, 17th April 2007
Autistic
Pupils From Ethnic Minorities Face ‘Double
Discrimination’
A report by the National Autistic Society has found
that children with autism from an ethnic minority
background face discrimination in education. The
report suggests that 62% of parents had no choice
about the school their children would attend. Parents
of autistic children from ethnic minorities were
much less satisfied with the educational and social
progress of their children than White British parents.
The report recommends that schools specifically
address bullying related to race and disability
in their anti-bullying procedures. There should
also be cultural awareness training for staff,
including speech therapists.
A spokesperson for the DfES said:
"We agree that all
children with autism should have access to good
quality provision and we will
continue to work with the NAS and others in the
autism field to achieve further improvements in
provision.
"We agree with the NAS that teachers need
greater awareness and understanding of how best
to meet these children's needs and we are developing
an autism pack for schools".
Research by the DfES in 2006 found that children
from ethnic minority groups were no more likely
to be identified with autism than white British
pupils.
Source: BBC Online, 16th April 2007
PSHE Still Improving, Says Ofsted Report
A recent Ofsted report Time for Change? Personal
social and health education shows that the quality
of PSHE has steadily improved over a five year
period. Primary schools have been successful
defining PSHE to include pupils’ attitudes
and behaviour. In secondary schools there is
still some poor lesson planning and assessment,
as well as difficulties including PSHE in the
timetable. Three quarters of secondary schools
have specialist teams of teachers for PSHE, but
in a minority of schools the subject is still
taught by non-specialists and is often unsatisfactory.
Students reported that many parents and some teachers
are not very good at talking about the more sensitive
issues in PSHE, such as sex and relationships.
Young people wish to discuss feelings and relationships
as well as just biological facts. Ofsted recommends
that teachers, governors and parents should receive
guidance about talking to young people about sensitive
issues.
Time for change? Personal,
social and health education can be found on the Ofsted website at http://www.ofsted.gov.uk
Source: GNN, 11th April 2007
New Law Gives Teachers Right To Restrain Poor
Behaviour
Teachers now have a statutory right to restrain,
detain and remove unruly pupils, punish pupils
for bad behaviour en route to school as well as
in school, and to confiscate mobile phones if they
are being misused. The powers aim to reduce disruptive
or bullying behaviour.
Additional measures in the Education and Inspections
Act that comes into force in September include:
Using parenting contracts an earlier intervention
to ensure parents tackle problem behaviour
before a child has reached the point of being
excluded from school.
Making parents take responsibility for their
children in the first five days of exclusion.
Educational provision for excluded pupils
from day 6 of their exclusion.
40,000 Places for New Diplomas
40,000 places will be available to young people
for the Government’s new Diplomas scheme
from September 2008. The first Diplomas will
be available in five subject areas, including
engineering; society, health and development;
IT; built environment and creative and media.
Click
here to go through to our website for further details.
Sources: BBC online; GNN, 28th March 2007
International Graduates Can Remain In UK To Work
For A Year
A new initiative will allow international students
with any bachelors degree or higher level qualification
to remain in the UK and work for a year after they
have completed their studies. The scheme will be
introduced from 1 May 2007 by the Government.
Minister for Lifelong
Learning, Further and Higher Education, Bill
Rammell, said: "International
students bring many benefits to the UK. After the
United States, the UK is the country which attracts
the most international students and we need to
build on this enviable position.”
Source: GNN, 28th March 2007
More Effective Measurement of School Truancy
Pupil-level data for secondary attendance is now
being collected to enable the DfES to target
absence more effectively. Data from 400 secondary
schools suffering from high instances of absence
shows that this type of targeted intervention
has reduced persistent absence by certain pupils
by 20% since last year.
The national data based on termly attendance records
for individual pupils rather than the annual figures
collected at school level, has found that only
2.4% of over three million secondary pupils accounted
for more than half of all unauthorised absence.
Findings include:
A third of pupils missed at least one school
session without permission
Pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM)
have almost three times the rate of unauthorised
absence compared with other pupils;
Children of Travellers (figures too low to
be statistically significant) and White and
Black Caribbean pupils, had the highest rate
of overall and persistent absence. White pupils
were also above the national average for overall
and persistent absence, while pupils of Asian,
Black and Chinese ethnic origin were below
the national average; and
The overall absence rate for girls is slightly
higher (0.27 percentage points) than for boys.
A new text alert system is being provided for
more than 400 schools with high levels of persistent
absence The system links to the electronic register
and automatically texts parents and pupils when
they do not show up to school.
Sources: BBC Online, GNN, 29th March 2007
Participation Rates in Higher Education Rise
Government figures show that participation rates
in Higher Education have risen to 43%, a rise
of 2% on the previous year. The actual numbers
of initial participants have also increased by
44,000 since 1999, a rise of over 18%.
Source: GNN, 27th March 2007
Gifted Pupils to Get Extra Support
A public service policy review launched by Tony
Blair has proposed that gifted pupils and children
from deprived areas should be given extra support.
Smaller tuition groups for the last year of primary
school and the first year of secondary school
were also recommended.
Gifted children as young as four may be offered
extra classes. Teachers will be expected to identify
the brightest 10% of primary children and encourage
them to attend university summer schools, Saturday
morning classes and online tuition. Many of the
pupils will join the National Academy for Gifted
and Talented Youth, which is currently aimed at
150,000 students in secondary schools.
Pilots investigating more individual approaches
to learning will be carried out in 10 English local
authorities.
Source: Montrose reports, 19th March 2007
Government Launches Directgovkids Website
The Government has launched the DirectgovKids website
targeting children aged 5 to 11, to encourage
them to engage with areas of Government that
affect them and helping them to understand society
around them. The launch took place at St Edmund's
Primary School in Tower Hamlets, which piloted
the site.
The site looks like a revolving globe and has
interactive buildings, including a Town Hall, Police
Station and School. There are online activities,
games, animations and slide shows. The website
has many useful lesson materials and specific items
for the teaching of Citizenship/ PSHE for Key Stages
1 and 2 and is the only free resource of its type
for schools. There is also an area for parents.
Gail O'Flaherty, Head Teacher at St Edmund's,
said:
"A great deal of
care has been taken to ensure that this website
is attractive to children and
easy for them to use. It enables children to understand
clearly the differences between local and central
government and fits in well with the Citizenship
curriculum. The site explains in a fun and informative
way many of today's key issues, including healthy
living and eating, food production and recycling.
Our School Council have found the site useful as
they have petitioned our local council for a lollipop
lady and the process is explained on the website.
Both teachers and children have enjoyed using the
site, which is a particularly useful teaching tool
as it can be accessed from both home and school.
I believe that the site will become a regular part
of our range of teaching and learning activities,
answering as it does the requirements of the PSHCE
curriculum and being such fun!"
Source: GNN, 21st March 2007
Schools Permitted to Ban Face Veils
Guidance published by Ministers will allow schools
to ban pupils from wearing full-face veils on
grounds of security, safety or learning. The
guidance on uniforms says that schools should
try to accommodate religious clothing, but that
eye contact between teachers and pupils is important.
Source: Montrose reports, 20th March 2007
Volunteers Could Gain Academic Credits
The Prime Minister’s public service review
has proposed that university students should be
given credits towards their degrees for time spent
volunteering. The Russell Group of prestigious
universities has welcomed the recommendations.
Source: Montrose reports, 20th March 2007
Green Paper launched to Raise the School Leaving
Age
Education and Skills Secretary Alan Johnson has
launched the government’s Green Paper, Raising
Expectations: staying in education and training
post-16 The Minister believes that the economic
reasons for this change in policy are clear. Alan
Johnson said:
"It's not good for
the economy or for young people if they leave
school at 16 without the skills
they need to succeed in the world of work. With
fewer low skilled jobs we need more high skilled
young people and this means spending more time
in training or education. As a nation we've toyed
with the idea for almost a hundred years, now is
the time to make it a reality for all." Click
here to go through to our website for further details.
Sources: Montrose Reports, GNN March 2007
South East Below Average for Sickness Absence
A survey by CBI/AXA has found that during 2006,
the average number of days workers took off sick
rose to 7 – meaning that 175 million working
days were lost at a cost of £13.4 billion
to the economy. Employees in the South East,
however, take an average of 6.2 days off for
sickness each year, which is one of the lowest
regional averages in the country.
Source: Kent Online, 24th April 2007
UK Unemployment Rising
ONS figures reveal that between December and February,
the number of people out of work rose by 21,000
to 1.69 million, following falling figures for
the four months leading up to December. The unemployment
rate remains steady at 5.5%. The number of people
claiming benefits fell by 9,200 to 910,800 while
average earnings rose by 4.6%, driven by bonuses.
Excluding bonuses, pay growth was unchanged at
3.6%.
Figures for people employed in manufacturing fell
by 54,000 to 2.97 million, the lowest level since
records began in 1978. The current strength of
the pound is adversely affecting the manufacturing
sector.
Source: BBC online, 18th April 2007
Inflation Rises Sharply Triggering Fears of Rate
Rises
As measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI),
inflation rose to 3.1% in March 2007, forcing the
governor of the Bank of England to write the Chancellor
of the Exchequer a letter of explanation for the
first time since the Bank began to oversee inflation
in 1997. The government’s target for inflation
is 2% and the rise in inflation means UK interest
rates are now very likely to rise in May. The wider
measure of inflation, the Retail Price Index (RPI)
also rose to a 16 year high of 4.8% in March from
4.6% in February. Click
here to go through to our website for
further details.
Source: BBC online, 17th April 2007
UK Economic Growth Slower Than Forecast
Britain’s economy grew more slowly than forecast
during the last quarter of 2006. Gross domestic
product (GDP) grew at 0.7% during the last three
months of the year according to the Office for
National Statistics (ONS), compared with the forecast
of 0.8%. The estimate for the annual rate of growth
remains 3%, driven by the services and business
and finance sectors.
Source: BBC online, 28th March 2007
2.6 Million Carers Get Right To Request Flexible
Working
From April 2007, 2.6 million carers will get the
right to request flexible working as the Work and
Families Act comes into force.
Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling
said:
"Over 2.65m carers
will have the right to request flexible working
for the first time. It
will make a real difference to those who give so
much. It takes the number of people with this right
to more than six million since it was first introduced
in 2003 for parents of young and disabled children.
"Those rights are
being worked through closely with business, who
increasingly realise flexible
working makes sense for them.
"Flexible working
for carers is right for business, right for families
and is at the centre
of the modern work-life balance economy."
Source: GNN, 6th April 2007
Job Search Engine Launched on Digital TV
The new Looking Local job search engine will enable
digital TV viewers to see thousands of job vacancies
in the comfort of their own homes. Working in
partnership, Jobcentre Plus (JCP) and Looking
Local, the local government digital portal, will
allow viewers to search by postcode to find vacancies
in their vicinity.
Employment Minister Jim
Murphy said: "Jobcentre
Plus helps 17,000 people into work every week.
Customers can already access JCP services through
around 1,000 locations nationwide, including over
800 JCP offices, as well as by phone and online.
This new partnership with Digital TV provides a
new means helping job seekers find work.”
Each job advertisement on Looking Local comes
with a full job description and details of location,
wages, benefits and how to apply. The service is
available to anyone that has access to Sky, cable
or broadband-enabled Freeview boxes.
Source: GNN, 2nd April 2007
SME Manufacturers to Receive Free Advice
The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) will offer
up to four days’ free advice to small and
medium-sized manufacturing companies from April
2008. The service will expand the range of its
advice to include: strategic planning and skills
development; sourcing materials, services and
technology; management and operational advice
on all aspects of company business; improving
the performance and operation of the supply chain;
and improved resource efficiency in both energy
and waste.
MAS practitioners have carried out over 18,000
on-site reviews and completed 5,000 consultancy
projects since its inception in 2002.
Source: GNN, 29th March 2007
ESA Claimants Can Work and Still Receive Benefits
New rules governing work and benefits mean that
jobseekers on the income-related element of the
new Employment Support Allowance (ESA) can earn
up to £86 per week for a year, while still
receiving benefits. ESA will replace incapacity
benefit and income support paid for incapacity
or disability for new claimants from 2008.
Jim Murphy, Minister
for Employment and Welfare Reform, said: "All
the evidence we have gathered shows that allowing
people to try out part-time
job options provides a gateway into the world of
work, helping them to build up their skills and
confidence and vastly improves the chances they
have of getting off benefit altogether.”
All ESA claimants will
be able to work for fewer than 16 hours and earn
up to £86 per week
for up to 52 weeks without losing their entitlement.
Source: GNN, 20th March 2007
Ofsted Consults on Strategic Plan 2007-2010
Ofsted has published its strategic plan for 2007-2010,
including its approach to inspection of its new
areas of responsibility for daycare, children’s
social care and the inspection of children’s
services, schools, colleges, initial teacher
training, work-based learning and adult education.
Ofsted is seeking comment on the plan from stakeholders,
which can be sent to: strategicplan@ofsted.gov.uk.
An online survey is also available on: http://live.ofsted.gov.uk/surveys/strategicplan
Source: Montrose Reports, 19th April 2007
British
Chamber of Commerce Skills’ Report
Published
The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has published
a report, UK skills, Making the Grade which found
that while over 83% of businesses surveyed source
external training for their staff, only 20% use
their local college.
The report concludes that more needs to be done
to support colleges to understand the needs of
employers so that they can better engage with them.
Businesses also think that the Government should
pay for training workers who have not achieved
minimum standards by the time they leave compulsory
education and training. Click
here to go through to our website
for further details.
Source: Montrose Reports, 19th April 2007
Truancy Needs A Long-Term Approach, Study Finds
A recent study has found that there is no link
between a council’s use of fines for parents
of truanting children and levels of attendance.
The research by Ming Zhang, principal education
officer at the Kingston upon Thames local education
authority, found that there was no evidence that
penalty notices or on-the-spot fines for parents
do not work.
Ming Zhang said: "In
this three years' study, I monitored the use
of truancy-related penalty
notices, as well as other punitive measures including
jailing and fining truants' parents.
"I have found no
evidence to suggest that those punitive measures
have any long-term impacts
on school attendance levels, although there are
individual cases in which the legal process does
give some parents a shock and achieve short-term
improvement in attendance."
The research used data from 150 local education
authorities in England, and found no significant
statistical link between the use of penalty notices
and primary and secondary school attendance rates.
The report School absenteeism
and the implementation of truancy-related penalty
notices sees truancy
as a "complex social and historical issue".
It says: "Irresponsible
parents may not be the main cause of children's
absence from schools.
"Poor parenting
itself is very often a symptom of the circle
of poverty and disadvantage that
is difficult to break.
The report recommends a long-term approach to
empower parents in order to reduce school absenteeism.
Source: BBC online, 17th April 2007
More Effective Measurement of School Truancy
Pupil-level data for secondary attendance is now
being collected to enable the DfES to target
absence more effectively. Data from 400 secondary
schools suffering from high instances of absence
shows that this type of targeted intervention
has reduced persistent absence by certain pupils
by 20% since last year.
The national data based on termly attendance records
for individual pupils rather than the annual figures
collected at school level, has found that only
2.4% of over three million secondary pupils accounted
for more than half of all unauthorised absence.
Findings include:
A third of pupils missed at least one school
session without permission
Pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM)
have almost three times the rate of unauthorised
absence compared with other pupils;
Children of Travellers (figures too low to
be statistically significant) and White and
Black Caribbean pupils, had the highest rate
of overall and persistent absence. Pupils of
Asian, Black and Chinese ethnic origin were
below the national average for persistent absence;
and
The overall absence rate for girls is slightly
higher (0.27 percentage points) than for boys.
A new text alert system is being provided for
more than 400 schools with high levels of persistent
absence The system links to the electronic register
and automatically texts parents and pupils when
they do not show up to school.
Sources: BBC Online, GNN, 29th March 2007
New Data about Socially Excluded Families
New Government data shows that over 140,000 families
are at risk of social exclusion (experiencing
5 more indicators) and need tailored support
packages. Indicators include:
• Living in a workless household
• Living in bad
housing
• Parents with
no qualifications
• Mother has mental
health problems
• Family income
is 60% below median
The Government has begun a Families at Risk review,
building on the conclusions from the policy review
paper Building on Progress: Public Services. The
Review will look at how well services support families
with complex issues.
Young are Baffled by Finance
Research carried out by the DfES as part of its “Talking
Money” initiative, has found that young people
do not understand various aspects of money and
finance. The research found:
40% of 16-21 year olds did not know what
APR stood for.
25% thought store cards were better value
than credit cards, even though they are much
more expensive to use.
Nearly two thirds of young people said they
knew about individual voluntary arrangements
(IVAs)
More than 90% of parents said they would
welcome advice on student finances.
Bill
Rammell, the Minister for Higher Education, said: "Talking
Money is designed to raise awareness of the fact
that
financial help is available
to cover the cost of higher education in the form
of loans, grants and bursaries.
"We are encouraging
parents and their children to sit down and talk
about money together."
Source: BBC online, 27th March 2007
