Science And Mathematics Education 5-14

This report by The Royal Society considers primary and early secondary science and mathematics education across the United Kingdom. It warns that children are put off pursuing the subjects because of poor teaching and reveals that there are only 5,989 specialist science teachers and 3,903 maths experts covering the 17,000 primary schools in England. The report also called for maths tests for 11 year olds to be scrapped and recommends each primary school should have a specialist science teacher. Sixteen recommendations are made.

The Skills Economy

The Skills Economy report by City & Guilds explores the attitudes of over 1,200 UK employers across 26 industry areas about the role of skills and vocational learning in business, the economy, and the country's global competitiveness. The report reveals vocational qualifications will become even more relevant to employers' skills needs and the changing face of UK industry, supporting economic recovery and future prosperity.

Implementing Outcomes Based Accountability

This report provides an overview of the process and impact of the Outcomes Based Accountability (OBA) approach to improving services for whole Populations. The Outcomes Based Accountability (OBA) model has been used as a way of structuring planning to improve outcomes for whole populations and for improving services. The OBA approach focuses on outcomes that are desired and monitoring and evidencing progress towards those desired outcomes. NFER was commissioned by Local Government Association Analysis and Research (LGAAR), on behalf of Local Government Improvement and Development, to identify the impact of the OBA approach on LA practice in Children's Services through case studies.

Researchers Of Tomorrow

The first Annual Report on the work of the Researchers of Tomorrow project, including findings from the national wider context survey and contributions from the Generation Y qualitative research cohort, has been published. It was commissioned by the British Library and JISC to establish a benchmark for research behaviour, against which future generations can be measured – and also to provide guidance for information specialists and policy makers on how best to meet the research needs of Generation Y scholars.

School Quangos: A Blueprint For Abolition And Reform

This latest CPS report puts forward detailed plans for the abolition of most of the quangos that are concerned with schools and the reform of the remainder. The paper analyses the 11 quangos (with public funding of £1.2 billion in 2007/08) which have the greatest impact on schools and details how the functions of these quangos can either be abolished, or transferred to the Department or moved out of state control.

Young People's Views On Web 2.0 Technologies

The overarching aim of this NFER report was to gather young people’s views about web 2.0 technologies. The project was interested in young people’s personal use of social media, but also in how they might use these tools in a community or local authority (LA) context, for example, to communicate with other young people, organise meetings and events, express their views, or take part in a youth cabinet or similar representative group. The report provides useful information for LA personnel considering using web 2.0 tools and policy personnel considering future forms of communication within children’s services fields.

Cases Of Alleged Teacher Incompetence

This research study by NatCen sought to explore the factors that affect referral to the General Teaching Council for England (GTC) for incompetence. It found that factors affecting referrals for incompetence to the GTC are evident within different parts of the overall framework for monitoring teacher standards and managing capability: in the performance management system, local capability procedures, and at the point at which the employer considers that a case is appropriate for a GTC referral.

Headteacher National Audit 2010

TSL Education has published the results of the TES National Headteacher audit across five general themes: Funding; Standards; Bureaucracy; Status of the teaching profession and Lessons for the next administration. Findings include: Most Heads think that academy status would help them gain more independence from their LA. They welcome the introduction of technology in the classroom and agreed that the biggest change observed in pupils was a tendency to challenge authority.