Yaa..Well...There's Always Mashed Potatoes.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvYBcUY_iF2QnWUVpXMJkEPjk-pwjR371chzCLbz8txyOZFtq_gL6Uy0N13SrL__5vOmv6v9lgn0F3x5ngsApNDChoJ_5JbvtEQb50cglOBRsMCOjNOefDEKJ1txV5mPXhzG-z8LTOc8/s1600-h/Brynlee.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274253206960509602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvYBcUY_iF2QnWUVpXMJkEPjk-pwjR371chzCLbz8txyOZFtq_gL6Uy0N13SrL__5vOmv6v9lgn0F3x5ngsApNDChoJ_5JbvtEQb50cglOBRsMCOjNOefDEKJ1txV5mPXhzG-z8LTOc8/s200/Brynlee.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" /></a><br />I was excited to help in my granddaughter's first grade class recently. She has a great teacher, but I still thought about telling her to go home and let me take over. I do miss the daily interaction with young children. I really wished I lived closer because one particular boy instantly bonded to me. When I found out he was a struggling reader, I really wanted to be there every day to help.<br />My granddaughter, along with her sister and brother came to stay for the weekend. I was cooking an early Thanksgiving for my family and the kids stayed at my house to 'help.' After two days of cooking we sat down last Sunday to the feast. My granddaughter wasn't impressed by all the fancy dishes, but she was happy because at least, there were mashed potatoes. Like playing with the gift box at Christmas, sometimes the simpler things are better.

Yaa..Well...There's Always Mashed Potatoes.

I was excited to help in my granddaughter's first grade class recently. She has a great teacher, but I still thought about telling her t...

Read more »

Play for a Change

Several students I know are doing research into children's play at the moment, so hopefully all of them (and many other readers) will find today's post useful.<br /><br />Last week <a href="http://www.playengland.org.uk/" target="_blank">Play England</a> published <span style="font-style: italic;">Play for a Change - Play, Policy and Practice: A Review of Contemporary Perspectives</span>. The organisation presents this new report as "a comprehensive review of the evidence underpinning current thinking on play", by analysing research and literature published in this area since 2001. The references list contained in the appendix is a whopping 39 pages long, so is an excellent source of further reading if you have an interest in this topic; once you've read the report itself of course...<br /><br />If you follow <a href="http://www.playengland.org.uk/Page.asp?originx_1743bk_24295533902553h24p_20081110818i" target="_blank">this link</a> you'll be taken to a page where you can download the individual chapters and appenix one at a time. Even the summary version is 63 pages long, but can be accessed by <a href="http://www.playengland.org.uk/resources/play-for-a-change-summary.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. Or if, like me, you find your attention span decreasing with age, try looking at the 4 page <a href="http://www.playengland.org.uk/resources/play-for-a-change-low-res.pdf" target="_blank">research briefing</a> with gives a short overview of the project and its findings.<br /><br />Remember that details of other play-related reports, and links to the research, can be accessed by clicking the 'Play' link in the 'Hot Topics' menu on the right hand side of this screen. You may also want to look through the back issues of <span style="font-style: italic;">Children's Play Update</span>, a monthly magazine which is freely available from the National Children's Bureau's Play Information Service; to do so, <a href="http://www.ncb.org.uk/Page.asp?originx_4489wi_6486337228844z36f_20075183837k" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRZUqi2WVyof_NLIXa2i0ZfHZHFqDkJoZYsedbRJC4GsNU1TxRrBajzjxW-Q-Dr4Upof5fek_I05mUTa7skJIXed3JaNP8Mz1HcImDtf78BB6mPeNubIG-8-TSCkRcepTzxUwPjS68w/s1600-h/ChildrenAtPlay.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273300945576219954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRZUqi2WVyof_NLIXa2i0ZfHZHFqDkJoZYsedbRJC4GsNU1TxRrBajzjxW-Q-Dr4Upof5fek_I05mUTa7skJIXed3JaNP8Mz1HcImDtf78BB6mPeNubIG-8-TSCkRcepTzxUwPjS68w/s200/ChildrenAtPlay.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 200px;" /></a>

Play for a Change

Several students I know are doing research into children's play at the moment, so hopefully all of them (and many other readers) will fi...

Read more »

Education For All

The latest edition of UNESCO's annual global monitoring report for education makes for depressing reading. In previous years the organisation had set a target to have all primary age children in education by 2015, yet the failure of rich countries to meet their aid pledges means that there could be <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7747844.stm" target="_blank">29 million children out of school by 2015</a>.<br /><br />Other claims made in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Education for All</span> report (subtitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Overcoming Inequality: Why Governance Matters</span>) focus on the direct links between a nation's wealth and the number of its children that attend school, the lack of educational provision for girls in some countries, and the disparities between access to education for children in some rural areas compared to their urban counterparts.<br /><br />The full text of <a href="http://www.unesco.org/education/gmr2009/press/EFA_GMR_complet.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Education for All - Overcoming Inequality: Why Governance Matters</span></a> is now online. A <a href="http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0017/001776/177609e.pdf" target="_blank">summary version</a> is also available, or readers may prefer to view a <a href="http://www.unesco.org/education/gmr2009/press/GMR2009_Presentation_forweb.pdf" target="_blank">Powerpoint presentation</a> which contains most of the report's conclusions. Finally, for access to a list of supporting documentation and links to <span style="font-style: italic;">Education for All</span> reports from previous years, <a href="http://unesdoc.unesco.org/ulis/cgi-bin/ulis.pl?%20&se=Background+paper+for+the+Education+for+all+global+monitoring+report*%7CCountry+profile+prepared+for+the+Education+for+all+global+monitoring+report*&look=efa&req=2&sc1=1&lin=1&by=12&ord=2&mode=e&dafr=2008&dato=2008&title=Background+papers+for+the+Education+for+all+global+monitoring+report+2009%3Cbr%3E%3Ci%3EOvercoming+inequality:+why+governance+matters?%3C/i%3E" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Education For All

The latest edition of UNESCO's annual global monitoring report for education makes for depressing reading. In previous years the organis...

Read more »

New Laws on Forced Marriages

Last year the <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2007/ukpga_20070020_en_1" target="_blank">Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007</a> was voted through by parliament, and from today this legislation is to be implemented in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is the first set of laws which have been designed specifically to deal with the issue of forced marriage; among the various clauses are prison sentences of up to two years for individuals trying to force someone into marriage, and the power for victims, friends of victims or the police to apply for a Forced Marriage Protection Order. You can read more about the new legislation in this <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7747267.stm" target="_blank">BBC article</a>.<br /><br />If you have an interest in this area, it's probably worth taking a look at the website of the <a href="http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/fco-in-action/nationals/forced-marriage-unit/" target="_blank">Forced Marriage Unit</a>, which is a joint initiative from the Foreign Office and the Home Office. Those who are completely new to the subject should probably begin with a visit to the NHS <a href="http://www.forcedmarriage.nhs.uk/index.asp" target="_blank">Forced Marriage Awareness</a> service. Or for a detailed overview of this sensitive topic, the CCInform site has a lengthy article written by Amy Weir (a social worker with 30 years of experience) containing links to relevant reports and case law; for details of how to access CCInform, <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2008/11/ccinform-again.html" target="_blank">click here</a>.

New Laws on Forced Marriages

Last year the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 was voted through by parliament, and from today this legislation is to be impleme...

Read more »

Children and Young People in Mind

When the Children's Plan was published by the DCSF in December last year, one of the announcements that it contained was for an independent review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the UK. Following the publication of an interim report - <a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/CAMHSreview/downloads/e-INTERIM%20REPORT%20-%20FINAL.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Improving the Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing of Young People</span></a> - earlier this year, the final report entitled <a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/CAMHSreview/downloads/CAMHSReview-Bookmark.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Children and Young People in Mind</span></a> can now be found online. This contains 20 recommendations for how government can improve quality and consistency of services in this area. A <a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/CAMHSreview/downloads/CAMHS%20Review%20Interim%20Report%20for%20Children%20&%20Young%20People.pdf" target="_blank">version of the report for children and young people</a> is also available.

Children and Young People in Mind

When the Children's Plan was published by the DCSF in December last year, one of the announcements that it contained was for an independ...

Read more »

What Happened?

If you think the blog looks different, you'd be right! Unfortunately we had some technical problems with the previous template which was used to design the page, so have been forced to give the blog a new look. Hopefully readers will still find that the information here is clearly laid out and easy to read - rest assured that all of the features from the old look are still present and operating as before, and all previous posts are still available to browse.

What Happened?

If you think the blog looks different, you'd be right! Unfortunately we had some technical problems with the previous template which was...

Read more »

Pupil Attainment

The DCSF has just released detailed statistics on pupil attainment for the last academic year, which are broken down by various pupil characteristics, including gender, ethnicity, SEN and others. For the first time, Foundation Stage results have been included too. To view the statistics, <a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000822/SFR32_2008_19112008.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Pupil Attainment

The DCSF has just released detailed statistics on pupil attainment for the last academic year, which are broken down by various pupil charac...

Read more »

CCInform (Again!)

It's a slow news day, so I'd just like to take another opportunity to remind students about CCInform which is now located behind the 'Non-Athens Resources' link on Blackboard, and no longer requires you to remember any login details.<br /><br />CCInform is a service from the people behind <a href="http://www.communitycare.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Community Care</span></a> magazine and contains detailed information on a range of social issues; this information is targeted at professionals who work with children, young people and families. Much of the content you will find on CCInform has been created especially for the site, while it also contains links to relevant legislation and supporting materials, and articles from <em>Community Care</em> itself.<br /><br />What really impresses me about the site is how well the information has been organised - you don't need to be a searching genius to find the material that you need. The service also promises that a lot more additional content will be added in the coming months. To look at a guide which I've put together to help you use the site, <a href="http://www.box.net/shared/hg115hr2em#CCFramePDF" target="_blank">click here</a> and then click on 'Download'. I strongly recommend that all students in the School of Childhood and Education take a look at CCInform, as it really does contain plenty of relevant information for almost all of our courses.

CCInform (Again!)

It's a slow news day, so I'd just like to take another opportunity to remind students about CCInform which is now located behind the...

Read more »

Working Together

Based on recent comments, know that nothing brings out the passion in people like politics (and religion). It would be nice if everyone would take all of their passion for such topics and aim it toward improving things that will really improve the life of citizens. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I am hopeful that the new administration will hold to their commitment to early childhood. I worry because there are some serious situations right now, like the economic situation and the war in Iraq, that will take a lot of time. My hope, however, as I stated last time, is that our local governing bodies can work together to make sure our children are taken care of and nourished. Research says that $1 spent on quality early childhood programs would eventually save the taxpayers $14. We just must make the initial investment.

Working Together

Based on recent comments, know that nothing brings out the passion in people like politics (and religion). It would be nice if everyone woul...

Read more »

Ofsted Annual Report

Today sees the publication of Ofsted's annual report, which gives an overall picture of the state of education in England. The latest report differs slightly from previous years as Ofsted now has a wider remit to inspect all children's services and adult learning as well as schools. Among the core themes in this year's report are 'improving life chances' and 'safeguarding children'.<br /><br />Links to the full report and a summary version are currently available from the <a href="http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Ofsted homepage</a>.

Ofsted Annual Report

Today sees the publication of Ofsted's annual report, which gives an overall picture of the state of education in England. The latest re...

Read more »

Britain & Beyond

Following on from yesterday's post, here are some details of another recent survey. <span style="font-style: italic;">Britain and Beyond</span> is the name of a new report from the charity <a href="http://www.youthnet.org/" target="_blank">Youthnet</a>; the research for the report was carried out from May-July 2008, when 850 young people aged 16-24 were asked about their attitudes to issues such as diversity in the UK, immigration, multiculturalism and racism. You can read the report by <a href="http://www.youthnet.org/content/1/c6/04/99/24/YNET_Britain_Beyond.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

Britain & Beyond

Following on from yesterday's post, here are some details of another recent survey. Britain and Beyond is the name of a new report from...

Read more »

Breaking The Cycle

A poll commissioned by the charity Barnardos has uncovered some rather negative statistics; according to the research which they have commissioned, more than half of the population believe that <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7732290.stm" target="_blank">UK children are "feral" and behave like animals</a>.<br /><br />The figures drawn come from a new report entitled <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.barnardos.org.uk/breaking_the_cycle_report_pdf" target="_blank">Breaking the Cycle</a>, which is part of Barnardos' ongoing Believe in Children campaign which aims to offer support to all children to enable them to grow into healthy, happy adults. Readers interested in today's post may also want to take a look at <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7732203.stm" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Are we Negative About our Children?</span></a>, a BBC article which offers some analysis of the generation gap in the UK.

Breaking The Cycle

A poll commissioned by the charity Barnardos has uncovered some rather negative statistics; according to the research which they have commis...

Read more »

School and Money

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdZcZxkl_rjHOGZY-78q0sqz3iMhwzlwcMzkqofUrY6d4ft4xE_XKagW6we74XyweomgVDxpd3tgxo6WsmsH3uQHq8Y-V6HwjlmR5aj6kAiSuzJPZYWpexY98vPLLuo1Ts3Yb0sJQPmA/s1600-h/Seth.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269351482502411170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdZcZxkl_rjHOGZY-78q0sqz3iMhwzlwcMzkqofUrY6d4ft4xE_XKagW6we74XyweomgVDxpd3tgxo6WsmsH3uQHq8Y-V6HwjlmR5aj6kAiSuzJPZYWpexY98vPLLuo1Ts3Yb0sJQPmA/s200/Seth.JPG" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" /></a><br />We are in such a shaky economic time right now that I worry about the effects it will have on educational funding. Almost 50% of funding for education comes from state money (the rest comes from local taxes and a small amount from the federal government). I knew funding was always a critical issue when our state legislature meets each year, but I didn't realize how much of the pie they must provide. With our current financial crisis I worry what will happen during this year's legislative sessions. Unfortunately, in years past, some of our lawmakers have spent an incredible amount of time debating moral message laws or other non-essential topics (example: Should we really have seat belt laws? What if we have too many children to fit in a car? etc.). Meanwhile, we have children without health care, single mothers without child care assistance and the lowest per-pupil expenditure in the nation. It is my hope in this coming financially-tight year, our lawmakers can concentrate on the humane and important issues. I'm worried because recently a lawmaker expressed concern that we are adding a new area code to Utah. Everyone will now need to dial all 10 digits of make a call. He wants to introduce a bill so that people won't be inconvenienced by needing to dial 10 digits. Please...

School and Money

We are in such a shaky economic time right now that I worry about the effects it will have on educational funding. Almost 50% of funding for...

Read more »

A Mixed Bag

Need some reading for the weekend? Once again the latest issue of the OnTheWeb newsletter (see this <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2007/05/be-alert.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> for details of this excellent service) has come up trumps, so without further ado, here are some of the highlights from the latest issue...<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.tactcare.org.uk/data/files/tact_full_reportlr.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Aspirations: The Views of Foster Children and their Carers</span></a> is a detailed examination of the fostering experience from the viewpoints of all people who are involved are in the process</li><li><a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR058.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Practitioners’ Perspectives on Child Poverty</span></a> is a new piece of research from the DCSF</li><li>Students from all courses should be interested in the latest annual <a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR059.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">National Survey of Parents</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> and Children</span></a>, which has a strong emphasis on family life</li><li>For a survey of how teacher's regard pupil behaviour, <a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RW069.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a></li><li><a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RW068.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Promoting Take-Up of Formal Childcare Among Low-Income Families</span></a> is a new report from the DCSF</li><li><a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/housing/pdf/2305.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Housing and Neighbourhood Impact of Britain’s Changing Ethnic Mix</span></a> is a brief round-up of evidence from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation</li><li><a href="http://www.enquiringminds.org.uk/pdfs/Enquiring_Minds_year3_report.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Enquiring Minds: Schools, Knowledge & Educational Change</span></a> is the latest report in a series exploring notions of student-centred learning</li><li>Social Exclusion and gang culture are two of the themes explored in <a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/bookshop/eBooks/2278-young-people-territoriality.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Young People</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> and Territoriality in British Cities</span></a></li><li><a href="http://www.livegroup.co.uk/dcsfsafeguarding/site/documents/BEDSSEXUALEXPLREPORTFINALVERSION1-09-08.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Gathering Evidence of the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Young People: a Scoping Exercise</span></a> has been produced by the University of Bedfordshire</li><li><a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RW070.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Health-led Parenting Interventions in Pregnancy and Early Years</span></a> aims to contribute to the development of the Child Health Promotion Programme</li><li><a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RW043.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Use of Alcohol among Children and Young People</span></a> is a very detailed look at an issue that has received much media coverage in recent years</li><li>Learning mentors may be interested in a new report from Ofsted: <a href="http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/content/download/7458/75946/file/Good%20practice%20in%20re-engaging%20disaffected%20and%20reluctant%20students%20in%20secondary%20schools.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Good Practice in Re-engaging Disaffected and Reluctant Students in Secondary Schools</span></a></li><li>Ofsted are also responsible for <a href="http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/content/download/7203/73699/file/Learning%20outside%20the%20classroom.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Learning Outside the Classroom: How Far should you Go?</span></a></li><li>Finally, the Trust for the Study of Adolesence (TSA) has issued a new report entitled <a href="http://www.studyofadolescence.org.uk/_assets/php/report.php?file=62" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Needs and Experiences of Parents of Young People who have Mental Health Difficulties</span></a></li></ul>Happy reading!

A Mixed Bag

Need some reading for the weekend? Once again the latest issue of the OnTheWeb newsletter (see this previous post for details of this excel...

Read more »

Harnessing Technology 2008

Becta have just released their latest annual <span style="font-style: italic;">Harnessing Technology</span> report; this review focuses on the use of ICT in schools and further education, and provides an excellent snapshot of current provision for students. One of the key issues highlighted in this year's report is the importance of ensuring that all learners have equitable access to technology during their studies.<br /><br />You can access the full text of the report by following <a href="http://publications.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?cfid=1053200&cftoken=6290805d5663187-8B86B5EE-FC38-7194-BCCF8F3C9E52B2C6&resID=38751" target="_blank">this link</a>. A <a href="http://publications.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=38731" target="_blank">summary version</a> is also available.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnW8598AT41lt93WhO2Hf2Zb_cPEXaxa1M_6aXkwU5ayefTTumG_Ioqpju7Ecjji12ce7uqAVODL0F6IJpF0QH1cq3zHwC_2DnXSea9fFAIEZvBIOUr1XOEeCxCAR4FK02OXbRXotyWA/s1600-h/Computers.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268105907779591282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnW8598AT41lt93WhO2Hf2Zb_cPEXaxa1M_6aXkwU5ayefTTumG_Ioqpju7Ecjji12ce7uqAVODL0F6IJpF0QH1cq3zHwC_2DnXSea9fFAIEZvBIOUr1XOEeCxCAR4FK02OXbRXotyWA/s200/Computers.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" /></a>

Harnessing Technology 2008

Becta have just released their latest annual Harnessing Technology report; this review focuses on the use of ICT in schools and further edu...

Read more »

Raising the Bar

The <a href="http://www.daycaretrust.org.uk/" target="_blank">Daycare Trust</a> has today published a new briefing which I suspect most of the blog's readers will support wholeheartedly. The report argues that the <a href="http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletins/Daily-Bulletin/news/861212/?DCMP=EMC-DailyBulletin" target="_blank">government should intervene on pay and conditions</a> for early years workers, and proposes a number of recommendations as to how this could be achieved. <a href="http://www.daycaretrust.org.uk/mod/fileman/files/Raising_the_bar_Nov08.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Raising the Bar: What Next for the Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce?</span></a> is now available online.

Raising the Bar

The Daycare Trust has today published a new briefing which I suspect most of the blog's readers will support wholeheartedly. The report...

Read more »

Educational Provision for Autistic Children

The <a href="http://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk" target="_blank">Autism Education Trust</a> (AET) was launched last year by the DCSF, to investigate improve educational support for children in England who are on the autistic spectrum. Today the AET publishes <a href="http://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/%7E/media/AET/Assets/Global/PDFs/AET_Report_AW.ashx" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Educational Provision for Children and Young People on the Autism Spectrum Living in England: a Review of Current Practice, Issues and Challenges</span></a>, a comprehensive look at existing provision in this area, which concludes that many teachers and support staff are unfamiliar with the needs of autistic children and so <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/nov/11/special-needs-autistic-children-education" target="_blank">struggle to teach them effectively</a>. The research for the report was carried out by the <a href="http://www.webautism.bham.ac.uk/" target="_blank">Autism Centre for Education and Research</a>, which is based at Birmingham University.<br /><br /><br /><br />For further sources of information on autism, try looking at this <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2007/04/autism.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>.

Educational Provision for Autistic Children

The Autism Education Trust (AET) was launched last year by the DCSF, to investigate improve educational support for children in England who...

Read more »

Ending Child Poverty: Thinking 2020

A new week, a new child poverty report...<br /><br />The government's pledge to end child poverty by 2020 is well known; back in June, the Child Poverty Unit and the Institute for Public Policy Research held a conference to discuss future methods of achieving this goal. A summary of the papers presented, and conclusions of the discussions which were held, are now available in a new document from the Department for Work and Pensions entitled <a href="http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/WP56.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ending child poverty: ‘Thinking 2020’</span></a>.

Ending Child Poverty: Thinking 2020

A new week, a new child poverty report... The government's pledge to end child poverty by 2020 is well known; back in June, the Child Po...

Read more »

CCInform

Earlier this year I posted about an impressive new service we had introduced to the College called CCInform. Initially take-up of the new service was low as we had some issues with regards to setting up user accounts for students, but these have now been resolved and you can access CCInform behind the 'Non-Athens' link on Blackboard, without needing to remember any login details.<br /><br />CCInform is a service from the people behind <a href="http://www.communitycare.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Community Care</span></a> magazine and contains detailed information on a range of social issues; this information is targeted at professionals who work with children, young people and families. Much of the content you will find on CCInform has been created especially for the site, while it also contains links to relevant legislation and supporting materials, and articles from <em>Community Care</em> itself.<br /><br />What really impresses me about the site is how well the information has been organised - you don't need to be a searching genius to find the material that you need. The service also promises that a lot more additional content will be added in the coming months. To look at a guide which I've put together to help you use the site, <a href="http://www.box.net/shared/hg115hr2em#CCFramePDF" target="_blank">click here</a> and then click on 'Download'. I strongly recommend that all students in the School of Childhood and Education take a look at CCInform, as it really does contain plenty of relevant information for almost all of our courses.

CCInform

Earlier this year I posted about an impressive new service we had introduced to the College called CCInform. Initially take-up of the new se...

Read more »

It Is History!

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZbYMKZS6ppPexM4HA1nPmGFWS_B-lKbONzIbcQw4BK9XdNUK0Gx_8YMa0Pp9nXhunEyhEkEAskar_tnvXhpt6szWiQILXyA8VJoIUw7nVEymECKBZFjoM1wcllEweKJtaMfARCXylV0/s1600-h/obama8-xo-spirit.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265165860179876850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZbYMKZS6ppPexM4HA1nPmGFWS_B-lKbONzIbcQw4BK9XdNUK0Gx_8YMa0Pp9nXhunEyhEkEAskar_tnvXhpt6szWiQILXyA8VJoIUw7nVEymECKBZFjoM1wcllEweKJtaMfARCXylV0/s200/obama8-xo-spirit.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 100px;" /></a><br />Like many Americans, I had a hard time sleeping last night after hearing President-elect Obama's acceptance speech. His speech was filled with a challenge for future healing and a hope that America can get back on track as a land of promise. I felt the promise that we can make our country an even better place for our future generations. It is my hope that we can stop bickering about who can or cannot have basic civil rights. Instead, I think we should concentrate our efforts on making sure our children are fed, clothed, have basic health care and a quality educational system that provides the nourishment for being responsible and productive citizens. I'm encouraged that in many speeches Mr. Obama frequently stated that it is critical to have quality early childhood programs. I am currently in Dallas at the NAEYC National Conference. Thousands of early childhood educators are here for that very reason: to provide quality early childhood progams for children.<br />Yes, I didn't sleep much after that speech. It was historical in many ways and one that I hope will help the country rise to the occasion. We certainly need to do so for our children and grandchildren. I want the world to be an even better place for the generations of the future.

It Is History!

Like many Americans, I had a hard time sleeping last night after hearing President-elect Obama's acceptance speech. His speech was fille...

Read more »

Learning Outside The Classroom

A new DCSF backed website has recently been lauched for educators in England. It's title is <a href="http://www.lotc.org.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Learning Outside The Classroom</span></a>, and it's aim is to provide information and resources for practitioners who work in this area. The site is still a work in progress so is not yet complete, but it is worth taking a look at its list of <a href="http://www.lotc.org.uk/Resources/Research" target="_blank">Research and Reports</a>, which brings together various useful documents relevant to extracurricular activities.

Learning Outside The Classroom

A new DCSF backed website has recently been lauched for educators in England. It's title is Learning Outside The Classroom , and it'...

Read more »

Getting On, Getting Ahead

Yesterday saw the publication of <a href="http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/%7E/media/assets/www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/strategy/socialmobility/gettingon%20pdf.ashx" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Getting On, Getting Ahead</span></a>, a discussion paper from the government's Strategy Unit. The report is based on research carried out by the LSE and Bristol University, and suggests that social mobility in the UK (the ability of individuals to move between social classes and income brackets) <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7705444.stm" target="_blank">may have been improving in the years since 2000</a>. The government is expected to launch a white paper in this area before the end of the year.<br /><br />Some of the claims of the report have been challenged by the Conservative party and the educational charity the Sutton Trust; you can read about the Trust's own research in this area by looking at this <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2007/12/social-mobility.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>.

Getting On, Getting Ahead

Yesterday saw the publication of Getting On, Getting Ahead , a discussion paper from the government's Strategy Unit. The report is based...

Read more »

Fostering Families

A new publication from the <a href="http://www.fostering.net/" target="_blank">Fostering Network</a> examines an area of policy that is often disregarded; the report, entitled <a href="https://www.fostering.net/campaigns/documents/sons_and_daughters_policy.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Fostering Families</span></a>, looks at the issues that can be faced by the sons and daughters of parents who choose to offer foster care to other children. The report also contains some recommendations for government agencies and social workers which are aimed to ensure that the needs of such children are consistently met.<br /><br />As well as this latest publication, the Fostering Network has released various other useful documents, some of which (though not all) are available for free on their website. For an A-Z list of these publications together with links to the full text where available, <a href="http://www.fostering.net/resources/titles" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Fostering Families

A new publication from the Fostering Network examines an area of policy that is often disregarded; the report, entitled Fostering Families ...

Read more »