Family Child Care

Something for Everyone

A round up of various bits and pieces which have been published during February: <ul><li><a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationdetail/page1/DCSF-RR077" target="_blank">Improving the Outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Pupils: Literature Review</a> is a new research report commissioned by the DCSF, and should be of interest to any of those students who have enquired about this topic in the past.</li><li>Also new from the DCSF is an investigation into the impact of the government's programme of <a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR080.pdf" target="_blank">Extended Flexible Entitlement for Three- and Four Year Olds</a>.</li><li><a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR082.pdf" target="_blank">Families Information Services: Evaluation of Services Provided</a> looks at how local authorities have been implementing Family Information Services (FIS), which were established in April of last year.</li><li>The latest <a href="http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR083.pdf" target="_blank">Sure Start Children’s Centres: Survey of Parents</a> has just been published.</li><li>Those of you who work with ICT in schools will be interested in <a href="http://publications.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=39409" target="_blank">Safeguarding Children Online: How E-Safe are your School and Your Learners</a>, a leaflet from Becta outlining e-safety issues and management strategies.</li><li>Those of you with enquiries about School Parent Partnership should take a look at <a href="http://www.familyandparenting.org/Filestore/Documents/publications/A5_school_parent_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">School-Parent Partnerships: a Short Guide</a>; this has been published by the Family and Parenting Institute, and contains advice for both education professionals and parents, as well as suggestions for further sources of information. </li></ul>

Something for Everyone

A round up of various bits and pieces which have been published during February: Improving the Outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Pupils...

2:17 AM

Behaviour Review

Behaviour Review

Since December 2007 Sir Alan Steer has been carrying out a review of school discipline and pupil behaviour. While this is still ongoing, a n...

2:57 AM

Future Care

Future Care

A new publication from the the Children's Rights Director for England reports on feedback from looked after children, and their views on...

1:54 AM

Children & Young People Blogs

Children & Young People Blogs

The stats from this blog indicate that there are a number of regular readers of this blog which is pleasing to know. However, if you've ...

2:56 AM

Crime & Public Perceptions

Crime & Public Perceptions

An interesting new report from the National Foundation of Educational Research examines attitudes towards young people as a result of media ...

4:39 AM

Towards a New Primary Curriculum

No doubt about the biggest education story today: the Primary Review (see this <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2007/10/primary-review.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> for details) has published a two-part report on the curriculum. Although the Primary Review's final report is not due until later in the year, it is releasing its finding ons the curriculum early to contribute to the debate around Sir Jim Rose's 'official' curriculum review which is also due shortly. Today's report has made headlines because of its conclusion that there is currently <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7896751.stm" target="_blank">too much emphasis on literacy, numeracy and testing</a>, at the expense of other subjects. A 4 page briefing outlining the report's context and findings is available <a href="http://www.primaryreview.org.uk/Downloads/Curriculum_report/CPR_Curriculum_report_briefing.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>, while the report itself is divided into two sections. <a href="http://www.primaryreview.org.uk/Downloads/Curriculum_report/CPR_Curric_rep_Pt1_Past_Present.pdf" target="_blank">Part 1</a> identifies issues within the current curriculum provision and sets them into context, while <a href="http://www.primaryreview.org.uk/Downloads/Curriculum_report/CPR_Curric_rep_Pt2_Future.pdf" target="_blank">Part 2</a> summarises this information and sets out proposals for reform. Further press reaction is available <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/20/primary-education-review" target="_blank">here</a>.

Towards a New Primary Curriculum

No doubt about the biggest education story today: the Primary Review (see this previous post for details) has published a two-part report o...

2:00 AM

Sick is Sick...Even in Paradise

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_L5TKK8vfYm0zra_sURWlR-d2kgBPHQp1l1H6gffee2JIEa60kbCaTjhJbY77TorG4alkExKi2vstlfK-3k7MXB5WIAWN1QVLSWbgMK0pNazMb1iRCg-XswpbcY93opkgbn_Ofs8Q5j8/s1600-h/Hawaii+2-09+013.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304695094615333282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_L5TKK8vfYm0zra_sURWlR-d2kgBPHQp1l1H6gffee2JIEa60kbCaTjhJbY77TorG4alkExKi2vstlfK-3k7MXB5WIAWN1QVLSWbgMK0pNazMb1iRCg-XswpbcY93opkgbn_Ofs8Q5j8/s200/Hawaii+2-09+013.JPG" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" /></a> We just got back from a semi-wonderful trip to Hawaii. This is such a great time to go as it gives us a nice break from the winter cold. The first few days were truly paradise. Hawaii is one of my favorite places and I ate it up, soaking up the sun and atmosphere. However, after a few days, a health crisis appeared: stomach flu. It hit with a vengeance and I did not completely recover until coming home and collapsing in bed for two more days. Sick is sick, even in paradise. It was hard to really enjoy being there after that. Oh well, at least it was a break from winter. :-) It also brought to mind some of our poorly-run classrooms. Most children approach school with excitement (at least until a poor teacher kills it) and one of our great challenges is to keep it exciting. But, a terrible atmosphere is a terrible atmosphere...even in school.

Sick is Sick...Even in Paradise

We just got back from a semi-wonderful trip to Hawaii. This is such a great time to go as it gives us a nice break from the winter cold. The...

5:51 PM

Ending Child Poverty

Child poverty was in the headlines yet again yesterday, with most news outlets picking up on the story that the government is struggling to meet its 1999 target of <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7896085.stm" target="_blank">halving child poverty by 2010</a>. The latest crop of stories have been generated by a study commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), which investigates the impact that current policies are projected to have on child poverty by 2010 and 2020. The full (and somewhat technical!) data behind the report is available and is entitled <a href="http://www.ifs.org.uk/comms/comm108.pdf" target="_blank">Micro-Simulating Child Poverty in 2010 and 2020</a>; if graphs and charts aren't your thing, then take a look at <a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/hirsch-child-poverty-changing-economy.pdf" target="_blank">Ending Child Poverty in a Changing Economy</a>, the JRF's summary of the study's findings and conclusions. For further reading, take a look at the <a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/child-poverty" target="_blank">JRF's child poverty site</a>, which gathers together their many publications on this subject in recent years. You can also click on the 'Child Poverty' link in the 'Hot Topics' area in the right sidebar of this screen, which will bring up all of the relevant posts from the blog's archive.

Ending Child Poverty

Child poverty was in the headlines yet again yesterday, with most news outlets picking up on the story that the government is struggling to ...

3:52 AM

Summer-Born Babies

A new report from Cambridge Assessment, one of the UK's exam boards, has presented evidence that appears to question the government's plans for <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/14/starting-age-four-school" target="_blank">children to start their schooling aged four</a>. The report, entitled <a href="http://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/ca/digitalAssets/169664_Cambridge_Lit_Review_Birthdate_d3.pdf" target="_blank">Birthdate Effects: A Review of the Literature from 1990-on</a>, argues that summer-born children are already at a disadvantage when they begin their education, and that lowering the school starting age could exacerbate this issue by causing unnecessary stress and anxiety. If you'd like some further reading on this topic, try looking at <a href="http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/44410/44410.pdf" target="_blank">School Starting Age: European Policy and Recent Research</a>, a 2002 conference paper from the NFER.

Summer-Born Babies

A new report from Cambridge Assessment, one of the UK's exam boards, has presented evidence that appears to question the government'...

5:09 AM

Truancy

Truancy

Yesterday it was reported that on average a parent is jailed every two weeks because of their child's truancy. Further information on t...

5:48 AM

Video Games are Good for Children?!

Video Games are Good for Children?!

The media is often full of stories about the detrimental effect of video games on children's development, so it's interesting to hea...

2:22 AM

Nurseries or Grandparents?

A new piece of research from the Institute of Education has looked at children whose mothers return to full-time work, leaving them either in the care of grandparents or a nursery. The study concludes that while grandparents can do more to develop a young child's vocabulary, they are less likely <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/10/grandparents-childcare-pre-school" target="_blank">to provide the range of other experiences (educational and social) which a young child needs</a>. The full report of the study appears in the latest issue of Journal of Social Policy, which is available in the library at Summer Row. Readers may also be interested in the two articles below, which give differing perspectives on this issue: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/10/earlyyearseducation-parents" target="_blank">Using grandparents as childcare</a> <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/feb/10/grandparents-child-care" target="_blank">Using a nursery as childcare</a>

Nurseries or Grandparents?

A new piece of research from the Institute of Education has looked at children whose mothers return to full-time work, leaving them either i...

2:36 AM

The Jamie Oliver Effect

It seems that the 'Jamie Oliver Effect' shows no signs of abating. Following on from his TV series on improving school dinners and the subsequent '<a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/school-dinners" target="_blank">Feed Me Better</a>' campaign, the Institute for Social and Economic Research at Essex University has now published <a href="http://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/publications/working-papers/iser/2009-01.pdf" target="_blank">Healthy School Meals and Educational Outcomes</a>, a report which examines Key Stage 2 outcomes before and after the reforms introduced by Oliver's campaign. The study concludes that healthy school meals have indeed had a positive impact on educational outcomes. For further reading on the same topic, try looking at <a href="http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/UploadDocs/Library/Documents/sft_research_review_aug08.pdf" target="_blank">The Link Between Child Nutrition and Health: an Overview of Research in the UK</a>, which was published in August of last year. The websites of the <a href="http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/index.asp" target="_blank">School Food Trust</a> and the <a href="http://www.nutrition.org.uk/" target="_blank">British Nutrition Foundation</a> are also useful sources of information.

The Jamie Oliver Effect

It seems that the 'Jamie Oliver Effect' shows no signs of abating. Following on from his TV series on improving school dinners and t...

3:50 AM

EPPI-Centre

EPPI-Centre

The Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-Ordinating Centre (aka the wonderfully named EPPI-Centre ) is based at the Universit...

7:33 AM

Building Those Relationships

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBffF5huRad9qn2q4_GuhXfDJi6AeoGY5q_O_6QHWP_fOULzp7bKdVb9p1bRTtcqNc5zZmVLh5ZmhMx0TthSK0zmghi0BQ9koinE2TNlWjUTodQWrPgV3cN_ncT_InvJWn-87_Z0cpw8A/s1600-h/Sean.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299453050187508514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBffF5huRad9qn2q4_GuhXfDJi6AeoGY5q_O_6QHWP_fOULzp7bKdVb9p1bRTtcqNc5zZmVLh5ZmhMx0TthSK0zmghi0BQ9koinE2TNlWjUTodQWrPgV3cN_ncT_InvJWn-87_Z0cpw8A/s200/Sean.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" /></a> I was recently reading and article called, Building Positive Relationships with Young Children by Dr. Gail Joseph and Dr. Phillip Strain. In the article they were talking about how critical it is to build good relationships with children. That is one of the most important ways to avoid negative behaviors in the classroom. I liked their metaphor of a piggy bank. Every time you engage in positive relationship building with a child it is like making a deposit into their piggy bank. However, when we nag or criticize a child, we make a withdrawal. Teachers and caregivers should ask themselves, "Am I making a deposit or a withdrawal in this child's piggy bank." Turning the negative (a withdrawal) into a positive (a deposit) will go a long way to continue to build that solid positive relationship (a full piggy bank).

Building Those Relationships

I was recently reading and article called, Building Positive Relationships with Young Children by Dr. Gail Joseph and Dr. Phillip Strain. I...

2:51 PM

The Good Childhood Inquiry

If you've been reading the papers this week, you've probably noticed the string of stories about modern children's lives in the UK, culminating today in the publication of A Good Childhood: Searching for Values in a Competitive Age, which is the final report from the <a href="http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/all_about_us/how_we_do_it/the_good_childhood_inquiry/1818.html" target="_blank">Good Childhood Inquiry</a>. The inquiry began its work in September 2006, after being commissioned by <a href="http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/" target="_blank">The Children's Society</a>. Its brief was to provide an understanding of the lives of children in the UK today, by collecting evidence from children, parents and professionals on subjects such as family, friends, education, and mental health. Although the full version of the final report does not appear to be online (copies will appear in the library shortly), following the first link in this post will take you to the project's website, which provides dozens of documents containing information about the inquiry's methodology, the evidence gathered, and the recommendations that the report contains. Already, the Inquiry's conclusions have generated a lot of new stories and opinion columns, with some writers supporting the Report's stance while others are fiercely critical. Putting links to all of the relevant news coverage would take up too much space, but here is a flavour of some of the stories that have been published: <ul><li><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2009/02/we_blame_the_parents.html" target="_blank">We Blame the Parents</a> - BBC Blog discussing the report</li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/03/schools-young-good-childhoods" target="_blank">Look Beyond Number One</a> - Article from report's co-author, calling for schools to take on a different role in teaching children about respect</li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/feb/02/children-wellbeing-success" target="_blank">Children Paying Price for Adults' Pursuit of Success</a> - Guardian news story</li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/04/children-youngpeople" target="_blank">The Childhood Report Lacks Insight</a> - critical analysis of the Good Childhood Inquiry</li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/feb/01/child-welfare-inquiry" target="_blank">Are our Children Really in Crisis, or the Victims of Parents' Anxiety?</a> - detailed story ahead of the report's publication from the Observer</li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTF_N41cW5xerzoSC3GNTqZ8rIBkMGt0lk5Ajvu07tKuG65kyyeV9QDThWVxGsJ2xCLfqxGN_c3qQqEyvrN7-gcTUcXaEMSXzL5V0FVlvXJWN63eOyhLTTKbpZmb8FLpPkxhxruSuTw/s1600-h/Cutie.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299282026723952562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTF_N41cW5xerzoSC3GNTqZ8rIBkMGt0lk5Ajvu07tKuG65kyyeV9QDThWVxGsJ2xCLfqxGN_c3qQqEyvrN7-gcTUcXaEMSXzL5V0FVlvXJWN63eOyhLTTKbpZmb8FLpPkxhxruSuTw/s200/Cutie.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 122px;" /></a>

The Good Childhood Inquiry

If you've been reading the papers this week, you've probably noticed the string of stories about modern children's lives in the ...

3:11 AM

Migrant Communities in Birmingham

Migrant Communities in Birmingham

A local flavour to today's post: the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has just published Empowering Birmingham’s Migrant and Refugee Community...

2:31 AM