School ReadinessA common theme of many reports and debates this year has been the subject of at what age children should start school, or what sort of provision should be made for young children to prepare them for school. Well now there's another piece of research to add to the literature already out there...What …
1940s English SchoolIt's a slow news day and there haven't been any film clips on this site for a while, so take a look at the below. It's a 1940s video showing school life - the clip says 'Primary School' but surely the children involved are younger? There's a lot of charm in watching films like this, though modern vi…
Centres of Excellence?A new report from the Policy Exchange think tank looks at how Children's Centres are coping with the cuts that have hit the public sector in recent years. The report also suggests that high earning parents should have their tax-free childcare entitlement cut, and the savings should be used to improv…
Best Practice for SchoolsThis week the CfBT Education Trust has published a series of reports that may be of interest to readers of this site, particularly if you're a teacher or just starting your PGCE. The series is entitled School Improvement: International Reviews of Best Practice and covers areas such as inclusion, ass…
When Should Children Start School?There are currently a lot of headlines and a lot of noise on social networks relating to a letter which has appeared in today's Telegraph newspaper. The letter, which is signed by 127 childcare experts (click here to read it), calls on the government to alter its approach to early years policy, and …
New National Curriculum FrameworkIf you're a teacher or trainee teacher, you're going to need to read today's post... The DfE has just published the framework for the new National Curriculum, which will come into effect from September 2014. Click here to find links to the various parts of the framework, as well as links to the indi…
Teachers' StandardsFollowing a request from one of our new PGCE students yesterday, here's a link to the Teachers' Standards which you'll need to familiarise yourselves with during your course. The Standards were initially introduced in September 2012, and revised in June of this year. Further relevant information abo…
Breaking BarriersBreaking Barriers is a new report from the Children's Society which examines the impact of budget cuts on children's centres, and how this affects the ability of families to access the services that they offer. You can read the report by clicking here.…
Early Years OutcomesOn a similar note to my previous post, the DfE has just published Early Years Outcomes, a piece of non-statutory guidance which sets out the various developmental milestones which a child might be expected to achieve during the first five years of their life. The document is intended for both practi…
Universally SpeakingThe Communication Trust has just released a really useful set of booklets which outline where children should be with their communication skills at any given age. Each booklet covers a different age range, and is written in simple, accessible language - they are designed for use by anyone who works …
Requires ImprovementA new publication from the Centre for Social Justice examines disadvantage in the education system in England. Requires Improvement: The Causes of Educational Failure presents itself as a "state-of-the-nation report" and covers a wide range of ages, from preschool up to GCSE.To read the report in fu…
Greater ExpectationsLast week the National Children's Bureau published Greater Expectations: Raising Aspirations for our Children. This is a detailed report into child poverty into the UK, and places the topic into a historical context by comparing the situation today with previous child poverty reports which the chari…
