Busy Week!

A bumper post today, to reflect the number of interesting studies that have come out in recent days. Without further ado...<br /><ul><li>Last Friday saw the publication of the government's independent review into poverty and life chances, chaired by Labour MP Frank Field. Among the recommendations are <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/dec/03/new-mothers-fathers-parenting-classes-frank-field" target="_blank">parenting classes for new mums and dads</a>, as well as a host of other suggestions. The report is entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">The Foundation Years: Preventing Poor Children Becoming Poor Adults</span>, and can be read by <a href="http://www.frankfield.co.uk/files/download.php?m=documents&f=101203100838-TheFoundationYears.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>Also on the subject of child poverty, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published their annual <span style="font-style: italic;">Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion</span> report. Among the findings of this year's volume are the discovery that while the number of children living in poverty has fallen, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/dec/06/children-poverty-working-parents" target="_blank">the number of children in poverty despite having a working parent</a> has actually increased. You can read the <a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/poverty-social-exclusion-2010-full.pdf" target="_blank">full report here</a>, or a summary of the content is <a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/poverty-social-exclusion-2010-summary.pdf" target="_blank">also available</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>Still on the topic of poverty and life chances, new research from the Institute of Education argues that <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/dec/07/social-class-parenting-study" target="_blank">social class has a larger effect on children's performance at school</a> than 'good parenting' techniques; the data in the report is drawn from the <a href="http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/studies.asp?section=000100020001" target="_blank">Millennium Cohort Study</a> and it can be read in full by <a href="http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/core/documents/download.asp?id=1420&log_stat=1" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>New research from the OECD concludes that <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/dec/07/uk-schools-slip-world-rankings" target="_blank">the UK is slipping down the world education rankings</a> in a number of key subject areas, despite spending some of the highest amounts per student. These findings are part of the PISA 2009 report which can't be accessed in full, but you can read an <a href="http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/34/60/46619703.pdf" target="_blank">executive summary</a>, as well as an overview of the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/33/8/46624007.pdf" target="_blank">OECD assessment of UK schools</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>Finally, a new report from the Policy Exchange thinktank claims that the right support for children with special educational needs should take priority over a policy of <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/rss/1044063/What-not-where-important-special-needs-support-says-think-tank/" target="_blank">'inclusion in mainstream education at all costs.'</a> To read the full text of <span style="font-style: italic;">Special Educational Needs: Reforming Provision in English Schools</span>, <a href="http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/publications/pdfs/SEN_-_Nov__10.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br /></li></ul>

Busy Week!

A bumper post today, to reflect the number of interesting studies that have come out in recent days. Without further ado... Last Friday saw ...

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New DfE Research

Last week saw the publication of the latest monthly batch of DfE research reports. Here are some of the highlights:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR067.pdf" target="_blank">The Impact of Sure Start Local Programmes on Five Year Olds and their Families</a> </span>takes a detailed look at the Sure Start scheme, and states that it has <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/nov/25/surestart-good-families-children-health" target="_blank">offered health benefits for children who attend a centre</a> and their families, although problems regarding school 'readiness' are also highlighted. A <a href="http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RB067.pdf" target="_blank">summary version</a> of the report is also available.<br /></li></ul><ul><li><a href="http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR066-WEB.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Towards Universal Early Years Provision</span></a> analyses the take-up of children's services by disadvantaged families; it concludes that many such families do not access the full range of support available to them due to <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/rss/1044064/Low-take-up-free-entitlement-poor-areas-blamed-lack-information/" target="_blank">a lack of information</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>The <a href="http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR061.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Parental Opinion Survey 2010</span></a> investigates the opinions of parents on a range of issues regarding their role, support services and their children. Again, a <a href="http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RB061.pdf" target="_blank">summary version</a> is also available.<br /></li></ul>

New DfE Research

Last week saw the publication of the latest monthly batch of DfE research reports. Here are some of the highlights: The Impact of Sure Start...

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