on February 17, 2012
TES article – Pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL) have achieved an academic breakthrough, with new figures showing that a higher proportion have gained five “good” GCSEs than their native English speaking counterparts for the first time. DfE – GCSE and Equivalent Attainment by Pupil Characteristics in England, 2010/11.
Posted in Examinations and Qualifications, National Data, News, Performance Data, Secondary
on February 10, 2012
DfE press notice – Thousands of pupils are missing out on the opportunity to study the core academic subjects, new figures reveal.
Posted in National Data, News
on February 10, 2012
TES article – Outstanding schools fear inspection once more as new chief stamps his mark on Ofsted.
Posted in Assessment Matters, News
on February 10, 2012
TES Scotland – As the EIS prepared to press the case for flexibility, sources suggested Michael Russell would stick to his guns.
Posted in Examinations and Qualifications, News
on February 4, 2012
Estyn – Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education 2010-11, an overall assessment of standards and performance of schools, education and training providers in Wales. TES article – Welsh literacy levels still ‘shocking’.
Posted in Assessment Matters, News, Performance Data
on February 4, 2012
TES article – “Ofsted do not know good teaching when they see it,” a government adviser and expert on teacher quality has claimed. Professor Dylan Wiliam of London University’s Institute of Education is challenging the watchdog to show some “integrity” by subjecting its school inspections to an evaluation of their reliability and publishing the findings.
Posted in Assessment Matters, News
on February 4, 2012
TES Scotland article – Council’s decision to hold off introduction of new qualifications is praised by unions. TES Scotland article – Why all eyes are on the council that broke ranks.
Posted in Examinations and Qualifications, News, Secondary
on February 4, 2012
BBC News education – Schools should be allowed to delay a new exam system if they are not ready to implement it, Scotland’s largest teaching union has said.
Posted in Examinations and Qualifications, News, Secondary
on January 31, 2012
DfE press notice -’Equivalent’ qualifications to be slashed from more than 3,175 to just 125. All qualifications will have the same value in the tables. Guardian Education – Thousands of vocational qualifications to be stripped out of GCSE league tables. Guardian Education – An end to qualifications that have no real value. The vast number [...]
Posted in Examinations and Qualifications, National Data, News
on January 22, 2012
TES article – Ofsted’s ‘requires improvement’ rating will pile pressure on schools.
Posted in Assessment Matters, News
on January 13, 2012
Resolution Foundation – Analysis of a cohort of children born in 2000 finds that, at the start of school, children from low to middle income families are five months behind children from higher income families in terms of vocabulary skills – an important measure of cognitive development – and have more behaviour problems. Resolution Foundation [...]
Posted in Early Years, News, Performance Data
on December 20, 2011
DfE publications – The Framework for the National Curriculum – A report by the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review. DfE publications – Review of the National Curriculum in England: Summary report of the call for evidence. DfE publications – Review of the National Curriculum in England: Report on subject breadth in international jurisdictions. [...]
Posted in Assessment Matters, News
on December 16, 2011
TES article – Courses offering ‘insider information’ in exchange for cash are branded ‘immoral.’ TES editorial – Our A-C obsession paves the way for scandal. TES letter – Focus on tests led to exam impropriety.
Posted in Examinations and Qualifications, News, Secondary
on December 15, 2011
DfE news – Primary schools’ test results released. DfE – School performance tables. DfE – National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stage 2 in England 2010/2011 (revised). TES article – Larger league tables risk pupils being singled out.
Posted in National Data, News, Statutory Assessment
on December 9, 2011
DfE news – Schools Minister Nick Gibb today said that the Government was “unashamedly ambitious” in its bid to drive up the standard of children’s reading. BBC Education News – Two-thirds ‘fail new primary phonics reading check’.
Posted in Assessment of Learning, News
A booklet to support teaching assistants in the development of assessment for learning practice.