News

This is a MEd Research Survey on Artificial Intelligence. The study investigates how AI is currently used in the UK education system and whether it has potential benefits for use in non-student facing tasks such as planning, preparation, assessment and admin. The questionnaire forms one phase of the research, evaluating the current use of AI in education settings across England.

Would you like to find out more on how you can help? Then please click the link. https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Kwwy9urnxrEGxw 

For Safer Internet Day 2024 'Votes for Schools' completed an analysis of a question whether '...older generations equipped to teach young people about the online world? 1,500 schools debated and voted on the question with 45,000 children voting. The results and some of the children's comments together with the analysis of their responses are here (pdf) with the headline results.

The Guardian hilighted the plea by Opal Play for all primary schools to have a, 'play plan'. The organisation argued tthe plan should be part of an Ofsted inspection. 'The argument that children are suffering from a loss of time and space to play is also the subject of an inquiry by the committee that scrutinises the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities'.

A recent BBC documentary on Finnish Education brings into sharp relief the contrasts of a Finnish primary classroom and our own. Well worth a watch.

This is part of three episodes about the state our education system is in. BBC Website page here.

Darren McGarvey: The State We're In - BBC (YouTube video in a Finnish School)

'Travelling to Finland, Darren encounters a school system where equity takes priority above all else and asks whether the UK can ever close its attainment gap when society remains so unequal'. 

'Special needs responsibilities were heaped on councils as funding shrank', is the headline in the Guardian this week. Teachers and parents know this and this factual article probes the difficulties that schools and families face in securing the specified support and provision for children who have been identified with SEND.

Editorial 

Why is my handwriting so bad?  - I was listening to BBC 4's 'Point of View' the other day by Tom Shakespeare. He was talking about the importance of teaching handwriting and his personal struggle with it. Sir Thomas Shakespeare is (as of 2021) Professor of Disability Research in the medical faculty at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This witty account of his own problem with handwriting and the way the keyboard seems to eroded our handwriting skills makes excellent listening. If you want to take away some arguments about why the skills of teaching handwriting at primary schools is so important, listen on! 

Why is my handwriting so bad?  - BBC Point of View  (You may need to sign-in to the BBC website).

BBC Released On: 09 Feb 2024

Tom Shakespeare reflects on the 'endangered skill of handwriting.' 'The most ambitious thing I author,' writes Tom, 'is the shopping list on my fridge. And several times a week I scrawl with my index finger when something is delivered'. His handwriting, he says, has gone to pot. He knows he's not alone. So he resolves to put that right and get more practice.

The Education select committee this week published its inquiry report into Ofsted.   School Zone carried out some research on teacher's thoughts about the Committee's suggestions for changes to Ofsted and they received over 1200 responses overnight.

The headline findings were:

• Teachers were unconvinced by Ofsted’s announced changes following Ruth Perry’s death a year ago.

• They do not want more in-depth inspections, especially primary teachers.

• Less frequent inspections of Good and Outstanding schools are to be welcomed – probably because it would mean an overall decrease.

• Extending the notice period would improve the fairness of inspections, though impact on workload is less clear.

• Staff need better opportunities to contribute their views to Ofsted as part of the inspection process.

• Lack of relevant expertise among inspectors is an issue for most schools, especially (as the Committee notes) for primary.

• Reports are not very good at identifying areas that need to be addressed and are even worse at supporting schools in addressing them. 

• The current single-word grade very clearly needs to be replaced.

There were some notable differences between primary and secondary schools, but on the whole it's clear that schools are not happy with the current regime.

Philip Collie
Schoolzone

Click here for the School Zone's report on teacher responses

Click here for the inquiry report- The Education select committee report on its inquiry into Ofsted work with schools

In the article in the Times Educational Supplement it warns of the, 'slow erosion of EYFS and why it matters for all schools' A most interesting articles I urge you to read.

Parents fear government accountancy rules are severely impacting the chances of getting a care programme for SEND children. Although this has come to light with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) councils, this is a widespread deficit problem, may I suggest, of the government's making.

The Guardian hi-lighted in this recent article that:

'Most councils in England have overspent their budgets on special education needs and disabilities (SEND) since 2015, when the government extended the age range of young people who qualify for Send support without providing councils with the necessary funding. These deficits have fed into councils’ overall education budgets – known as the dedicated schools grant (DSG).'

The government response is that: 

“We are working with councils who are affected by deficits from the dedicated schools grant to ensure they can move to a more sustainable position in the future. “Councils are ultimately responsible for their own finances, but we remain ready to talk to any concerned about its financial position."

“We recognise councils are facing challenges and that is why we have announced a £64bn funding package* to ensure they can continue making a difference, alongside our combined efforts to level up.”

*Michael Gove, the communities secretary, will announce the £64bn support package on Monday, less than a fortnight after he was warned that an unprecedented number of councils are likely to declare themselves bankrupt.

Ofsted school inspections to restart on 22 January after mental health training. The new year starts with the announcement by the new by Sir Martyn Oliver, the new head of Ofsted, that there will be a two week pause in inspections. The Guardian says that we must not 'squander this opportunity' to question the existing Ofsted structure. 'Instead, the highly symbolic switch to a more supportive and less adversarial model of school inspection ought to form part of a broader transition in public services. Schools Week noted that,  'Inspections were paused before Christmas. Ofsted and the Department for Education have until February 7 to tell the coroner what actions they will take over her concerns about school inspections'.

 Tim, the former schools commissioner for London, where he led the highly-regarded London Challenge, and chief education officer for Birmingham and Oxfordshire, died yesterday after a short illness.

The education sector paid tribute to “education giant” Sir Tim Brighouse. Harry Brighouse, speaking on behalf of Tim’s family, said: “He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather and a towering figure in the word of education. Susan Brown, Oxford city council leader, tweeted: “Tim’s contributions to education in our country were immense but all those who knew him will miss him for his wit and kindness. Tim Brighouse (when he was chief education officer for Birmingham)  “became renowned for kindnesses , sending more than 5,000 handwritten letters of congratulations to teachers, and even turning up with champagne to one school after a tough Ofsted inspection. When asked what prompted this, he said: “Blummin’ hell…that’s about being human!

Source: School Week

Tim was NAPE's President and gave most generously of his time to NAPE. You can see and hear him in action at NAPE's 2023 Summit here. 

Where does Ofsted go from here? The BBC poses five questions that need to be answered after the coroner's report of the Ruth Perry inquestion and the teaching Unions ask for an immediate pause to inspections. We know that Sir Martyn Oliver will be taking over from Amanda Spielman on January 1st 2024 as Chief Inspector of Ofsted. So the pressure on Sir Oliver to ring those changes will start in the new year.

'Ofsted seen as toxic and schools should self-evaluate', says inquiry. The Beyond Ofsted inquiry, chaired by former Schools Minister Lord Knight and funded by the National Education Union, called for a "transformational" alteration to school inspections. Read more.

The report can be accessed here.

Take part in a PhD Survey on Artificial Intelligence (AI) education in primary schools .

There has been a request by a PhD student from the Netherlands who wishes to gauge 'attitudes, preparedness and concerns of teachers' regarding AI in the United Kingdom. Details below.

Dear Teachers,

We invite you to participate in a crucial study on the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) education in primary schools across the UK. This research is being conducted by Malini Nair, a journalist and doctoral student.

Your insights will contribute significantly to understanding attitudes, preparedness and concerns of teachers towards this initiative. The findings will not only form a part of a doctoral thesis but also guide UK policy writers in designing an appropriate strategy, policy, and curriculum for young children.

The survey, should take approximately 10–11 minutes of your time. All responses will be kept strictly confidential.

In addition to the survey, we are also conducting in-depth interviews spanning 30–45 minutes for qualitative data collection. If you are interested, please fill-out your full name, email address, or phone number in the survey so we can contact you. This is a unique opportunity to share your thoughts and experiences, influencing the future of AI education in the UK.

Here is the link to the survey https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZTVQK8H

Thank you in advance for your valuable contribution to this important research.

 Best regards,

Malini Nair Journalist and Doctoral Student

A LESSON IN KINDNESS:

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INSPIRED BY THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE RELEASED TODAY

BBC's animation of Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare - This adaptation of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is in nine short video animations. 

Is the DfE acting like ‘Big Brother’ in monitoring school staff emails and education speakers’ posts? Of course, we all know it is a phrase taken from George Orwell’s famous book ‘1984’.  In the book he describes a fictious, totalitarian state which wields total power with ‘every citizen under constant surveillance’.  The Guardian, within the space of the last two weeks, has reported that:

‘…the Department for Education is monitoring the social media activity of some of the country’s leading education experts. Now evidence has emerged that the monitoring is much more widespread, covering even the lowest paid members of staff’.

This is a disturbing trend which in a democratic society, should not be ignored. Or are we? The difference between the two is this:

‘Democracy is a form of government in which all the citizens have an equal say in matters concerning their lives. On the other hand, totalitarianism is a political system wherein a single person bestowed with all powers recognizes no limit to his powers’ (Differencebetween.com).

Is that where the DfE is heading?

It has been announced that there is a National Professional Qualification for SENCOs - a leadership level qualification, primarily for SENCOs, school leaders or aspiring SENCOs (to be available from Autumn 2024). It will have major implications of training for SENCOs in the future.

Read on by following this link 

Opportunity for pupils to investigate their classroom air quality!

We’re delighted to introduce you to the SAMHE project and invite UK schools to register. Schools receive a FREE indoor air quality monitor linked to an interactive Web App where teachers and pupils can view the data in a range of formats and use it in curriculum-linked activities and experiments. SAMHE (pronounced ‘Sammy’!) stands for Schools’ Air quality Monitoring for Health and Education. It is an DfE supported research project which brings together scientists, pupils and teachers to help us understand indoor air quality in UK schools. Teachers and pupils helped develop SAMHE to ensure it meets schools’ needs and is fun and engaging for pupils. Teachers say that it’s “powerful to see the live feed”, has "provided our science group with a wealth of data to interrogate and analyse" and the “range of options allows us to use this system across the STEM subjects”

Primary Teacher Solutions. This timely book offers a raw critique of the current educational issues and debates, alongside ‘teacher hacks’ to provide teachers, trainee teachers and educators with a plethora of stimulating material to ignite curiosity, maintain passion and culture creativity in the classroom. Robert Morgan, one of the authors,  is editor of Primary First on NAPE National's Executive committee.Click here for more details.

The Guardian reported that at a recent panel on arts education, the shadow arts minister, Barbara Keeley, condemned the government for, 'stifling children's creativity and damaging the talent pipeline' . Barbara stated that this was a 'result of tightened budgets, teacher shortages and the decreasing importance of arts and culture subjects through school accountability measures'.

What primary schools should be saying to all political parties is, have you really thought this through? Where does creativity get kindled? That spark may start at home but it is primary schools that have famously fired children's imagination. But of course, that has been severely curtailed by short-term, political ambitions under the headline of 'standards'. So Barbara, we in the primary sector would be really grateful if you shifted your focus on what primary schools can do, despite everything.

Lola Okolosie has written a well-written, thought-provoking article in the Guardian about updating our curriculum and indeed our attitudes. The last paragraph says it all. 

For educators in England, the lesson is clear. It is not enough to simply give our pupils knowledge of this history. There is work, too, in helping them draw the links between the past and how it has shaped the world we know. In doing so, we might be able to accept the truth: that it is a shared history with which all of us must reckon.

NAPE has always been opposed to this form of assessment of children. The latest controversey over the 2023 Reading SATS underlines how unfair and deeply hurtful it is to children and parents. The latest Times Educational article in analysing this 'test' makes grim reading.

Do you want to read more about 'high stakes testing?'  There is a free downloadable pdf called; 'Beyond the exam factory: alternatives to high stakes testing' on our publications page. This pdf came from the 'More than a Score' organisation, deeply opposed to SATS.

Wildflowers seeds are being sent to every primary school, sufficient for all classes, in honour of the Coronation, according to the Gov.UK webpage.

Edd Moore, our sustainability and environment national council officer, said that; 'More than 200,000 packets of wildflower seeds are to be sent to primary schools across the UK to mark the King's Coronation. Planting the seeds will be an opportunity for children to engage with the natural world and learn more about the importance of biodiversity, as well as being a way for them to celebrate a historic national moment. If planted together around 40 rugby pitch sized wildflower meadows would be created. The packets of seeds include native annual wildflower species, like cornflower, corn poppy and corn chamomile. The wildflowers will provide food for a wide range of insects including bees, butterflies and other pollinators in school grounds across England. Seeds will be distributed to schools in the coming weeks. The Eden Project has made accompanying resources available https://lnkd.in/ePNn8Zd4

SCHOOL FUNDING AND PUPIL PREMIUM 2023 research

The Sutton Trust have recently commissioned the NfER to conduct research* on the impact of the cost of living crisis on School spending. The research survey of 1,428 teachers drew a dismal picture of school cuts on what the Sutton Trust describes as 'essential staff and activities'. 63% of senior staff confirmed that the number of teaching assistants was being reduced. 41% were using the School Premium budget to plug gaps in the budget. Significantly 71% of the senior staff stated that they had difficulties in recruiting teachers.

There have been rumblings about how Ofsted conducts itself for many years and it is the death of a headteacher* which has ignited school's anger against Ofsted. Ofsted inspections have now become a national issue.  NASUWT has approved the motion that Ofsted should be abolished and NEU members have delivered a 'Replace Ofsted' petition to the Department for Education.

The NASUWT motion stated that it, '... acknowledged that the, "perceived demands of Ofsted are the major contributor to the excessive workload and bureaucracy that blights the lives of teachers".

Even the 'National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has indicated it could take legal action against Ofsted following its failure to pause inspections after Ms Perry's death'.

Ofsted insists that it, and I quote, 'provides independent, up to date evaluations on the quality of education, safeguarding, and leadership which parents greatly rely on to give them confidence in choosing the right school for their child.' 

But we all know that one grade descriptor** based on the judgement of a team of inspectors 'parachuted-in' for a brief period of time have absolutely no chance of capturing all that a school does well but may need help in other areas in developing (which Ofsted does not do). That one grade can spell disaster for a school. Last week, school leader Dr Martin Hanbury quit his role as an Ofsted inspector, telling the BBC he felt his role could cause “more harm than good”. He described the one-word grading system as “totally unfit for purpose”.

Ofsted, the clock is ticking.

*Ruth Perry, who took her own life ahead of a report downgrading her school from "outstanding" to "inadequate".

** Ofsted grade descriptors for overall effectiveness · Outstanding (1): · Good (2): · Requires Improvement (3): · Unsatisfactory (4)

As teachers and leaders collapse at home for the Easter holidays, a leaked report hi-lights 'unacceptable hours' for school leaders. Indeed, the commentary by the publication, 'School Week' reveals that despite the government initiative of 2020 to reduce workload in schools, the teachers have only gained just one hour a week less compared to 2019. 

The issues of a crowded curriculum and over-assessment are discussed at NAPE's National Summit videos. If you have not subscribed to this year's Summit you are missing a treat. The videos include experts in their field of primary education and what the possible future should hold for primary schools. Start watching the Forum which features Sir Timothy Brighouse, Schools Commissioner for London between 2002-2007. Professor Andrew Pollard, Emeritus Professor, University College, London and Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson, Headteacher, Anderton Park Primary School. TES person of the year 2019 . The live Assessment panel video  is also well-worth a listen and includes speakers; Professor Dame Alice Peacock, CEO of Teacher's Chartered College, Professor Dominic Wise,  Professor of Early Childhood and Primary Education, UCL and Flora Cooper, executive headteacher  of John Rankin School. 

There is an interesting article about Ofsted  by the Tribune* whatever your political leanings, it makes some useful arguments about why Ofsted should not continue in its present form. It calls for a replacement of Ofsted; '...we favour local systems of collaboration—it should be one which teachers are supported to be their best, one in which our professionalism is respected and valued'.

*Tribune is Britain's oldest democratic socialist publication, offering left wing perspectives on politics, economics, and culture.

State-funded schools received NTP funding over the course of the 2022 to 2023 academic year to deliver tuition to their pupils. This funding is paid in termly instalments via local authorities and academy trusts.The subsidised 'tutor scheme' found a number of school had some difficulty recruiting suitable tutors. That subsidy supposedly comes to an end at the end of the academic year

However the Guardian reports that, the 'Sutton Trust calls on government not to cut post-Covid funding as figures show 37% of children in poor homes had tutoring' . As the Sutton Trust research reveals; ' the government’s national tutoring programme (NTP), which targeted extra help for disadvantaged pupils through their schools, has almost eradicated the gap in access to tuition enjoyed by wealthier families'.

The TES  article makes interesting reading.

As families across the country are informed which school their child is going to, some new research casts doubt on the Ofsted grade accuracy of Secondary Schools ('Not particularly Useful')  in predicting future performance of their child.

BERA’s Expert Panel on Assessment argues that school league tables and SATs should be abolished in favour of a new, fairer and more sustainable accountability system. So BERA has produced a report titled 'An alternative to SATs that will transform England’s testing & school accountability system in primary education & beyond'.

BERA - British Educational Research Association

This appears to be headline news and would seem quite obvious to the profession! However, Wendy, our council member, warns about the over-formalisation of education at this stage of a child's education. 

In the article, James Bowen, director of policy for school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “As this report shows, the early years of a child’s education are crucial to setting children up for the best success, both in terms of their future academic attainment and their life chances.“While we should not be trying to ‘hothouse’ young children, it is clear that great teachers in reception classes make a real difference. “However, we also need to recognise that the years before a child enters reception are just as important, and the challenges some children face start well before they arrive at school.”

In a Guardian article headed 'The cult of maths has brainwashed our schools – and Rishi Sunak has fallen for it too' Simon Jenkins fiercely defended the need for schools to have a balanced curriculum. 'The arts, sport, acquisition of complex life skills: all must be sacrificed on the altar of the easily measurable'. As my blog states, the government seem to be treading a path away from a balanced curriculum promised so many years ago - through the dreaded and dreadful national curriculum which actually provided the means to test children through the backdoor !

At the end of this year, there is renewed pressure on the government by Jamie Oliver and others to provide free school meals for many more children. In another article by Polly Toynbee called ' Osborne the great child impoverisher is backing free school meals. Has he forgotten who he is?'. Polly points out 'The cost is negligible: £2bn a year to feed every child in England every day is a cheap price to make sure no child goes hungry in a country so singularly blighted by poverty and inequality'.  Read on.

Free preschool childcare for all would boost UK growth, report finds

The Guardian publishes a report which the government needs to be made aware. As educationalists we already knew that this was going to be the only conclusion !

Lack of a post-covid financial recovery package for schools has impacted 'standards'. The Guardian has published an editorial on the lack of sufficient support for children, post-covid. 

'...it is concerning that the latest research on the pandemic’s effects shows that the number of very low attainers in reading, in the third year of schooling, has more than tripled. In a sample of 6,000 pupils from 81 schools, the proportion who fell below expected levels rose from 2.6% to 9.1% between 2017 and this year.' 

Hungry children miss out on free meals - Richard Adams, Education editor wrote in the Guardian about this forgotten cohort of children who desperately need a meal at lunchtime.

A report says that 1.7 million children are behind with talking and understanding words. This report has been generated by a charity called 'Speech and Language UK'. The organisation's mission is achieved through creating tools for schools and nurseries, giving advice and guidance to families and putting pressure on politicians. 

The BBC article says this is probably due to the pandemic lockdown and states that 'The number of five and six year olds who need speech and language support at school has risen by 10% in England over the past year, BBC analysis shows'.

At NAPE we have a view when children should start school. You may wish to read our position paper, called 'School Starting Age' (20).

A request has been made to complete a questionnaire about School readiness, as explained below.

If you are a primary leader, EYFS lead, reception teacher or teaching assistant we need your help. Educators know how critical the early years are as the foundation for later achievement and yet research suggests more children are arriving at Reception not school ready. Children who have not met the developmental milestones expected by school are much more likely to struggle throughout education and beyond. The development gap we see at the start of Reception grows steadily over time and the bigger it gets, the harder it is to close. Kindred² have commissioned YouGov to conduct a major survey into school readiness. If you have experience/knowledge of this year's Reception cohort, please share your experience of school readiness in this 5 minute survey. Participants can choose to be entered into a prize draw for £200 to spend in their school/setting.   Thanks for your help.

Here is the link to the survey: https://yougov.com/schoolreadinesssurvey

The BBC reports inn an article that a Devon head teacher brings in mother to help cash-strapped school.

Schools Week understands ministers hope to enact some of what they see as the most important elements of the bill in the next Parliamentary session, which begins next May.

This could include some of the academy regulation and intervention powers proposed, along with the establishment of a register of children not in education and greater powers to tackle illegal schools.

This year, @Drea_m_achine tapped into school children's imaginations with Life's Big Questions. It encouraged them to delve deep inside their minds, evoking a sense of discovery and curiosity about others. 

5 questions to explore how your brain and your senses work together to help you understand the world

LINK

Apply for a Churchill Fellowship in a range of topical themes, including education in schools.

Churchill Fellows are funded to spend up to two months meeting the leading practitioners and innovators in their field, anywhere in the world, in person or online. Then we help them to use those insights to inspire change in their sector or community across the UK.

Fellowships are open to all adult UK citizens regardless of their qualifications, background or age. We prioritise those who would not receive funding from any other source, and we welcome those with lived experience of the issue they wish to address. Fellows form a national network of 3,800 changemakers working in every area of UK life.

Applications can be made via our website until 5pm on 22 November.   Find out More      Apply here

A quarter of childcare providers fear permanent closure within the year, a survey by Early Years Alliance reveals. The reason given is historic underfunding and a lack of adequate government support during the coronavirus crisis.

Read more detail about the survey through this link.

The recent BBC Childcare podcast is well worth listening to as it covers all aspects of why we need to provide better training and pay for early years practitioners. It makes economic sense! 

I have listed the breakdown, in subject areas, of this excellent podcast, below. Wendy Scott, our Early Years representative on the NAPE Council very much liked the programme on the BBC Sounds streaming podcasts website. However, Wendy was sorry that the 'Sure Start' programme ('which drew on social services and health services') did not get mentioned. 'I would argue that this would make a critical contribution to the government’s levelling up agenda'.

Podcast link here

SATs results: BBC - Standards slip in Year 6 tests.

This will of no surprise to Primary Schools up and down the country as they have been monitoring standards all across the year. 

Also the Guardian - SATs suggest Covid disruption affecting primary school attainment in England

The BBC News article (1/7/2022) headlines that Welsh schools could have their summer holiday cut by four weeks. A market research company's report, commissioned by the Welsh government, made three suggestions:

Oxfordshire NAPE's Festival of Voices 2022 is an event that over 40 primary schools have sung at the beautiful Abbey at Dorchester-on-Thames this month. Oxfordshire NAPE organised this music festival on 7 occasions, over six days in June. This meant that children could benefit from the experience of singing together as one massed choir accompanied by a small group of musicians. For instance, on Monday 20th June, seven schools sang together! The Oxfordshire branch should be congratulated in managing to bring schools together over 36 years, this is quite a feat! I am sure that parents, grandparents and children over those years are most grateful for the hard work that has been put in by the NAPE Committee for this to occur. If you watch the video about the FOV (2019) you will find out that a participating singer who then trained to be a teacher still brings her school to FOV! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This is a past photograph.

Keeping Children Safe in Education changes (Sept.2022). The Times Educational Supplement has alerted schools to ten changes to KCSIE for September.