This report presents the findings of the national evaluation of full service extended schools. The evaluation found that extended schools lead to better exam results and children being more focused in school, particularly for those from a disadvantaged background.

Tags: Children's Services, Schools

The Sustainable Schools agenda, launched by the DfES in 2006, places the child at the centre of its concerns for a healthy, just and sustainable society. The strategies outlined are not only about auditing current patterns - from energy and water to food and drink - but also how to think creatively to build a sustainable future. This document discusses the contributions and responsibilities of school governors in promoting sustainability. It focuses on specific sectors of sustainability providing case studies and ideas. In addition, there is a presentation with notes, designed for governors to use as a starting point in their meetings (taking about 30 minutes); and a 2 hour workshop with notes and handouts, designed for experienced facilitators to use with governors and school leaders.

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Tags: Schools, Governance

Officials visited schools with outstanding rates of progression in Key Stage 2, to find out what lies at the heart of such spectacular improvements for children. Twenty schools were visited and they were chosen because over the last three years, more than 90% of their pupils who were at national expectations (Level 2) in Key Stage 1 progressed to national expectations (Level 4) at Key Stage 2. The schools were located across the country and had mixed intakes; some schools had high levels of pupils on Free School Meals (FSM) and Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) populations. In the twenty schools, officials met with the Headteacher and a member of the school’s Senior Leadership Team usually responsible for assessment. They discussed six broad areas: school culture, leadership, assessment and monitoring, policies and resources, curriculum, and teaching and learning. The schools visited all shared common characteristics in each of these areas, and a strong picture emerged of what leads to success in securing progression.

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Tags: Schools, Attainment

Keeping up – Pupils who fall behind in Key Stage 2 reports the findings of a small scale study focusing on pupils who are at risk of not converting a level 2 in English and mathematics at Key Stage 1 into a level 4 at the end of Key Stage 2. The proportion of pupils achieving the national expectation of level 4 at the end of Key Stage 2 has increased significantly. In English, it has increased from 63% in 1997 to 79% in 2006; and in mathematics, it has increased from 58% in 1998 to 76% in 2006. Read More...

Tags: Schools, Attainment

This paper analyses whether Free School Meal (FSM) status is a valid proxy for socio-economic status when conducting schools related research. The authors compare data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) with FSM data. Significant differences are found between the two sets of data, but this cannot be seen as definitive reasoning for questioning FSM as a measure. ALSPAC is not a nationally representative sample and suffers from a lack of ethnic diversity.

Tags: Schools, Social Issues

This paper looks at the association between urban density and pupil attainment of 16 year olds in schooling in England in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Using data combined from the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) and the National Pupil Database, the authors examine pupils’ progress when switching between schools in different locations as they move from primary to secondary education, by using the change in urban density as a variable in a regression analysis.

Tags: Attainment, Schools

Support work in schools (SWiS) qualifications are designed to provide training for support workers that is relevant to their role in schools. These qualifications are The qualifications are flexible and tailored to specific development needs. This page gives information about the qualification levels and access to training.

Tags: Qualifications, Schools, TDA