Caroline Lucas MP calls for compulsory PSHE lessons

Caroline Lucas MP calls for compulsory PSHE lessons – weekly news review

News in brief

The Green party’s only MP, Caroline Lucas, has called for the compulsory teaching of personal, social and health education (PSHE) in schools. Lucas made the case for this in a bill presented to parliament on Wednesday after prime minister’s questions. She tabled a similar bill in July 2014.

Sending your child to private school may be a poor investment, according to research published by investment advisers Killik & Co. They found that if school fees of £236,000 (paid by parents of day students) were invested, they would return nearly £800,000 over the course of a child’s lifetime. This could go towards university fees and a deposit for a house.

An error at Eton College meant that an email offering places at the elite school was accidentally sent to 400 applicants. The college will launch an internal investigation after the glitch, saying that the acceptance email had been intended for nine families. The error was discovered within minutes and each family immediately notified, the school said.

Schools need to keep better track of students who are taken out of school, according to the head of Ofsted, Michael Wilshaw. In a letter to the education secretary, Nicky Morgan, he said that to ensure the safety of students, schools should know where children go next – even if they are no longer on their registers. This highlights recent concerns about children travelling to Syria and falling prey to radicalisation.

Research of the week

Philosophy sessions for primary students could help improve their maths and literacy skills, according to a study by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).

The research, conducted by working with 3,000 students aged nine and 10 in 48 state schools across England, involved children taking one-hour philosophy sessions for an average of two months over a year where they took part in discussions about truth, fairness or kindness

After taking these classes, researchers discovered students’ reading and maths scores improved. The classes also benefited disadvantaged children, the report claimed.

Prof Stephen Gorard, from the School of Education at Durham University, who led the research, said: “Our results suggest that these philosophy sessions can have a positive impact on pupils’ maths, reading and perhaps their writing skills.”

Find out more about the research here

Snapshot of the week

What’s the best thing about the end of term? Your response on Twitter was varied, including @FifiK1983’s nail art workshop; showing teachers have passions outside their subjects.

@GuardianTeach To be able to share passions outside of my subject! #endofterm pic.twitter.com/FsvlwrK1D3
— Fifi (@FifiK1983) July 14, 2015

The week in numbers

Research found that London was the most expensive region for private school fees – with an average of £15,500 per year for a day school place.

Dates to remember

It’ll be 49 years since England won the World Cup on 30 July 1966. Only eight countries have ever won: Brazil, Italy, Germany, Uruguay, Argentina, England, France and Spain.

Bugs Bunny made his first official appearance in a cartoon on 27 July 1940 uttering his now famous catchphrase “What’s up Doc?”.

Teaching resources

Take a look at the history of the World Cup starting in 500 BC in China where football was called tsu chu (to kick a ball) all the way up to the most recent event in Rio de Janeiro in 2014.
Younger students can try and keep within the lines with this cute bunny rabbit colouring sheet.
Where does coffee come from? Shows students how the coffee trade helps communities grow and protect ecosystems.
Five tips for maximising the benefits of continuing professional development (CPD) at trade shows.

If you have a teaching resource or lesson plan you want to share with the Guardian Teacher Network community, upload it here.