Primary school league tables are out
It's that time of year again ... they're making a list, and checking it twice; gonna find out who's naughty and nice – yes the primary school key stage 2 league tables have been published today. Despite the boycott of Sats tests by many schools this year, the annual exercise has gone ahead, with the results from around 11,500 English primaries made public today.
The headline finding is that almost 1,000 schools could be closed or taken over for failing to reach new government standards in maths and English. We'll keep up with the news and reaction throughout the day.
Schools are also today digesting the news that the 0.1% funding rise promised by George Osborne in his October spending review, hailed at the time as his "his rabbit out of a hat", won't be coming their way. It emerged yesterday that the pupil premium won by Lib Dems will not make schools better off because of changes to the inflation forecast and ministers conceded that school budgets will not rise in real terms over the next four years.
Meanwhile, pre-school learning is also under the spotlight as a study reveals that children's early language and numeracy has improved little despite initiatives, such as Sure Start, aimed at boosting pre-school educational achievement. A team from Durham University's Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring found that basic levels of development in early reading, vocabulary and maths remained largely unchanged between 2001 and 2008.
More education stories from the Guardian
With the focus is still on the student protests, we talk to NUS president Aaron Porter about the battle against tuition fee rises.
"This is not the end of the fight, but the beginning," he says. He also reveals, while talking to Janet Murray, that he intends to stand for NUS president for a second term.
Student support for the Lib Dems that was strong is quickly waning, writes Murray:
As far as Porter is concerned, some Lib Dems have been "dazzled by the ministerial car and the big office". Nick Clegg is "more interested in maintaining his position as deputy prime minister" than social justice.
As the fallout continues after last week's protests, a video has been posted on YouTube, showing 21-year-old wheelchair user Jody McIntyre being dragged to the side of the road by a police officer. McIntyre says he was twice pulled from his wheelchair by the police during last Thursday's demonstration. Police have launched an internal investigation into the incident.
More protests were predicted today as the Lords debate the tuition fee proposals.
Report card
• We take a look at the Islington experiment 10 years on ... On paper the privatisation of education services in this north London borough looks like a success. So why is control going back to the council? Lucy Tobin reports.
• Also this week, read and watch a moving account of life at a military school. Many of the children at the Duke of York's royal military school have parents serving abroad who will not be home for Christmas. Pupils have recorded a Christmas video message to send to their fathers in Afghanistan.
• Do the maths, says Warwick Mansell, reporting on news that the UK is performing poorly in the numbers studying number after 16. Compared with Japan, Taiwan and New Zealand, we're doing badly. The CBI says young people leaving school with poor maths skills are costing the economy £2.4bn a year. Times tables all round then, by the sounds of it.
• Where have all the passionate physics teachers gone? Physics teacher Alom Shaha appeals for more physicists to come forward and teach the subject he loves.
Competition
Do you have a clever way of using technology to teach children at your school? Enter the Classroom Innovation awards by sending us a short video of what you can do. There is a primary and secondary category and each winner will get £7,500 of Asus computing kit. Take a look at some of the entries so far.
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