News in brief
- Labour could ditch GCSEs within 10 years and replace them with a single baccalaureate, according to the shadow education secretary, Tristram Hunt. Hunt hopes this would end the historic divide between academic and technical education, as well as underachievement in English schools.
- Hundreds of schoolchildren – some as young as eight – have been caught with drugs on school premises, new figures reveal. The data from police forces across England and Wales shows there were 2,000 incidents and offences over the last four years, with cases involving drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine.
- A Conservative government would guarantee the future of GCSEs and A-levels in minority languages – such as Polish and Turkish – according to the education secretary, Nicky Morgan. Campaigners rallied against exam board plans to withdraw these languages as exam subjects in England.
- A government move to boost participation in rugby in English schools risks children getting seriously hurt, public health doctors have warned. The contact sport is too dangerous, according to Professor Allyson Pollock and colleagues at Queen Mary University of London. They do not want an outright ban but say safeguards are needed.
Research of the week
Early adolescence is getting increasingly difficult for girls, according to new research.
A study by University College London (UCL) and the Anna Freud Centre found that the number of girls with emotional problems rose to 20% in 2014, up from 13% in 2009.
The research compared the mental health of 1,683 11- to 13-year-old boys and girls in 2009 with the same number of students in 2014. Students were matched by gender, age, ethnicity, eligibility for free school meals and the socio-economic mix of their schools.
It has been suggested that the increasing pressure on girls could be down to academic stresses coupled with anxiety over body image.
The lead author of the report Dr Elian Fink said: “Five years is a relatively short period of time, so we were surprised to see such a sharp spike in emotional problems among girls.
“The fact that other mental health issues stayed about the same makes us think that there must have been significant changes over the past five years which have specifically affected young girls.”
Find out more about the research here.
Weekly snapshot
As the weather heats up, and summer is almost upon us, this week we asked you send us pictures of outdoor lessons. The message got out as far as Switzerland with Aiglon College sending us a snap from their art class.
The week in numbers
A souvenir copy of the Magna Carta will be sent to all the UK’s 21,000 state primary schools later in April.
David Cameron has vowed to create 600,000 extra free childcare places if he is returned to power at this year’s general election.
Dates to remember
As April nears its end, we have lots to look forward to next month starting with May Day on the 1st. The 70th VE Day, commemorating the end of the second world war, takes place on Friday 8 May.
Teaching resources
- Welcome summer into your classroom with these fun writing borders.
- Take a look at the impact the second world war had on the people of Britain, from evacuation to the never-ending threat of bombing.
- Practise written subtraction – ideal for early morning work.
- Laminate these spider-themed finger spacers to help your class with their independent writing.
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