News in brief
- The number of young people seeking counselling for exam stress has increased significantly in Britain in recent years, according to the NSPCC. Last year, the ChildLine service received record numbers of approaches from students worried about exams, with a tripling in the number of those receiving counselling over exam stress.
- The Beatles’ groundbreaking album Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is to be added to the music GCSE curriculum – as well as Latin rock band Santana. The updated curriculum will include three Sgt Pepper tracks at the core of the new AQA GCSE, including Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
- Staff at a school investigated over Trojan Horse allegations have gone on strike because of fears their school will be turned into an academy. Small Heath school was investigated by Ofsted following claims it was involved in a takeover by hardline Muslims. The school was judged “outstanding” when inspected during the affair, but has since been put into special measures.
- The newly appointed education secretary Nicky Morgan has pledged to work with teachers to guarantee an excellent school for every child. She said she would work to rebuild bridges with the teaching profession. “It’s about listening,” said Morgan.
Research of the week
The UK economy could be boosted by ensuring all pupils reach basic levels of achievement, according to a new report by the OECD.
It was found that if underachieving students left school with basic skills in areas such as numeracy, and the achievement gap between boys and girls was reduced, then the UK economy could grow by billions of pounds a year.
The figures were compiled by two economists, Eric Hanushek of Stanford’s Hoover Institution and Ludger Woessmann at the University of Munich. They were based on the international rankings of 15-year-olds using the OECD’s Pisa tests.
The economists predicted that if all students had the same minimum level of achievement, the UK’s output would increase by more than £2tn by 2095.
“The economic output that is lost because of poor education policies and practices leaves many countries in what amounts to a permanent state of economic recession – and one that can be larger and deeper than the one that resulted from the financial crisis,” the report said.
Read more about the research here.
Snapshot of the week
A timely exam season tweet courtesy of our very own Lisa Spiller.
Via Facebook – thought it was apt as it's #exam season ;) @GuardianTeach pic.twitter.com/NlhweUr8EZ
— Spillsy (@lisaspiller) May 14, 2015
The week in numbers
A study found that children as young as 10 are smoking cigarettes before sitting exams. The research, by Opinion Matters on behalf of Kellogg’s, surveyed more than 1,000 children who took Sats tests last year. It found eight smoked on the morning of their tests, while 37 ate chocolate.
Leading charities have noted a marked drop in the number of children being put up for adoption. Unreleased figures, cited by the Independent newspaper, show a 50% drop in adoptions between 2013 and 2014.
Dates to remember
Walk to School Week runs from Monday 18 May to Friday 22 May so why not encourage your class to ditch a ride to school by car or public transport? They might discover something new about their community along the way. Friday 22 May also marks 118 years since the Blackwall Tunnel, linking south and east London, was opened to the public.
Teaching resources
- Discover why the Blackwall Tunnel was created along with the design and construction.
- Analyse and collect data on your walk to school with Walk to school, what do you see? There is also a simple tally chart to keep note of which students arrive on foot.
- Revision sheet: the nervous system in mammals.
- Students may find the stress of sitting an exam too much – help them wind down with these relaxation ideas.
Latest blogs and comments
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