News in brief
- The government has encouraged schools to teach students about sexual consent from the age of 11. Recommended lessons and resources are being developed in partnership with the Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) Association. The organisation welcomed the move, but said it was “deeply disappointed” that PSHE was not being made a compulsory part of the curriculum.
- The prime minister, David Cameron, announced plans to open 49 new free schools from September 2016. The diverse list of new schools includes a “dementia friendly” primary school in Devon, which will forms links with people in the local community affected by dementia. The prime minister has also committed to creating 270,000 more places in free schools by 2020, if re-elected.
- Students at sixth-form colleges will have their tuition time cut from 18 to 15 hours next year due funding cuts, a report has claimed. Research found that the number of teachers at the colleges dropped by 13% between 2010 and 2012, while student numbers increased by 1.5%. The Sixth Form College Association said that these part-time hours were half of what students in high-performing education systems abroad were given.
- Professor Angie Hobbs has called for philosophy to be taught in primary schools. The academic said that just one class a week could have a positive impact on children’s social, emotional and intellectual wellbeing. She argued that exploring different ways of thinking and seeing the world can help children to understand themselves and other cultures.
Research of the week
Britain’s education system has become increasingly “segregated” in terms of religion, race and class, according to an inquiry.
Research by the Social Integration Commission has found that school children have 50% fewer social interactions with peers of other ethnicities than would be expected if there was no segregation.
The report recommended that the government prevent faith schools from being set up unless it could be proved that pupils would mix with peers from other backgrounds. It said a small number of Muslim schools had experienced “particular difficulties” with this.
The introduction of free schools was seen to have helped lead to children spending their time in settings “dominated by a single faith group or community”.
Read more about the inquiry here.
Weekly snapshot
After International Women’s Day last week, @fossa99 pointed out how far we’ve come with this Twitpic.
We've come a long way girls :) #ukfechat pic.twitter.com/dNPTm7iusr
— jayne stigger (@fossa99) March 8, 2015
The week in numbers
Teachers could receive a 2% pay rise following a government review of public sector wages. The top end of the main pay band for teachers will increase by 2% and schools can decide whether to award this based on performance.
Students studying maths and physics at university will be eligible for a £15,000 bursary if they agree to become a teacher for at least three years. David Cameron is also going to announce that £24m will be made available to train 15,000 existing teachers who don’t specialise in maths and physics to teach these subjects.
Dates to remember
Shakespeare Week takes place from Monday 16 March. It’s also Nutrition and Hydration Week – a chance to remind your class why it’s so important to eat well and stay hydrated. And finally, Friday 20 March marks the first day of spring when we can look forward to lighter mornings and brighter evenings.
Teaching resources
• Write a tempestuous spell from Prospero’s books with this activity. You can also find out more about Shakespeare’s work here.
• This lesson plan will challenge your class to drink more water and learn about the benefits of good hydration.
• Welcome spring into the classroom with these illustrated writing frames.
• The Magna Carta is one of the world’s most important documents – and it’s 800 years old. Ask students to debate what clauses a Magna Carta for the digital age might contain.
Latest blogs and comments
- How to become a happier teacher – Andrew Tharby shares some ideas
- Have catch up sessions outside of class become a problem?
- Is it a good idea to extend the free schools programme?
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Changing our education system to tackle inequality
- Coalition Britain: do free schools work?
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