Education News
Week Ending 29th January 2010
Key Stage 4 and 5 Results Published
The Statistical First Release of this years GCSE and GCE Performance and Attainment Tables were released this week
Mixed results from the two tables, with some increases and decreases in performance reported
Main highlights from the Key Stage 4 (GCSE) tables were:
Five or more A*-C GCSE’s including English and maths – up 2.5% on last year for maintained schools, and up 2.2% overall for all schools
But independent schools showed a decrease of 1.2% in the same indicator
Maintained schools increase is above the Governments target trajectory for 2011
National Challenge schools reduced from 439 last year to 247 (national Challenge schools are defined as where less than 30% of pupils are attaining 5 good GCSE’s including English and maths)
London schools are the top performing by the 5 or more good GCSE’s including English and maths indicator
Slight narrowing of the gap between girls and boys attainment, but girls still 7% higher by the main indicators
Schools with the highest number of pupils taking free school meals have seen the biggest rise in pupils achieving five good GCSE’s
Academies that have been open long enough to have results in the last two years tables, have shown an average increase of 5% in the 5 or more good GCSE indicator – twice the national average
Main highlights from the Key Stage 5 (GCE/Applied GCE/A/AS and Equivalent Exams) tables:
Decrease of 0.3% in attainment of two or more GCE’s and equivalents
Slight increase in the proportion of pupils achieving 3 or more A grade awards
APS (Average Point Score) per candidate is down slightly, whilst the APS per entry has risen by 0.5%
Ofsted Report on Citizenship
Ofsted’s report, “Citizenship Established? Citizenship in Schools 2006/09” released this week
The report investigates Citizenship teaching in both secondary and primary schools
Its key findings were:
Overall provision for citizenship is improving
Just over half of the secondary schools visited were found to provide “good” or “outstanding” citizenship teaching
Stronger schools used well trained and enthusiastic teachers, whilst the weaker schools used teachers with little subject knowledge or even a lack of interest in the subject
Schools judged as “good” or “outstanding” had substantial elements of citizenship linked to other subjects – as well as a core curriculum subject
21 out of the 23 primary schools were scored “good” or “outstanding” for their citizenship teaching
Generally, schools gave insufficient attention to the needs of lower attaining pupils
The report makes recommendations for both schools and the local authorities:
Local Authorities should provide support for schools requiring training and CPD, and help them to develop citizenship programmes
Schools should:
Review their teaching and identify and aspects of provision that may detract from attaining high standards
Develop high quality teaching by using existing expertise in schools, available training and CPD, and employing more specialist teachers
Ensure that citizenship provision is available to all pupils, backgrounds and abilities
Consider the broader implications for all subjects of the citizenship curriculum
The full report can be viewed here
Sex and Relationship Education
Updated guidance on sex and relationship education (SRE) will be given to schools to help them teach SRE within their PSHE lessons
The new guidance comes from a group of stakeholders appointed to review SRE in line with the intention to make PSHE part of the national curriculum
Stakeholders included representatives from advisory groups, religious groups, Ofsted, teachers and the PSHE Association
Draft guidance will be released soon, with the final guidance to be circulated to schools ready for September 2010
