Nick Linford | Schools Week

Hunt favours UTC ‘organic growth’ over Adonis target

Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt has highlighted unknown costs and recent failure as a reason to be cautious over University Technical College (UTC) growth. Mr Hunt said he was supportive in principle of the UTCs, in response to a question by Schools Week, but would not set a figure of how many more should […]

NUT executive vote against co-ordinated strike action

A “failed opportunity” is how a member of the National Union of Teachers’ (NUT) executive has described a decision not to take part in joint strike action next month. Martin Powell-Davies, Lewisham NUT secretary and member of the National Executive criticised colleagues for voting against joining other public sector unions, UNISON, GMB and UNITE, striking on October 14. […]

Teaching leadership union reveals findings from the Great Education Debate

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) are today launching a new publication that sets out the findings of their Great Education Debate on the future of the education system in England. The publication Leading for the Future: A summation of the Great Education Debate, brings together contributions from more than 20 education experts. […]

Under the eye of your own ‘Sherlock Holmes’

The headteacher of the Huntington School in York presented a new project that introduces “Sherlock Holmes” into schools. John Tomsett (pictured) outlined the importance of getting research into schools and into the hands of teachers. He suggested they might then change their practice for improved student outcomes. He introduced his new project, Research-leads Improving Students […]

Research won’t ‘tell teachers what to do’

Professor Dylan Wiliam believes that education will always “fall short” of being a research-based profession. Dr Wiliam (pictured), emeritus professor of educational assessment at the Institute of Education, told the conference that although he believed research evidence to be important, it would “never tell teachers what to do”. He said: “The classrooms that teachers work […]

Why girls are shunning a-level physics

Carol Davenport wants to boost the number of young people taking A-level physics, especially girls and those from under-represented minority groups. Dr Davenport (pictured), director of Think Physics at Northumbria University, told the conference the constant newspaper reports of the need for scientists and engineers was concerning as both professions worked in vital industries. “Engineering […]

Government forced to rethink £1.2m three bed house bought for free school

A £1.2m “historic residence” purchased for a new free school may not be used after the Education Funding Agency (EFA) agreed to consider alternative sites. The EFA bought High Ridge in Caversham near Reading in June for a 350-place primary school The Heights, but the sale fired fierce local opposition. Residents say that the location of the three-bed home (and former bomb […]

New logo for primary school in Kent after six-year-old wins design competition

A school pupil from Kent will be particularly proud to wear their new school uniform this term after designing its new logo. Six-year-old Brooke Taylor (pictured) of St Mary’s C.E(A) Primary School in Tunstall, had her design chosen after students were asked to come up with ideas for a badge to go with an updated […]

ResearchEd returns to energise and ‘inoculate’ against bad research

The organisers of the ResearchEd conference have promised a packed schedule that will bring the best of education research to the fore, ahead of the event tomorrow. Speaking to Schools Week, ResearchEd founder and director Tom Bennett said it represented a great opportunity to bring teachers, researchers, academics and policy makers together. “The unique selling […]