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EDUCATION ARTICLES: This is the Learning Exchange Library's selection of education-related articles from a variety of sources. (The Learning Exchange is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.)

Guardian.co.uk

Boys knitting? An unlikely yarn A Guardian feature about Craft Club, the national programme of after-school knitting clubs which is proving a hit. Follow CraftClubUk on Twitter.
Youth groups, vanguard for the arts A profile of some youth groups which are leading the way in arts education.
From private to free A look at the arguments from both sides about the approval of certain fee-paying schools becoming part of the new wave of free schools.
Church schools are a lesson in diversity Church of England schools in Bradford are some of the few that are multi-religious and multi-ethnic, argues Rt Revd Nick Baines.
Academies for ex-offenders Unlock, the national association which champions education in combating criminality, wants its Diamond Project academies to help young people free themselves from recidivism.
'So what is the difference between an academy chain and a local authority?' Fiona Millar observes how the new rise in academy sponsors could create a similar chain of command as the comprehensive model.
Changes to GCSE targets may hurt struggling schools The end of comparing yearly pupil progress, combined with the new 50 per cent floor target, could mean many schools in deprived areas end up in special measures.
Saturday arts club brings out the young artists An article about the National Art and Design Saturday Club scheme which is currently showcasing the work of 400 14 to 16 year olds at a free exhibition in London.
Must dog eat dog? Despite the academy model becoming more widespread and competition being actively encouraged, Plymouth council is determined to ensure collaboration is still the key to ensuring the success of their local schools.
Tackling inequality through character building Nobel prize winner James Heckman argues that developing character skills rather than cognitive skills during early years and puberty has the most important bearing on a child's future.
Listed buildings for schools An article on the unusual financial and bureaucratic situations that arise when teaching children in protected and historic buildings.
Schools must learn to spend the pupil premium wisely Jonathan Clifton argues that schools must be made more accountable to ensure the pupil premium is used effectively.
Bedfordshire music education changes could spread nationwide With a large 70 per cent rise in fees for music tuition in the county, the Guardian's music correspondent Tom Service believes this new system could be copied elsewhere and leave music the preserve of the better off.
Is academy status being foisted on schools? Warwick Mansell talks to parents in Lincolnshire who are campaigning against changes that they insist are happening with little approval.
Wolf Review won't save non-academic pupils Mike Baker assesses the pros and cons of the recent vocational qualifications review.
What does a voluntary sector financial crisis look like? Patrick Butler looks at the whole picture when putting together the growing number of 'microcuts'.
What's the measure of success for social policy? How do public and charitable bodies prove their social value?
Are we entering a new era of private, rather than public, bureaucracy? Warwick Mansell looks at academy chains and wonders whether they truly fit with the current government's desire for less bureaucracy.
Finland's schools flourish in freedom and flexibility With teachers left alone to decide how to teach a subject, could this be a blueprint for the Education Secretary's plans?
Could KIPP schools work in the UK? Mike Baker meets one of the architects behind the charter school company that keep kids at school for nine and a half hours per day. Check the comments for some lively opinions.
Cuts to care leavers: the voice of experience This Guardian article is by Dawn Howley, a volunteer for Kids Company who was in care herself from age 14 to 18.
Is reducing the SEN label educational cleansing? Nicola Clark, campaigner for positive attitudes towards disabled people, gives her spin on Ofsted's recent SEN report.
Can banded admissions help schools become fairer? An article looking at the proposals by Martin Narey of Barnardo's for an admissions system that could redress the balance and help disadvantaged children.
Will ICT in schools become more creative with the exit of Becta? Wider variety and easier procurment systems could see a reinvigoration of children's interest in school ICT.
What will 'independence really mean for academies? Tom Clark in Comment is Free argues that the Academies Act may be more centralising than it first appears.
Why milk matters The recent rethink over cutting milk for schoolchildren is good news for us all.
What will replace Connexions? A look at the likely demise of the cut-ridden careers service.
Co-operatives should be a template for the big society Larry Elliott in the Guardian discusses practical examples from other sectors where co-participation has garnered results.
France: A 'Festival of Errors' Penicillin and crisps were mistakes. Did you know that? This week, in Paris, French children were encouraged to make as many mistakes as possible to encourage them to think.
Maths busking: a new form of street entertainment An article about a radical and fun new way of engaging the public with maths.
The end of independent appeals panels? The new government wants to cut bureaucracy but it may leave unjustly excluded pupils with nowhere to state their case.
Are breakfast clubs under threat? A look at the benefits and typical situations surrounding clubs, as well as the possibility of them being cut.
Gove takes control of the curriculum Mike Baker looks at what the abolition of the QCDA will mean for education.
Questions on education policy for the new Con-Lib Dems Mike Baker analyses the coalition's newly announced education plans.
How can challenging schools attract teachers? In-depth look at how schools can attract top quality staff to where they are needed most.
School freedom in party manifestos Mike Baker reads the small print and compares how much freedom schools are really likely to get after the general election.
Arm our children with media studies An opinion piece on helping children deal with the increasing media barrage. Comments come aplenty.
Online help for victims of bullying An article about CyberMentors, the peer-led anti-bullying service.
An enterprise of note Make Your Mark With A Tenner is getting kids thinking creatively about entrepreneurism and how they can help their local communities.
Sure Start support need not end when children reach five The head of Ormiston Children & Families Trust suggests planning ahead for the future. The comments following his article are more than heated.
Slumdog reveals learning treasures After the success of his self-directed learning project in India's slums, Sugata Mitra is bringing his methods to Britain.
The beginning of the end for state schools? All parties are getting involved in the debate about new schools. Warwick Mansell’s article on 2 March covers the Conservatives’ ideas for new schools and giving parents more power, but questions where it might lead…
Keeping parent power fair Involving parents is good but risks favouring only the pushy ones.
Taking young people who are right at the edge of school life and society into the wilderness: Wilderness UK's Turnaround Project. Louise Tickle reports in The Guardian on 16 February 2010.
Spot the child due for a life of crime
Child participation is controversial but it's actually the key In Comment is Free, Marie Staunton, former director of Amnesty UK, gives her unique perspective on the 20th anniversary of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child
Does Britain need some 'unashamed social engineering' along the lines of El Sistema? A letter to the Guardian from Richard Steinitz, Huddersfield University, commenting on Simon hoggart's article on 7 November.
Everyone loves the new kid in school On 19 August, 2008, Anna Bawden reported on the development of co-operative school trusts. Interesting to note that Reddish Vale, one of the first co-operative trust schools, felt the ‘academy’ solution went ‘against a movement for greater community inclusion and involvement…’
What will the Tories throw in the bin? There'll be a rapid education shake-up after the election Polly Curtis lists what the Tories will ditch.
Drop-outs at five? Fran Abrams looks at Vox 4 Tots – the country’s first vocational education scheme for pupils as young as five.
Young offenders need to experience nature in the raw
One in six young people out of work or education
Equality camp: 'It bothers me that things are said in ignorance rather than malice'
People think we are slags
Duchess of York's TV documentary angers Manchester estate

Children and Young People Now Magazine

BBC News Magazine

Other sources

Does a longer school day raise achievement? This blog from teacher Laura McInerney looks at a longitudinal study from Chile where they investigated the idea thoroughly. (You can follow Laura on Twitter.) LMK Mentoring, 15 January 2012.
Why you should contact Speakers For Schools Martha Lane Fox, entrepreneur and the government's digital czar, is just one of the people you could welcome to your school to give free inspirational talks to pupils. TES, 14 October 2011.
Make Lunch initiative: free school meals during school holidays Two pilot schemes based in Corby and Luton are involving the local community to help provide hundreds of FSM pupils proper meals whilst away from school. Visit the Make Lunch website for more information. TES, 5 August 2011.
Silliness: an alternative route to improved achievement and behaviour Jeremy Strong's Campaign for Fun has been taken up passionately by some schools, and making things fun is paying dividends. TES, 29 July 2011.
'I'm so glad I had the change to take the International Baccalaureate' A student gives her view on the rigour of the IB and the budget cuts that could mean fewer state schools are able to offer it. The Independent, 21 July 2011.
How Brazil changed vocational education After the country acknowledged its increased need for skilled workers, the government not only increased funding but crucially managed to change people's perspective of 'professional education'. GOOD, 8 July 2011.
Fewer disabled children in mainstream schools: is this what families want? The reforms coming in the special educational needs white paper pledge and end to the 'bias towards inclusion'. The Independent examines how people have been reacting during the consultation period that has just ended. The Independent, 30 June 2011.
Warrington schools: innovation on a shoestring Despite BSF plans being withdrawn, Woolston Community Promary School and others have been making sure they are providing new ways of educating children, including those with special educational needs. Merlin John Online, 25 June 2011.
Can we really ditch 'contextual value-added' from school inspections? Mike Kent, headteacher at Comber Grove Primary, gives his option on the looming Ofsted reforms. TES, 24 June 2011.
Denver: an example for mainstream and free school collaboration? The US state of Denver is committed to ensuring that their charter schools are integrated collaboratively into the mainstream system. Could this be a model for the UK? GOOD, 16 June 2011.
Is competition a dirty word? No, but fighting for survival is Will the Education Bill's proposals for increased competition help schools succeed? LKM Research, 13 June 2011.
Gove compare: how effective are school budget comparisons? The TES analyses whether publishing school budgets can really help parents decide about the value of a school's education services. TES, 10 June 2011.
Mentoring in Chicago: talking the talk can help kids walk the walk Research shows that mentoring and simply talking about success can improve young people's academic ability and self-confidence. Young black boys can benefit particularly. This article looks at how mentoring in Chicago is helping place a reliable male adult presence in children's lives, where they lack good father figures. New York Times, 2 June 2011.
Does calling it a 'failing school' make it one? GOOD looks at whether the Pygmalion effect is a problem for schools that are struggling. GOOD, 18 May 2011.
Too much on their plates? Peter Stanford looks at the current free school meals system and asks whether it needs an overhaul. Independent, 16 May 2011.
Strings attached An article on a music tuition initiative in Scotland that is getting every child involved excited about orchestras. TES, 13 May 2011.
Should Ofsted be split in two? Various people in education and the early years sector give their views on the recent proposal to replace the inspections body with two smaller specialised organisations. NurseryWorld, 11 May 2011.
Finland and its world-beating education system How the Finns have flourished due to, amongst other things, an absence of inspections and league tables. TES, 6 May 2011.
Where every child gets a mentor The Diaspora High School, an all-through free school, aims to tackle gang culture and low achievement in Lewisham. Independent, 3 May 2011.
Free school founders are much like newly-weds Laura McInerney sets out how they can avoid predictable pitfalls. TES, 29 April 2011.
The only school in the village Jeremy Sutcliffe looks at the worrying trend of small primaries being closing down in rural areas. Independent, 21 April 2011.
Reshaping local authority services Pauline Hoare analyses how, due to reduced funding, LAs are having to change tack in and around their services for young people. Includes an interview with the director of children's services in Barking and Dagenham. NurseryWorld, 30 March 2011.
Are we entering a new era of private, rather than public, bureaucracy? Warwick Mansell looks at academy chains and wonders whether they truly fit with the current government's desire for less bureaucracy. NAHT, 26 March 2011.
Better teacher pay would boost the economy The former CEO of Tesco, Terry Leahy, believes it would also give the profession a more appropriate higher standing in society. TES, 25 March 2011.
Would a laptop for every child help? In Maine, it certainly did. The US state's policy began in 2001 and after years of monitoring, the results are in. GOOD, 22 March 2011.
'Our current system is one of which we should be ashamed' Alison Wolf, the lead on the recent vocational education review, writes in The Times about her findings and recommendations. DfE, 8 March 2011.
A clean slate: here's the chance the next generation deserves Mick Waters, president of the Curriculum Foundation, explains why he believes the current review of the national curriculum is very much in need. TES, 28 January 2011.
'That makes us very different from most, if not all, other countries of which I am aware' With the new English Baccalaureate tables causing a mixed reaction around the country, Warwick Mansell reveals how the use of league tables is uncommon in other countries, even those with impressive academic reputations. NAHT, 13 January 2011.
Could free school cash really entice private sector? Irena Barker looks at the scene being formed over the last few months around the possibility. TES, 19 November.
Should under-fives be given literacy lessons? An article looking at the government's EYFS review and the concern over reduced 'learning through play'. Independent, 4 November 2010.
Education and the Spending Review A lucid breakdown that analyses figures and uses evidence from other sources. RM Education, 21 October 2010.
The pupil premium and extended services Ian Shires, councillor for Willenhall North Ward, does some maths and wonders whether the pupil premium can will ever score more than 23 per cent. MyCouncillor, 20 October 2010.
Spending Review: watch the small print Mike Baker dissects the announcement about the schools budget being protected and analyses the reality of the likely outcomes. Mike Baker blog, 18 October 2010.
Early years capital funding and the dashing of hopes Analysis with a case study of how cuts and place shortages are affecting the early years sector. NurseryWorld, 29 September 2010.
'I love a challenge' An article about headteachers whose passion for transforming schools leads them onto paths where others fear to tread. TES, 24 September 2010.
Evidence-based policy research in straitened times Nigel Meager, Director of the Institute of Employment Studies, makes the case for 'robust, timely and accessible evidence of "what works" and what offers best value for money'. IES, September 2010.
Top of the class A look at how Teach First lures graduates into teaching at inner-city schools. Independent, 16 September 2010.
The school with no headteacher Palmer Park Preparatory Academy in Detroit in the USA is the site of an ambitious experiment where teachers rule the school. The Detroit News, 3 September 2010.
Double class learning with daily exercise and no grades An article about Professor Dylan William who tried out his experimental theories to great success in a new documentary coming soon to BBC2. TES, 27 August 2010.
Fishing reels in despondent pupils An article on a new fishing scheme which has engaged pupils who have low levels of self-esteem and concentration. TES, 30 July 2010.
Healthy school lunches - presentation is the key An article about how small changes in the presentation of healthy food in the canteen can determine its uptake by pupils. Washington Post, 9 June 2010.
The new personal finance GCSE Article full of views from children taking the course and their teachers, and an analysis of the marked shift in outlook that the pupils are gaining. Independent, 8 July 2010.
Technology revolution: the way for education to survive cuts John Stone, CEO of LSN, argues that promoting technology-enabled distance learning will inevitably be the best way for the education sector to save its 25 per cent. ePolitix, 24 June 2010.
Will Gove's school reforms push up standards? A look at Gove's background and the evidence from Sweden. New Statesman, 21 June 2010.
The zero waste school lunch How a school in Texas got its pupils involved in helping the environment and also their syllabus. GOOD, 7 June 2010.
Best of both worlds: the new trend of flexi-schooling An article by a mother whose daughter shares education between both home and school. Independent, 20 May 2010.
Will merit pay work for teachers? The coalition government has announced that schools will have the power to pay teachers according to performance, but is this a good idea? GOOD, 17 May 2010.
The future of education under the coalition Mike Baker examines the mutual interests, such as the pupil premium. 12 May 2010.
There's money in them thar 'charter schools', me hearties! How Wall Street is doubling its money by investing in charter schools - and what it's doing to the schools. Alternet, 9 May 2010.
Big Easy Ramblings A teacher talks about the impact on his inner-city class after they visit post-Katrina New Orleans as part of a community-service project. Good, 9 April 2010.
Language teaching gets an upgrade An in-depth article full of real-life testimonies on how languages can be taught with new technologies, creating learning networks not only in classrooms but between schools as well. TES, 9 April 2010.
A little piece of England Despite the press at home, the British education brand is very popular around the world with more and more countries adopting their own versions. TES, 12 March 2010.
Would you like a latte with that library card? An examination of the global trend that's changing the identity of the humble library. Miller McCune, 2 March 2010.
'Those who join teaching for non-teaching careers are missing the point' An alternative analysis of the recent ICM survey that shows teaching is 'under-rated'. Education State, 24 February 2010.
Should We Teach Farming in Schools? With the Copenhagen climate change summit on everyone's mind, an American chemistry teacher posts an open letter to today's children about what they really ought to be learning. Energy Bulletin, 16 December 2009.
An idea that should be treated like ‘roadkill’… Martin Stephen, High master of St Paul's School for Boys, London believes 'it’s madness for Ed Balls to say that heads are mere bureaucrats’. Independent, 1 October 2009
The arts education effect Why schools with arts programs do better at narrowing achievement gaps: Sandra S. Ruppert, director of the Arts Education Partnership, a national coalition of more than 100 arts, education, government, and philanthropic organisations advocating for an increased role for the arts in schools commented in Education Week on 23 September, 2009.
Nature or nurture: which determines educational success? An article by Mike Baker, BBC education journalist, in which he examines the Leon Feinstein study Very Early Evidence, in which Feinstein examined the links between pre-school tests, social class and final academic levels. 15 May 2009.
An academy for all ages: Why 'all-through' state schools are booming The model allows gifted primary children to join in with older lessons, and struggling older ones to get primary help with the basics. Independent, 2 October 2008
Holds all ages A breakdown of the ins and outs of the all-through school model using the enterprising Serlby Park college in Nottinghamshire. Teachernet, May 2007

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