Blog
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Wolf Report
The WolF Report - Review of Vocational Education - was published on Friday 4 March and immediately welcomed by Michale Gove as a 'brilliant and ground-breaking' report. It makes 27 recommendations for reform of vocational education so that the life chances of young people are transformed. The Report estimates that around 350000 young people are on vocational courses that lead nowhere and that this sad truth results from 'perverse incentives' that militate against putting young people's interests first. The recommendations could have profound impacts for schools and colleges in seking to have even more profound ones for young people. You can read a summary in the FEdS briefing on the EGN website. The key questions for governors will be how to respond to the recommendations accepted and acted on by the Secretary of State.
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Education Bill
The Education Bill was introduced to Parliament on 26 January, and was given its second reading on 8 February. It will implement most of the proposals set out in November’s Education White Paper - a curriculum bill is expected to follow later in the year. A special EGN ‘hot topics’ paper highlights the provisions of most interest to governors. They apply mainly to England, although some also apply in Wales.
The Bill will now go to ‘committee stage’, where it will be closely scrutinised and amended, and evidence from experts will be considered. It will then return to the House of Commons for further discussion (‘report stage’) and third reading, from where it will go on to the House of Lords. Only after a similar process there can it receive Royal Assent.What are you hoping this Bill will deliver?
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National Curriculum Review
By the end of this year, we will have the first recommendations from the review of the National Curriculum for 5-16 year-olds in England, launched by Education Secretary Michael Gove at the end of January.
Of course, it was only comparatively recently that Sir Jim Rose published the results of his review of the primary curriculum, which was due to be introduced in schools from September 2011. However, the new government did not approve of his theme-based approach, and it was shelved.
This will be the first such review to be undertaken by the Department for Education rather than an arms-length quango.
What would you like to see in the new national curriculum for 5 -16 year-olds?
Wolf Report
The WolF Report - Review of Vocational Education - was published on Friday 4 March and immediately welcomed by Michale Gove as a 'brilliant and ground-breaking' report. It makes 27 recommendations for reform of vocational education so that the life chances of young people are transformed. The Report estimates that around 350000 young people are on vocational courses that lead nowhere and that this sad truth results from 'perverse incentives' that militate against putting young people's interests first. The recommendations could have profound impacts for schools and colleges in seking to have even more profound ones for young people. You can read a summary in the FEdS briefing on the EGN website. The key questions for governors will be how to respond to the recommendations accepted and acted on by the Secretary of State.
Education Bill
The Education Bill was introduced to Parliament on 26 January, and was given its second reading on 8 February. It will implement most of the proposals set out in November’s Education White Paper - a curriculum bill is expected to follow later in the year. A special EGN ‘hot topics’ paper highlights the provisions of most interest to governors. They apply mainly to England, although some also apply in Wales.
The Bill will now go to ‘committee stage’, where it will be closely scrutinised and amended, and evidence from experts will be considered. It will then return to the House of Commons for further discussion (‘report stage’) and third reading, from where it will go on to the House of Lords. Only after a similar process there can it receive Royal Assent.
National Curriculum Review
By the end of this year, we will have the first recommendations from the review of the National Curriculum for 5-16 year-olds in England, launched by Education Secretary Michael Gove at the end of January.
Of course, it was only comparatively recently that Sir Jim Rose published the results of his review of the primary curriculum, which was due to be introduced in schools from September 2011. However, the new government did not approve of his theme-based approach, and it was shelved.
This will be the first such review to be undertaken by the Department for Education rather than an arms-length quango.
What would you like to see in the new national curriculum for 5 -16 year-olds?
What are your next steps as a board?
How is your school responding to the cuts in public spending? What are the key issues you face?
FEdS Newsletter
The latest edition of the FEdS newsletter is published today. As usual it brings FEdS and EGN member up to date about all that is happening in the interlinked worlds of business and education. In this month's copy this covers everything from skills and the employment situation to primary testing and student fees. If you would like to know more about FEdS contact Croal Rayfield at FEdS on 02083151260 or coral.rayfield@feds.co.uk
Higher Education
The Browne Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance proposes that students pay much higher fees for degrees. What will the impacts of such changes be? What are your views on how we should fund higher education?
New in FEdS Briefing
FEdS produces a briefing every month on all the latest news that matters in the worlds of business and education. Briefings are available to EGN members in the Resources section of the site. In the latest edition read about such things as a round up of examination perfiormance, the new Government's policies for education and business, how apprenticeships are developing and the monthly round-up of news from across the four countries of the UK.
Here come the cuts
On October 20 the Government is due to announce the scope and scale of cutbacks in public spending.
Inevitably, some of the burden will fall on education - even as new initiatives such as free schools and an expanded academies programme are being pursued.
What is your board of governors expecting? What precautions have they been taking? How will they keep themselves informed about what is happening regarding funding?
Buildings and money
Is yours a school where the axe has fallen on a Building Schools for the Future project?
Academies
As a governor you may be helping your school to consider whether or not to become an academy. What are you views of the pros and cons? (You may find it useful to see Mike Baker's piece for Teachers' TV at www.teachers.tv - where Mike interviews heads of bith a new acadmey and a school that is not yet decided on its response to the invitation).