Monday 13 August 2012

UCAS tariff point-based-system could be scrapped


In response to criticism from universities and schools, the UCAS tariff system is set to be scrapped. The UCAS tariff system is a points-based system used by the admissions service UCAS for students applying to higher education.
Universities have asked for specific qualifications, subjects and grades for their various degree courses instead of the points-based system.
After consultation with universities, UCAS has stated that they will consider a ‘gradual withdrawal’ of the tariff system and its replacement with the ‘greater use of qualifications and grades’.
The new system would give students a clearer indication about how the qualifications they take, such as A-levels, relate to the demands of courses and institutions. 
In total, 63.5% of those who responded to the Ucas consultation are in favour of the plan in principle, the report shows. Universities, schools, awarding bodies and government regulatory and funding bodies all submitted replies. Only around 16.1% of respondents have stated they are against the proposal.
However there are fears that scrapping the tariff system will lead to a narrowing of options and a focus on the subjects most likely to win students places and schools could put pressure on students to choose academic qualifications over vocational ones.
Ucas concludes: "It was widely felt that qualification and grade-based entry requirements and offers are clearer and more transparent for learners and offer those higher education providers who actively select applicants for their courses greater control over admissions."
Ucas will take a final decision on whether to abolish the tariff system in the autumn, the report says.

Teacher’s hit back at Prime Minister David Cameron’s comments on school sports


David Cameron faced a furious backlash from teachers after he criticised staff for refusing to play their part in running school sports.
The Prime Minister warned there would have to be a "big cultural change" in schools if Britain was to build a successful sporting legacy in the wake of the London Olympics.
His comments drew an angry response from teaching unions who pointed to cuts to the School Sport Partnership and the continued sell-off of school playing fields, despite coalition promises that they would be protected.
The row erupted as it emerged that ministers had ditched a target introduced by the former Labour government for all state school pupils to take part in at least two hours of PE and sport a week.
Mr Cameron defended the decision, arguing that Labour's approach had been counter-productive.
"If you just simply sit there in Whitehall and set a target but don't actually do anything to help schools meet it, you are not really solving the problem," he told London's LBC 97.3 radio station.
"By just saying 'Look, I want you to do this many hours a week' some schools think 'Right, as I've hit that minimum requirement, I've ticked the box and I can give up."'
The Prime Minister insisted a lack of resources was not the problem, with £1 billion being invested in school sport over the next four years, and said the real issue was the need to restore a "competitive ethos".
"Frankly, if the only problem was money, you'd solve this with money," he said.
"The problem has been too many schools not wanting to have competitive sport, some teachers not wanting to join in and play their part.
"So if we want to have a great sporting legacy for our children - and I do - we have got to have an answer that brings the whole of society together to crack this, more competition, more competitiveness, more getting rid of the idea all-must-win-prizes and you can't have competitive sports days.
"We need a big cultural change - a cultural change in favour of competitive sports. That's what I think really matters."
His comments were branded "foolhardy" by Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, who said he failed to realise that he was "the architect of a worsening situation".
"It's not because of teachers that funding for the School Sport Partnership has been so drastically reduced," she said.
"What we need is the support of Government, not the shifting of blame. We know of many teachers who are spending time from their summer break taking children from their schools to the Games."
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said it was "unfair" to blame schools for failing to foster a competitive spirit.
"The real issue is the major cuts that this coalition Government has made to school sports. They have cut school budgets in real terms, which has reduced the resources available for schools to spend on sport," she said.
"By ratcheting up the high stakes school accountability regime, ministers have forced schools to focus on a narrow core of academic subjects, which has reduced time in the curriculum for PE."
Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said school sports needed the right facilities and funding to flourish.
"Obviously, the selling off of playing fields by both major political parties has not been a good step," he said.
"I think it's a bit rich to make a comment like this when one of the most successful schemes was the work done by sports colleges and school sports partnerships, and two years ago that funding was removed by the current Government."
British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan said that while different teachers had "different agendas", there were many who did get involved in sport and who deserved support.
"It is right some would not choose to stay on after school to teach sport but there are a lot that would," he said. "We need to give them the tools to do the job - the time and the facilities."
Mr Cameron acknowledged that since the coalition came to power, 21 school playing fields had been approved for disposal - but said in each case it was because the schools concerned were being closed or merged, the land involved was marginal, or it was for reasons of improving sports access.
"It was a mistake that playing fields were sold in the past. They are not being sold any more," he said.

Thousands of ex-students over-pay student loans


Previous Students have been advised to apply for refunds from the Student Loans Company (SLC) after it emerged that the firm had collected an additional £3.65m from students repaying their students loans.
The controversial company in charge of collecting student loan repayments for the Government has taken tens of millions of pounds extra from unwitting graduates. Tens of thousands of people have been advised to apply for refunds from the Student Loans Company (SLC) after it emerged that the firm had collected an additional £36.5m from them in 2010-11 alone.
More than 63,000 former students carried on repaying from their salary, often for months, after they had paid off loans taken out to fund university education. The average amount overpaid was £577, although several graduates claim they paid out several thousand pounds more than they owed.
The total "over-repaid" by graduates is the highest amount ever taken by the SLC, despite assurances that it had made strenuous attempts to ensure it didn't collect more than was due. Graduates overpaid by £22m in 2009-10, compared to £19m in 2008-09 and almost £16m in 2007-08.
Student groups last night blamed a lack of communication between the SLC and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for the millions disappearing from graduates' incomes.
Pete Mercer, vice-president of the National Union of Students (NUS), said: "The huge overpayments we're seeing annually on student loans demonstrate that a switch to real-time communication between the Student Loans Company and HMRC cannot come soon enough."
The revelation is the latest in a series of embarrassments to have hit the Glasgow-based organisation, founded in 1990 to administer low-interest loans for UK students. The SLC chief executive and chairman were forced to resign in 2010, following repeated criticism of delays in processing applications for financial support.
It emerged earlier this year that the new chief executive, Ed Lester, was being paid through a private company in an arrangement that helped to slash tens of thousands of pounds from his tax bill.
As student debt has risen to an average of £13,000 per graduate, almost three million people are now making regular payments to the SLC, often directly through their pay packets. The company has now revealed, in response to a Freedom of Information request, that 63,210 customers over-repaid a total of £36.5m in 2010-11, the last year for which figures are available.
The SLC claims the problem is caused because HMRC only tells it how much has been paid by each borrower once a year, usually a few weeks after the financial year ends in April. The time lag means graduates who settled their loans during the year may not have their direct payments stopped until several months later, when the SLC has received confirmation of how much they have paid.
"We contact all graduate customers who are identified as likely to overpay their loans and advise them of their options coming towards the end of their repayment," said Kevin O'Connor, SLC head of repayment.
"They can choose to take up our direct debit scheme or make arrangements to pay their loan balance."
Since 2009, the company has allowed customers coming to the end of their loan to pay by direct debit for the last two years, making overpayment less likely. But almost 60,000 of the 151,000 offered the facility have failed to take it up. The SLC insists all over-repayments are refunded with interest, but the onus is on borrowers to notice they have paid too much and demand their money back.

Increased tuition fees leads to a ‘clear drop’ in University applications


The increase in tuition fees to a maximum of £9,000 a year has led to a "clear drop" in the number of English students applying for university places this autumn, an independent analysis of the impact of the coalition's controversial reform has found.
According to the Independent Commission on Fees, there are 15,000 students expected to have a sought a place on a degree course this academic year but did not.
The raising of fees prompted violent protests on the streets of London and inflicted deep damage on the reputation of the Liberal Democrats, who went into the election pledging to vote against a fee rise. Published a week before A-level results come out, the report says that the number of university applicants in England dropped by 8.8% this year compared with the tally for 2010.
In addition there was a 7.2% fall in numbers of 18- and 19-year-old applicants in England between this year and 2010, the last year of applications before the cap on tuition fees was raised.
The decline in England has not been mirrored in other parts of the UK where fees have not been raised, and the drop can only partly be explained by falling numbers of young people in the population, the commission says.
Students from Scotland attending Scottish universities do not pay fees, while the Welsh assembly says it will pay fees above £3,465 for Welsh students attending UK institutions. Fees for students from Northern Ireland are also capped at £3,465.
About one person in 20 who would have been expected to have applied to university this year (if the trend of increasing application rates among English school-leavers was maintained) did not do so, the report says. This equates to approximately 15,000 young applicants.
The commission is chaired by Will Hutton, who said;
"We're asking our young men and women to assume more debt than any other country in the world – it's higher than the average debt in the US. It's not clear whether those lost this year will return to the fold next year, or [if] it's a storm warning of a worrying trend."
The commission's report says there does not seem to be a disproportionate impact on poorer or less advantaged communities. In addition the commission found there was no significant change in the application rate to the most selective universities, such as Oxford or Cambridge.
The average tuition fee at English universities this year is £8,385, rising to £8,507 next year. UK and EU students are entitled to take out government-backed loans to pay the fees.
Hutton said: "Although it is too early to draw any firm conclusions, this study provides initial evidence that increased fees have an impact on application behaviour. There's a clear drop in application numbers from English students when compared to their counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
"On a positive note, we are pleased to see that, at this stage, there has been no relative drop-off in applicants from less advantaged neighbourhoods. We will continue to monitor a range of indicators as the fee increases work their way through the system."
A National Foundation for Educational Research survey of pupils found tuition fees and overall university costs were the most common factors deterring young people from studying for a degree.
However the survey of 1,000 pupils aged 15-18, conducted this April, found that the majority expected to go on to higher education.
Liam Burns, president of the National Union of Students, said: "We have always said it would be a tragedy if any young person were put off applying to or going to university because of financial concerns."
Any inquiry into the impact of fees had to look beyond applications to explore how varying fee levels affected the choices made by candidates from different backgrounds, Burns said.
Demand for university places still outstrips supply, and A-level results next Thursday 16th August will trigger a scramble for places. There were 700,000 applicants for university last year, of whom 492,030 were accepted. So far this year, there have been more than 618,000 applications for about the same number of degree course places.
The universities minister David Willetts said: "We do accept that after a peak last year, applications are down from 31.6% of people applying to university to 30.6%. That is actually still the second highest rate of applications on record."
He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "We still have very strong demand for university."
Willetts said the new system, which saw students start repaying their fees after they had graduated and were earning £21,000 a year or more, was fairer and "much more like an income tax".
A spokeswoman at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which is responsible for universities, said: "Even with a small reduction in applications, this will still be a competitive year like any other as people continue to understand that university remains a good long-term investment in their future.
"Students should not be put off going to university for financial reasons. Most students will not have to pay upfront, and no one will have to start paying back their student loan until they start to earn at least £21,000 per year."

'Startling turnaround' transforms London state schools


According to a new study by the Financial Times newspaper, state schools in London are the best in England, after it found out that pupils in these schools did better in five GCSEs including maths and English than pupils from any other region.
The results are published after the Financial Times analysed 3.5 million children’s exam results for the six years to 2011.
FT education correspondent Chris Cook said that when the figures were adjusted to account for poverty London's performance was even stronger.
Analysis of the data from the National Pupil Database showed that results improved during the six-year period. In 2004 London's exam results were just fourth best out of nine English regions.
During the period the performance gap between richer and poorer pupils narrowed in London - a change that was not mirrored elsewhere in England, suggests the analysis.
The FT says that by 2011 pupils in some of the poorest areas of the capital were outperforming children in more affluent areas.
For example the FT says: "A London child can expect to achieve one better grade in three subjects than a similar child from a similar neighbourhood in the south-eastern counties".
At their most extreme the figures suggest a child from the top-performing borough, Westminster, would outperform a similar child from a similar neighbourhood in Hull by two grades in every subject.
Commenting on the findings, Chris Husbands, director of London University's Institute of Education said the improvement in London results made the capital "not only the national but in many ways the international school success story in the last 10 years."

Thursday 2 August 2012

Schools should do more to tackle bad behaviour says Barnardos charity.

Leading children’s charity Barnardo’s has warned that schools must do more to tackle the
root causes of bad behaviour.

Barnardo's says unruly children may have special needs or serious problems at home. These
may be causing them to "act out" rather than "act up" in class.

Barnardo's Chief Executive, Anne Marie Carrie said: "A school teacher's job is not an easy
one, but they must look behind the behaviour to see the child. Unruly pupils may be acting
out, not just acting up.

"The most 'out of control' children may be the most vulnerable children facing horrendous
problems at home.

The Government's behaviour tsar, Charlie Taylor has said there has been an increase in
children who need more help and support to tackle their problems.

Official Department for Education figures showed that children with special educational
needs [SEN] are nine times more likely to be expelled from school.

The charity argues that behavioural problems often start at home or in the community,
with some youngsters dealing with issues such domestic violence or parents who are drug
addicts.

Mr Taylor told the Commons Education Committee last month that there was a group of
children in schools "who show very extreme behaviour, very difficult, challenging, violent
behaviour".

They were often "quite young children" and he said the numbers were possibly increasing.

He added that these groups needed "extra interventions" and "more help" and for whom
the "basic standards of just a really well-run school aren't enough".

He has also called for all trainee teachers to be equipped with adequate behaviour
management training.

The National Union of Teachers general secretary Christine Blower said: "Teachers are
extremely committed to developing inclusive practice and make good progress in this.

"Learning for children with SEN must be co-ordinated across the school, and the
undervalued role of the SEN Co-Ordinator, or SENCO, is essential here."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19048288

The Unemployed Class of 2011

According to new figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency more than
20,000 graduates of 2011 were still unemployed six months after they graduated from
university. The dooming figures do not stop there - a further 10,720 graduates were forced
to snap up menial jobs such as care-taking, cleaning or administrative work in schools due to
lack and difficulty of gaining graduate jobs.

In addition there has been a major increase in the number of graduates working for no pay -
either volunteering, working for charities or on work experience.

In total, 4 percent of those who said they were in employment (around 6,000 graduates)
were in voluntary or unpaid work – a 23 percent increase on the previous year. This trend
was described as "worrying" by Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association
of School and College Leaders. "If it continues it will make it even more difficult for
disadvantaged young people to justify staying in education after 16," he said. "At a time
when university fees are increasing, this is yet another dis-incentive for students from
poorer backgrounds to aspire to university."

Overall, the figures showed that of the 224,045 graduates in 2011, just over 140,000 went
into full-time employment. Far more women (82,655) than men (57,425) secured full-time
jobs. Men, however, were more likely to be unemployed than women (10,860 compared
with 9,760), suggesting they may have been fussier about the type of employment they
were prepared to take up.

In terms of those deciding to remain in full-time study, women were again in the
ascendancy – 19,260 compared with 16,100 men. Of those in employment, 69 percent were
in full-time paid work, 22 per cent were employed part-time, 5 per cent were self-employed
or freelance and 4 per cent were doing unpaid voluntary work.

Most of those who found jobs were in professional or managerial occupations, but 10,720
were in what was described as "elementary occupations" while a further 755 were involved
in working as plant or machinery operatives.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/class-of-2011-20000-struggling-
to-find-paid-jobs-7979661.html

Is your child preparing for the 11+ exams?

Is your child preparing for the 11+ exams?

It may be August and you are looking forwards to the summer holidays and the last thing
on your mind may be the 11+ exams. However the 11+ exams are fast approaching with the
date of the exams set as Saturday the 8th of September for the Birmingham area. Therefore
it is important to help and motivate your child to prepare for the exams, if you haven’t
already started.

Normally a child should take a steady pace and start his/her preparation 6-12 months
before the actual 11+ test. This lengthy timeframe will allow your child to slowly build their
knowledge and acquire plenty of experience and confidence before the exams.

However, not everyone will get the opportunity to start preparation 6-12months in
advance, thus the last month of August is crucial.

You should encourage reading at home, a variety of different texts and setting tasks for
them to do every day. These tasks could vary from a range of activities, from playing
educational online games, to completing workbooks and worksheets.

By completing a variety of different tasks it will give you the opportunity to grasp the topics
in which you child succeeds in, and identify where they may be struggling. In this way you
can focus your revision and preparation on the particular area in which your child may need
the extra time and help.

Here are some ways you can support your child prepare for the 11+:

1) Ensure that they are strong on the basics of Maths i.e firm foundations of
2)adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, tables, decimals. Fractions,
percentages – this will allow secure success on more advanced work
3) Develop their confidence with reading and writing at a stage above that expected of their age?
4) Particularly ensure that when reading they understand what they
read and are able to speak confidently and with insight
5)Basics of grammar, vocabulary and tenses are essential foundations for strong
creative writing
6)Work with them to ensure their vocabulary is varied and interesting
7)Practice verbal reasoning and non verbal reasoning papers with them so they
become used to the format of questions and the different types of questions
8)Encourage them to finish practice exams papers within the time limit

Government relaxes requirement for QTS status at Academies

The Government has relaxed the requirement for Academies that all teachers must have QTS status. Thus,
Academies can now hire new teachers who do not have QTS status.

Government officials say this means academies will be free to hire "great linguists, computer scientists and
other specialists who have not worked in state schools before".

The change is immediate and Unions for head teachers and teachers have attacked the move, describing it as a
damaging backward step.

Until now, most state-funded schools could only employ people with what is known as "Qualified Teacher
Status (QTS)", meaning they have been trained and approved as meeting a range of standards, however
independent schools are exempt from this rule.

The change also brings academies in line with the new free schools, which are already free to employ people
without QTS.

Academies, like free schools, are funded by the state but are semi-independent, outside of local authority
control and have greater freedom over the curriculum and teachers' pay and conditions than other schools.

The government says it still expects "the vast majority" of teachers to have the qualification, but that the
change will allow head teachers to bring in professionals with "great knowledge and new skills".

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "This policy will free up academies to employ
professionals - like scientists, engineers, musicians, university professors, and experienced teachers and heads
from overseas and the independent sector - who may be extremely well-qualified and are excellent teachers,
but do not have QTS status."

Christine Blower, the general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "This is a perverse decision by
the Department for Education and a clear dereliction of duty.

"The NUT believes all children deserve to be taught by qualified teachers - Parents and teachers will see this as
a cost-cutting measure that will cause irreparable damage to children's education."

The changes will apply to schools switching to become academies. Existing academies will have to apply to
make the change by altering their contract (funding agreement) with the government.

About half of England's secondary schools are now either academies or are in the process of becoming
academies. Only a small percentage of primary schools have made the change.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19017544

Number of graduates working for free or in low-paid jobs is on the increase

According to new figures compiled by The Independent, the number of graduates going into unpaid
employment or voluntary work has increased by 23% in the past year and have more than tripled
since 2003.

A report, due to be released by the Higher Education Statistics Authority, claims 6,295graduates
worked for free last year – an increase from 5,120 on the year before.

The figures also show the number of graduates going into the internships, or low or unpaid
positions, in the professional services rose by21 per cent in the past year. In Scotland the increase
was as high as 36%.

In the UK it is illegal for employers to pay less than the national minimum wage of £6.08 an hour
to workers aged 21 and over. But according to a recent survey by Chartered Institute for Personnel
and Development, more than a third of employers do not pay that amount. Internships, which are
aimed at giving graduates on-the-job training in the professions, are common in marketing, banking,
finance, information services and creative industries such as publishing.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "We need to end the unfair expectation that young
people will work for nothing or next to nothing. This deliberate over-reliance on free or low-paid
work helps keep less affluent graduates out of the most desirable jobs and bolsters recruitment
through the old school tie network."

The skills sector organisation Creative and Cultural Skills and the Arts Council of England
recommends all interns be paid at least the national minimum wage.

A Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spokesman said: "We encourage businesses to
offer internships openly and transparently and to provide financial support to ensure fair access. It
is for employers to ensure they comply with national minimum wage legislation and it is for young
people themselves to weigh up the potential benefits to their employability."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/big-rise-in-number-of-graduates-
forced-to-work-for-free-7973450.html

Exam boards make last minute changes to Geography GCSE syllabuses



Exam boards have been accused of making major last-minute changes to geography GCSE syllabuses
which could jeopardize pupils' learning. This comes after some schools complained of only receiving
the new course details last Wednesday, just a few days before the end of the school year.

Exam boards have been required to tighten up geography GCSE by September because of concerns
about standards, sparking complains of an unrealistic time frame.

A spokesman for the exams watchdog Ofqual admitted timing was tight.

The move to toughen up exams came after an investigation by the Daily Telegraph uncovered
evidence of exam boards giving secret advice to teachers on how to achieve better grades for their
pupils.

An undercover reporter filmed a senior Edexcel examiner claiming the company's GCSE geography
tests were not as difficult as those from other exam boards

In a statement Ofqual said: "Exam boards have been developing new versions of the qualifications
and submitting them to us for accreditation.

"Those that meet our requirements are available to teachers, but we will not accredit any
qualifications that do not meet the standards we require. We know that time is now tight for first
teaching in September, but we could not allow the previous versions to continue and the new
versions must pass muster."

Ofqual said more geography GCSE syllabuses from other exam boards are yet to be accredited.

Professor David Lambert of the Geographical Association said that imposing the changes in a rush
had generated "rising levels of concern in the teaching profession”.

Brian Lightman, of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "Giving teachers the details
of exam changes on what is, for most, the last week of term would be laughable if it wasn't so
serious."

A spokeswoman for Edexcel said: "We recognize the challenges that late access to specifications
pose for teachers, and we have made changes as quickly as we could without compromising the
quality of the specification.

The OCR and AQA exam boards, which still await accreditation for some of their new courses, said
they would keep teachers fully updated on the progress of the changes.

New courses for maths GCSE are due by November and for history and English literature by
September 2013.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18927792