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Ofsted - CVA tables meaningless
Add : 04:00:07 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Education CVA tables meaningless England education inspectorate
England's education inspectorate has said that government tables of "top performing" schools are "meaningless".
Ofsted says contextual value added (CVA) scores - taking into account external factors such as poverty - are the best measure of education quality.
But it adds that absolute CVA values or rankings using them have no meaning because of the way they are calculated.
The Department ... |
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Who are the low-achieving pupils?
Add : 03:58:10 2008-08-19
View : 91 | Vote : 1 |
Tag : UK News Education low-achieving pupils between poverty and low achievers
By Sean Coughlan
BBC News education reporter
Among those 11-year-olds who failed to reach the expected level in their English tests, 84% were classified as either having special needs, English as a second language or else qualified for free school meals.
These figures show that among the one in five pupils who failed to make the grade in this subject, there was an overwhelming link to eith... |
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Knight confident on Sats result
Add : 03:55:41 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Education Schools Minister Jim Knight despite embarrassing problems
Schools Minister Jim Knight says he has confidence in England's Sats results, despite the embarrassing problems with the return of this year's papers.
The tests taken by 11-year-olds show a slight improvement - and Mr Knight says the sample size, in excess of 90%, makes them statistically reliable.
About 5,000 test papers from about 460 primary schools have not been returned.
Teachers' un... |
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Scots pupils receive exam results
Add : 03:53:11 2008-08-19
View : 77 | Vote : 1 |
Tag : UK News Education 150,000 pupils across Scotland Scots pupils receive exam
More than 150,000 pupils across Scotland have been receiving their exam results.
Pass rates at Higher and Standard Grade were at their highest level since the new system came in eight years ago.
For Highers, the pass rate rose 1.7% in a year, while overall figures were said to have shown a "small but encouraging" increase in attainment.
Scottish Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop said this ... |
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Students juggle classes and jobs
Add : 03:51:23 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Education Financial downturn Students juggle classes jobs
Nearly half of all university students in the UK will be juggling their studies with part-time work when the new term begins, new research suggests.
NatWest's annual poll showed that four in 10 will have to work to help pay their way through university.
They will earn a total of £2bn, while their combined cost of living has risen to £10.8bn, from £10.3bn in 2007.
NatWest's fifth Studen... |
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Why did top English grades fall?
Add : 03:49:52 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Education national curriculum tests proportion higher achieving
By Gary Eason
Education editor, BBC News website
The proportion of higher achieving 11-year-olds in national curriculum tests in English fell five percentage points this year to 29%.
Yet the proportion achieving this Level 5 in the reading component stayed the same, at 48%, and the proportion doing so in writing went up, from 19% to 20%.
So how can it be that the overall result fell so s... |
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School cuts detailed in proposals
Add : 03:46:35 2008-08-19
View : 51 | Vote : 1 |
Tag : UK News Education School cuts detailed Aberdeen secondary schools
The full scale of budget cuts facing Aberdeen secondary schools has emerged in a confidential report to councillors.
Class sizes getting bigger, the number of teachers falling and less choice of subjects on the curriculum are among the proposals.
Aberdeen City Council leaders declined to comment due to it being a confidential report.
Aberdeen Central Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald said he was... |
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Pupils have results - but not ETS
Add : 03:44:36 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Education School test contractor ETS
School test contractor ETS has lost the marks achieved by a primary school's pupils in their maths test.
The test scripts were marked and sent back before the end of term to St Andrew's school in Shifnal, Shropshire. It issued the results to pupils.
But when it looked up their marks on the official website they were missing.
ETS has asked the head teacher if it can have the scripts back s... |
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Bad spelling should be accepted
Add : 03:43:09 2008-08-19
View : 70 | Vote : 1 |
Tag : UK News Education Common spelling mistakes Bucks New University
Common spelling mistakes should be accepted into everyday use, not corrected, a lecturer has said.
Ken Smith of Bucks New University says the most common mistakes should be accepted as "variant spellings".
He lists the 10 most commonly misspelt words, which include "arguement" for "argument" and "twelth" for "twelfth".
Mr Smith says his proposal, outlined in an article in the Times Higher... |
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Test results record small gains
Add : 03:40:58 2008-08-19
View : 62 | Vote : 1 |
Tag : UK News Education England primary schools
There has been a slight improvement in children's attainment in English and maths tests in England's primary schools, provisional results show.
The proportion reaching the expected standard in English was 81% compared with 80% last year.
In maths it was 78% against 77%, while the science score was unchanged on 88%.
Publication has been denounced by a head teachers' union because of the de... |
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Graduate jobs market stays strong
Add : 03:37:43 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Education UK graduate jobs market lowest unemployment rate
The UK graduate jobs market seems to be holding firm, with the lowest graduate unemployment rate for five years.
An annual survey tracking students six months after graduation found that 5.6% are out of work, compared with 6.1% the previous year.
The highest rates of unemployment were among computer science and creative arts graduates.
Students with the lowest degree grades were also foun... |
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Ex-burglar offered study place
Add : 03:35:50 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Education Bradford student rejected London medical college
A Bradford student rejected by a London medical college because of his criminal record has been given a conditional offer by a different university.
Imperial College told Majid Ahmed, 18, his "spent" burglary conviction meant he could not study to be a doctor.
The BBC understands Mr Ahmed, who got four A grades at A-level, has been offered a place at Manchester University, subject to final c... |
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Children bullied over brands
Add : 03:23:23 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Education Absolutely Fabulous Children bullied over brands
Children who cannot afford or do not want to buy fashionable brands face mockery and bullying, says research from a teachers' union.
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers said children were under "huge pressure" to buy brands.
The teachers' survey claims children are strongly aware of brands and logos, but pay little attention to the green or ethical values of products.
Brands are mor... |
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CBI wants more pupils in science
Add : 03:19:53 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Education British business leaders CBI pupils science
British business leaders want all brighter teenagers to take three separate science subjects in secondary school.
The Confederation of British Industry wants separate sciences to be the norm, rather than combined science.
England's education ministers say those who do well in tests will now have an entitlement to separate sciences.
In Scotland, a science baccalaureate is being introduced ... |
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Oxford delays on A grade offers
Add : 00:17:37 2008-08-19
View : 71 | Vote : 1 |
Tag : UK News Education Oxford University Oxford delays grade offers
Oxford University says it will not make conditional offers for places based on the new A* grade at A-level when it is first awarded in 2010.
The higher grade is intended to identify the most able students and to help universities choose from among many candidates with A grades.
But there are concerns it will become dominated by independent schools, hitting efforts to widen participation.
... |
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Student debt could top £17,500
Add : 00:14:54 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Education Credit crunch Student debt
Students who started university in the UK last year can expect to owe more than £17,500 by the time they leave, according to an annual poll on debt.
The Push survey of 2,000 students also suggests that the average debt tops £4,500 for each year of study - nearly 10% more than last year.
The rise suggests students are being badly hit by the credit crunch.
Another poll of 3,385 students f... |
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Bosses say education has worsened
Add : 00:12:17 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Education Higher expectations shown huge improvements
Nearly half of senior managers believe education in the UK has declined over the last 10 years, despite improvements in exam results, a study suggests.
The majority of managers polled in an Institute of Directors study also said young people's skills, particularly in writing and mathematics, had weakened.
But the survey of 500 institute members also suggests that young people have better inf... |
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No quick exit from GCSE challenge
Add : 00:08:10 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Education Schools Secretary Ed Balls
Secondary schools in England which rise above the government's exam threshold in this week's GCSE results will not automatically leave a strugglers' list.
The National Challenge requires schools to have 30% of pupils achieving five good GCSEs including English and maths.
But even if schools climb above this benchmark they will, in the short term at least, remain designated as part of this st... |
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Ministers to get flooding update
Add : 00:03:45 2008-08-19
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Tag : UK News Northern Ireland ministers Ministers flooding update
Northern Ireland's ministers are to be updated about the response to the weekend flooding as clearing up after the deluge continues.
The emergency services are continuing to work to clear the Broadway underpass in Belfast, which at one point was submerged under 20ft of flood water.
Traffic managed to flow without major delay along the Westlink.
However, flooding on the railway line at Por... |
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Coasts may be abandoned to sea
Add : 23:56:32 2008-08-18
View : 54 | Vote : 0 |
Tag : UK News Coasts abandoned sea abandoned sea Environment Agency
Some parts of the British coastline are so badly eroded they are not worth protecting from the sea, the new head of the Environment Agency has said.
Lord Smith of Finsbury said work was already under way to identify areas of the east and south coast most at risk.
He told the Independent that the UK faced hard choices over which coasts to defend and which to leave to the sea.
Lord Smith sa... |
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Police dog saved thief from river
Add : 23:52:11 2008-08-18
View : 42 | Vote : 1 |
Tag : UK News Police dog saved thief river Police dog
A would-be thief was rescued by a police dog after jumping into a river in a bid to escape justice.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard Glen Lyon was spotted acting suspiciously near two houses in Bridge of Don last month.
He was chased by police officers before jumping into the river, where he was dragged to safety by the dog.
Lyon, from Peterculter, pleaded guilty to intending to steal from th... |
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UK soldier killed in Afghan blast
Add : 23:44:57 2008-08-18
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Tag : UK News UK soldier killed Afghan blast British soldier southern Afghanistan
A British soldier has been killed in southern Afghanistan when insurgents attacked a patrol, Nato's International Security Assistance Force has said.
The serviceman died when an explosion hit a joint UK-Afghan patrol at 0825 local time in Helmand province.
The soldier was from 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, attached to 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment.
Next of kin hav... |
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Two charged with Antigua murders
Add : 23:28:00 2008-08-18
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Tag : UK News Two charged Antigua murders Caribbean island Catherine and Ben Mullany honeymoon
A man and a youth have been charged with the murders of honeymoon couple Catherine and Ben Mullany on Antigua.
The pair, aged 20 and 17, appeared in court on the Caribbean island, and are also charged with robbery and receiving stolen goods.
The two have been remanded in custody. Two women have also been charged in connection with handling stolen goods.
Dr Mullany and her husband, both 31... |
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Genette case prosecution dropped
Add : 23:24:19 2008-08-18
View : 57 | Vote : 0 |
Tag : UK News Genette case prosecution dropped Crown Prosecution Service
Police have confirmed that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute a man arrested over the disappearance of Genette Tate in 1978.
The 13-year-old schoolgirl vanished while on a newspaper round in Aylesbeare, Devon.
Police submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service after arresting and interviewing child killer Robert Black regarding the case in 2005.
It remains Britain's longest... |
