Subject:                                     Weekly news update 19

 

 

 

 

 

This week.....catch up on all the news from the last two weeks in this bumper edition of the weekly update. Put some of the

events listed below in your diary and have a read of the Cambridge Primary Review. Don’t forget its Fair Trade fortnight too

so get your school to play its part and download the free lesson plans and assemblies at –

www.traidcraft.co.uk/news_and_events/events/fairtrade_fortnight/schools_resources/ 

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News and Events

 

Educational Excellence event

SCHOOLS NorthEast held a very successful ‘Educational Excellence: making it happen in the North East’ event on Friday 13

February in Newcastle. The working lunch brought together Leaders in Business and Education from across the North East to

discuss how closer ties between business and schools can deliver educational excellence in our region. An action plan will be

developed following on from the event and picking up on the many points raised by the attendees. Details and photographs from

the afternoon will be available on the website shortly.

To read a full press release about the event, go to - http://www.schoolsnortheast.com/content/new-resources/Press%20releases.html.

 

A master class in happiness

Sign up for a series of three Master Classes aimed at building optimism and resilience in children, young adults and their families,

maximising positive beliefs and creating infectious positivity in the workplace. The three conferences, with international speakers

(Shelle Rose Charvet, Sonja Lyubomirsky and Mary Gordon), have been developed by Gateshead and Newcastle City Councils,

and sponsored by GONE and Northumbria University with the aim to help practitioners develop positive thinking strategies both

for themselves and for the children and families with whom they work, in order to promote resilient thinking and future optimism.

North Tyneside and South Tyneside and Northumbria will also be show casing their work.

For more information or to sign up, contact Helen Walker - helen.walker@newcastle.gov.uk, 0191 2115391. A flier will be available on the Schools

NorthEast website from tomorrow.

 

Don’t forget about the....

EU and all that!

Want to improve your Citizenship teaching? Need help in delivering lessons on the European Parliament and Identity and Diversity?

Then the EU and All That! Citizenship conferences are for you. Run by the UK Office of the European Parliament and Hansard Society,

 the EU and All That! conferences give teachers a comprehensive understanding of how to deliver engaging Citizenship lessons, with

workshops on the latest activities and teaching resources. Attendees receive all the resources free, giving them confidence to deliver

innovative Citizenship lessons immediately. The EU and All That! conferences are free and travel expenses will be paid.

The next EU and All That! conference is taking place in Newcastle on the 11^th March 2009.

For more information or to register contact citizenship@hansard.lse.ac.uk

 

Preventing Violent Extremism

Last chance to register your attendance at the ‘Preventing Violent Extremism’ event led by Government Office North East. Representatives

from DCSF and DIUS will be attending to discuss the role of educational institutions in relation to PREVENT and the development of an

information sharing protocol. Have your say on the guidance materials produced to support staff who might

contribute to the PREVENT objectives.This will be a half day event on Thursday 26 February, starting at 8.30am at the Ramside Hall Hotel.

Register online at - http://esurveys.gos.gov.uk/phpESP/public/survey.php?name=Violent_Extremism or email Bev Heatley - bev.heatley@gone.gsi.gov.uk

 

Healthy Eating Roadshow

As part of National Science and Engineering Week, bring your Key Stage 2 pupils along to the Expochef Healthy Eating roadshow,

an interactive cooking demonstration by entrepreneurial Chef Mark Earnden, that turns cooking into educational entertainment.

This free event promotes healthy eating in the community and shows pupils how to make food fun, easy and healthy.

Date: Wednesday 11 March 2009, time: 10.30am  and 1.30pm, venue: Science and Learning Centre North East, Durham

For more information call – 0191 3706200 or email - slc.northeast@durham.ac.uk

 

School Business Managers International Conference 2009

Take advantage of the early bird discount by registering before 27 February for the School Business Managers International Conference,

brought to you by the NCSL and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). The event will throw together school leaders

(including Business Managers and Head Teachers), local authority representatives, governors, training providers and government organisations,

to consider the development and impact of school business managers globally. Date: 22-23 June 2009, Venue: Manchester United Football

Club, Manchester

To register of for more information, go to - http://www.ncsl.org.uk/NNfeb09/events-index/sbmconference-index.htm

Sustainable School Workshops

Find out how the effective contribution of whole school schemes (such as Healthy Schools, Eco-Schools, RSPB Wildlife Action Awards and

Food for Life) can support the Sustainable Schools agenda and your school’s progress. The Sustainable School workshops – supported by the

North East Strategic Partnership for Sustainable Schools (NESPSS), DCSF and Government Office North East are free events and open to

all of the region’s schools. Choose from two dates:

·         Friday 6 March, 9.15am - 12pm, The Langdale Centre, Wallsend (Booking closes at noon on Wednesday 4 March)

·         Thursday 12 March, 1.15-4pm, Darlington Football Club, Darlington (Booking closes at noon on Tuesday 10 March)

For further information or to book a place see the registration form or contact Nikki Lamb - 0191 373 9799

 

Our Voice youth debate

Send all your 14- 18 year pupils olds along to the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead on Saturday 28 February from 12 to

6pm to voice their opinions on the 2008 Education and Skills Bill - the biggest reform in educational participation for more than 50 years.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission want to explore how to improve the meaningful engagement and life chances of all young people

by engaging them in the debate around the implications of the new Act.

To register your pupils contact Suzanne Devlin before the 24 February- suzanne.devlin@equalityhumanrights.com, 0191 202 3634.

 

Beyond the School Walls: Learning Outside the Classroom

Find out more about opportunities to enhance and enrich learning across the curriculum through visits. Museums and Galleries aim to help

schools put the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto into action with exciting and innovative learning opportunities. These two INSET

events will include a wide representation of museums and galleries from across the North East and offer the chance to meet museum

education staff.Choose from two dates:

·         Tuesday 24 February 2009, 4.30 to 6.30pm, Preston Hall Museum, Yarm Road, Eaglescliffe, Tees Valley

·         Tuesday 3 March 2009, 4.30 to 6.30pm, Woodhorn Museum, QE II Country Park, Ashington, Northumberland

Suitable for all Teachers, student teachers and support staff. Booking is essential and a limited number of bursaries are available.

Contact Thomas Elwick at The Regional Museums Hub - thomas.elwick@twmuseums.org.uk, tel: 0191 263 9860

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News round-up

 

Local news

·         Company help for school (Northern Echo)

·         Extra Durham primary school places planned (Northern Echo)

·         Cash grant will help school sport (Northern Echo)

·         Darlington school to be renamed (Northern Echo)

·         Meetings called over Durham schools shake-up (Northern Echo)

·         Eco club clears school site (Northern Echo)

·         Thornhill pupils learning Latin and Greek (Sunderland Echo)

·         Sunderland pupils are exhibitionists (Sunderland Echo)

·         North East pupils go green to save energy (Northern Echo)

·         Pupils relive the mining tragedy (Northern Echo)

·         Teeside school wins new playground (Northern Echo)

·         Greenside Primary pupils go back in time (The Chronicle)

·         North East school building schedule 'fanciful' (Northern Echo)

·         They came from the outer reaches of the national curriculum (The Journal)

·         Morpeth school pupils given grant to grow their own food (The Journal)

·         New diplomas get thumbs up in Gateshead (bdaily)

·         Sunderland pupils take to the dance floor (The Northern Echo)

·         School plans on show (Sunderland Echo)

·         Pupils have fun with Wearside's Heritage bid (Sunderland Echo)

·         North East Schools Awards launched today (The Journal)

·         Northumberland schools trashing for cash (The Chronicle)

 

Cambridge Primary Review

·         Primary curriculum at odds with early years learning (Children and Young People Now)

·         Cambridge Primary Review special report on the primary curriculum (Cambridge Primary Review)

·         Schools 'failing to fire the imagination' (Times)

·         State school system cries out for creativity (Times)

·         Tests blamed for blighting children's lives (Guardian)

·         Generation of pupils let down by focus on tests (Daily Telegraph)

·         School report hits at focus on test scores (Financial Times)

·         Schoolchildren's lives 'are being impoverished' (Independent)

·         Richard Garner: Pupils have a right to a varied education (Independent)

·         Primary schools are accused of turning out philistine pupils (Daily Mail)

·         Primary education 'is deficient' (BBC News Online)

·         Primary Review calls for radical curriculum change (TES)

 

Report cards, SATs and GCSE’s

·         School report cards would be a 'bureaucratic burden' (Children and Young People Now)

·         Teachers' unions call to scrap Sats (Gazette Live)

·         New fears over dumbing down of key exams (Observer)

·         Diplomas better than GCSEs, says minister (Financial Times)

·         International GCSEs 'can be offered in state schools' (Daily Telegraph)

·         New fears over dumbing down of key exams (The Guardian)

·         Reach for the stars? GCSE measure would target elite (The TES)

·         New name may signal green light for IGCSEs (The TES)

·         Secondary markers may take up KS2 Sats slack (The TES)

 

BSF

·         Government raid on pension funds to rescue schools building scheme (The Times)

·         Rebuilding programme seeks more EU money (The TES)

·         High anxiety over building programme (The TES)

·         Cash plan to rescue schools 'is a sham' (The Guardian)

 

State and Grammar school applications

·         Councils hit by rise in school applications (Daily Telegraph)

·         Grammars cut quotas to attract brightest pupils (Times)

·         Grammar schools see rush of applicants (Financial Times)

 

Politics and Education

·         Lib Dems unveils education spending priorities (BBC News)

·         Government wants more social enterprises to run children's services (Children and Young People Now)

·         Education policy attack sparks row over standards (Daily Telegraph)

·         Tiny turnout for Rose debate at Commons (The TES)

·         Lib Dems call for National Challenge to be scrapped (Children and Young People Now)

 

School starting age

·         Don't send children to school at four, warn experts (The Guardian)

·         Summer-born children 'more likely to struggle at school' (Daily Telegraph)

 

Diplomas and Apprenticeships

·         Apprenticeships for every young person is realistic says government (Children and Young People Now)

·         2,000 apprentices to be taken on across public services (Times)

·         Winners of schools contracts made to offer apprenticeships (Financial Times)

·         School-building firms to be made to hire apprentices (Sunday Mirror)

·         Apprentices part of schools plan (BBC News Online)

·         Unions divided on school apprenticeships plan (Children and Young People Now)

·         Top civil servant tears into key school policies (The TES)

·         Adviser 'sorry' for Diploma jibes (BBC News)

 

Academies

·         Academy protesters appeal judgment (The TES)

·         Supply teachers choose academies (The TES)

·         The real problem with academies (The Guardian)

·         Transcendental meditation on the curriculum under academy plan (The TES)

 

SEN

·         Strictly improved behaviour is a winner (The TES)

·         Minister urges headteachers to tackle special needs bullying and exclusions (The TES)

·         Meditation helps to calm hyperactive pupils in US (The TES)

·         Sir Alan: determined to steer a clear path in SEN provision (The TES)

 

Other educational news

·         Hundreds of complaints from parents about schools - but less than 2% investigated (Sunday Telegraph)

·         NUT demands 10% pay hike plus cash bonus (The TES)

·         Minister turns to Confucius to raise school standards (Sunday Times)

·         Exam boards warn that new regulator lacks teeth (The TES)

·         Ofsted accused of soft line on Muslims (The Times)

·         Grammar schools: the £70,000 good-news letter (Daily Telegraph)

·         State entries rise up Good Schools list (Financial Times)

·         Foreign recruits boost language learning (Independent)

·         Safe school trips list published (BBC News)

·         Members damn GTC on failure to win hearts or minds (The TES)

·         Loneliness, long hours and litigation make leadership a poisoned chalice (The TES)

·         State schools to offer boarding from seven (The Independent)

·         Head resigns over assemblies row (BBC News)

·         Schools should be heart of communities (Sir Cyril Taylor in The Guardian)

·         Charity rules condemned by schools (Daily Telegraph)

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Star pupil

Confucius – Fresh from a trip to Beijing (to investigate how schools in England might benefit from Chinese teaching methods),  

Schools Minister Jim Knight has announced that the answer to our education problems may lie in the famous Chinese philosopher

Confucius. Knight believes that the teachings of Confucius should be brought into English classrooms to boost exam results and

spread the idea of having a strong respect for the importance of education and the family. As Confucius said ...”Learning without

thought is labour lost. Thought without learning is intellectual death.”

 

Could do better

‘Pop’ Science lessons – despite earlier reports that the overhaul of the science curriculum last year was a great success - making

the subject more attractive and accessible for all, the British Science Association are now claiming that this has done more harm than

good as the curriculum now contains too much "waffle" and exams contain less demanding questions. The Royal Society of Chemistry

agrees, adding that there has been a "catastrophic slippage" in school science standards... another experiment gone wrong??

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Last week’s Head was on holiday. Look out for the next Head to Head on Monday.

 

If you would like to take part in our regular ‘Head to Head’ feature and tell us all about your week, please contact the team at

info@schoolsnortheast.com or call us on 0191 2805037.

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Funding and opportunities

 

International Leadership Learning Programme The NCSL invites senior School Leaders and School Business Managers to participate in its International Leadership Learning Programme (ILLP). The programme, delivered by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the Association of School and College Leaders, requires nine regional groups to participate and engage in a professional development programme that aims to have a positive impact on your school and wider system development. If you are not eligible to take part in an international visit, pass this along to your colleagues, as this opportunity is available for up to two members of a school's senior leadership team. Apply before Friday 27 February at - http://www.ncsl.org.uk/programmes-index/illp-index.htm   Seeds for schools If you haven’t received your letter from Ed Balls telling you about the Seeds for Schools scheme yet, let us get you up to speed on this fun and creative initiative from the Forestry Commission and the News of the World. The Scheme will see all primary and secondary schools in Britain receive a pack of 200 tree seeds and a DVD this Spring under an initiative aimed at addressing climate change in 2009.The Post Office have also very kindly offered to deliver the seeds to schools and pupils will have the chance to plant and care for the seeds following instructions carried in the newspaper and on a specially created website. Look out for your packets of seeds and why not approach local businesses that have an area of greenery, or organisations such as councils and local wildlife trusts, to take over care of the shoots, and nurture them into trees? To read your letter from Ed Balls go to - http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/13302/Document.pdf

 

FAO: KS2 Teachers

Filmmaking and screen heritage project

Sign your school up for the unique Newsreal project run by Newcastle’s Tyneside cinema and engage your children and teachers with

film-making, screen heritage and curriculum subjects in an exciting way. Professional filmmakers will be assisting KS2 pupils in creating

their own piece of newsreel footage, inspiring them with original newsreels. A celebratory screening of the pupil’s work will be shown at

the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle. This summer-term project is hugely popular so book quickly for your school to take part.

For more information or to reserve a place on the project contact Ben Greener on -0191 227 5508 or email - ben.greener@tynesidecinema.co.uk

 

Grab a maths expert

Schools NorthEast are in talks with the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) and have secured

the region’s schools get first dabs in grabbing a maths expert (if you need one) from their Advanced Skills Teacher scheme. The

NCETM will work in partnership with School Leaders in primary and secondary schools in appointing NCETM Advanced Skills Teachers.

These teachers will work 80% in school under the mentorship of the Head Teacher and 20% for the NCETM on regional and national

projects which build on and develop their skills as ASTs – giving them access to high quality personal professional development.

If you would like to work with the NCETM in this new approach to deploying ASTs, send an expression of interest to - mark.mccourt@ncetm.org.uk

 

Put your red nose on

Becta, the government agency for technology in learning and Comic Relief are calling for all schools to get involved in Red Nose Day 09

with a schools competition to find Britain's top classroom talent. In support of this year's Comic Relief theme 'Do Something Funny for Money'

this competition encourages schools to 'Perform Something Funny' and upload their own content onto the Red Nose Day Schools Showcase.

Each participating school is in with a chance of winning £5000 worth of ICT equipment for their school. The competition hopes children and

teachers will embrace technology in the classroom, showcasing both humour and the innovative use of computing facilities.

Enter your school today -  http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/resourcematerials/charities/comicrelief/rednose2009/

 

Switch your school to eco-friendly

If your school has achieved a bronze or silver certificate with the Eco-Schools programme and you have completed your environmental

review, you are eligible to apply for a grant under the ‘Switched on Communities’ scheme, an initiative run in conjunction with Curry’s.

Applications for grants up to a maximum of £5,000 are considered for new or existing projects that create positive change and development

within a school on the themes of energy and water.  Priority will be given to projects that clearly demonstrate an energy efficiency element

or identify technology solutions to environmental improvements. A selection of free energy saving white goods such as fridges, freezers,

washing machines, dishwashers and energy efficient light bulbs are also available under the scheme.

For more information or to apply for a grant, go to - http://savingenergyuk.co.uk/index.php/Grants-for-Eco-Schools.html

 

FAO: Secondary Heads

Join the Fellowship

If you have a good track record in developing out-of-school links, apply to be part of the Steve Sinnott Fellowship and become one of

fifteen talented practitioners to receive funding and support. This DCSF launched initiative aims to support School Leaders who play the

increasingly important role in schools of creating innovative external links and relationships to improve pupil aspiration and attainment.

The fellowship will enable Leaders to further their work in this role and allow them to share their experiences, offering their pupils

opportunities to develop wider experiences and skills.

Apply before the 2 March 2009 at - info@sinnottfellowship.co.uk

 

FAO: Science Coordinators / the Science community

Have your say on the Diploma in Science

If you have an interest in the success of the Diploma in Science, get your views and opinions heard and help shape the content of this

new qualification, due to go live in 2011, via the online consultation. The questionnaire will take approximately 20 minutes to complete

and runs until midday this coming Friday (27 February). All responses will be treated as confidential and the findings from this consultation

will be used to inform the development of the final statement of content for the Diploma in Science due for completion in April 2009.

It is suggested that you find out more at principal learning and read the Line of Learning statement before taking part.

To contribute to the consultation, go to - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3x1lNCrFuaFdr0GOXiKsxw_3d_3d

Help shape Big Lottery funding

Get your ‘big thinking’ caps on and help influence the Big Lottery’s funding policies for the next six years to ensure they have the big and

meaningful impact in our region. Go to www.bigthinking.org.uk and click on the Consultation Survey to offer your views. Alternatively locate

the Facebook page; Big-Lottery Northeast, or join the Facebook group; Big Mouth to participate in the on-going discussion.

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Wise words

 

The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.

John Maxwell

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SCHOOLS NorthEast is your network.  Please get in touch with your ideas, concerns, views and experiences- email: think@schoolsnortheast.com

 

....and don’t forget, if you’ve missed any of our previous weekly news updates, you can find them at:

http://www.schoolsnortheast.com/content/new-resources/weekly%20news.html

 

 

To unsubscribe to this weekly update, please email us at – info@schoolsnortheast.com

 

Have a good week!

 

SCHOOLS NorthEast Team

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katie Stonehouse

 

Communications Officer

SCHOOLS NorthEast

 

Tel:    0191 280 5037

www.schoolsnortheast.com