Subject:                                     Weekly news update 25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week.....have a spring in your step! Hopefully you are all feeling refreshed and bright after the Easter break. Get ready

to catch up on all the educational news in this bumper email including the announcements from the 2009 NUT, ATL and NASUWT

conferences held during Easter.

 

This Friday, SCHOOLS NorthEast will be at Newcastle Business School @ Northumbria University for the north east women

leaders conference where 400 female pupils from across the region will gather together to be inspired by the region’s leading

women in business, the media, education and the arts. There are still spaces available  so if you’d like to send students along,

get in touch today – 0191 2805037. For information on the event, go to - http://www.schoolsnortheast.com/content/events.html.

To read the newspaper coverage on the event, go to:

·         http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2009/04/07/inspiring-the-high-flyers-of-tomorrow-61634-23327467/ (The Journal)

·         Region's top women leaders challenged to inspire next generation (bdaily)

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News and Events

 

Inspire your pupils to be passionate about languages!

Did you know that the North East has the poorest uptake of Modern Languages at GCSE, AS and A‐Level in England? Through

a mixture of roadshows, language days, masterclasses, taster sessions and linguacasting, Routes into Languages North East,

have been trying to change this. You are invited to Modern Languages: "Influencing the Influencers", a seminar to engage

the region’s Head Teachers in a much needed discussion about the value and future of Modern Languages in the North East.

Date: Wednesday 13 May from 4.00pm – 5.30pm at The Sage, Gateshead, with the German Consul General from Edinburgh

as host. As Newcastle University (Lead institution in the NE Consortium) celebrates 50 years of German Studies, the seminar

will be followed by an evening of Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn from Northern Sinfonia, starting with a hot buffet at

5.30pm and a pre-concert talk on British-German music relations. Inspire yourselves and inspire your students!

Go to www.schoolsnortheast.com/events to sign up.

 

FAO: Tees valley schools

Do you want to unlock the creative potential of staff and pupils in your school, with funding and support from Creative Partnerships?

Creative Partnerships are inviting applications from schools in Tees Valley for the following programmes to start in September 2009:

·         The Enquiry Schools programme enables participating schools to engage in a one-year creative learning programme

targeted at a specific group of pupils and teachers. www.creative-partnerships.com/es

·         The Change Schools programme enables schools with significant challenges to engage in an intensive programme,

            lasting between one and three years, that supports the creative development of the whole school.

            www.creative-partnerships.com/cs

For more information in each programme, click on the links above or contact the Creative Partnerships Tees Valley office on 01642 738546

or email cptv@dancecity.co.uk . Applications should be made online at https://creativeweb.creative-partnerships.com/ between 1 April and

15 May 2009. 

 

FAO: Special schools

Me, You and Our World CPD event

Specifically tailored for Teachers working in special schools, this sustainability and diversity CPD event will provide ideas and

inspiration to help embed global citizenship in to your curriculum whilst offering lesson plans, differentiated work sheets and all

printable materials for running two 12-week courses (successfully trialled in special schools). The event will be an opportunity

for interactive, hands-on experiences to help students engage in a practical way with diversity and sustainability issues.

Date: Tuesday 9 June at Darlington Arts Centre. Places cost £70 including 2 CD Rom resources.

For more information call 01642 322216, email - enquiries@towc2.fsnet.co.uk or go to www.schoolsnortheast.com/events to download the

flier and book your place before Friday 15 May.

 

FAO: Secondary schools

Refugee Action Project Conference (RAPT)

The RAPT Conference brought to you by Teeside One World Centre, will address Community Cohesion, Human Rights and

Pupil Voice in secondary schools and is aimed at Head Teachers, Teachers, advisors and others supporting these themes in

our schools and communities. The key note speakers include Robin Richardson, Berenice Miles and Sir Keith Ajegbo.

Workshops will be delivered by keynote speakers and secondary school teachers and students who have been working on

the project – bringing theory into practice.

Date: Thursday 2 July at Carmel School, Darlington from 9.00am to 4.00pm. Places cost £65, which includes a teaching resource.

For more information go to –  www.teessideoneworldcentre.org or email - enquiries@towc2.fsnet.co.uk

 

FAO: Enterprise Coordinators

Get buzzing at the Bees conference

Interested in finding out more about business, ethics and enterprise in schools? Want your students to be involved in social enterprise

and your school to be more engaged with business? Sign up for the Bees conference to explore the role social enterprises can play in

schools. Learn how to work more effectively with employers and broaden your understanding of ethical businesses and co-operatives.

The conference will be hosted by Wendy Gibson and all delegates will receive a free Enterprise Education resource kit.

Date: Thursday 25 June 2009 at The Sage, Gateshead from 9.15am - 4.30pm. Cost: £195+VAT per person.

For more information, contact Lyndsey Archbold – archboldl@benetenterprises.co.uk, 0787 87 99 444 or go to our website –

http://www.schoolsnortheast.com/content/events.html to see the full programme and download the booking form.

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News round-up

 

Local news

·         Specialist arts status for Stockton school (Gazette Live)

·         Village pupils in Durham can attend £2.3m school (Sunderland Echo)

·         Ashington School regains its good name (Chronicle Live)

·         New Durham school opens doors for preview tour (Northern Echo)

·         Gillbrook School regains specialist title (Gazette Live)

·         Wearside wins bid to deliver diploma (Sunderland Echo)

·         Five minute walk initiative a success for school (Sunderland Echo)

·         Time capsule marks Redcar school's progress (Northern Echo)

·         Ofsted makes Sunderland school's day (Sunderland Echo)

·         Sunderland school visit is music to MP's ears (Sunderland Echo)

·         Cairo trip for Durham schools (Northern Echo)

·         Redcar school takes Olympic title (bdaily)

·         Flagship gym created exclusively for teenagers at Unity Academy (Northern Echo)

·         Death knell for Sunderland schools (Sunderland Echo)

·         Darlington school funding bid approved (Northern Echo)

·         Pupils' hard work on Mencap course rewarded (Northern Echo)

·         U.S. school's Wear visit realises dream (Sunderland Echo)

·         Northumberland schools and college compete in equine event (News Post Leader))

·         MP Fraser tops out at his old Sunderland school (Sunderland Echo)

·         Nunthorpe School pupils given a lesson in citizenship (Gazette Live)

·         Benedict Biscop pupils create wildlife haven (Sunderland Echo)

·         Bid for three new Darlington schools brought forward (Northern Echo)

·         Green-fingered youngsters ask community to get their hands dirty (Northern Echo)

·         Middlesbrough primary school is outstanding (Northern Echo)

·         Generosity flowers at Barnard Castle School (Northern Echo)

·         Ashington youngsters in innovative skiing trip to France (News Post Leader)

·         Pupils create wildlife site at Holiday Inn Washington (Journal)

 

Student behaviour and teacher protection

·         NASUWT Conference - Are kids all right or all wrong? (BBC News)

·         Schools call in police 100,000 times a year (Times)

·         Teachers in fear of violence ‘are paying for body armour' (Times)

·         Teachers told to use TV show tactics in class (Independent)

·         Play 'Just a Minute' in lessons to improve behaviour, teachers told (Daily Telegraph)

·         Pupils playing up? Let them play bingo, says Sir Alan Steer (Times)

·         ‘Revolving door' for pupils who misbehave (Times)

·         Sharp rise in school suspensions (BBC News Online)

·         Pupil misbehaviour costs others a lesson a day (Guardian)

·         Teacher at NUT conference claims bouncers recruited in schools (Guardian)

·         Unruly pupils to be removed from lessons, says Balls (Independent)

·         Pupils' behaviour 'has worsened' (Sunderland Echo)

·         Teachers go to war over life in our classrooms (Guardian)

·         Cyberbullying 'affects 1 in 10 teachers' (Guardian)

·         Teachers report widespread abuse (BBC News)

·         Teachers consider lobby over bad influence TV shows (Children and Young People Now)

·         Little Britain 'makes pupils behave badly' (Independent)

·         Teachers face pupil attacks on their homes (Times Online)

·         Teachers 'suffer car vandalism' (BBC News)

·         Teachers need protection, say Tories (Independent)

·         Teachers stalked by pupils because schools 'powerless' to impose discipline (Daily Telegraph)

 

Primary league tables

·         Curriculum deprives children of play opportunities (Children and Young People Now)

·         Pupils 'under greater pressure' (BBC News)

·         Top of the primary league tables: One school's story of success (Guardian)

·         Ken Boston's resignation accepted as delayed primary tables are published (Guardian)

·         Half of primary pupils fail to master English and maths (Times Online)

·         Primary school league tables: Faith schools dominate national rankings (Daily Telegraph)

·         Pupils improve in core subject tests (Journal)

·         Teesside primary schools on the up (Gazette Live)

·         Primary tables record small gains (BBC News)

·         Don't trust league tables, Head Teachers warn (Guardian)

·         The most controversial primary school league tables of all time (Independent)

·         Primary school league tables: 200,000 in failing schools (Telegraph)

·         Primary school results suffer after ETS marking fiasco (Times Online)

·         Quarter of 11-year-olds fail English and maths (Daily Mail)

Sats tests, GCSEs, A-levels

·         NASUWT Conference - now teachers threaten strike if Sats are scrapped (Guardian)

·         Minister ‘misled public' on tests fiasco (Times) 

·         Parents join teachers' SATs mutiny (Daily Express)

·         Expert group steers clear of Sats reform (TES)

·         Minister warns over use of new A-level A* grade to select undergraduates (Guardian)

·         Balls confirms reforms to Key Stage 2 testing (Children and Young People Now)

·         Sats tests may be axed, hints Ed Balls (Guardian)

·         How a Sats boycott could backfire (TES)

·         GCSE basic skills pledge scrapped (BBC News)

·         Unions propose 2010 tests boycott (Journal Live)

·         A-levels 'to be marked more leniently' under Ofqual guidance (Telegraph)

·         Advance warning over new A-levels (BBC News)

·         A-level pass marks may be lowered to help pupils (Daily Mail)

·         GCSE results will contribute to A-level marks this summer (Times)

 

Sixth form funding

·         Balls says Government will plug funding gap for sixth-form places (Independent)

·         NUT Conference - Teachers threaten strike over sixth-form cuts (Times)

·         Schools mull action over funding (BBC News)

·         Schools consider legal action over £200m budget cuts (Guardian)

·         Funding crisis 'a threat to A-levels' (Independent)

·         Sixth-form funding fiasco caused by 'catastrophic' miscalculation (Daily Telegraph)

·         LSC apologises for misleading schools over funding (Children and Young People Now)

·         Ed Balls is to blame for the sixth-form funding shambles (Daily Telegraph)

·         Head Teachers warn: £60m sixth form cuts could scupper diplomas (Guardian)

·         Sixth-form places face cutbacks (Independent)

·         Colleges and schools told they will not get funding for every sixth-former (Guardian)

 

National Curriculum

·         National curriculum 'needs slimming down' (Guardian)

·         MPs call for simpler curriculum (BBC News)

·         MPs in slimmed-down curriculum call (News Post Leader)

·         Ministers should be stripped of their powers to set national curriculum, say teachers (Daily Mail)

 

School sports

·         Ofsted survey shows PE in schools is improving (Children and Young People Now)

·         Karate replaces cross-country in PE shake-up (Independent)

·         School sports draw pupils by including alternative games (Guardian)

·         Schools turn to yoga and pilates as alternative to PE in the rain (Daily Telegraph)

 

Other educational news

·         Revealed: new teaching methods that are producing dramatic results (Daily Telegraph)

·         Faith schools 'failing to improve standards', says study (Guardian)

·         Osborne hints at school funding cuts (Independent)

·         One-on-one plus fun adds up to 'stunning' progress in maths (Times)

·         Single-sex schools bridge the gender divide (Daily Telegraph)

·         NUT conference: non-compliance could trigger industrial action (TES)

·         Asbestos teacher victim facing death: heed my warning (TES)

·         Science diplomas to be delayed for a year (Daily Telegraph)

·         ATL Conference - starting school at four is too young for children, say teachers (Times Online)

·         ATL Conference - Pupils miss out as teachers act as counsellors says union (Children and Young People Now)

·         School inspections row erupts (Gazette Live)

·         14 to 19 education not fit for purpose say teachers (Children and Young People Now)

·         Private schools axe teaching staff as recession bites (Guardian)

·         Private schools forced to lay off teachers (Times Online)

·         Parents should be prevented from 'shopping around for schools' (Guardian)

·         History to stay in new curriculum (BBC News)

·         School to let parents see filmed lessons (Times online)

·         Top teachers to earn up to £200,000 under new government ‘Superheads’ plan (Mail online)

·         Teachers' union calls for an end to faith schools (Independent)

·         Diploma students set to treble (BBC News)

·         Conservatives fall out over policy for Swedish-style 'free schools' (Guardian)

·         School first in its league to seek academy status (TES)

·         Taking the Eden out of Sweden (TES)

·         20% pay hike ushers in era of £200k heads (TES)

·         School meals to meet new healthy guidelines (Gazette Live)

·         A-level students face larger class sizes after millions cut from budgets (Daily Telegraph)

·         First Lady Michelle Obama gives schoolgirls a pep talk (Times Online)

·         School to let parents see filmed lessons (Times)

·         Government meddling 'has de-skilled teachers' (Times Online)

·         Children shun out-of-school clubs (Children and Young People Now)

·         Fee-paying schools prove surprisingly recession-proof (Independent)

·         Bronx school report cards top of the class (Guardian)

·         Bernard Trafford: Why is home education subject to safety checks? (Guardian)

·         Primary school with 15 male teaching staff (Guardian)

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Star pupils

Who wants to be a Millionaire? Bingo and Blockbusters

Following the alarming reports of student behaviour from the Teaching Union conferences over Easter, and on the day of the

final installment of his government-commissioned report on school discipline, government ‘behaviour guru’ Sir Alan Steer

has had an idea. He suggests spicing up lessons with popular games such as; Who wants to be a Millionaire?, Just a Minute

and Blockbusters could tackle bad behaviour in the classroom. Could this be a winning idea? Or does our survey say uh ur!

 

Could do better

Sixth form funding

As a result of what is being referred to as a ‘catastrophic’ miscalculation, sixth forms and colleges have been left in a funding

crisis. Thousands of sixth forms have been left with no money to cover teaching costs and ‘tens of thousands of student places

are under threat’ after the Government made unexpected cuts of £200 million to their budgets. The Government have attributed

the shortfall to an unexpected surge in the number of applicants as a result of the economic downturn but outraged Heads are

planning legal action. Further announcements on a potential solution are expected within the week so fingers crossed!

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Funding and opportunities

 

Shrink your school fuel bills!

Saving Energy UK Ltd are working with Schools NorthEast to help lower your fuel bills and to reduce the carbon emissions from

your school.  By taking advantage of the free school survey that saving Energy UK are offering the region’s schools you will be

able to see at a glance where you are losing your heat. Saving Energy UK ltd will then look to source funding towards the cost

of fixing any problems.

For a free survey or for more information, call - 0800 804 7191.

 

FAO: School Business Managers / Fundraisers

Awards for All just got better....

A BIG new-look Awards for All programme launched last week as the BIG Lottery Fund opened its own new version of the highly

popular small grants scheme in England and Wales. BIG’s Awards for All programme will be the Fund’s biggest-ever commitment

to a small grant scheme supporting community projects, offering a more easily accessible programme with even quicker decision

times. A total of £45 million is available in England offering Big Lottery Fund grants of between £300 to £10,000 to grassroots

groups in the community including schools. The programme aims to make a difference to communities and the lives of those most

in need and will focus on social and environmental projects that benefit local communities. The new easy-to-use application

form, available in English and Welsh, can be downloaded, filled in and emailed direct to the Big Lottery Fund as well as being

available in hard copy.

For more information, go to - www.awardsforall.org.uk or phone 0845 4102030.

 

Let your pupils shine!

Shine Week is a national celebration of all of the talents in all children and young people. It provides schools an opportunity to nurture

talent, develop new skills and raise aspirations. This year it will be held from the 6-10 July and to sign up your students today and

start planning how your school can participate, go to – www.shineweek.co.uk. You will receive a Creative Kit of posters and stickers,

a Media Kit with ideas on how to attract the media to your school during the week, and an e-newsletter packed with tips to help you

Create a buzz about shining.

 

Mini Pots of Care

Marie Curie Cancer Care (in partnership with Yellow Pages) have created Mini Pots of Care, a fun and creative activity for schools

to help children aged 3 to 11 years learn all about science and nature whilst making a positive difference to the lives of people with

cancer. Each registered school receives detailed lesson plans and fun activities that can be used in the classroom throughout the

autumn and spring, plus fundraising resources, information and ideas in the teachers instructions booklet included in the Mini Pots

kit. Online resources which support Key Stages 1 and 2 of the national curriculum are also available to download.

Go to - http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/supportus/ to find out more or register your school today. 

 

Make your pupils 'Journalists for a Day'

From September 2009, your school can participate in a hugely popular educational live newsroom facility for 10-19 year olds, where

pupils become editors for a day - writing and designing their own newspaper front page to deadline; often beating the evening papers

at their own game! Nearly 30,000 young people have taken part in the programme from The Newspaper Education Trust so far and

your students are invited to join in too.

For more information go to - http://www.the-net.org.uk/ or contact Anna at - anna@the-net.org.uk, tel - 020 7531 5079.

FAO: Teachers of Mathematics

Progress in Primary maths

To help your pupils make progress in maths and move up the levels, access the National Strategies publications online and

download free booklets and CD-ROMS to support planning for progression and address the key areas of mathematics that children

must secure to move forward. The materials set out expectations, teaching, approaches, resources and assessment guidance and

can be found at – www.standards.dscf.gov.uk/nationalstrategies, www.teachernet.go.uk/publications or by calling 0845 60 222 60,

quoting the following reference numbers:

0021-2009BKT-EN - Overcoming barriers in mathematics –helping children move from level1 to level 2

00695-2008PCK-EN - level 3 to level 4

00149-2008PCK-EN - level 2 to level 3

00065-2009 – Securing level 4 in mathematics

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Wise words

 

Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief

moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best.

Michael Johnson

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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