The government announced (following consultation) changes to the inspection arrangements for services relating to children, young people and adult learners. The existing education inspectorate (Ofsted) would be enlarged to become the (provisionally named) Office for Standards in Education, Children s Services and Skills, bringing together the children/young people remits of the Commission for Social Care Inspection, Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, Her Majesty s Inspectorate of Court Administration, and Adult Learning Inspectorate.
Source: A Single Inspectorate for Children and Learners, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Hansard | DfES press release | ALI press release
Date: 2005-Dec
The education inspectorate said that national schools strategies were bringing about improvements: but those pupils with below average standards in literacy and numeracy were not receiving the help they needed quickly enough.
Source: Primary National Strategy: Evaluation of its impact in primary schools 2004/05, HMI 2396, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833) | The Secondary National Strategy: An evaluation of the fifth year, HMI 2612, Office for Standards in Education
Links: Primary report | Secondary report | OFSTED press release
Date: 2005-Dec
The education inspectorate published its annual report for 2004-05.
Source: Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools 2004/05, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Young People Now report
Date: 2005-Oct
A paper drew together various sources of information to provide a range of measurements of the productivity of government expenditure on education.
Source: Janet Snelling, Public Service Productivity: Education, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Paper (pdf) | ONS press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-Oct
A report by the Department for Education and Skills examined methods for measuring government education output in the national accounts. It said that the Department would recommend to the Office for National Statistics a quality measure based on GCSE attainment thresholds, and an overall output measure adjusted by the trend rate of real earnings growth. (GCSE = General Certificate of Secondary Education)
Source: Measuring Government Education Output in the National Accounts: An overview of several methods developed as part of the Atkinson Review, Research Report RW45, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Oct
The government announced that it was cutting the time limit, from two years to one, before special measures were introduced to deal with 'failing' schools.
Source: Speech by Ruth Kelly MP (Secretary of State for Education), 6 September 2005
Links: Text of speech | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Sep
A report examined whether increasing the level of resourcing in schools led to improved student outcomes, in the context of student attainment at key stage 3 (age 14) in English secondary schools. Positive marginal resource effects on attainment were found: but they were rather small and subject-specific.
Source: Rosalind Levacic, Andrew Jenkins, Anna Vignoles, Fiona Steele and Rebecca Allen, Estimating the Relationship Between School Resources and Pupil Attainment at Key Stage 3, Research Report 679, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2005-Sep
An education inspectorate report said that the quality of drugs education in schools was improving: but there needed to be a greater emphasis on education regarding alcohol and tobacco.
Source: Drug Education in Schools, HMI 2392, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833)
Links: Report (pdf) | OFSTED press release | Drugscope press release | NCB press release | Children Now report
Date: 2005-Jul
The education inspectorate published new arrangements for the inspection of schools, designed to lead to shorter, sharper inspections.
Source: Every Child Matters: Framework for inspecting schools in England from September 2005, HMI 2435, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833)
Links: Report (pdf) | OFSTED press release
Date: 2005-Jul
A literature review examined how national and local government were working together to raise school standards.
Source: Christopher Savory, Matthew Walker and Peter Rudd, National and Local Government Raising Standards Across Schools: A literature review, National Foundation for Educational Research (01753 747281)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Jul
An education inspectorate report said that the vast majority of pupils enjoyed school, and valued the education they received. They were at least 'very satisfied' in 9 out of 10 primary schools, and 8 out of 10 secondary schools. This corresponded closely with the views of parents.
Source: Pupils? Satisfaction with their School, HMI 2494, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833)
Links: Report (pdf) | OFSTED press release
Date: 2005-Jul
An education inspectorate report said that most secondary schools had improved the way they taught sports and physical education: but 1 in 10 physical education lessons were still unsatisfactory.
Source: The Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links Strategy, HMI 2397, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833)
Links: Report (pdf) | OFSTED press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jul
A report reviewed education statistics in relation to primary and secondary schools, and considered the extent to which the needs of users of statistics, both within the education sector and more generally, were being met.
Source: School Education Statistics: User Perspectives, Report 26, Statistics Commission (020 7273 8008)
Links: Report (pdf) | StatComm press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jun
The schools inspectorate published its annual report for 2004-05.
Source: Ofsted Departmental Report 2004-05, Cm 6523, Office for Standards in Education, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jun
A report said that children made hardly any formal complaints to Welsh education authorities, because the complaints system was so off-putting.
Source: Children Don t Complain , Children's Commissioner for Wales (01792 765600)
Links: Report (pdf) | BBC report | Children Now report
Date: 2005-May
An annual survey found that, in 2004, the majority of primary headteachers rated the support from their local council for school improvement as good or excellent.
Source: Claire Easton, Sarah Knight and Lesley Kendall, Annual Survey of Trends in Primary Schools, National Foundation for Educational Research (01753 747281)
Links: Summary (pdf) | NFER press release
Date: 2005-May
The Office for National Statistics published two articles describing improvements to the methodology used to measure output of public services (stemming from work resulting from the Atkinson Review). The changes affected health, education, personal social services, administration of social security, and public order and safety. There were particularly significant changes to the measurement of output of adult personal social services (the subject of the second article).
Source: Improvements in the Methodology for Measuring Government Output, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034) | Improvements to the National Accounts Measure of Output of Adult Social Services, Office for National Statistics
Links: Article (pdf) | Adult Social Services article (pdf) | ONS press release (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2005-May
A report set out details of proposed changes to school inspection and funding, proposals for better and less burdensome communication between schools and parents, and improved data on school performance. The schools inspectorate also published a draft inspection framework, and draft guidance on a new self-evaluation form, both of which would be part of the new inspection process planned to take effect from September 2005.
Source: A New Relationship with Schools: Next Steps, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260) and Office for Standards in Education | The Framework for Inspecting Schools in England from September 2005, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833) | A New Relationship with Schools: Improving Performance through School Self-Evaluation, Department for Education and Skills and Office for Standards in Education
Links: Report (pdf) | Framework (pdf) | Self-evaluation Guide (pdf) | Ofsted press release | Children Now report | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
The schools inspectorate said that specialist schools were performing better than other schools, and had made significant improvements over the previous three years: but they now needed to focus on raising standards in the specialist subjects to ensure all pupils achieved well at GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) level.
Source: Specialist Schools: A second evaluation, HMI 2362, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833)
Links: Report (pdf) | OFSTED press release
Date: 2005-Feb
The schools inspectorate published its annual report for 2003-04. It said that England had an improving system of education. But it identified two major issues of concern that could prevent the education system fulfilling the potential of every learner - the impact of social class, and the continuing variability in performance of schools and colleges.
Source: Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools 2003/04, HC 195, Office for Standards in Education, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary | OFSTED press release | DfES press release | NDNA press release | Guardian report | Young People Now report | Children Now report
Date: 2005-Feb
The schools inspectorate said that the quality of teaching in the literacy hour and daily mathematics lesson (in primary schools in England) continued to improve: but 1 in 3 lessons were still no better than satisfactory.
Source: The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and the Primary Curriculum (2005), HMI 2395, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833)
Links: Report (pdf) | OFSTED press release
Date: 2005-Feb
Researchers examined the factors influencing the spread of good educational practices between schools.
Source: Michael Fielding et al., Factors Influencing the Transfer of Good Practice, Research Report 615, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jan
The government and the schools inspectorate both responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the inspectorate's work.
Source: Government's and Ofsted's Response to the Committee's Sixth Report of Session 2003-04, Second Special Report (Session 2004-05), HC 206, House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2005-Jan
A report said that traditional ways of measuring the effectiveness of educational organizations did not provide a full account of the contribution made by the public sector. There was a need to assess how colleges and other education and training providers contributed to wider government priorities - such as social and community cohesion, equality, neighbourhood renewal, and economic prosperity.
Source: Peter Grigg and Caroline Mager, Public Value and Learning and Skills, Learning and Skills Development Agency (020 7297 9144)
Links: Report (pdf) | LSDA press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jan
A think-tank report said that future excellence in learning depended on greater collaboration between 'leading-edge' schools and education researchers.
Source: David Hargreaves, About Learning, Demos, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary | Demos press release
Date: 2005-Jan
The head of the schools inspectorate reportedly said that the growth of Islamic faith schools posed a challenge to the coherence of British society, and that a traditional Islamic education did not equip Muslim children for living in modern Britain. He said that diversity and acceptance of different cultures was potentially a great strength: but it that it could also undermine 'our coherence as a nation' if taken to extremes.
Source: The Guardian, 18 January 2005
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jan
A report said that local authorities had a vital role in achieving educational outcomes, despite changes in government policy.
Source: Kay Kinder, Anne Wilkin and Dominic Schad, The Local Authority Contribution to Improved Educational Outcomes: Phase one report, National Foundation for Educational Research (01753 747281)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Jan
The schools inspectorate published its annual report for 2003-04. It highlighted an improved quality of care and education for young children; a strong cadre of headteachers in schools; improvements in school self-evaluation; improved flexibility in the curriculum for children aged 14-16; and the continuing success of sixth form colleges. Issues of concern included the continuing difference in progress between different groups of pupils; slow progress in reducing the gap in achievement between schools with high and low levels of disadvantage; and no reduction in the proportion of schools where behaviour overall was unsatisfactory. The quality of assessment continued to be the weakest aspect of teaching.
Source: Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools 2003/04, Office for Standards in Education, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release
Date: 2005-Jan
A report examined experiences in Northern Ireland schools where inspection had included an element of self-evaluation, in order to gauge the extent to which self-evaluation contributed to raising the standards of achievement.
Source: Inspection, Self-evaluation and Improvement in Primary and Post-Primary Schools, Education and Training Inspectorate/Department of Education/Northern Ireland Executive (028 9127 9391)
Links: Report (pdf) | NIE press release
Date: 2005-Jan