A report reviewed theory and evidence about the nature, causes and consequences for schools and students of successful school leadership.
Source: Kenneth Leithwood, Christopher Day, Pam Sammons, Alma Harris and David Hopkins, Successful School Leadership: What it is and how it influences pupil learning, Research Report 800, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Oct
An annual survey of trends in education was published, based on questionnaire surveys of headteachers. Linked papers examined how the 'Every Child Matters' agenda was affecting schools; how schools were supporting looked-after children; what was happening on extended schools; and schools perceptions of local authority support for school improvement.
Source: Tamsin Chamberlain, Karen Lewis, David Teeman and Lesley Kendall, Schools' Concerns and their Implications for Local Authorities: Annual survey of trends 2006, National Foundation for Educational Research (01753 747281)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Oct
A report said that schools faced increasing difficulties finding headteachers, with only 4 per cent of teachers wanting to do the job within the next five years.
Source: Merryn Hutchings, Sarah Smart, Kathy James and Katya Williams, GTC Survey of Teachers 2006, General Teaching Council for England (0870 001 0308)
Links: Report | GTC press release | NASUWT press release | PAT press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Sep
A report said that further action was needed, by both the government and the education inspectorate, to improve accountability measures and reduce bureaucracy in schools.
Source: Strengthening Intelligent Accountability in England, Association of School and College Leaders (0116 299 1122)
Links: Report | ASCL press release
Date: 2006-Sep
A report examined the robustness of the modelling techniques used by the government to identify schools which used resources effectively. Effective schools followed different approaches to meet their own particular circumstances: but there were also many common characteristics.
Source: Allan Dodd, Investigating the Effective Use of Resources in Secondary Schools, Research Report 799, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2006-Sep
The government began consultation on a new school admissions code. It said that no child should be disadvantaged by unfair admissions practice and criteria, and that every parent should know the basis on which their child would be admitted to a school. Schools would be required to act in accordance with the new code, rather than simply (as previously) have regard to it. Interviewing as part of a school s admissions arrangements was outlawed.
Source: School Admissions Consultation 2006, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Consultation document | DfES press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Sep
A report said that there was evidence that involving pupils more in school life could have positive impacts for themselves, the school, and staff.
Source: Lynn Davies, Christopher Williams and Hiromi Yamashita, Inspiring Schools: Impact and Outcomes - Taking up the challenge of pupil participation, Carnegie Young People Initiative (020 7401 5460)and Esm e Fairbairn Foundation
Links: Report | Literature review | Case studies
Date: 2006-Sep
A survey found that more than 1 in 5 secondary, 1 in 4 primary, and almost 1 in 3 special schools that had advertised for a head during the previous school year failed to make an appointment.
Source: John Howson, The State of the Labour Market for Senior Staff in Schools in England and Wales: 2005-2006, Association of School and College Leaders (0116 299 1122) and National Association of Head Teachers
Links: Summary | ASCL press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2006-Sep
The Local Government Ombudsman said that there had been a big rise in maladministration complaints made by parents about school admissions in England in 2005-06.
Source: Annual Review 2005/06, Commission for Local Administration in England (020 7217 4620)
Links: Report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jul
The education inspectorate strongly criticized inadequacies in the vetting arrangements in schools, designed to prevent access to children by known sex offenders. Some schools "disregarded" official recommendations not to hire staff where records checks raised fears that they posed a risk. Neither headteachers nor local councils could prove that teachers were vetted properly. And the government had "no way" of ensuring the recommended checks were conducted in thousands of schools. The government responded by announcing new measures to tighten the procedures. It also announced that probation hostels that happen to be located near schools would no longer hold released prisoners who were convicted of sex crimes against children.
Source: Safeguarding Children: An evaluation of procedures for checking staff appointed by schools, HMI 2647, Office for Standards in Education (07002 637833) | Press release 20 June 2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288) | Press release 19 June 2006, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | DfES press release | Hansard | Home Office press release | NAHT press release | NSPCC press release | ASCL press release | PAT press release | NASUWT press release | ATL press release | TES report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jun
A think-tank report said that there was confusion over the role of the school governing body. It proposed a clarification of the model of school governance, based on a clear ?executive-scrutiny split?, which acknowledged the importance of the non-executive board member in a scrutiny role.
Source: Vivienne Barton, Martin Lawrence, Jane Martin and Claudia Wade, Strengthening Public Accountability on the School Governing Body, Centre for Public Scrutiny (020 7296 6595)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-May
A series of nine linked reports said that new approaches to leadership could be an answer to potential headteacher shortages. In future school leadership might involve working in the wider system, with one person leading a number of schools or even a number of different children's centres or services across a local area.
Source: Press release 19 May 2006, National College for School Leadership (0870 001 1155)
Links: NCSL press release | TES report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-May
A survey of headteachers found that a quarter of them admitted to failing to fully adhere to their school's policy on admissions.
Source: The Guardian, 25 April 2006
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2006-Apr
A survey found that over half of secondary school heads were concerned about pupil behaviour.
Source: Sarah Knight, Geoff Taggart and Lesley Kendall, Annual Survey of Trends in Secondary Education: Report for 2005, National Foundation for Educational Research (01753 747281)
Links: Summary | NFER press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A report by a committee of MSPs said that the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Bill was a genuine attempt to introduce a system of greater parental involvement in children's education which was in tune with recent educational developments, yet sufficiently flexible to meet local needs.
Source: Stage 1 Report on Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Bill, 2nd Report 2006, SP Paper 497, Scottish Parliament Education Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined new ways in which parents could be involved in schools, to encourage a culture of genuine participation and collaboration.
Source: Fiona Carnie, Setting Up Parent Councils: Case studies, Research Report RW58, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
A paper provided an overview of major policy and practice developments in parental involvement in schools; assessed the impact of such initiatives; and discussed the contribution of the evidence to the debate on the boundaries between the respective rights and responsibilities of the state and parents towards children s learning.
Source: Jenny Reynolds, Parents Involvement in Their Children s Learning and Schools, National Family and Parenting Institute (020 7424 3460)
Links: Link removed
Date: 2006-Jan
