A paper examined the literature on school choice, and its effects on social and ethnic segregation between English schools. It found that the evidence concerning whether 'school choice' legislation had acted to increase or decrease the socio-ethnic mix within schools was open to multiple interpretations.
Source: Rich Harris, Segregation by Choice? The debate so far, Working Paper 10/251, Centre for Market and Public Organisation/University of Bristol
Links: Working paper
Date: 2010-Dec
An article examined public attitudes towards faith schools. Religious characteristics, especially attendance at religious services and perceived religiosity, had a strong impact; and previous or existing attendance at a private school by a household member, and ideological beliefs, also played a role.
Source: Ben Clements, 'Understanding public attitudes in Britain towards faith schools', British Educational Research Journal, Volume 36 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Dec
A think-tank report said that attempts to ban religious faith from shaping education were 'misguided and ultimately harmful'. The Christian contribution to education was 'positive and constructive', contributing powerfully to the common good.
Source: Trevor Cooling, Doing God in Education, Theos
Links: Report | Theos press release | Christian Institute report
Date: 2010-Dec
The schools inspectorate for Northern Ireland said that in almost 90 per cent of cases where extended schools were serving disadvantaged communities effectively (that is, performance levels were good or better), significant improvements were evident in the educational outcomes and personal/social well-being of pupils.
Source: An Evaluation of Extended Schools, Education and Training Inspectorate
Links: Report | NIE press release
Date: 2010-Oct
The Scottish Government published an action plan designed to raise standards of literacy at all stages, from the early years to adulthood.
Source: Literacy Action Plan: An action plan to improve literacy in Scotland, Scottish Government
Links: Action plan | Scottish Government press release
Date: 2010-Oct
A report examined the provision of extended services in small village schools. It looked at the experiences of those involved in delivery, together with perspectives from children, young people, families, and communities. It highlighted ways in which small and larger schools were working together to support young people; tackle poor educational achievement; enable families to access services; and help to transform communities.
Source: Small Schools, Big Communities: Village schools and extended services, Commission for Rural Communities/Countryside Agency
Links: Report | Summary | Capacity press release
Date: 2010-Oct
A new book highlighted the potential of academy schools to improve the life chances of their pupils. Too much attention had focused on unanswerable questions about whether academies were better or worse than their predecessor or comparable schools in their neighbourhood – and too little on what policy-makers and practitioners could learn from the perspectives of key players involved with academy schools.
Source: Elizabeth Leo, David Galloway and Phil Hearne, Academies and Educational Reform: Governance, leadership and strategy, Multilingual Matters
Links: Summary | Durham University press release | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Oct
A report examined data collected as part of the evaluation of the extended services disadvantaged subsidy pathfinder. The broad overall aim of the research was to find out how funding could best be targeted so as to engage disadvantaged children and young people in activities through extended schools.
Source: Hannah Carpenter et al., Extended Services Subsidy Pathfinder in Schools: Evaluation, Research Report RR042, Department for Education
Date: 2010-Oct
A paper said that a lottery system for awarding secondary school places had failed in one of its key aims – to give children from poorer backgrounds equal access to top schools.
Source: Rebecca Allen, Simon Burgess and Leigh McKenna, The Early Impact of Brighton and Hove's School Admission Reforms, Working Paper 10/244, Centre for Market and Public Organisation/University of Bristol
Links: Working paper | Bristol University press release | IOE press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2010-Sep
The Scottish Government announced plans (following consultation and a review) to limit the size of primary school classes by law to 25 pupils.
Source: Press release 14 September 2010, Scottish Government | Review of Class Size Control Mechanisms: Report of the Working Group, Scottish Government
Links: Scottish Government press release | Review report | Voice press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Sep
An article examined the development of 'Private Finance Initiative' schemes in the education sector, and how profitable opportunities for private financiers and construction companies had been created at the expense of the public sector.
Source: Clive Griggs, 'Education and the Private Finance Initiative', FORUM: for promoting 3-19 comprehensive education, Volume 52 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Aug
A first-year evaluation of extended services looked at how successful schools had been in offering a range of services; whether services met the needs of users; and how successful extended services had been in improving outcomes and raising standards of achievement.
Source: Hannah Carpenter et al., Extended Services Evaluation: End of Year One Report, Research Report RR016, Department for Education
Links: Report | Brief | Technical annex | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Jul
A report said that local councils should be given a clear role as commissioners of education and training provision in their local areas.
Source: Local Freedom or Central Control? Why councils have an important role to play in local education, Local Government Association
Links: Report | LGA press release
Date: 2010-Jul
A report examined the experiences of people involved in the co-location of one or more services for children.
Source: Denis Mongon, Tracey Allen, Lesley Farmer and Claire Atherton, Emerging Patterns of Leadership: Co-Location, Continuity and Community, National College for Leadership of Schools and Children s Services
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Jul
An article examined decentralization in school-based education, with particular reference to Germany and the United Kingdom. Certain policies, pursued as a result of decentralization, might be associated with different educational outcomes: but it was not possible to draw definitive conclusions, particularly in light of the differing political, policy, and socio-economic contexts.
Source: Anne West, Jutta Allmendinger, Rita Nikolai and Eleanor Barham, 'Decentralisation and educational achievement in Germany and the UK', Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, Volume 28 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Jun
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that local authorities needed more information and understanding about home education in order to provide effective support for children educated at home.
Source: Local Authorities and Home Education, HMI 090267, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Jun
An article criticized as 'undesirable and flawed practically' attempts to encourage practitioners in a range of settings – such as school, healthcare, and children's centres – to 'engage' fathers.
Source: Brid Featherstone, 'Writing fathers in but mothers out!!!', Critical Social Policy, Volume 30 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-May
A report examined the extent to which social enterprise was being used in schools to deliver extended services.
Source: Lesley Miller, Wan Saiful Wan Jan, Catriona Rust and Gustavo Arnaudo, Extended Services: Ensuring Sustainability Using the Social Enterprise Model, CfBT Education Trust
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Apr
A report examined the role of the third sector in delivering personalized learning opportunities – either in their own right or in partnership with schools and colleges. It highlighted the important role the third sector played in driving forward innovation in this sector.
Source: Anne McGuire MP (Cabinet Office Advisor on Third Sector Innovation), The Role of Third Sector Innovation: Personalisation of Education and Learning Services, Cabinet Office
Links: Links to the report have subsequently been removed from the Cabinet Office website by the new coalition government.
Date: 2010-Mar
A think-tank report said that plans to allow more independent organizations, including groups of parents or teachers, to run new state schools could fail unless the existing 'tangle of state and local bureaucracies' were removed.
Source: Anna Fazackerley, Rachel Wolf and Alex Massey, Blocking the Best: Obstacles to new, independent state schools, Policy Exchange
Links: Report | Policy Exchange press release | NASUWT press release
Date: 2010-Mar
An article examined the introduction of market-oriented reforms into school-based education in England and Finland. The contexts into which reforms were introduced differed, with a fully comprehensive system being in place in Finland but not in England. The motives were also different, and different trajectories had since been followed – although there were apparent similarities, with choice and diversity having a high political profile in each country. The Finnish reforms were characterized by more regulatory control in relation to school access and choice, but less in relation to the financing of schools by local authorities. The mediating role played by local authorities in jurisdictions with high levels of decentralization meant that the legislative framework needed to be taken into account when examining policy implementation and educational outcomes.
Source: Anne West and Annamari Ylnen, 'Market-oriented school reform in England and Finland: school choice, finance and governance', Educational Studies, Volume 36 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Feb
A report examined the impact of chains of schools on the English school system. It said that chains of schools were developing a new and able generation of school leaders; and that they delivered significant improvements, particularly in challenging schools. The government said that by 2015 every school would have the opportunity to join a 'chain', and that parents would be given a say in bringing in 'accredited' schools under the arrangements. (Chains of schools are sponsored or run by the same foundation or charitable trust, and consist of formal partnerships in the form of trusts and federations.)
Source: Robert Hill, Chain Reactions: A thinkpiece on the development of chains of schools in the English school system, National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services | Press release 23 February 2010, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Report | NCLSCS press release | DCSF press release | Downing Street press release | ASCL press release | ATL press release | Voice press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Telegraph report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Feb
A report examined interventions and outcomes in the field of education under the New Deal for Communities programme.
Source: Geoff Fordham with Elaine Batty, Beverly Cook, Rachael Knight-Fordham and Sarah Pearson, Improving Attainment? Interventions in education by the New Deal for Communities programme, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report | DCLG press release
Date: 2010-Feb
Researchers examined how schools in a range of circumstances were defining and responding to 'disadvantage' in their development of extended services.
Source: Colleen Cummings et al., Extended Services Evaluation: Reaching Disadvantaged Groups and Individuals – Thematic review, Research Report 196, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Jan
