A chapter in the 2011-12 British Social Attitudes Survey report examined what the public thought about secondary school choice, and how much parental freedom and educational equality mattered. People generally believed that parents had a right to choose their children's schools: but in practice they viewed children attending their local schools as important. There was mixed public support for the different measures some parents took to improve their child's chances of gaining places at particular schools: a majority approved of helping children to revise for tests (90 per cent) or paying for a private tutor (67 per cent) – but only 36 per cent approved of moving house to be near a higher-performing school, and only 6 per cent approved of renting a second address or using a relative's address.
Source: Sonia Exley, 'Parental freedom to choose and educational equality' (in Alison Park, Elizabeth Clery, John Curtice, Miranda Phillips, and David Utting (eds.), British Social Attitudes 28: 2011-2012 Edition), SAGE Publications
Links: Chapter
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined how charity-led community involvement in education services might affect the traditional distinction between state schools and fee-charging 'independent' schools.
Source: Debra Morris, 'Building a big society: will charity's creeping reach generate a new paradigm for state schools?', Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law, Volume 33 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Nov
A briefing paper examined the coalition government s policy on various aspects of the free schools programme.
Source: Christine Gillie, Free Schools, Standard Note SN/SP/6058, House of Commons Library
Links: Briefing paper
Notes: Free schools are new state-funded schools set up in areas where there is a local demand.
Date: 2011-Nov
A study found that young people, teaching staff, local authorities, and counsellors all expressed high overall levels of satisfaction with school-based counselling in Wales.
Source: Andy Hill, Mick Cooper, Kate Smith, Nick Maybanks, Karen Cromarty, Sue Pattison, Joanne Pybis, and Angela Couchman, Evaluation of the Welsh School-based Counselling Strategy: Stage One Report, Welsh Government
Links: Report | Welsh Government press release
Date: 2011-Nov
A report said that area-based initiatives offered an important way to respond to the challenges and possibilities posed by disadvantaged areas. It considered how schools and their partners might act within the new 'localist' policy environment, and provided examples of innovative initiatives.
Source: Alan Dyson and Kirstin Kerr, Taking Action Locally: Schools developing innovative area initiatives, Centre for Equity in Education (University of Manchester)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Nov
An article examined constraints on parental choice of primary school in England caused by geographical location, which arose due to the reliance on geographical proximity as the key oversubscription criterion for allocating school places. Higher socio-economic status pupils were more likely than others to be accepted into (nearer) more advantaged schools. The large differences in the range of schools genuinely available to different families, coupled with the use of proximity as a tie-break device, continued to be a significant barrier to reducing inequality of access in the English school system.
Source: Simon Burgess, Ellen Greaves, Anna Vignoles, and Deborah Wilson, 'Parental choice of primary school in England: what types of school do different types of family really have available to them?', Policy Studies, Volume 32 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Nov
A report presented a review of studies of interventions aimed at supporting and improving parental engagement in the education of children aged 5-19.
Source: Janet Goodall and John Vorhaus, with Jon Carpentieri, Greg Brooks, Rodie Akerman, and Alma Harris, Review of Best Practice in Parental Engagement, Research Report RR156, Department for Education
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Sep
A report provided an overview of research evidence on the outcomes that extended services in schools could produce, and on how those services could be made most effective.
Source: Hannah Carpenter, Colleen Cummings, Alan Dyson, Lisa Jones, Nicola Kassam, Karen Laing, Daniel Muijs Ivy Papps, Mark Peters, and Liz Todd, Extended Services in Practice: A summary of evaluation evidence for head teachers, Research Report RR155, Department for Education
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Sep
A think-tank report called for the creation of a free school, based in an inner city location, staffed entirely by ex-military personnel. The school would be impose high standards of behaviour, free from 'moral relativism'.
Source: Tom Burkard and Captain AK Burki, Something Can Be Done: Troops in our schools will do more than troops on our streets, Centre for Policy Studies
Links: Report | CPS press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2011-Sep
A briefing paper examined the coalition government s policy on various aspects of the free schools programme.
Source: Christine Gillie, Free Schools, Standard Note SN/SP/6058, House of Commons Library
Links: Briefing paper
Date: 2011-Aug
A report summarized evidence and research concerning the policy implications of state-funded faith schools.
Source: Databank of Independent Evidence on Faith Schools, Accord Coalition
Links: Report | Accord Coalition press release
Date: 2011-Jul
The coalition government announced that the poorest-performing 200 primary schools in England would be turned into academies in 2012-13. Local authorities with particularly large numbers of struggling primary schools would be identified for 'urgent collaboration' with central government, in order to tackle a further 500 primaries. The existing average level of performance would became the new 'floor' for secondary schools: all schools should have at least 50 per cent of pupils getting 5 good (A*-C grade) GCSEs including English and maths by 2015.
Source: Speech by Michael Gove MP (Secretary of State for Education), 16 June 2011
Links: Speech | DE press release | Conservative Party press release | ASCL press release | NASUWT press release | NUT press release | Guardian report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Jun
A study examined the evidence for a 'flexi-school' approach – an arrangement between the parent and the school where the child attends the school only part time and is educated at home for the rest of the time.
Source: Paul Gutherson and Janette Mountford-Lees, New Models for Organising Education: Flexi-Schooling – How One School Does It Well, CfBT Education Trust
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jun
A report examined the differences in school systems across the United Kingdom. Commitment to community-based comprehensive schools was strongest in Wales and Scotland, but varied in England. The school system in Northern Ireland continued to be dominated by academic selection at age 11. The focus on quasi-markets, school specialization, and league tables had been greater in England than elsewhere in the UK.
Source: Linda Croxford, School Systems Across the UK, Research and Information on State Education Trust
Links: Report
Date: 2011-May
A new book examined the role of 'full service' and extended schools. It considered why services based on schools should be any more effective than services operating from other community bases; and what extended schooling meant for children and families who were not highly disadvantaged, or for schools outside the most disadvantaged areas.
Source: Colleen Cummings, Alan Dyson, and Liz Todd, Beyond the School Gates: Can full service and extended schools overcome disadvantage?, Routledge
Links: Summary | Newcastle University press release
Date: 2011-Apr
A think-tank report examined whether fears about an extension of the private sector's remit in schools were justified, and whether profit necessarily compromised the achievement of positive educational outcomes. It said that 'proprietorial' schools had delivered outstanding results where they had been allowed to operate. The government should unlock this potential in order to meet growing demand in the coming years, with a view to introducing a steadily greater degree of choice for parents and increasing competition among schools.
Source: James Croft, Profit-Making Free Schools: Unlocking the potential of England s proprietorial schools sector, Adam Smith Institute
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Apr
A paper examined the academy school model. Moving to a more autonomous school structure through academy conversion generated a significant improvement in the quality of pupil intake, a significant improvement in pupil performance, and small significant improvements in the performance of pupils enrolled in neighbouring schools.
Source: Stephen Machin and James Vernoit, Changing School Autonomy: Academy schools and their introduction to England s education, DP123, Centre for the Economics of Education (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Apr
The education inspectorate in Scotland said that children and young people, families, and communities were benefiting from strong partnerships between schools, community learning providers, and other local organizations.
Source: Learning in Scotland s Communities, HM Inspectorate of Education in Scotland
Links: Report | HMIE press release
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined what kinds of arrangements local authorities in England had made for the development and delivery of extended services, and how they had aligned them with their wider policies and strategies.
Source: Colleen Cummings, Alan Dyson, Lisa Jones, Karen Laing, and Liz Todd, Extended Services Evaluation: The Role of Local Authorities – Thematic review, Research Report RR088, Department for Education
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Mar
A report evaluated the national pilot of the 'Schools Linking Network', designed to support the implementation of the duty on schools in England to promote community cohesion. Linking had the greatest positive impact when the children at the linked schools met two or more times a year. School linking could have a positive impact on many aspects of pupils' skills, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours – particularly respect for others, self-confidence, and 'self-efficacy'.
Source: David Kerr et al., Evaluation of the Schools Linking Network: Final Report, Research Report RR090, Department for Education
Links: Report | Brief | NFER press release
Date: 2011-Mar
An independent review examined the future structure of education in Wales. It said that other countries spent less money on education than Wales did, but delivered better outcomes. Too many Welsh schools were 'coasting' when it came to literacy and numeracy. There was a 'disappointing degree of inconsistency' between providers at all levels. Local authorities were too small to provide high-quality services and professional support to schools in their charge.
Source: Independent Task and Finish Group, The Structure of Education Services in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Report | ASCL press release | WLGA press release | WalesOnline report
Date: 2011-Mar
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales said that it supported in principle a proposed measure that would: place a duty on schools, colleges, and local councils to consider collaborative working; give local councils the power to propose that schools within their area federate under a single governing body; give power to the minister to require small schools to federate; place duties on local councils to provide training to school governors; and prevent schools in the future from changing category so as to become foundation schools, and to prevent new foundation schools being established.
Source: Proposed Education (Wales) Measure, Legislation Committee No 5, National Assembly for Wales
Links: Report | NAW press release
Date: 2011-Jan
