Two linked think-tank reports said that regular teacher assessments of pupils' work should replace the testing of pupils at ages 11 and 14. It criticized the negative effects of the existing testing regime, which included narrow learning, shallow learning, question spotting, and risk-averse teaching.
Source: Richard Brooks and Sarah Tough, Pupil Attainment: Time for a three Rs guarantee, Institute for Public Policy Research (020 7470 6100) | Richard Brooks and Sarah Tough, Assessment and Testing: Making space for teaching and learning, Institute for Public Policy Research
Links: Report 1 | Report 2 | IPPR press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Dec
A paper examined whether there was a resurgent interest in curriculum development and innovation.
Source: Eleanor Rawling, A Shift in the Zeitgeist? Are we witnessing the return of curriculum development?, Working Paper 41, Nuffield Review of 14-19 Education and Training/Department of Educational Studies/University of Oxford (01865 274037)
Links: Paper
Date: 2006-Dec
The government announced the introduction (from 2010) of an A* grade at Advanced Level, designed to encourage the best students to demonstrate the upper limits of their ability. Funding would be made available to provide all state-school pupils with access to the international baccalaureate exam. The government also announced a major expansion of its academy and trust school programmes.
Source: Press release 30 November 2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: DfES press release | Downing Street press release | PM Speech | NUT press release | ASCL press release | ATL press release (1) | ATL press release (2) | UCU press release | BBC report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Nov
An overview report summarized research into pupils views and experiences of the national curriculum. Learners tended to have a narrow view of the relevance of the curriculum, associated with perceived subject status, assessment, and getting grades .
Source: Pippa Lord and Megan Jones, Pupils Experiences and Perspectives of the National Curriculum and Assessment, National Foundation for Educational Research (01753 747281)
Links: Report | NFER press release
Date: 2006-Nov
A report (by an official advisory body) examined the comparability of a selection of International General Certificate in Secondary Education (IGCSE) papers with parallel General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) syllabuses. It said that there was no way of comparing the standards required for different grades, and that the IGCSE exam did not follow programmes of study required by the national curriculum for children aged 14-16. The government nonetheless began consultation on the idea of introducing International GCSEs in maintained schools in England.
Source: GCSEs and IGCSEs Compared, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (020 7509 5555) | International GCSEs in the Maintained Sector in England, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | QCA press release | Consultation document | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2006-Nov
Provisional statistics provided information for 2005-06 on key stage national curriculum assessments, GCSE and equivalent attainment, and post-16 achievements of young people in England by different pupil characteristics - specifically gender, ethnicity, eligibility for free school meals, special educational needs, and English as a first language. Pakistani, Bangladeshi and black pupils made the greatest improvement in GCSE results. (GCSE = General Certificate of Secondary Education)
Source: National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics in England 2005/06 (Provisional), Statistical First Release 46/2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR | DfES press release | BBC report (1) | BBC report (2)
Date: 2006-Nov
Provisional statistics showed that 59.0 per cent of pupils in England achieved 5 or more grades A*-C at GCSE or equivalent. This was an increase of 1.9 percentage points from 2004-05. (GCSE = General Certificate of Secondary Education)
Source: GCSE and Equivalent Results in England 2005/06 (Provisional), Statistical First Release 41/2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR | DfES press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Oct
The Welsh Assembly Government announced that it would scrap A-levels from September 2007, and roll out the international baccalaureate qualification for all students in post-16 education.
Source: Press release 18 October 2006, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: WAG press release | NASUWT press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Oct
According to provisional statistics, for students in England aged 16-18 in schools and colleges entered for GCE/VCE A/AS and key skills/level 3 examinations in 2005-06, the average UCAS point score was 287.4 an increase of 9.6 points from the final 2004-05 results. (GCE = General Certificate of Education; VCE = Vocational Certificate of Education; A = Advanced; AS = Advanced Subsidiary; UCAS = Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) Source: GCE/VCE A/AS and Equivalent Examination Results in England, 2005/06 (Provisional), Statistical First Release 40/2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR
Date: 2006-Oct
Researchers examined the effects of pupil grouping in schools in England at key stages 2 and 3 (ages 11 and 14). The case studies did not support suggestions that there were distinct attainment differences that might be explained by organizational grouping strategies in departments and schools.
Source: Peter Kutnick et al., Pupil Grouping Strategies and Practices at Key Stage 2 and 3: Case studies of 24 schools in England, Research Report 796, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2006-Sep
Provisional information was published on the achievements of eligible pupils (typically aged 14) in the 2006 national curriculum assessments at key stage 3 (KS3). Compared to the equivalent final 2005 figures, the percentage achieving level 5 or above represented a decrease of 2 percentage points in English and reading, no change in writing, an increase of 3 percentage points in mathematics, and an increase of 2 percentage points in science.
Source: National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stage 3 in England, 2006 (Provisional), Statistical First Release 34/2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR | DfES press release | ASCL press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2006-Sep
Provisional A-level (Advanced level) results were published for 2006. The overall pass rate rose from 96.2 per cent to 96.6. The proportion of grade A marks (the highest) rose from 22.8 per cent to 24.1.
Source: Press release 17 August 2006, Joint Council for Qualifications (0161 958 3737)
Links: JCQ press release | DfES press release | TUC press release | CBI press release
Date: 2006-Aug
An article said that secondary school pupils placed in low-ability sets often felt stigmatized as 'thick'. It was also 'not uncommon' for children to be placed in the wrong sets for their ability.
Source: Susan Hallam and Judith Ireson, 'Secondary school pupils' preferences for different types of structured grouping practices', British Educational Research Journal, Volume 32 Number 4
Links: Abstract | IOE press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Aug
Provisional General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) results were published for 2006. The overall proportion of passes at grades A*-E rose from 89.0 per cent to 89.9. The proportion of grades A*/A (the highest) rose from 18.4 per cent to 19.1.
Source: Press release 24 August 2006, Joint Council for Qualifications (0161 958 3737)
Links: JCQ press release | DfES press release | CBI press release | NASUWT press release | ASCL press release | NUT press release | NAHT press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Aug
A review concluded that, due to the small number of studies available and the great variation in their design, there was insufficient quality evidence to reach firm conclusions on the effect of nutrition and dietary changes on schoolchildren's learning, education, or performance.
Source: Louisa Ells, Frances Hillier and Carolyn Summerbell, A Systematic Review of the Effect of Nutrition, Diet and Dietary Change on Learning, Education and Performance of Children of Relevance to UK Schools, Food Standards Agency (020 7276 8000)
Links: Report | FSA press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jul
The government launched a register of all children identified as gifted and talented by their schools. The register was designed to ensure that these children were identified earlier, and given the right opportunities for their talents to be nurtured.
Source: Press release 11 July 2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: DfES press release | ASCL press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jul
An evaluation report said that there were weaknesses in the teaching of reading and writing within key stage 3 (ages 12-14) in schools in England.
Source: Monitoring Pupils Progress in English at Key Stage 3: Final report on the 2003-5 pilot, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (020 7509 5555)
Links: Report | Summary | BBC report
Date: 2006-Jul
A study used the population of state secondary school pupils in England to examine how pupil attainments at age 14 responded to differences in the prior, age-11 attainments of their existing school grade peer-group. Of all the factors affecting a pupil's school performance, their peer group accounted for less than 1 per cent.
Source: Steve Gibbons and Shqiponje Telhaj, Peer Effects and Pupil Attainment: Evidence from secondary school transition, DP63, Centre for the Economics of Education/London School of Economics (020 7955 7285)
Links: Paper | Abstract | Observer report
Date: 2006-Jun
A report examined concerns that data for England in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development s 'Programme for International Student Assessment' (PISA) might have suffered from response bias. It concluded that the PISA data had considerable value, especially if suitable weights were provided that adjusted for the probability of pupil response.
Source: John Micklewright and Sylke Schnepf, Response Bias in England in PISA 2000 and 2003, Research Report 771, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2006-Jun
A report examined the existing state of knowledge about the effects of children's diets on their health and education. It said that a concerted effort was needed on the part of schools, families, and government bodies to improve children's nutritional intake, both inside and out of school.
Source: Annik Sorhaindo and Leon Feinstein, What is the Relationship between Child Nutrition and School Outcomes?, Research Report RCB03-06, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief
Date: 2006-Jun
The final results were published of national curriculum assessments at key stage 2 (age 11) in England in 2004-05.
Source: National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stage 2, and Key Stage 1 To Key Stage 2 Value Added Measures for England 2004/2005 (Final), Statistical First Release 22/2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR
Date: 2006-Jun
A report said that the GCSE exam results of black pupils in England had improved at a higher rate than any other minority ethnic group over the two years to 2005. (GCSE = General Certificate of Secondary Education)
Source: National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2005, Statistical First Release 09/2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR | DfES press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A report said that pupils aged 5-14 who worked in groups learned how to compromise and resolve petty arguments, as well as making rapid progress in maths, science and reading.
Source: Peter Blatchford, Maurice Galton, Peter Kutnick and Ed Baines, Improving the Effectiveness of Pupil Groups in Classrooms, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Mar
The government announced (following a review report) that it would be revising the statutory national curriculum to require 'synthetic phonics' to be the prime approach used in teaching children to read. (The method teaches children to sound out the components of words relatively early in learning to read.)
Source: Jim Rose, Independent Review of the Teaching of Early Reading, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260) | Press release 20 March 2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: Report | Summary | DfES press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Mar
The curriculum advisory body announced steps towards reducing the exam burden. From September 2008, pupils would take only four papers for most Advanced-level papers, instead of six.
Source: Annual Review 2005, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (020 7509 5555) | GCSEs and A levels: The experiences of teachers, students, parents and the general public, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
Links: Report 1 | Report 2 | QCA press release | Speech | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Mar
The final national results were published for the foundation stage profile assessments in England for 2005. 16 per cent of children at age 5 could not recognize all, or most of, the letters in the alphabet.
Source: Foundation Stage Profile 2005: National Results (Final), Statistical First Release 03/2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR | BBC report
Date: 2006-Feb
The government issued a joint statement with faith communities on the importance of religious education. It said that schools with a religious designation should teach not only their own faith but also an awareness of the tenets of other faiths.
Source: Statement 22 February 2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288) and other bodies
Links: Text of statement
Date: 2006-Feb
A report said that new university students struggled because the school examination system failed to develop their capacity for independent study.
Source: Stephanie Wilde, Susannah Wright, Geoff Hayward, Jill Johnson and Richard Skerrett, Nuffield Review Higher Education Focus Groups: Preliminary Report, Nuffield Review/Department of Educational Studies/University of Oxford (01865 274007)
Links: Report | Nuffield press release
Date: 2006-Feb
The final results were published for the national curriculum assessments for children in England aged 7 (key stage 1).
Source: National Curriculum Assessments of 7 Year Olds in England, 2005 (Final), Statistical First Release 04/2006, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR
Date: 2006-Feb
A paper examined changes over time in the gender achievement gap at the different stages of compulsory education, and possible causal explanations.
Source: Stephen Machin and Sandra McNally, Gender and Student Achievement in English Schools, DP58, Centre for the Economics of Education/London School of Economics (020 7955 7285)
Date: 2006-Feb
An article said that the conceptual weaknesses and contradictions of the 1998 Crick Report's model of citizenship education had contributed to the ineffective adoption of the subject into the secondary school curriculum in England.
Source: Keith Faulks, 'Education for citizenship in England's secondary schools: a critique of current principle and practice', Journal of Education Policy, Volume 21 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Jan
Systematic phonics instruction within a broad literacy curriculum was found to have a statistically significant positive effect on reading accuracy. There was only a weak weight of evidence in relation to the effect on reading comprehension.
Source: Carole Torgerson, Greg Brooks and Jill Hall, A Systematic Review of the Research Literature on the Use of Phonics in the Teaching of Reading and Spelling, Research Report 711, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Brief | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jan
