A report found that successful teaching of mature students who enter higher education through non-standard routes involves the provision of extra time and support. Mature women may face particular personal, domestic and childcare problems in participating.

Source: Alistair Ross and Louise Archer, Potential Mature Students Recruitment to HE, Research Report 385, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)

Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)

Date: 2002-Dec

Early statistics (subject to checking by schools) showed that 56.6 per cent of girls aged 15 in schools in England gained five or more A*-C grades at GCSE/GNVQ equivalent in 2001-02, compared to 46.0 per cent of boys - the same gap as in the previous year. (GCSE = General Certificate of Secondary Education: GNVQ = General National Vocational Qualification)

Source: Statistical First Release 26/2002, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)

Links: SFR (pdf)

See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/2, Digest 122, paragraph 11.1

Date: 2002-Oct

Researchers found that girls, and to a certain extent boys, could benefit academically from attending single-sex secondary schools; and that school size did have some impact on pupil opportunities and performance.

Source: Thomas Spielhofer, Lisa O'Donnell, Tom Benton, Sandie Schagen and Ian Schagen, The Impact of School Size and Single-sex Education on Performance, National Foundation for Educational Research (01753 747281)

Links: Summary

Date: 2002-Jul