Schools

Education Quandary: My two pre-school children are ambidextrous. Does this mean that they have learning problems later on?

Thursday, 11 February 2010

Denise Chevin: 'We are in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime chance to improve the Quality of learning'

Thursday, 11 February 2010

"It has transformed our learning and teaching". "Pupils feel valued, and this has improved their self-esteem and will improve outcomes". "We have a set of learning spaces that will enable a generation to prepare for the 21st century". These are some of the comments made by head teachers in a survey carried out for Building, the weekly magazine I edit.

Hannah Jones: 'It's no longer possible for a school to remain an island'

Thursday, 11 February 2010

To describe Building Schools for the Future (BSF) as a learning journey is an understatement. Everyone involved, from learners through staff, school leaders, stakeholders and contractors up to policymakers and politicians, has had to innovate, monitor and change.

Dramatic improvement: How a rebuilt school in Knowsley has transformed behaviour

Thursday, 11 February 2010

When head teacher Ann Behan received a sizeable petition from the local community, her heart sank. Pupils hadn't been popular in the deprived Merseyside suburb of Knowsley and absenteeism was an endemic problem. "I thought, 'Oh no, here we go'," says Behan. In fact, the petition was a heartfelt and unsolicited "Thank you" from people living around the revamped school. Pupils' behaviour had dramatically improved and truants no longer roamed the streets in the same numbers. "They even said children's behaviour had improved in the evenings and weekends."

Building excellence: A multibillion-pound scheme to upgrade schools is presenting a set of challenges

Thursday, 11 February 2010

Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is perhaps the most ambitious known scheme of its kind. Launched in 2004 by the then Department for Education and Skills, £2.5bn-£3bn of capital investment is being spent on the programme each year to renovate or rebuild every school in England.

£8m Nottingham redesign will create an environment where autistic pupils feel safe

Thursday, 11 February 2010

While you might find a dripping tap mildly irritating, to an autistic child the noise could be excruciating – as could other school sounds such as classroom and playground hubbub. Some children on the autistic spectrum, however, crave noise and can't tolerate silence.

Engineering a future: Why a new diploma is a hit with the girls

Thursday, 4 February 2010

How do you make teenagers excited about engineering? A pioneering diploma, which lets pupils get their hands dirty, has been rapturously received.

Leading Article: Three cheers for the Liberal Democrats

Thursday, 4 February 2010

The Liberal Democrats have seized on the findings of last week's National Equality Report and decided they would give each poor child a pupil premium of £2,500. They should be commended for doing so. Last week's report showed that the richest 10 per cent are more than 100 times as rich as the poorest 10 per cent and that government spending on deprivation is not going to those most in need. Much of it is going to schools in inner-city areas. As a result there is a big gap between poor children in different parts of the country. In Kensington and Chelsea, 59 per cent of poor children get five good GCSEs whereas in Rutland only 14 per cent do.

Education Quandary: How can I persuade my son to choose A-Level sciences when he says that he thinks they are too hard?

Thursday, 4 February 2010

Easter revision: Learn exactly what you need to know

Thursday, 4 February 2010

It's now more important than ever that students achieve the required grades