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- School reopening? top scientists say not yet May 25, 2020
- Sending England back to work and back to school? May 11, 2020
- Too early to reopen schools : look at Europe April 30, 2020
- Ofsted : unreliable, destructive, beyond repair December 5, 2019
- PISA: no victory for Michael Gove December 4, 2019
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Categories
Tag Archives: comprehensive schools
Grammar schools and “ordinary working families” again
In our last blog post, we looked into a new and deeply flawed ‘research report’ by former Department of Education official Iain Mansfield. It was written in support of the Prime Minister’s argument that expanding grammar schools across England would … Continue reading
Posted in Social Justice
Tagged comprehensive schools, disadvantage, grammar schools, politicians
Grammar schools helping “ordinary working families”?
On becoming prime minister Theresa May decided to expand grammar schools in order to benefit ‘ordinary working families’. There is no evidence that this is what grammar schools do. This week a former Department of Education official Iain Mansfield tried … Continue reading
Posted in Social Justice, Uncategorized
Tagged comprehensive schools, disadvantage, grammar schools, politicians, universities
Grammar schools do not overcome disadvantage
New research has further undermined the Government’s case for expanding grammar schools. Stephen Gorard and Nadia Siddiqui (Durham University) have taken a closer look at the Department for Education’s data, revealing some neglected factors. It was already beyond doubt that children … Continue reading
Back to the 1970s? I’ll vote for that
A personal comment by Dr Terry Wrigley, Visiting Professor, Northumbria University A few days ago the Daily Mail threatened that a Labour victory in the General Election would mean a return to the 1970s. That set me thinking. I started … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged comprehensive schools, grammar schools, politicians, teacher education
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The crisis in secondary schools: where is it leading?
All kinds of schools in England are facing damaging budget cuts. Large meetings are being held all over the country where parents and teachers together are showing their opposition to Government cuts. Every concerned teacher or parent should join the … Continue reading
Who will vote for secondary moderns?
The elephant in the room of Theresa May’s plan to open more grammar schools is – secondary modern schools. Selecting a minority of children at age 11 for grammar schools means an inferior kind of school for those who failed. This is what … Continue reading
Posted in Social Justice
Tagged comprehensive schools, grammar schools, secondary moderns
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Harold Rosen: an inspiration for teachers today
announcing an inspiring new book Harold Rosen: Writings on life, language and learning 1958-2008 Harold Rosen was one of the great reformers of English teaching. His work has just been republished, providing a challenge to the deadening practices of the National Curriculum – its obsession … Continue reading
Posted in Curriculum
Tagged comprehensive schools, disadvantage, English teaching, language, National Curriculum, spoken language
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Unequal lives – to university and beyond
This article is mainly based on new research by Claire Crawford, Lorraine Dearden, John Micklewright and Anna Vignoles Considerable emphasis is placed on the Attainment Gap at age 16. New research has shown that this inequality continues into university and … Continue reading
Posted in Social Justice
Tagged comprehensive schools, disadvantage, poverty, universities
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The logic of selection: keeping the working class in its place
by Professor Sally Tomlinson, University of Oxford What led Theresa May to ‘seize the day’ by promising us more grammar schools? Some have suggested it was a clever tactic to distract us from Brexit; others that it was to placate … Continue reading
Posted in Social Justice
Tagged academies, comprehensive schools, grammar schools, politicians
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Grammar school plans: a dangerous distraction
by Professor Mel Ainscow, University of Manchester The decision to abolish Some years ago a neighbour came to my front door crying because her daughter had failed the eleven plus and, as a result, would not get a place … Continue reading
Posted in Social Justice
Tagged comprehensive schools, disadvantage, grammar schools, politicians
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