Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Teacher appraisal

Posted on January 26th, 2012 by Barnaby Lenon, under News

The government has introduced some new standards against which teachers in maintatined schools will be appraised from Sepember 2012.  These may be of interest to some independent school heads.  They apply to teachers at all career stages including NQTs.

Teachers make the…

Let’s celebrate our sector’s role in the national education system

Posted on January 13th, 2012 by Matthew Burgess, under News

Matthew Burgess, General Secretary

Fiona Millar (Charitable status for private schools: the judges say politicians must decide 10 January 2012) likens the charitable status debate to the plot of Downton Abbey.  It is her views on this issue and on the…

SEN provision for children of service families

Posted on November 15th, 2011 by Sarah McKimm, under News, Public Affairs

We were delighted on 13th October 2011 with the announcement of Nick Harvey (the Minister for the Armed Forces). After a careful review of the Continuity of Education Allowance, the government affirmed its commitment to supporting service personnel and their…

Welcome one, welcome all

Posted on August 2nd, 2011 by Liam Butler, under Boarding Schools, ISCias, News

Independent schools have always welcomed students from outside the UK and today is no different. This thriving sector is continuing to welcome students from all over the world providing innovative ways of delivering a British education to thousands of students…

Have a look round the classroom of the future…

Posted on July 25th, 2011 by Liam Butler, under ISCias, News, School Curriculum - Private Schools

We often hear stories of pupils educated in the independent sector trekking off to a far flung destination on a field trip or charity expedition but what really goes on inside the classroom back here in the UK? With many…

GAP years for the twitter generation

Posted on July 15th, 2011 by Liam Butler, under ISCias, News

After what seems like an eternity of exams you can’t blame the average 18 year old for wanting to take a year out before embarking on university life or the world of work. Many may scoff at the idea of…

Forget the gold rush, now it’s time for the green rush!

Posted on July 12th, 2011 by Liam Butler, under Eco-Schools, ISCias, News

The green agenda seems to dominate the press these days with energy efficiency at the top of the political agenda so it’s hardly surprising that independent schools are no different with sustainability and conservation featuring prominently both inside and outside…

The many dangers of sector-based discrimination

Posted on May 18th, 2011 by Kristen DiLemmo, under News

Last weekend, the Telegraph released a brief report on Oxford University’s maintained sector intake being dominated by a small group of non-selective schools. The data revealed that of the places given to students from non-selective state schools, 25% came from…

A public school education for my child?

Posted on April 20th, 2011 by Liam Butler, under News, Private Schools, Special Educational Needs (SEN)

You’d be forgiven if the thought of ‘public schools’ still conjured up images of severe headmasters and stodgy lumpy custard but step into an independent school today and you might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Public school education has evolved into…

Teaching under-fives lawful in schools again, says shock report

Posted on March 31st, 2011 by Sarah McKimm, under Early Years Foundation Stage - Private Schools, News

Dame Clare Tickell’s report into the EYFS makes interesting reading. Frankly, my expectations of government-commissioned “independent” reports are quite low, written, as they tend to be, in formulaic colourless jargon. You read pages and wonder at the end what they have really…