What happens after school

After the Wolf report about the quality of vocational training and OFFA’s new guidance for universities on access, Demos’s report The forgotten half appears to be a slight misnomer, since transition into work or…

Wolf Report reveals systemic failings of vocational training

The Wolf Report, a review of vocational education commissioned by the government, was published to great media attention yesterday. Professor Alison Wolf found that between a quarter and a third of 16-19 year olds (up to 400,000 pupils)…

Dynamic learning through 3D technologies

As part of an ongoing scheme to bring together American and British technological developments, the American Embassy hosted a seminar this morning on the intersections of 3D technology and education. The event showcased the educational applications for the Digital Light…

A case for vouchers (but by any other name)

The release of Lord Browne’s higher education review coincided with another proposal that garnered considerably less attention – for the moment, at least. Paul Collier, who spoke at Policy Exchange last night, is no stranger to having his…

Breaking the Link: Social Mobility and Education in Britain

Yesterday the Sutton Trust presented some of their work on social mobility at the Master’s seminar of the Company of Educators. They highlighted the importance of education for social mobility, stressing that the penalties for lower levels of…

Educational mobility

A new report on education mobility in England recently published by the Sutton Trust found that educational mobility in England has increased significantly since 1958. However, England lags behind Australia, Germany and the US in the international comparison.

The…

Volcanoes, Sats boycotts and the transformation of the schools system

Not long after the news broke of volcanic ash and grounded flights, colourful articles followed in the press of the means schools were employing to teach pupils who were stranded abroad. One of the most seized-upon stories was that…

Fears of ‘bogus’ students in pre-election season

Following Labour’s promise to reduce the number of student visas granted this year by 40,000, critics of the UK Border Agency’s Points Based System (PBS) are pointing to recent immigration figures as evidence that ‘bogus’ students can ‘manipulate’ the system…

Manifestos, tuition fee revolts and selection

The education news this week was, hardly surprisingly, dominated by the election campaign. What set this week apart was that we were finally able to see the parties’ pledges in black and white in their manifestos. Labour was first, and…

ICT Advice: Cloud Computing Explained

The traditional method of using operating systems and software applications on more expensive desktop PCs or servers physically located in a school is being challenged by the rise of computing in ‘the cloud’. Large business organisations have used cloud services for many years.