The Professional Teacher
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Education in the News
Girls get better GCSE results in all-girls schools
An analysis of the summer 2015 GCSE exam results shows that girls in single-sex schools perform better than they would do in co-ed schools. There is minimal difference in the performance of boys in...
What is Progress 8?
This academic year is the last year in which schools will be judged on "raw" GCSE results; from next year, schools will be measured in a new technique called Progress 8
Back to the Future: University Entrance Exams to Make a Comeback
If this report in Schools Week is correct, it seems that Cambridge University will be bringing back subject entrance exams as part of their applications procedure from 2017 onwards.
Penguin Random House to look beyond a qualification when recruiting
Penguin Random House have announced that they no longer require their new recruits to have a degree when applying for jobs (click here for article from The Independent). This follows on from a...
The Cheapest Countries In Which to be a Student
I don't usually expect countries such as Norway and Luxembourg to head "cheapest places" lists, but that's exactly where they are in a new "league table" of cheapest places to be a student,...
What Makes a Good School? (It's Not What You Think...)
What makes a good school? Results? Facilities? Quality of teaching? Or perhaps just whether other people think the school is good?
Do Term Time Holidays matter?
Term time holidays are in the news again this week as the Wales' Education Minister 'clarified' the issue for Welsh schools by saying that up to 10 days per pupil should be allowed at the...
Success at school linked to where you live
The Social Market Foundation has produced a report showing that exam performance is linked to where you live, and that location has more influence on grades than ever before, although social...
Single sex versus co-ed schools: the debate reappears
An article published in Independent School Parent recently, written by the Head of a co-ed independent school, states that girls educated in an all-girls school are at a huge disadvantage compared...
A Remarkably Simple Way to Help Our Students Understand Dementia
The Alzheimer's Society estimates that there are now 850,000 people in the UK with various stages of dementia. That's a lot of grandparents, uncles, aunties and even some parents and guardians of...
Pre-school education influences A-level outcomes
Research by the University of Oxford has shown that children of all backgrounds who receive a preschool education, either in a formal nursery or effective homeschool education, are twice as likely...
Why is there a teacher shortage?
Brian Lightman, leader of the ASCL headteachers' union, has warned this week that the UK's teacher shortage is now a national crisis, especially in poor and challenging areas of the country. On...
Exams - The Remark and Appeal Epidemic
Ofqual have just published some shocking statistics on the number of exam appeals and remarks arising from the summer 2015 exam season.
Why more UK students are attending university in The Netherlands
A number of media outlets have carried this story over the weekend - an increasing number of UK-based students are choosing to study for their degree in The Netherlands, where tuition fees are...
Are These the World's Most Innovative Schools
The Tech Insider online magazine has recently announced its view on the 13 most innovative schools in the world in 2015.
Universities have broadened access to HE
The number of full-time undergraduates from disadvantaged backgrounds going into Higher Education has risen, according to a report published this week by Universities UK. The report also shows that...
North-South divide in GCSE results
A report published today by Ofsted's boss Michael Wilshaw claims that one third of secondary schools in the North of England and the Midlands are not good enough. This comes after a report earlier...
How does the UK's education system measure up against others?
I found this BBC summary of the OECD's annual education report quite insightful when I spotted it earlier this morning. At a glance, here are the key differences identified in the report:
Should the School Day Start After Lunch?
This video report from the BBC explains how a series of pilot schools are trialling a much later start - and end - to the school day.
The GCSE North-South Divide
This BBC article, North-south divide mapped in GCSE results, highlights that GCSE results in England show few signs of a north-south divide getting narrower.