Month: November 2012

University teacher training places reduced

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Universities to lose traditional teacher training places

from: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=6390#.ULfq9ydRgIY.twitter

29 November 2012

Two-thirds of institutions will see a drop in places • Some institutions to lose almost three-quarters of their places

More than two-thirds of higher education institutions in England will have their teacher training places cut from September 2013, according to analysis released today.

Government figures, analysed by UCU, show that 52 of the 75 higher education institutions that offer Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses* will see a reduction in places in the academic year 2013/14. A total of 2,037 university-based ITT places will be lost – equivalent to 7.2% of the total places available.

Some institutions will be hit particularly hard by the cuts. The top five worst-hit institutions are the University of Sheffield (-71.3%), Keele University (-48.8%), the University of Newcastle (-38.8%) the University of Leeds (-37.6%), and the University of Warwick (-37.2%). See table below for list of top 10 worst-hit institutions.

The reduction is down to a change in direction from the coalition government which is pushing for more teacher training to take place in schools, via its newly created School Direct programme. This will see a move away from the traditional university-based model of teacher training and an associated loss in funding for those university departments.

While HEIs in England in 2013-14 are losing core ITT places, they will be gaining 6,451 School Direct salaried and training programme places. In all HEIs will gain 4,414 teaching training places, an increase in 2013-14 of 15.6%

UCU has highlighted that university teacher training departments already work in very close partnership with schools and many university departments have achieved high grades from Ofsted in recognition of their work.

The union argues the training offered by universities provides a wider overview of the profession giving trainees the opportunity to learn about different curricula models and approaches to teaching. Trainees benefit from the expertise of experienced lecturers who are often active in research in their field. University teacher training departments also offer ongoing training and development to existing qualified teachers.

UCU General Secretary, Sally Hunt, said: ‘Trainee teachers based in universities get a holistic and evidence-based view of teaching as they are taught about different approaches to effective teaching in diverse settings. Schools also benefit greatly from their relationship with their local university education departments. We want to see this successful partnership model protected. Cutting teacher training could threaten the future viability of these university departments.

‘The departments are also an invaluable resource for teachers who want to do further training and development during their careers. Our concern is that in years to come, this opportunity could be lost in some regions.’

HEIs in order of % change in HEI-based ITT places 2012-13 to 2013-14

HEI-based ITT 2012-13

HEI-based ITT 2013-14

HEI-based ITT 2012-13 to 2013-14 change N

HEI-based ITT 2012-13 to 2013-14 change %

University of Sheffield

108

31

-77

-71.3%

Keele University

168

86

-82

-48.8%

University of Newcastle

199

122

-77

-38.7%

University of Leeds

274

171

-103

-37.6%

University of Warwick

336

211

-125

-37.2%

University of Sussex

150

96

-54

-36.0%

University of Bedfordshire

306

205

-101

-33.0%

Central School of Speech and Drama

26

18

-8

-30.8%

University of Southampton

289

203

-86

-29.8%

Liverpool John Moores University

322

237

-85

-26.4%

The data used were from www.education.gov.uk and only include HEIs providing teacher training. They include undergraduate and postgraduate full-time and part-time students. They do not show organisations solely providing school-based teacher training. The data for 2012-13 were as revised at 29.2.12. Calculations by UCU.

*the data include ITT at the University Centre, Bradford College

Samantha’s blog on training to be a teacher on the School Direct Training Programme

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Samantha – Why School Direct was the right route for me

from: http://getintoteaching.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/samantha-why-school-direct-wa…

28NOV

Samantha works at Ashton on Mersey School on the School Direct Training Programme for MFL

One of the most difficult questions you may be asked at a teaching interview will be as follows. “So tell me,” the interviewer asks – “why do you want to teach?”

If this is a question that you find difficult to answer in a concise and logical sentence, you may be a teacher! “I just love it,” many in the profession will conclude, when asked to reflect on their reasons for choosing teaching.

In the process of gaining experience for my own teaching application, I had experienced brief flashes of this same feeling which, by the end of five years at university, had left me seeking a route into teaching which would enable me to train in a way which mirrored, as closely as possible, the life of a ‘real’ teacher. I had been a guest in many schools – a day here, a week there – and now wanted the opportunity to be part of a school community over the course of a full academic year. School Direct seemed to be the perfect route.

Recruitment, crucially, took place on a working school day. Young people, after all, are ‘the job’, and it makes sense that recruitment is centred around them. As part of the overall recruitment process, I had the opportunity to observe real teaching within my chosen subject specialism, to interact with pupils and colleagues, and – with the fullest of support! – to deliver part of a lesson to a full class. Once accepted onto the scheme, I could be confident not only that the school wanted to work with me but that the school was one where I too would be happy to work and train. A PGCE is a demanding qualification, and supportive schools are vital in creating happy and confident trainees. Confidence in the proven high quality of training experience which a School Direct provider has been required to demonstrate is, I think, one of the key advantages of the scheme.

Teaching, even for the most experienced of teachers, is a constant process of experimentation and reflection. It makes sense that we as trainees should begin this process as early and intensely as possible, training for our profession by doing – and School Direct provides the support and the framework for increasing numbers of high quality graduates to do just this.

Should we still have exam hall style testing at 16?

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‘Victorian-style’ exams harm children’s education

Children’s education is being damaged by Britain’s obsession with “Victorian-style” examinations, the headmaster of Eton College has warned.

Tony Little, the head of Eton College, has criticised 'Victorian' style GCSE exams.

Tony Little, the head of Eton College, has criticised ‘Victorian’ style GCSE exams. Photo: SALLY AND RICHARD GREENHILL / ALAMY
Graeme Paton

By , and Alice Philipson

7:00PM GMT 20 Nov 2012

from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9691299/Victorian-style-ex…

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Pupils’ creativity is being stifled by a system that still measures students’ ability by “sitting everyone down in rows in an exam hall” for several hours, said Tony Little.

He called for traditional pen-and-paper tests taken at 16 to be scrapped in all subjects other than English and maths to give students more time and space to properly develop a range of skills.

Speaking at a conference staged by the National Education Trust, Mr Little said that existing GCSE exams were increasingly outdated, particularly at a time when most pupils were expected to remain in education up to the age of 18.

The case for retaining A-levels was more powerful because they were used by universities as part of the higher education admissions process, he said.

But he insisted there was “no good reason” why students had to be assessed in “this very Victorian way” at 16.

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The comments come just days after the Confederation of British Industry called for the abolition of GCSEs in their present form amid fears they promoted a “cult of the average” – failing to meet the needs of bright pupils or those who struggled the most at school.

Mr Little said: “I think we have got to stop being obsessed with sitting everyone down in rows in an exam hall for a chunk of time. Art, dance and drama utilise all kinds of creative exercises as part of the assessment process; why can’t the same thinking be applied to other subjects?”

He said schools had to be “very robust” in the assessment of literacy and numeracy as the cornerstones of all academic disciplines, but insisted the nation had to be “much more imaginative about how we structure courses and assessment in pretty much every other subject”.

“The fact is that we no longer have to do it sitting down in an exam for two or three hours,” he said. “You could envisage taking an engineering course, for example, where a group of four work together on a project and the entire group is assessed at the same time.

“This is the type of thing we should be looking at; we just don’t seem to have the wherewithal to do it.”

The National Education Trust – an independent charity promoting innovation in schools – staged a conference at Eton on Tuesday based on the future of GCSE exams.

The Coalition has already outlined plans to replace GCSEs with new-style English Baccalaureate Certificates (EBCs), although they will still retain a formal exam at 16.

But addressing the conference, Mr Little suggested that there had to be greater freedom in the education system to allow 14- to 16-year-olds to “show flair” in a range of disciplines.

He said that breaking education up into “bite-size chunks” impressed “upon our young people that being able to hit minutely a particular word or phrase is what counts rather than adding scope to what’s been learnt”.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “We agree that the exam system is in desperate need of a thorough overhaul. That is why we are scrapping GCSEs and introducing new EBCs.

“They will be rigorous, world-class exams which will properly prepare 16-year-olds for further study.

“We are also raising the age of compulsory participation in education or training to 17 in 2013 and 18 in 2015. This will give every young person the opportunity to continue their studies and go on to skilled employment or higher education.

“These are all part of our radical package of reforms that will give our education system the thorough transformation it needs.”

More primary schools to offer Latin and ancient Greek

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Latin and ancient Greek are to make a comeback in state schools under Government plans to introduce compulsory language lessons for seven-year-olds.

Latin and ancient Greek are among seven languages that could be offered in state primary schools.

Latin and ancient Greek are among seven languages that could be offered in state primary schools. Photo: SELCUK ISSEVER / ALAMY
Graeme Paton

By , Education Editor

6:00AM GMT 17 Nov 2012

from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9683536/More-primary-schoo…

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All primary schools will be expected to teach foreign languages to pupils from 2014 as part of a major drive to boost education standards, it emerged.

At least one subject from a seven-strong shortlist – French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, Latin and ancient Greek – will be offered to seven- to 11-year-olds.

The move – outlined in a consultation document published by the Department for Education – could result in a major rise in the number of pupils studying the classical languages at a young age.

According to officials, Latin and ancient Greek were included to “give primary schools further options”, with claims that they can provide a good grounding in grammar, syntax and vocabulary which can boost pupils’ understanding of other modern languages.

It comes after a major study found that schoolchildren in England were less likely to study foreign languages to a decent standard than in any other European country.

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Currently about one-in-10 state primary schools offer no language lessons at all and a further 20 per cent only offer it to some year groups.

Under new plans, all 17,000 primaries in England will now be expected to teach languages to pupils aged seven to 11.

More than nine-in-10 people responding to an initial DfE consultation launched in the summer backed plans for compulsory lessons. A further consultation will now be staged into proposals to prioritise the seven languages.

Elizabeth Truss, the Education Minister, said: “We must give young people the opportunities they need to compete in a global jobs market – fluency in a foreign language will now be another asset our school leavers and graduates will be able to boast.”

French, German and Spanish are expected to be the most popular choices for primary schools, followed by Italian and Mandarin.

The Government said the teaching of Mandarin was seen as vital for Britain’s economic future.

It also introduces pupils to the concept that not all languages use Roman script, officials said. Several primary schools already offer some basic Mandarin teaching.

Technology in the Classroom?

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Teachers’ obsession with technology sees gadgets worth millions sit in cupboards

from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9681828/Teachers-obsession-with-technology-se…

Millions of pounds of technology is languishing in school cupboards because teachers are being lured into buying the latest gadgets, according to research.

Teachers’ obsession with technology sees gadgets worth millions sit in cupboards

The study was based on an analysis of more than 1,000 research papers on the use of technology in education. Photo: ALAMY
Graeme Paton

By , Education Editor

9:03PM GMT 15 Nov 2012

Schools spend more than £450 million a year on tablet computers, educational games and electronic whiteboards with little or no evidence that they benefit pupils, it was claimed.

Researchers said that teachers were increasingly pulled in by the “hype” of digital education without properly considering how to use it.

In some cases, schools are using “shiny new devices” as a direct replacement for books or pen and paper exercises, instead of using them to enhance pupils’ skills.

Many other schools are allowing millions of pounds’ worth of electronic items to “languish unused or underused in school cupboards”, the researchers found. The conclusion, in a report by Nesta, a charity created to support innovation, comes despite concerns over cutbacks to school budgets during the economic downturn.

Geoff Mulgan, the chief executive of the charity, said: “A tablet replacing an exercise book is not innovation – it’s just a different way to make notes.

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“There’s incredible potential for digital technology in and beyond the classroom, but as in other fields, from health care to retail, it is vital to rethink how learning is organised if we’re to reap the rewards.

“The danger is that the technology of the 21st century is being applied using teaching methods of the 20th. The emphasis is too often on shiny hardware, rather than how it’s to be used.”

The study was based on an analysis of more than 1,000 research papers on the use of technology in education. Researchers suggested that schools across Britain collectively spent more than £1.4 billion on the latest gadgets in the past three years alone.

But the study warned that there was “little tangible impact” on pupils’ education as technology was often “imported into classrooms without the necessary changes to teacher practice and school organisation to support them”.

It quoted examples of an “overabundance of ‘apps’ and games that sugar-coat dull, unchallenging practice activities, like repetitive arithmetic quizzes”.

The report, called Decoding Learning, also said tablet computers were being handed to pupils with no training in how to use them.

“Tablet computers offer a window to vast swathes of information, but so does a traditional library,” it said. “To use either effectively, a child needs structured teaching to help turn information into knowledge. Instead of fetishising the latest kit, focusing on effective learning activities can help us make better use of what we’ve got.”

The study highlighted a number of ways in which technology could be used to improve pupils’ education.

One example given was that of a robotics kit for secondary schools which enables pupils to attach lights, sensors and motors to a customised control board and to then programme their machines using an app.

In another example, pupils were able to use powerful sound and digital equipment to simulate an earthquake in a geography class.

The conclusions come amid concerns over the effect that technology is having on schoolchildren.

Researchers have consistently called for access to gadgets to be limited in the early years amid fears that they erode pupils’ basic skills.

If you start Teacher Training how likely are you to stay as a teacher?

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Teachers: Nearly one in three trainees does not stay

By Angela HarrisonEducation correspondent, BBC News
from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20340362
classroom scene

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Nearly one in three people who trains to be a teacher in England does not go on to work in the profession, a report suggests.

A study by Buckingham University says out of 38,000 teachers who trained in 2010-11, 70% were in teaching posts the following January.

Researchers also found rising numbers of trainees had degrees of at least a 2:1.

Arts graduates were more likely to have good degrees than scientists.

Researchers say of those who did enter the profession, nearly 61% went to work in state schools, 5% went to private schools, while 5% were in teaching although it is not known in which sector.

Report author Prof Alan Smithers said: “Some people start with teacher training and it becomes clear to them that they are not going to make good teachers, and others successfully complete and they’re not necessarily able to find a job.”

The report looked at the various routes in to teaching and found nearly 80% of trainees were on university-led courses, while about 5% were on what are known as school-centred courses.

Both routes involve training towards a PGCE (post-graduate certificate in secondary education) and tuition fees are payable.

Another route is known as employment-led training, where trainees are school-based, paid a salary and do not pay tuition fees.

The researchers said no one training route emerged “as superior overall”.

“University courses, on average, receive the highest grades from Ofsted and recruit the best graduates,” but it was those on the employment-based training who were the most likely to remain in teaching, they said.

Shortage

The government is shifting more teacher training towards schools and recently announced details of tougher entry tests for trainees in English and maths.

The research suggests teacher trainees in arts subjects such as history and English were more likely to have good degrees than those training to teach maths or science.

About 83% of history trainees and 77% of those planning to teach English had a first class degree or a 2:1, compared with 52% of those wanting to teach maths and 54% of science trainees.

The report said: “It means that children are more likely to find themselves with knowledgeable teachers in subjects like history and English than in maths, the physical sciences and ICT.”

People training to be science, maths or ICT teachers were more likely to drop out too, the researchers said.

The government is trying to attract more well-qualified graduates to teach subjects such as science and modern foreign languages, where there is a shortage, and is offering them bursaries of up to £20,000.

Overall, more people taking up teaching today have “good” degrees (a 2:1 or first), the report said.

In 1998, 46% of those beginning teacher training for secondary schools had this level of degree, while in 2012, this had risen to 59%, the researchers said, although they added that this was in line with the rising proportion of good degrees being awarded.

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4 December 2012 1.05pm – Meeting in careers for students considering applying for Teaching at University next year.

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If you are considering applying for primary teaching then please come along to this short meeting in careers to collect some valuable information and find out how we can support you.

The meeting will be held in careers by Melanie Lycett-King.

If you are a second year student who attended this meeting last year, you do not need to attend.

If you are unable to attend for some reason, please contact me by email melanie.lycett-king@havant.ac.uk or by dropping into careers for a quick chat.