When You Are Born Matters: The Impact of Date of Birth on Child
This is a report of research published by the Institute of Fiscal Studies designed to investigate two key issues:
• What are the factors behind the comparatively poor academic achievement in cognitive tests of the youngest children in each school year cohort?
• Should something be done about this disparity and if so what?
Researching young researchers in primary schools: responding to children’s evaluations of a partic
The Children’s Research Centre of the Open University supports children being active researchers in their schools. This paper presents the views of 10 and 11 year-old researchers about an evaluation of their involvement in research projects. The children valued their unique perspective as well as group perspectives of the process. The paper considers the implications of a participatory technique as a way of representing their views. The author shows the value of listening carefully to children
Creating Accurate Science Benchmark Assessments to Inform Instruction
This is a report on American research carried out by The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing at the University of California. The aim was to write, pilot test and evaluate benchmark assessments in the form of multiple-choice and open-ended questions in four areas of science taught to Grade 5 pupils (equivalent to Year 6 pupils in the UK). It was carried out using practicing teachers and researchers who were experts on science pedagogy and content.
The impact of 14-16 year olds on further education colleges
This report examined colleges’ practical strategies and issues for integrating 14–16 year-old learners into the more traditional profile of FE. It is based on case studies of five colleges. The aim of this research was to explore the impact that 14–16 year olds have on FE colleges, their staff and older learners, to examine the strategies that FE colleges and their staff used to integrate 14–16 year olds successfully into their institutions and to identify the issues that remained to be
Primary Languages in Initial Teacher Training
Published by Ofsted in January 2008, this report into Primary Languages in Initial Teacher Training seeks to extrapolate the key points of a a survey of ITT providers conducted by Ofsted during the academic year 2006/7. This report identifies good practice as well as areas of concern for training providers, school partners and trainees. Of the 30 established providers of Primary Languages, 10 were visited twice during the academic year 2006/7 whilst a further 19 took part in a telephone survey.
Students' experiences of ‘researching’ in different subjects
This resource appeared in November 2006 in Practical Research for Education, the NFER publication for teachers. It is a reprint of a 2005 article from a new Zealand Journal Research Information for Teachers. This study was carried out in New Zealand with Year 11, 12 and 13 students. The aim was to collect student views of their experiences of research (identifying, interpreting and analysing information on their own or in a group) in different subjects and different types of courses.
Comparison of Literacy Progress of Young Children in London Schools: A Reading Recovery Follow-up St
May 9th saw the publication of a study which “followed up the impact on children’s literacy in London schools a year or more after intervention (Reading Recovery) had been received”. The press has headlined the progress made by children on this programme.
Evaluation of a Voices Foundation Primer in Primary Schools
A DfES research report published in 2005 evaluating the impact of a one year Voices Foundation project to develop teachers’ expertise and use of singing, in primary schools across England.
Aims for Primary Education: the changing national context
The resource is a survey of research conducted into the changing national context of primary education in England. As one of thirty specially-commissioned surveys of existing research undertaken by 70 academic consultants, it examines major economic and social trends in Britain and how these relate to education. It is part of a two-year project, called The Primary Review, which began in 2006.
Changing Teachers - Finland comes to England - Primary
This Teachers TV 30 minute video summarises the five-day placement of a Finnish primary teacher in a year 3 class in an inner London school. According to the commentary, the Finnish teacher, Johanna, receives a ‘huge culture shock’. She is introduced to literacy and numeracy strategies, the English National Curriculum, unfamiliar primary materials and technologies, a longer working day and the challenges of teaching in an inner city English primary school. She compares critically the system
A systematic review of the effect of nutrition, diet and dietary change on learning, education and p
This is a systematic review of research into the effect of good nutrition on the behaviour, learning and performance of school-aged children. Conducted by the Centre for Food, Physical Activity and Obesity Research at the University of Teesside between November 2005 and April 2006, it was updated in June of that year.
Comparison of Literacy Progress of Young Children in London Schools. A Reading Recovery Follow up St
This evaluation report follows up a Reading Recovery (RR) intervention programme that had initially been carried out on children aged around 6 years in 42 London schools. In the initial study (2005-6), these children, then in year 1, were all reading at a level below age 5. This report makes comparisons between the original study and the follow up assessment that took place at the end of Key Stage 1 (July 2007) when the children were 7+ years old. This follow up study was designed to assess the
The Influence of School and Teaching Quality on Children’s Progress in Primary School
The resource is a report of research which “investigates the way school and classroom processes affect the cognitive progress and social/behavioural development of children between the ages of 6 (Year 1) and 10 (Year 5) in primary schools in England.” (page i) The research is part of a large research project funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). The project was called Effective Pre-School and Primary Education (EPPE 3-11). This project followed the cognitive and
Language Learning at key stage 3: the impact of the KS3 Modern Foreign Languages Framework and chang
Produced by the DCSF, this research brief reports on interim findings from the first half of a two-year investigation undertaken by the University of Cambridge into the impact of the KS3 Framework for Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) and other initiatives on current provision and practice at KS3.
Rising to the Challenge: a review of the Teach First ITT programme
This is an Ofsted inspection report of the Teach First initial teacher training provision, an employment-based route into teaching based in London and managed jointly by Teach First and Canterbury Christ Church University. This two year programme places graduate student teachers in schools in challenging circumstances with the objective of raising achievement in the schools and providing a high quality training experience. Although the trainees found the school-based experience extremely challen
Curiosity Kits: The impact of non-fiction book bags on boys’ reading at home
This 2001 NFER Topic (now PRE-Online) article reports on a small-scale pilot project which was supported by the National Year of Reading (1998–99) and the UK Reading Association, as well as publishers and other businesses. This research involved placing sets of book bags (‘Curiosity Kits’) in four Year 4 classes across the country, and monitoring the home-school reading patterns of these pupils compared with four control classes. The kits, contained in sports bags, comprised at least one
The Children's Plan: One Year On
One year after the publication of the Children's Plan, this document sets out the steps the government plans to make in 2009 to "continue to work to make sure that every child and young person gets the best start in life".
Influences on Children’s Development and Progress in Key Stage 2: Social/behavioural Outcomes in Y
The resource is a DCSF research report. It is linked to the Effective Pre-school Provision Evaluation conducted jointly by researchers from University of Nottingham, Oxford, University of London and the Institute of Education (University of London). The findings of the report focus on the social and behavioural outcomes for children in year 5.
PISA, the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment
The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) was first employed in 2000. It is "an internationally standardised assessment that was jointly developed by participating countries and administered to 15-year-olds in schools". These assessments have been applied every three years with different numbers of countries participating. In 2000 there were 47 countries, in 2003 42 countries and in 2006 57 countries, with the 2009 tests having 62 participating countries.
Cambridge Primary Review: Towards a New Primary Curriculum
On 20 February, The Cambridge Primary Review published a special report on the primary curriculum, 'Towards a New Primary Curriculum'. This is in two parts; 'Part 1: Past and Present' identifies issues, describes and contextualises current arrangements, analyses the Review's evidence about strengths and weaknesses of the existing curriculum, and recommends what should change. 'Part 2: The Future' provides a summary of the main points, other matters to be resolved, and proposals for reform. Launc
