News
Archive for February 2008
Industry News
State interference in primary schools has negative effect
Posted on 29th February 2008A new report from the Cambridge University-based Primary Review has found that increased state regulation and control over primary schools had led to a worsening of educational standards... read more.
Private schooling is 'worth the investment'
Posted on 29th February 2008Despite rapidly rising fees, independent schools are still worth the money, according to an article in the Economist... read more.
Calling on the bank of mum and dad
Posted on 28th February 2008New research from Scottish Widows Savings and Investment has found that children are increasingly relying on their parents for financial support into adulthood... read more.
Protests mount against state interference in pre-schooling
Posted on 28th February 2008Thousands of independent kindergartens, early-childhood experts and concerned parents are campaigning against the government's plans for a new set curriculum for pre-schoolers... read more.
Cambridge Pre-U is inaugurated
Posted on 28th February 2008The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority accredited the first five subjects the new Cambridge Pre-U, an alternative to A-levels, this week... read more.
Private schools 'should not be blamed' for state sectors failings
Posted on 27th February 2008Schools in the independent sector should not be criticised for offering smaller classes, demanding good behaviour and paying teacher staff adequately, an article in the Guardian Online has said today... read more.
International students flock to UK independent schools
Posted on 27th February 2008Middle-class parents around the globe are apparently sending their children abroad to English-speaking countries for a private school education in their droves... read more.
Private school cricketers head for the Gulf
Posted on 26th February 2008Pupils from four independent schools, Eastbourne College, St Bede's, Worth School and Wellington College, are set to travel to Abu Dhabi next month for a cricket tournament... read more.
Tories want more independent schools
Posted on 26th February 2008The Conservative party has pledged to make it easier for groups of parents, charities or philanthropists to set up independent schools within the state sector in order to create 220,000 new places... read more.
State schools 'should be more independent'
Posted on 26th February 2008The chairman of governors at Northampton Academy has said that state schools should be following the example of independent schools. .. read more.
State and private school children sing in unison
Posted on 25th February 2008Some 600 pupils from 26 state and private schools joined together to form choirs, orchestras and bands for a one-off event at Birmingham's concert hall this weekend... read more.
Parents struggle to pay private school fees
Posted on 25th February 2008As the credit crunch tightens parents are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with fee payments at their children's private schools... read more.
Top independent school promotes 'happiness classes'
Posted on 25th February 2008The headmaster of Wellington College, a prestigious Berkshire public school, has made the case for a more holistic approach to teaching school children that incorporates learning how to "live and be happy"... read more.
Subjects taken in state schools 'less demanding'
Posted on 22nd February 2008A new report from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has admitted that some of the GCSE and A-level subjects that are being increasingly taken up in the state school sector are less rigorous than the traditional courses favoured by independent schools... read more.
State teachers opt for private schools
Posted on 22nd February 2008Teachers in state schools admit to sending their own children to private schools for a better quality of education, an article in the Times Educational Supplement has revealed today... read more.
State teachers opt for private schools
Posted on 22nd February 2008Teachers in state schools admit to sending their own children to private schools for a better quality of education, an article in the Times Educational Supplement has revealed today... read more.
Ofsted calls for pupils to be taught exotic languages
Posted on 21st February 2008Private school children could soon be learning to count to ten in Bengali, Arabic or Mandarin rather than French, if their schools decide to take up Ofsted's latest suggestion. .. read more.
International Baccalaureate "the only option"
Posted on 21st February 2008Ken Underhill, the headteacher of Westbourne independent school in Wales, has written to the Independent saying that his new sixth form will only offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) from September this year... read more.
Minister rebuts league table criticism
Posted on 20th February 2008School's minister Jim Knight has defended school league tables, which leading independent schools and education groups have criticised in recent weeks... read more.
'Parents to spend less on their children'
Posted on 20th February 2008.. read more.
Independent schools benefit from state lottery
Posted on 19th February 2008As increasing numbers of parents find it difficult to get their children into good state schools, despite living in the catchment area, many are turning instead to private schools. .. read more.
Top private school favours Baccalaureate
Posted on 19th February 2008Liverpool College is set to introduce the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) this September, under the guidance of its new American principal... read more.
Prince's school open to disadvantaged pupils
Posted on 19th February 2008Prince Charles' old boarding school is set to give children from deprived backgrounds the chance of a top-class education, the Daily Record reports... read more.
Independent school pupils favourites for Oxbridge places
Posted on 18th February 2008The percentage of pupils from the private school sector at Britain's top two universities is expected to grow again this year... read more.
Language oral exams are set to stay
Posted on 18th February 2008The notion that oral exams for language GCSEs are about to be scrapped is "ridiculous", schools minister Jim Knight has said... read more.
Private schools 'offer more science subjects'
Posted on 15th February 2008Children who attend private schools are far more likely to be able to study a range of science subjects than those who are state-educated, according to the Conservatives... read more.
Private school pupils 'focused on university'
Posted on 15th February 2008Pupils who attend an independent school are more likely to aim for a place at a top university than their state-educated counterparts, a new report has found. .. read more.
Parents 'saving in secret'
Posted on 14th February 2008For many parents the cost of a good education for their offspring extends well beyond paying for a top independent school, a new survey has found... read more.
Education 'too focused on economic goals'
Posted on 14th February 2008Britain's state schools have become too focused on the needs of business, a new report has claimed... read more.
Criticism of private schools 'unwarranted'
Posted on 14th February 2008Many of the criticisms aimed at independent schools are unjustified, according to a headteacher. .. read more.
QCA to investigate 'easy exams'
Posted on 13th February 2008Independent schools will soon discover whether their assumption that traditional subjects are more academically demanding than new ones is correct, it has emerged. .. read more.
Rammell concerned about admissions
Posted on 13th February 2008Pupils from private schools and middle class families continue to dominate admissions at the country's leading universities, it has been claimed... read more.
Confidence in A-levels 'not growing'
Posted on 13th February 2008Public confidence in the A-level system has not grown in recent years, a new survey has found... read more.
Schools should be flexible, says QCA director
Posted on 12th February 2008Schools should concentrate on brokering education rather than providing it, according to one industry practitioner... read more.
Independent schools 'give Easter exam boost'
Posted on 12th February 2008Private education can be helpful prior to the exam season, a new report indicates... read more.
A private education 'gives children a sporting chance'
Posted on 11th February 2008The advantages of a private education extend beyond the classroom, a new article suggests... read more.
London parents 'opting for boarding schools'
Posted on 11th February 2008The limitations of London day school provision mean that a growing number of parents in the capital are considering the benefits of independent boarding schools, a new report notes... read more.
IB is 'stretching and compelling'
Posted on 8th February 2008Pupils studying the International Baccalaureate (IB) gain much more than just a qualification, a leading independent school headteacher has said... read more.
Schools worried about exam marking
Posted on 8th February 2008Independent schools are more likely to appeal against exam results they feel to be unfair than their counterparts in the state sector, it has been claimed... read more.
Teacher training applications down
Posted on 7th February 2008The ability of private schools to attract better qualified science and maths teachers than their state counterparts may soon become even more important, the findings of a new study suggest... read more.
School trips given Balls' backing
Posted on 7th February 2008The kind of trips and activities favoured by independent schools play an important role in children's development, according to schools secretary Ed Balls... read more.
A-levels facing uncertain future
Posted on 7th February 2008Independent schools which are phasing out A-levels could prove to be well prepared for a potential major change to the education system... read more.
Schooling should give children 'life skills'
Posted on 6th February 2008Children should emerge from being educated at a good independent school with well developed life and academic skills, according to a headteacher... read more.
Heads 'should encourage leadership'
Posted on 6th February 2008Headteachers should do everything possible to encourage pupils to develop leadership skills, according to the new chairman of the Independent Schools Association (ISA)... read more.
Parents opting for private tuition
Posted on 5th February 2008An increasing number of parents are paying for additional private tuition to ensure their children secure a place at a leading independent school, according to an education expert... read more.
Independent school to offer Pre-U
Posted on 5th February 2008A leading independent school for girls in Kent has confirmed it is to offer the new Pre-U qualification from September this year... read more.
Osborne opts for private school
Posted on 4th February 2008Shadow chancellor George Osborne has confirmed his children are to attend a private school. .. read more.
Policy changes 'hit middle class families'
Posted on 4th February 2008Middle class families who decide against sending their children to an independent school could soon struggle to secure places at good state schools, it has been claimed... read more.
Independent school establishes state link
Posted on 4th February 2008An independent school in Oxford has continued its efforts to broaden its pupils' horizons by teaming up with a local state primary school for some projects... read more.
New faith schools inspectorate approved
Posted on 1st February 2008A new inspectorate which will monitor the activities of 110 private schools has been given government approval... read more.
Independent schools 'benefit taxpayers'
Posted on 1st February 2008Independent schools already provide substantial benefit to society by cutting the state education bill, a headteacher has claimed... read more.
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