News
Archive for March 2008
Industry News
Under-18 university students rise
Posted on 31st March 2008The number of people attending university before they reach the age of 18 has risen significantly in recent years... read more.
School fees 'rise beyond inflation'
Posted on 31st March 2008The cost of sending offspring to an independent school has risen significantly above the rate of inflation in the last ten years, a new study has revealed... read more.
Private school tradition to be introduced to the state sector
Posted on 31st March 2008Ed Balls has announced plans to introduce combined cadet forces (CCF) - which have traditionally been more common in private schools - into the state sector... read more.
Nurse loses job at private school over smacking incident
Posted on 28th March 2008A woman has lost her job at Malvern St James, a private girls' school, after she was accused of smacking her three children... read more.
Private school to shut after rent increased
Posted on 27th March 2008A leading private school in Newcastle will close after the summer because it cannot pay the rent... read more.
Independent school's role in community defended
Posted on 27th March 2008The reputation of independent schools as hotbeds of snobbery and elitism has been challenged in a newspaper report... read more.
Private and state school pupils team up for dig
Posted on 26th March 2008Students at state and independent schools in York have joined together to take part in an archaeological dig at Hungate... read more.
Union threatens to strike over academy schools
Posted on 26th March 2008Teaching unions are threatening to strike in protest over academies, which are increasingly being sponsored by independent schools... read more.
Plan to link private choir schools to state schools
Posted on 25th March 2008Many choir schools, which have traditionally provided a world-class musical education in return for high fees and dedication to both singing and learning, are now considering opening their doors to all... read more.
NUT president calls for private schools to be nationalised
Posted on 25th March 2008Bill Greenshields, the president of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has called for private schools to be nationalised in order to 'level the playing field' for all children... read more.
Teachers vote to strike after class size discrepancy is revealed
Posted on 25th March 2008National Union of Teachers members have voted for strike action in a bid to reduce class sizes, after it was revealed that state primary schools have average class sizes of 26, compared to just 10.7 in independent schools. .. read more.
State school students 'damaging their prospects'
Posted on 20th March 2008The Conservative Party has warned students against taking "soft" subjects at A-level, saying that over ten per cent of pupils are damaging their long-term prospects... read more.
Teachers reject minister's class size comments
Posted on 20th March 2008Schools minister Jim Knight was jeered and heckled during a speech yesterday at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) conference for suggesting that class sizes of over 38 pupils were "acceptable"... read more.
Private schools 'could help obesity problem'
Posted on 20th March 2008A thinktank has suggested that Britain's obesity problem could be helped if local children are given access to private schools' sports facilities... read more.
Parents 'forcing independent school teachers out of jobs'
Posted on 19th March 2008The Association of Teacher and Lecturers (ATL) has said that many private schools are sacking teachers as a result of complaints from parents... read more.
Independent school prepares pupils for the real world
Posted on 19th March 2008Brighton College, a top Sussex private school, has revealed how it tries to teach its older students social etiquette and conversation skills in order to prepare them for their adult life... read more.
Independent school teachers call for better working conditions
Posted on 18th March 2008Private school teachers are set to tell the Association of Teachers and Lecturers' (ATL) annual conference today that bad working practices are all-too common in the independent sector... read more.
Scholarships can be a 'false economy'
Posted on 18th March 2008The Good Schools Guide 2008 has warned parents that some scholarships offered by private schools could be as good as useless... read more.
Children 'spending too much time' on Facebook in school
Posted on 18th March 2008Pupils at private schools may soon find themselves cut off from popular social networking sites like Bebo and Facebook, as reports today suggest that schools are considering banning them. .. read more.
Exotic languages still 'unpopular' in independent schools
Posted on 17th March 2008Exotic foreign languages, such as Russian and Japanese, have failed to catch on in the UK's private schools, according to the 2008 Good Schools Guide... read more.
Cambridge abandons language requirement
Posted on 17th March 2008Cambridge University has announced its intention to drop its requirement for applicants to have a language GCSE, as too few state school pupils now take them... read more.
Manchester school wins football competition
Posted on 14th March 2008Manchester Grammar School has won the 2008 Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) Under-15 Cup, beating Latymer Upper 3-2 to take the top spot... read more.
Hong Kong closes all schools after flu outbreak
Posted on 14th March 2008Schools and kindergartens across Hong Kong have been forced to close for two weeks, after three children died following an influenza outbreak... read more.
Budget offers 'no help' with children's savings
Posted on 13th March 2008Many families who hope to send their children to independent schools save up for many years, but a leading building society has warned that the chancellor is not doing enough to encourage parents to save for their children. .. read more.
Parents pay thousands for schools appeal process
Posted on 13th March 2008Parents sending their children to private schools may think they have the monopoly on fees, but new research has shown that some families are paying as much as £2,795 to get their children into decent state schools... read more.
Prep school head warns new rules 'may be a financial burden'
Posted on 12th March 2008The headmaster of a leading private preparatory school has said that some schools may struggle to meet the Charity Commission's new rules, which require independent schools to benefit the local community in some way in order to keep their charity status... read more.
Private schools 'may mount legal challenge' to Commission's rules
Posted on 12th March 2008A number of independent schools are threatening to challenge the Charity Commission in court over new rules which would require them to offer free places or other support to children from poor backgrounds... read more.
Commission suggests independent schools should raise fees
Posted on 12th March 2008The Charity Commission is calling on private schools in England and Wales to think about increasing tuition to help provide more places for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds... read more.
State school system 'failing'
Posted on 12th March 2008While independent schools continue to dominate the top of league tables, a new report has suggested that a whole new system of education is needed for the UK's state sector... read more.
Teachers call for enquiry into 'unhappiness epidemic'
Posted on 11th March 2008The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) is set to take the unprecedented step of calling for an independent enquiry into why so many of Britain's children are unhappy... read more.
Independent school lends a helping hand to academy
Posted on 11th March 2008Top private school Winchester College is set to support one of the government's flagship academies as part of a drive to improve education for children from poorer backgrounds... read more.
Independent schools the 'best route' to a place at Oxbridge
Posted on 10th March 2008According to research from the Sutton Trust, of the 30 schools that collectively supply a quarter of successful applicants to Oxford and Cambridge, 29 are private... read more.
Private schools dominate the top 1,000 list
Posted on 10th March 2008Independent schools lead the pack in the latest Financial Times rankings of the 1,000 top-performing institutions by A-level results once again, accounting for nine out of the top ten schools. .. read more.
Independent schools to be forced to 'prove' their charitable status
Posted on 10th March 2008Private schools are being told to open their doors to children from poorer backgrounds or risk losing their charitable status... read more.
'Soft' subjects a 'disadvantage' for university applicants
Posted on 10th March 2008The director-general of the Russell Group, which represents the country's top universities, has warned pupils not to "close off their options" by taking too many "soft" subjects at A-level... read more.
Government follows private schools' example on maths tutoring
Posted on 7th March 2008The government is following the example of the independent sector in trying to introduce one-on-one maths tutoring in state schools... read more.
Independent Scottish school calls for Chinese to be taught
Posted on 7th March 2008The headteacher of St George's School in Edinburgh, which pioneered the teaching on Chinese to pupils at its school, has called for the language to be taught across Scotland... read more.
Government backs A-level alternative
Posted on 7th March 2008The government announced that it is adding an extended option to its diploma scheme, in the hope of attracting the support of top universities and leading private schools... read more.
Independent schools win VAT case
Posted on 6th March 2008The High Court has ruled that independent schools will no longer have to charge VAT on refund arrangements they make with parents... read more.
Private schools feel the benefit of lottery chaos
Posted on 5th March 2008With one in five children failing to get a place at their first choice of secondary school this year, independent schools have seen their applications skyrocket... read more.
How to meet the cost of rising school fees?
Posted on 5th March 2008As private schools fees continue to rise at an alarming rate, many parents are struggling to keep up with payments... read more.
University vice-chancellor calls for higher fees
Posted on 5th March 2008The vice-chancellor of Bristol University has called for students to be charged higher fees, despite the recent introduction of top-up fees... read more.
Parents find out if they have won or lost in the state school lottery
Posted on 4th March 2008The parents of more than half a million children will have received letters today telling them whether or not their child received a place at their first choice of secondary school... read more.
Independent schools adding 'extras' to the bill
Posted on 4th March 2008The 2008 edition of The Good Schools Guide has criticised private schools for the extra costs they often charge parents, warning that they can add up to as much as 25 per cent of basic fees... read more.
Leadership 'should be encouraged by schools'
Posted on 3rd March 2008Private schools will be among the institutions targeted by new government plans aimed at increasing the number of youth leaders in communities... read more.
Independent school to feature in documentary
Posted on 3rd March 2008A new documentary to be shown on the BBC this week will tell the story of the past year at an independent school in Worcestershire... read more.
© Adfero Ltd 2008.SFS News
Drowning in school fees hidden extras.
Posted on 14th March 2008The most recent publication of The Good Schools Guide highlights a “common misconception” that extras add only 8 to 10 per cent to the bill, when “the reality is that it can be much more”... read more