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Developing a national resource of excellent practice and powerful initiatives...
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Influencing stakeholders and policy-makers to shape educational policy...
5 July 2010 'Ofsted: establish an inspectorate for schools and colleges, focused on learning and teaching'
In a pamphlet published today, the National Education Trust argues that Ofsted is unfit for purpose in its current form.
At present, Ofsted's remit is too broad. Its current systems in respect of schools and colleges are too driven by data that is already in the public domain. Inspection is viewed by the school or college as an ordeal to be survived, rather than any kind of useful professional dialogue or process that supports improvement.
Click here to download this Media Release.
18 May 2010
Estelle Morris to ask 'Do the boundaries between education and politics need to be redrawn?'
At a pivotal moment in the future of English education and as we enter a new, unchartered era of coalition government, Estelle Morris will be asking whether politicians need to think again about their role in our education services.
The former secretary of state for education will be speaking on this theme at the Third Oxford Education Debate on Monday 24 May (4.00-6.30pm).
Click here to download this Media Release.
15 April 2010
Free schools from state control, over regulation and testing, and embrace an international curriculum to meet the needs of our young people.
In an article published today, Roy Blatchford of the National Education Trust sets out the need for radical reform of our schools system, and challenges party leaders to meet the future needs of today's young people.
The article says ‘the UK child entering school in 2010 will likely live into the next century. She will certainly witness in her lifetime China and India overtaking the USA as the biggest world economies, and all kinds of power shifts to the Middle East."
Click here to download this Media Release.
15 March 2010
Milburn breaks ranks over lifting cap on university fees The Independent
A former Labour Cabinet minister has added his voice to calls for the the £3,200-a-year cap on tuition fees to be lifted, paving the way for annual charges of £20,000. Alan Milburn, appointed by Gordon Brown as his "social mobility tsar", has broken the unofficial Labour/ Conservative pact of silence on the issue by saying he is in favour of universities being allowed to charge higher fees.
Click here to read an online copy of this article.
5 March 2010
Alan Milburn to speak on 'Unleashing Aspiration'
Social mobility has stalled and bright young people, not only from lower but also middle income backgrounds, are being shut out from professional jobs. Former Labour Cabinet Minister, Alan Milburn MP , will be speaking on this theme at the Fourth Annual Lecture of the National Education Trust.
Click here to read the Media Release
6 January 2010
Examination system wasting schools' budgets at an alarming rate
In a pamphlet published today, the National Education Trust argues that far too much time and money in our secondary schools is wasted on external assessments. At a time of reduction in school budgets, such wastage has to be slashed.
In England, the total number of examination papers sat by young people each year is around 30 million. In no other country do young people take so many examinations
Click here to read the Media Release
26 June 2009
Sutton Trust / National Education Trust Media Release: EXPAND TEACH FIRST TO PRIMARY SCHOOLS
The Teach First scheme should be extended to primary schools to attract high
calibre graduates into those schools serving poor areas, according to a joint
report from the Sutton Trust and the National Education Trust.
In addition, the Report calls for £10,000 'golden handcuff' payments for
exceptional teachers working in the in the most challenging primary schools.
Such payments are currently only available to secondary school teachers.
Click here to read the Media Release
30 April 2009
National Education Trust praises the Rose Review’s final report and its focus on literacy and children’s spoken vocabulary.
The National Education Trust warmly welcomes Sir Jim Rose’s final report on the Primary Curriculum today. He has rightly focused on improving literacy, numeracy and ICT skills for all our children, and ensuring smooth transitions from the early years to the primary years, and right through to secondary school.
Click here to read the Media Release
25 March 2009
Shami Chakrabarti to ask "What is education’s role in achieving social cohesion?"
Click here to read the Press Release
6 June 2008
NCSL/ NET Pupils produce 'Children’s Charter' in celebration of
innovative approaches to learning
Up to 150 pupils from 17 primary schools across the country contributed to the
Charter at the What Makes Learning Exciting? Conference at the National College
for School Leadership (NCSL) in Nottingham.
12 March 2008
Who rules in the classroom? By Mike Baker BBC News
It is commonplace for teachers and parents to complain that politicians interfere too much in education, constantly making announcements and launching initiatives but often having no real effect.
Former minister says Government is 'thrashing around' on school reform The Independent
The former Labour education secretary, Estelle Morris, last night mounted a scathing attack on the Government's school reforms, warning there was a risk that "we thrash around from one initiative to another" with ministers and senior education figures failing to ask key questions about whether reforms were actually working.
4 March 2008
Ex-minister attacks school reform BBC News
Former education secretary Estelle Morris has questioned whether the government really knows what it is doing with its school reforms.
Embargo: 18.30 26th March 2009
Shami Chakrabarti to ask "What is education's role in achieving social cohesion?"
Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty will use the National Education Trust’s third annual lecture to debate the role of fundamental freedoms in achieving community cohesion, under the title ‘Human rights as the ties that bind’. Ms Chakrabarti will tell her audience that ‘Populist politicians are quick to present human rights as selfish entitlements that stand in the way of cohesive society. In truth they are a framework of universal values that protect everyone and bind us together. They weren’t designed to make us comfortable but designed to keep us free.’
The Education and Inspections Act 2006 introduced a duty on all maintained schools in England to promote community cohesion and on Ofsted, to report on the contributions made in this area from September 2008.
The lecture will take place at the main hall of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in London on Thursday 26th March 2009 at 6.00pm. It is the third lecture since the National Education Trust was inaugurated in September 2006. The Trust exists to influence local, regional and national policy and practice through its work across all phases and sectors of education. It has established itself as a leading voice in educational debate, and as a third sector provider of education services.
Commenting on the lecture, NET Director Roy Blatchford, said ‘The subject of community cohesion is a key one for headteachers, teachers and governors in running successful schools today. Shami Chakrabarti’s perspective on community and social cohesion is one we are much looking forward to hearing. We know she will challenge some orthodoxies’.
The media are invited to attend the ‘The Third Annual Lecture’ event at the Inner Temple on 26 March 2009 (6-9pm). Please use the contact details below to book a place (entry is by invitation card only).
For further information, contact Marc Rowland at the NET offices on 0207 702 0707 or 07932023948 /
The National Education Trust is an Independent Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of education nationwide, shaping its future and working to close the achievement gap.
By Mike Baker
