Scottish Class Sizes

Fiona Hyslop the Education Secretary in Scotland has announced that Local Authorities are to be given the legal protection they require to limit P1 class sizes to 25 - this is in comparison to the England and Wales legal limit of 30.

The right of children to more time and attention in the classroom and delivery of improved literacy and numeracy in early years are at the centre of the Scottish Government's decision to introduce new regulations, which will allow local authorities to tackle the largest classes and help drive down P1 classes towards 18. The Scottish Government plans to introduce regulations to establish a maximum class size for primary one from the start of the next school year. This is the first time since devolution that legislative action has been taken to limit the number of children in primary one.

Ms Hyslop also announced the Scottish Government is establishing a Class Size Review to examine the variety of rules and regulations governing individual class sizes across primary and secondary levels, and how to make them more coherent, giving consideration as to whether primary legislation is required.

So how many children are in your childs class? do you feel it makes a difference?

My children are lucky to go to a small school - there are about 25 in each class, but I am aware that this causes other issues in terms of the school budget as a bigger proportion of the funding per child needs to go on teachers.

Unschooling Conference

With today's news about the Badman report on the monitoring of Home Educated families, this conference seems more important than ever. The first unschooling conference is on 25th July in London and will play host to a number of key speakers.

Organised by educational consultant and home educator, Matt Speno, the London Unschooling Conference has been set up because many believe that unschooling needs a voice and a forum in the UK. The event will take place at The Music Room just off Oxford Street and alongside the lectures there promises to be lots of exciting funshops and activities for children. Expect to meet new friends, find support, discuss ideas and get inspired! This conference is a forum for the exchange and discussion of ideas. A place to mix with other advocates of peaceful parenting and learning in joy and freedom. Presenting Dayna Martin as the key-note speaker – a leading light in the unschooling movement in the USA.

Stop the UK Government Stigmatising Home Educators!

Following some friends I've just joined the Stop the UK Government Stigmatising Home Educators! group on Facebook because I believe the right to educate your child at home is vital.

Following that I read the article on he BBC News and dug a bit deeper to find some press releases from the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Education Otherwise's response.

The DCSF Press Release:

MORGAN: ACTION TO ENSURE CHILDREN’S EDUCATION & WELFARE 19 January 2009
The Government has published revised guidance on children missing education and launched a review of home education. This will ensure that everything possible is being done to guarantee all children their right to a balanced education in a safe, healthy environment. The guidance makes clear that local authorities have a duty to make arrangements to enable them to establish that every school-age child is receiving a suitable education, and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of parents and local authorities to provide a suitable education for children.

A public consultation gathered a wide range of views – including many on home education. Some local authorities and children’s organisations expressed concerns about the current system’s ability to adequately support and monitor the education, safety and wellbeing of home educated children. The review of home education will investigate the current system for supporting and monitoring home education. It will look at safeguarding and how any concerns about the safety, welfare or education of children are dealt with. There are no plans to change parents’ well established rights to educate their children at home.It will assess the effectiveness of current arrangements for parents who home educate and of local authority systems for supporting children and families. It will also make recommendations for improvements, where necessary.

Delyth Morgan said:
"Making sure children are safe, well and receive a good education is our most serious responsibility. Parents are able, quite rightly, to choose whether they want to educate children at home, and a very small number do. I’m sure, the vast majority do a good job. However, there are concerns that some children are not receiving the education they need. And in some extreme cases, home education could be used as a cover for abuse. We cannot allow this to happen and are committed to doing all we can to help ensure children are safe, wherever they are educated."

"This review will look at whether the right systems are in place that allow local authorities and other agencies to ensure that any concerns about the safety, welfare or education of home educated children are addressed quickly and effectively. The review will of course talk to home educating families to ensure their views and experiences are heard."

Head of policy and public affairs at the NSPCC, Diana Sutton, said:
"We welcome the Government’s decision to review the guidance on home education. We believe the existing legislation and guidance on elective home education is outdated. We support the view set out by the London (LA) Children’s Safeguarding Leads network that the government should review the legislation to balance the parents’ rights to home educate their children, the local authorities’ duty to safeguard children and the child’s right to protection. We welcome the fact that this review will look at where local authorities have concerns about the safety and welfare, or education, of a home educated child and what systems are in place to deal with those concerns."

A central part of the Government’s commitment for all children is that, no matter what their background or circumstances, they have the right to achieve the five 'Every Child Matters outcomes': Be healthy; Stay safe; Enjoy and achieve; Make a positive contribution; Achieve economic wellbeing.

The Elective Home Education Review will investigate:

• Whether local authorities and other public agencies are able to effectively discharge their duties and responsibilities for safeguarding and ensuring a suitable education for all children.
• Whether home educating parents are receiving the support and advice they want to ensure they provide a good, balanced education for their children.
• Consider what evidence there is to support claims that home education could be used as a 'cover' for child abuse such as neglect, forced marriage, sexual exploitation or domestic servitude

The guidance on children missing education is the first step in clarifying expectations in respect of the current system for supporting and monitoring home education. It also makes clear that parents' right to home educate is not being altered and that suitable home education can take many forms.Home education is just one area highlighted in the guidance, as it describes many circumstances which can lead to children missing education. The guidance describes how important it is for local authorities to tackle all problems around children missing education, in order to meet the vision set out in the Children's Plan, particularly keeping all children safe from harm. Graham Badman, former Director of Children's Services at Kent County Council will lead the review, which is expected to conclude in May 2009.

Graham Badman said:
"I am delighted to have been asked to lead this important review. Legislation affords every parent the right to choose to educate their child at home but with those rights go responsibilities, not least being to secure a suitable education. By the same token, local authorities are charged with ensuring that all children are safe, well and receiving an education that is both enjoyable and allows for the expression of all aptitudes and abilities. By discussing all the issues with home educating families, local authorities and other key stakeholders I will investigate whether the current system adequately supports these rights and responsibilities and if not, I will make recommendations for improvements."

Editor's Notes:
This press notice relates to 'England'

1. Revised guidance to Local Authorities on their duty to identify Children Not Receiving a Suitable Education, can be viewed here: Resources and practice - Every Child Matters.
2. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 placed a duty on all local authorities to make arrangements to identify children not receiving a suitable education.
3. Parents do not have to register a child as home educated, although they are encouraged to do so. They have to notify the school if they intend to withdraw their child to educate them at home and the school must then notify the local authority. The DCSF issued guidance on home education for local authorities in November 2007.
4. All parents are required by law to provide a suitable education for their child. Where this is not happening, local authorities can intervene and issue a school attendance order.
5. Where there are child protection concerns the local authority has a duty to investigate.
6. As parents are not required to register home educated children (unless they are leaving a school’s rolls) there are no official statistics on the numbers of home educated children. A study commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills in 2006 estimated around 20,000 children were known to local authorities. The figure may be substantially higher.

Education Otherwise's Response:

Response to “Morgan: Action to Ensure Children’s Education & Welfare” 19 January 2009

Education Otherwise (EO) has today expressed its dismay at the decision by
DCSF to launch yet another investigation into home education and at statements
contained in the press release announcing the review (1).

Education Otherwise and home educating families have contributed to three
major consultations on the guidance to local authorities since 2005. The latest
guidance was issued in autumn 2007 (2).

Annette Taberner, member of EO’s Government Policy Group said "It has become
clear to us that the Department and many local authorities have a very poor
understanding of home education and the law which applies to it. No other
community would be expected to suffer the prejudice and discrimination which
our community has to endure. Our community will be infuriated by these latest
statements. Many hours of time and much public money has been expended in
consultations. Ministers need to prioritise time to engage in meaningful
discussions with our organisation which has thirty years of experience helping
families who chose to exercise their right to educate their children at home."

Statements on links between home education forced marriage and child welfare
made in select committee hearings and by the London Safeguarding Board have
already been challenged by Education Otherwise. The charity requested sight of
the alleged evidence upon which the statements were made but no evidence has
been forthcoming. (3)

Education Otherwise continues to assert that the current legislation is adequate
but poorly understood.

Education Otherwise finds the implication from Government and local authorities
that home educated children are at risk purely because they are home educated
offensive.

Ann Newstead, spokesperson for the charity said "The assumption that a child is
safe and adequately educated if in the state system is simply not born out by an
increasing number of families in the UK."

Notes to Editors

1. DCSF Press Release "Morgan: Action to Ensure Children’s Education & Welfare"
   http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0013
2. DCSF Elective Home Education Guidelines for Local Authorities in England -
   http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/localauthorities/_documents/content/7373-DCSFElective%20Home%20Education.pdf
3. Alleged link between HE and forced marriage - http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/hascr.htm

Education Otherwise is the oldest and largest organisation that provides support
and information for families whose children are being educated outside school:
http://www.education-otherwise.org

4th November 2008 EO meet with House of Lords Minister for Children Schools
and Families: http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/printview.php?ID=103

29th August 2008 EO meet with DCSF to discuss the consultation in England on
children not receiving suitable education:
http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/CMEreportIDDCSF29thAugust08meeting.pdf

National Foundation for Educational Research report "Support for Children Who
Are Educated At Home:
http://www.nfer.ac.uk/research-areas/pims-data/outlines/support-for-childrenwho-are-educated-at-home.cfm

Full explanation of the law relating to home education:
http://www.education-otherwise.org/legal.htm

Follow this link to add your views to the consultation - http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=consultationDetails&consultationId=1605&external=no&menu=1

What do you do if your child hates school?

Further to my post the other week about Antonia Chitty's new book about Special Educational Needs I've just seen this article based on her other new book "What to Do When Your Child Hates School" which gives advice on how to cope when you're in this kind of situation, as well as including experiences from both parents and experts.

In the Times article Antonia shares some of the best tips for helping your child: if school isn’t meeting your child’s needs, if your child is being bullied and if your child is struggling due to family trauma. It also gives excellent guidance as to how to work through these problems with the school.

What to Do When Your Child Hates School by Antonia Chitty, is published by White Ladder Press - look out for our reviews of both books soon!

November's Special Offers

This month at Littlesheep Learning you can save 10% on these lovely wall hangings:

Today's Chart Calendar and the Mr Face Emotions Chart

Both would make lovely Christmas presents!

SENDIST Tribunals

I've just had this email - so thought I'd spread the word...

Dear all,

Please sign the petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SENDISTtribunals/. It is imperative that we protect special needs children and their families' right to appeal for choice in special needs education.

Should the proposed new labour government regulations go through it will create even more distress and potential financial hardship for families who are in desperate need of help not hindrance.

Please encourage all your friends, family and colleagues to sign up too!

EYFS - Early Years Foundation Stage

From the BBC News website:

Under-fives get 'learning goals'

New welfare guidelines including 69 "learning goals" for the under-fives have come into force in England.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets out expected standards of care in registered childcare settings.

The "toddler curriculum" includes being able to count to 10, spell their names, understand stories, know right from wrong and be able to dress and undress.

Ministers say the EYFS will help stop disadvantaged children falling behind in educational attainment.

The guidelines have provoked a worried reaction from some childcare workers who believe increasing levels of associated paperwork could put them out of business.

'Best start'
Others fear children will be required to start formal learning too early and that it could set some of them up for failure at a tender age.

So England's Children's Minister Beverley Hughes announced that learning goals requiring children to be able to write their own names and begin using simple sentences by the age of five, sometimes with punctuation, would be reviewed to see if they were suitable.

But in a joint letter to the managers of England's 3,000 children's centres Schools Secretary Ed Balls and Ms Hughes said their guidelines would help make sure that all young children had the chance to engage in stimulating play.

Children's centre staff would be able to use it to engage mothers and fathers, to make sure these experiences are built on at home, they said.

Mr Balls added: "I am driven by a determination to make sure that the most disadvantaged children get the very best start in life.

"We want to give all children a level playing field and help all parents get the best care and support for their children.

"I believe that every child in this country is entitled to the benefits of learning through play as set out in the EYFS and that their parents are entitled to the reassurance that their children will be well supported and cared for by high quality childminders and nursery workers."

Developmental milestones
Research shows that gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged children can affect them from the age of 22 months and are likely to get bigger as they age.

By the time they take GCSES, children from poorer backgrounds are half as likely to get five good grades as their wealthier peers.

The EYFS applies to all formal childcare settings for children under five and is based on the idea that children need to learn through play as they begin to understand the world around them.

Childcare providers are required to keep parents up to date with their children's progress and will be encouraged to be involved with their early education.

Profiles of each child will be completed by nurseries and childminders, recording the developmental milestones the reach.

These are intended to provide an accurate picture of a child's development for parents and primary schools when they reach them.

However, ministers are keen to stress that the youngsters will not be tested on the goals included in the guidelines.

They also argue that as the framework is a combination of two existing sets of guidelines they should not place extra burdens on those working in childcare.

In Scotland, what and how children learn in pre-school nurseries is set out in the Curriculum for Excellence which is currently being rolled out. It does not apply to childminders.

In Wales, a new Scandinavian-style Learn through Play nursery and infant curriculum is being introduced for three to seven-year-olds, which moves away from the more formal classroom based lessons.

For more information on the contents of the EYFS, please see our article.

Test Results

It's that time of year again when the exam and test results are published and there is the argument about whether standards are improving or failing.

The primary school national test results in England have shown a slight improvement in English, maths and science. Overall in this years 'SATS' taken by 11 year olds, there was a rise of one percentage point.

80% of pupils who reached the expected standard in English; 77% in maths and 88% in science. Again girls have achieved much better results than boys in English - with four in 10 boys still failing to meet the expected level for writing.

The results, based on tests taken by 600,000 pupils, continue the picture of gradual improvement - with little change in the past three years and the targets set for 2006 for English and maths, have still not been reached.

Schools Minister Andrew Adonis welcomed the "best set of Key Stage 2 results we have ever seen", but added "We won't be satisfied until we get all children up to the expected level in literacy and numeracy." With the 85% target missed for two years in a row, he said discussions were on-going about where the government "went next with targets". From September, there will be a renewed emphasis on using phonics to teach reading and more mental arithmetic "to accelerate the pace of learning".

Are you home educating?

A study, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills, has concluded that there is no accurate picture of the extent of home educating - an attempt to find out how many children in England are being educated at home suggests the number might range between 7,400 and 34,400, based on the sample study of nine local authorities found between 0.09% and 0.42% of school populations being taught at home - but this would not include any children who were not registered as home-educated. The study concludes that even a full national survey would not be likely to deliver a reliable figure, because many home-educated children would remain unknown to local authorities and home-education organisations. Read more about the report here.

So what is home educating? who does it? why? and how?
Most people choose to send their children to a school to be educated, but it is legal to educate your child at home. Home-education is an alternative to school and any family can choose this option for their child which means parents choose to keep the responsibility for the education of their children instead of delegating it to a school. Some families make the decision to home educate long before their child reaches 'school age' whereas others deregister their children from school later after finding that their child does not fit in at school for whatever reason. Lots different types of people home educate their children for many different reasons so whoever you are there are bound to be people like you!

The method of learning is entirely up to you and your child, you can use any approach that you consider suitable - there are as many different ways of educating as there are families. Most home educating families tends to fall somewhere between formal curriculum based teaching and totally child led learning. Some parents teach in a formal manner (sometimes called home-schooling), using a fixed timetable which keeps school hours and terms, and a curriculum based on traditional school subjects (sometimes the national curriculum). This appproach may be chosen when a child is first withdrawn from school where the routine offers stability or when a child may be returning to school in the future. Other families take advantage of the fact that home-educated children do not have to follow the national curriculum or a timetable, allowing them to have far greater flexibility. They may choose an autonomous approach, allowing the child to determine the areas of study and to decide how, when and what to learn, using individual interests and a natural curiosity as a starting point. Children whose enthusiasm for learning has been seriously affected by school problems often benefit from this relaxed and child-centred approach (sometimes known as free-range education). However you choose to home-educate you may find that your methods will change on grow.

For more information
Education Otherwise is a membership organisation, with over four thousand families, groups and individual members distributed throughout the UK and abroad, and has evolved into a self-help organisation which can offer support, advice and information to families who are practising or contemplating home-based education as an alternative to schooling.

Home Education Advisory Service (HEAS) a national home education charity based in the United Kingdom, dedicated to the provision of advice and practical support for families who wish to educate their children at home in preference to sending them to school.

Muddlepuddle a site full of information about home educating with ideas on themes to help youngsters and links to resources, it is a must for parents of all young children.

Are you home educating? Let us know about your activities!

SENDIST petition

I've just been sent an email telling me about this petition.

It has been started by parents who had to take their Local Education Authority (LEA)to tribunal (SENDIST = Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal) twice to try to get their 12 year old autistic sons needs assessed and met, becuause of their experiences and others they have spoken to they started this petition, as it is via 10 Downing Street website it will go directly to the prime minister after it closes on FEBRUARY 20TH 2007

Read more details or to sign the petition here.