Eurydice

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Janet Downs: Primary schools are not rushing to buy phonics material – perhaps because they’re doing it already

“Thousands of schools sign up for phonics funding”, says schools minister, Nick Gibb. Over 3,000 schools have taken up the offer of matched-funding of up to £3,000 to buy government-approved phonics materials for the teaching of reading. Schools can spend more if they wish, but the Government will grant no more than £3,000. Mr Gibb singles out certain local authorities who ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Janet Downs: "TES article confirms that "almost every primary in the country is already dedicated to phonics" and this explains the "lukewarm" reception of DfE match-funding scheme. http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6172462..."

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Janet Downs: England scores more highly in maths than other EU countries, says new report

England’s achievement in international maths tests shows that English pupils score “significantly higher” than the average in EU countries which took part in the tests. So says Eurydice, the European Commission’s education research network, in its recent report. Eurydice made several recommendations about effective teaching of maths in Europe: 1 Use achievement targets to motivate lower-performing pupils thereby increasing their scores. 2 Use ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Janet Downs: "Adrian - I couldn't check the Times because it's behind a paywall and I'm not a subscriber. The professional magazine, t'espro, inserted in TES (20 Jan 2012) carried several pages of positive comment including an editorial. Unfortunately, neither ......"

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Janet Downs: What can carers do to help children become successful readers?

Fifteen-year-old pupils whose carers read books with them during their first year of primary school score higher in the Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) tests which take place every three years. PISA tests do more than just test reading, maths and science. They asked teachers, pupils and parents questions to discover what factors affect how well children do. In 2009, ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Shirley Burnham: "That is superb of you. National Libraries Day is on 4th Feb, I expect you know : http://www.nationallibrariesday.org.uk/2012/01/press-release-love-your-libraries-on-february-4th/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NationalLibrariesDay+%28National+Libraries+Day%29 And the Lobby for Libraries event in London on 13th March is likely to be most invigorating : http://www.thebookseller.com/news/library-supporters-unite-13th-march-rally.html#.TxAn8i5XvpM.email My best ......"

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Janet Downs: “Yes Minister 2011” Episode 1

Scene: a Ministerial Office in Whitehall. Minister: I’ve an important speech to make, Sir Humphrey. It’s to OMPS – the Organisation for Minor Private Schools. Its members are very keen to become free schools and be funded by the state instead of having to rely on cash-strapped parents. Sir Humphrey: And their inclusion in the state sector will increase choice and push ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Marigold Doyle: "I'm really enjoying your 'Yes, Minister' episodes too...."

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