“Large minority” of state schools not entering students for “traditional” academic subjects

Interesting to learn from several media sources yesterday that “traditional” academic subjects are not being offered at A-level at a “large minority” of state schools. Obviously the large raft of 11-16 schools are unlikely to be doing A-levels at all, except perhaps a few gifted and talented students who took GCSE early and have already [...]

Modern day Biggles flies into tree

Good friend of CES, Vince Hagedorn, ended up in hospital in Scotland after an amazing escape when his aeroplane crash landed. Vince who spearheaded the groundbreaking mentoring scheme at Chelmsford Prison, which resulted in men who had never learnt to read and write being able to write to their families and to be trained to [...]

Lower entry standards might destroy whole university system

Over the last few days the question of standards for university entry has hit the headlines again. Now Dr Andrew Cunningham, who is an English teacher and the former editor of “Conference & Common Room”, the magazine of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, has said that lower entry standards might destroy the whole university system.  [...]

The OU and its associate lecturers

The Times Higher Education Supplement recently published an article by Derek Rowntree, the former Professor of  Education Development at the Open University, on the methods by which that institution has achieved its success. Expert academics and first class course materials naturally feature strongly in his analysis. But the main key to the O.U.’s record in educational provision [...]

Home education – Mark Field’s view

CES members have shown an interest in home education.   Indeed, we have home educators amongst our members.   When the big brother thought police start on about parents having a legal duty to send their children to school, they need to be reminded that, at least as the law stands now, they do not.   Their legal [...]