NEET number rises
The number of 16-24 year-olds not in employment, education or training (NEET) has risen to over 850,000, official estimates suggest.
GCSE regional result gap widens
Recent GCSE results reveal London as the highest-performing region, with regional disparities in results between the South of England and rest of the country.
What else can we learn from GCSE results this year?
Ofqual chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham spoke to Schools Week following the release of GCSE results last week. This is what we can learn from GCSE outcomes and trends.
Educating Olympians
A recent Sutton Trust analysis suggests one in three Olympians who finished in a podium place at this summer’s Paris Olympics went to an independent secondary school.
Inclusion in mainstream schools 'at the heart' of new-look DfE
Improving inclusion in mainstream schools will be “at the heart” of the Department for Education’s work this academic year. Find out more via SecEd.
Research & analysis
Research:
An evidence-based plan for upskilling our children and young people for digital futures
[Child of the North, N8 Research Partnership et al 2024]
The seventh report in a series by Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives addresses the urgent need to close the UK's digital divide, which is limiting the life chances of millions of children.
Titled An Evidence-Based Plan for Upskilling Our Children and Young People for Digital Futures, the report warns of ongoing 'digital exclusion' and proposes a 'digital vaccination' to help children combat fake news and disinformation.
The report highlights that many children lack access to essential technology and digital skills, leaving them unprepared for a future where Artificial Intelligence and technological advances will greatly impact employment.
The report highlights how a significant proportion of children and young people in the UK lack access to digital skills and resources:
42% of young people (approximately 6 million children) do not have access to either home broadband or a laptop/desktop computer.
Projections suggest that by 2030, 5 million workers will be under-skilled in basic digital capabilities, while 75% of young people feel they lack the necessary skills to thrive.
Participation in IT subjects at GCSE level has dropped by 40% since 2015.
1 million people have either cut back or cancelled their internet packages due to financial constraints and approximately 2.4 million (21%) of people from the lowest socioeconomic backgrounds do not use the internet at home.
The report also features a range of recommendations and best-practice examples of schools and other organisations successfully leading change in this agenda.
Research:
An evidence-based plan for addressing the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) assessment and support crisis
[Child of the North, TVEd, N8 Research Partnership et al 2024]
TVEd are delighted to have contributed to the sixth report in a series by Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives reveals the severity of the crisis facing children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEN(D)) in the UK, highlighting long delays in assessments and inadequate support.
Titled An Evidence-Based Plan for Addressing the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Assessment and Support Crisis, the report outlines how the current system is failing over 1.5 million pupils in England, with many not receiving the support needed to reach their full potential.
It emphasises the urgent need for better identification of SEN(D) and increased funding, as 99% of school leaders report insufficient resources.
In 2022, only 49% of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans were produced within the 20-week statutory limit. The average wait for an ADHD assessment for young people aged 19-25 years is almost four years in one local authority in Yorkshire and the Humber.
In 2022 the percentage of EHC plans produced within 20 weeks in the North East of England ranged from 98% to only 13%. Similar disparities are present in other regions, such as the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber. There is a clear postcode lottery in the timeliness in which EHC plans are produced.
By the end of secondary school, the achievement gap between pupils with no identified SEN(D) and pupils with an EHC plan is almost 3.5 years. The gap between pupils with no identified SEN(D) and pupils with SEN support (but no EHC plan) is nearly 2 years.
32% of children with SEN(D) are persistently absent from school and children with SEN(D) are three times as likely to be suspended from school, nearly twice as likely to be persistently absent from school, and three times as likely to be ‘Not in Employment, Education or Training’ (NEET) at 16-17 years of age.
The increasing demand for children and young people seeking assessment and support is placing significant pressure on the system. In 2021, councils faced a SEN(D) funding gap of £600 million.
TVEd feature as a case study in the report alongside a plethora of other organisations and schools leading great work in this area.
Research:
Children Challenging Industry:
Improving young pupils’ engagement with science through links with industry
[Estelia Bórquez-Sánchez et al 2024]
An educational science programme run by colleagues at the University of York’s Centre for Industry Education Collaboration has shown to have had a significant positive impact on children’s attitudes towards science and industry, according to the results of a study.
The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration at the University of York has been running the Children Challenging Industry (CCI) programme since 1996, aiming to improve children’s knowledge and attitudes towards STEM-related industries and careers by placing science education in a real-world context.
In a study conducted during the 2019-2020 academic year, 508 children aged 9-11 from 23 English primary schools completed questionnaires before and after participating in the programme.
The results showed that the CCI had a statistically significant positive impact on children's attitudes towards science and their understanding of STEM careers, particularly among those with initially low awareness of industry.
Research:
Short and long-term effects of out-of-school learning activities on student achievement:
A mixed-research synthesis
[Masood Haidari et al 2024]
This mixed-research synthesis investigated the effects of out-of-school learning (OSL) activities on student achievement and the factors influencing these practices.
The study combined two meta-analytic reviews and a thematic synthesis of qualitative studies.
The meta-analyses revealed that OSL significantly boosts student achievement and retention, though results varied widely due to factors like country, discipline, intervention length, and grade level.
The thematic synthesis identified key pedagogical factors critical for successful OSL implementation.
The study concluded that aligning OSL practices with these factors significantly enhances student outcomes, offering important insights for future research, teachers, and policymakers.
Out-of-school learning was shown to enhance students' short and long-term achievement.
Art-related out-of-school learning practices, in particular, contribute more significantly to student learning compared to other types of activities.
Additionally, increasing the amount of time dedicated to out-of-school learning can significantly boost student outcomes.
Smaller group sizes in out-of-school activities also prove to be more effective.
Qualitative data further indicates various factors that can positively impact student achievement.
Research:
Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-based child maltreatment profiles to predict efficacy of the Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy versus non-specific psychotherapy in adults with early-onset chronic depression
[Goerigk et al 2024; Kings College London]
New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London and City University of New York indicates that previous studies have significantly underestimated the cognitive difficulties linked to childhood maltreatment, especially neglect.
This research examines how different types of child maltreatment impact the effectiveness of psychological treatments for early-onset chronic depression.
Using data from a previous clinical trial, the study explored whether a clustering approach based on child maltreatment patterns could predict outcomes for patients receiving either the Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) or non-specific supportive psychotherapy.
The trial involved 253 participants who were randomly assigned to 32 sessions of either treatment.
The study used agglomerative hierarchical clustering to identify seven distinct child maltreatment clusters from Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) data and assessed whether these clusters predicted differential treatment outcomes, measured by changes in depression severity on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-24) over a 2-year period.
Findings revealed that CBASP was more effective than supportive psychotherapy for certain clusters, particularly those involving predominant emotional neglect or co-occurring forms of maltreatment.
The results suggest that personalising treatment based on the specific child maltreatment history can enhance therapeutic outcomes for individuals with early-onset chronic depression.
Research:
The neural correlates of response inhibition across the transition from infancy to toddlerhood: An fNIRS study
[Fiske et al 2024; University of Bristol]
Around 16 months of age, toddlers activate more regions of their brains to support the development of crucial cognitive skills, such as following simple instructions and controlling impulses.
A recent study led by the Universities of Bristol and Oxford, published in Imaging Neuroscience, suggests that this age is a critical period for brain development.
This study investigates the development of response inhibition, a key aspect of executive function, during the transition from late infancy to toddlerhood.
Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), the researchers examined brain activity related to response inhibition in 16-month-old toddlers, extending their previous work with 10-month-olds.
The study found that while 10-month-old infants primarily activated right-lateralised regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and parietal cortex, 16-month-old toddlers engaged a broader range of PFC areas, including the left superior parietal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, and bilateral dorsolateral and orbital frontal cortices.
Although response inhibition performance did not show significant longitudinal changes, the recruitment of more extensive and bilateral PFC regions at 16 months suggests a reorganisation of the PFC during this critical developmental period.
These findings highlight the transition from infancy to toddlerhood as a significant phase for the maturation of inhibitory control processes, though further replication of the results is needed.
Research/blogs:
Back to a new term? A survival guide for early career teachers
[SecEd, 2024]
Welcome to another SecEd’s annual supplement for early career teachers (ECTs), offering 16 pages of advice to help new teachers survive and thrive at the chalkface.
From professional conduct to safeguarding, from wellbeing tips to common challenges, and some useful classroom ideas to boot – this supplement is packed full of practical guidance for new teachers everywhere.
We are delighted to have contributed to this free resource which includes topics such as:
What does it mean to be a professional and part of the education profession, especially when stepping up to become a teacher?
With a high number of ECTs leaving the profession within their first few years, developing healthy habits and self-care is essential. This includes understanding safeguarding responsibilities from the outset and becoming integral to the safeguarding culture in your school.
Retaining your passion for teaching is crucial, as a third of new teachers quit within five years; therefore, focusing on mental well-being and finding joy in your role is important.
Thriving rather than merely surviving in your first years involves cultivating well-being and adopting effective lesson planning and teaching routines.
Managing marking and feedback practices can help reduce workload and prevent burnout. Implementing these strategies can support ECTs in navigating their early teaching careers successfully.
The supplement is suitable for all colleagues but especially ECTs and trainees.
Opportunities etc.
Opportunity:
Impact policy food poverty in 5-minutes with CPAG
A number of schools have shared with Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) that dinner money debt is becoming a more prominent issue in schools, with more parents struggling with school dinner money costs and falling behind with payments.
Our colleagues at CPAG are inviting school leaders and trust leaders of primary schools to help us to understand the current picture in relation to dinner money debt, including the scale of the issue and the impact that it has on both schools and families.
Colleagues are working to explore what changes are needed to improve the school food system to ensure that the system works for children, parents and schools.
Regular subscribers and partners with TVEd will know that we continue to champion the work of CPAG in the arenas of research, policy and practice. They are leading some fantastic work.
Please take 5-minutes to fill out this survey and impact systems/policy,
Please also share the link with colleagues working in other settings.
Coming Up:
Ten years of Poverty Proofing
Poverty Proofing©, developed by Children North East, is a nationally recognised model designed to tackle structural inequalities affecting those facing financial hardship.
This approach involves examining systems and practices through the perspective of individuals experiencing poverty and making recommendations to improve access to services and opportunities at a systemic level.
Since 2014, the Poverty Proofing© the School Day programme has been helping schools identify and address barriers faced by children in poverty. The model's application has since expanded to include healthcare, the cultural sector, Early Years, and Family Hubs.
To celebrate its ten-year anniversary, Children North East will host a conference at the Discovery Museum near Newcastle Central Station.
The event will feature keynotes, panels, and fireside chats covering case studies of Poverty Proofing© in various sectors, strategies for organisational transformation, effective consultation methods, and cross-sector collaboration.
The focus will be on sharing knowledge, reflecting on practices, exploring new approaches, and building collaborations. Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided for attendees.
We are delighted to be supporting this milestone event and hope we will too!