The results of our Great Rural Debate on Schools poll are in. We asked you if a rural community can thrive without a local school? Just over 60 percent of voters said no. The Great Rural Debate on Schools was launched to tie in with the recent consultation on the Scottish Government’s proposals to change the way school closures are handled. The issue is a complex one - and we recognise that the poll is just a snapshot. To kickstart debate, Dr Kate Braithwaite from Carnegie UK Trust and north-east parent Paulina Johnston gave their views on the subject. Rural Gateway members have been adding comments about the issue. You can read these valuable contributions and comments, and join the discussion at Great Rural Debate on Schools: http://www.ruralgateway.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=2373&d=11&h=24&f=46

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3 October 2008
© Rural Gateway

Ordnance Survey is giving away ‘Free-Maps-for-11-year-olds’ to encourage children to get out and discover the world around them, Ordnance Survey Minister Iain Wright announced today.
Every Year 7 pupil in England, Scotland and Wales can receive a free 1:25 000 scale OS Explorer Map of their local area. Since its launch in 2002 the initiative has had an overwhelming response. Each year, Ordnance Survey distributes over 700 000 maps to pupils through their schools.They also receive a copy of the leaflet Map reading made easy peasy. Today Iain Wright and Vanessa Lawrence from Ordnance Survey will visit Dyke House Comprehensive School in Hartlepool to hand over the maps to the pupils. Head Teacher, Bill Jordan, will also be presented with a special gold covered Ordnance Survey map of the school to mark the year that the 5 millionth map is to be given away. Pupils from Dyke House’s 7 will then take part in a treasure hunt at the school where they will have special ‘treasure maps’ of the school grounds to find 11 clues that will spell out the location of a grand prize. The free maps scheme and treasure hunt are designed to encourage geography and environmental studies - both in and outside the classroom - helping to get pupils to explore their local community with their families and learn about practical map reading.

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2 October 2008
© Communities and Local Government

Research which aimed to build a picture of the nature and range of opportunities for graduates in the voluntary and community sector has led to a booklet ‘Career pathways for graduates into the voluntary/community sector’ for advisers and also for students and graduates at universities and Higher Education Institutions. Could also be a useful resource for others who want an overview of jobs in the sector. A large (4.12MB) pdf download available from http://www.hecsu.ac.uk/hecsu.rd/research_reports_273.htm

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29 September 2008
© VoluntaryNews

A workbook about how to create a learning and development plan for a third sector organisation has been produced by sector support umbrella body NAVCA. The Get Skilled Workbook is aimed at those working with local groups, and can be downloaded from http://www.navca.org.uk/services/learningopps/skild/getskilled - workbook is 1.59MB pdf, with worksheets in Word format. The workbook is based on ‘A Practical Guide to Planning Training and Development Strategies’ by Greater London Enterprises and Gowland Taylor Associates.

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29 September 2008
© VoluntaryNews

The countdown commences to recruit tomorrow’s male primary school teachers. Male primary school teachers have acted as fundamental role models to one in two men (48 per cent), reveals new research from the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). Over 800 men were surveyed in a study to uncover the impact of male primary school teachers in boys’ development. The research revealed that 35 per cent of men felt that having a male primary teacher challenged them to work harder at school and 22 per cent believed that male primary teachers helped build their confidence while they were young. The men surveyed reported that they were more likely to approach male teachers with issues of bullying (50 per cent), problems at home (29 per cent) and questions about puberty (24 per cent). The news comes as the deadline for applications for primary school teacher training looms, with jobseekers having less than 9 weeks to apply for postgraduate training courses next year.

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30 September 2008
© Training and Development Agency for Schools (National)

Scotland’s Chief Statistician today published Pre-school and Childcare Statistics 2008 which presents new statistics on childcare centres and childminders registered with the Care Commission, and childcare centre staff. The main findings are: A total of 198,860 children attended childcare centres during census week, and 25,240 attended childminders. This figure may include some double counting as children are counted once for each centre and/or childminder they attend. Just over 96 per cent of children eligible for the ante-pre-school or pre-school year were registered for pre-school education, a total of 96,130 children. Sixty six per cent of children registered for pre-school education had access to a General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) registered teacher during census week. This includes children whose access was to a teacher providing only ad hoc or occasional support to the centre. The percentage of childcare centre staff with a qualification at SVQ level 2 equivalent or above increased by four percentage points on 2007, to 80 per cent. The percentage of childminders with a qualification at SVQ level 2 equivalent or above increased by five percentage points to 27 per cent.

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18 September 2008
© Scottish Government

Councils joined with young people to mark this week’s Paralympics handover – and to launch Get Set, the education programme designed to get students involved in the 2012 Games. As the British Paralympian team celebrated a record haul of 102 medals including 42 golds, councils across the country coordinated flag and song competitions, sports events, and concerts. More than 4,500 schools and colleges held their own mini-games, dance, drama and art displays. Several London boroughs, including those preparing to host the Olympics in 2012, joined with the London Development Agency, to hold ‘Summer of sport’ handover events, providing taster sessions for disabled and able-bodied members of the public in a range of sports. Cllr John Fahy, Greenwich council’s cabinet member for the Olympics, said, “Greenwich is proud to be a host borough for the 2012 Paralympics and we are determined to use this role to create more opportunities for disabled adults and children to take part, and to excel, in sport.” Meanwhile at a Youth Sport Trust conference in York, Paul Deighton, chief executive of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, launched the Get Set website. The interactive site has a range of learning resources including games, news articles, films and fact sheets – designed to get young people and their teachers thinking about Olympic and Paralympic values. See www.london2012.com/get-involved/education/get-set.php

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17 September 2008
© LGA

The Government wants to ensure that the flagship Sure Start programme is enshrined in law, and has launched a public consultation today. Despite the fact that most communities now have a centre, Sure Start Children’s Centres (SSCC) have no defined identity in law– they are currently just one way in which local authorities and their partners can choose to provide integrated early childhood services to meet their duties under the Childcare Act 2006.
The purpose of the proposed legislation is to establish SSCCs as a legally recognised part of the universal infrastructure for children’s services, so that they become a long term statutory commitment and part of the established landscape of early years provision.

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11 September 2008
© Department for Children, Schools and Families

Schools Secretary Ed Balls has announced that he wants to roll out the co-operative school model – in which parents, teachers and communities have direct power over the running of local schools. The Department for Children, Schools and Families will make £500,000 available for a pilot of up to 100 Trusts with co-operative governance models over the next two years, so that those with an involvement in schools have a say in how it is run. Local community groups, including parents, teachers and local businesses can come together to give input and help govern schools. Schools that join the Trust Schools Programme are currently eligible to receive up to £10,000 from Government to support the costs of setting up a Trust. Those wishing to adopt the co-operative model will now be able to recoup an extra £5,000 to engage consultants to assist in developing this innovative model. Ed Balls said, “I want to see more parents and communities actively involved in schools and the co-operative model is an ideal way to do this. This is about putting power in the hands of those who are directly engaged with local schools, and who know best what is needed in their area. As the first co-operative trust is now successfully up and running, I want to see this model rolled out across the country, cultivating co-operative schools and the democratic, innovative opportunity they represent. This is about enabling any schools, or new Trust partners, interested in this unique model of governance, to try this out.”

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11 September 2008
© Department for Children, Schools and Families

Commenting on the first post office counter being reopened by Essex County Council, who stepped in to provide the service after it was earmarked for closure, the new chairman of the Local Government Association, a cross party organisation representing councils in England, Margaret Eaton said: “It is a huge step in the right direction that Essex County Council has demonstrated the innovation and initiative to help save some of the vital post office services that had been earmarked for closure by the Post Office. However, for many councils who have been trying to find innovative options, they have often been met with unhelpful stonewalling. Councils have long battled against the closure of post offices, working with local residents to find new, fresh and innovative ways to make sure that post office counter services are not lost to people who live in disadvantaged areas. Some cynics suggest however that all that may happen is that while some post offices are saved by some councils the Post Office will simply look to close another branch elsewhere. With councils having to make any penny count in difficult economic circumstances it will not be possible for every council to go down this route, and for those who do, it will not be possible for them to save everyone. Councils will look at each proposed closure based on the information they are provided and ensure that any money spent will provide value for money to the taxpayer. For many people, the Post Office is the lifeblood of the high street, and the role post offices play in helping people who conduct their financial affairs in cash is vital. This low level financial advice service plays an important role in helping some of the most vulnerable people in society. Councils are committed to creating places where people can thrive. If the Post Office decides that a branch should be considered for closure then it is only right that local people and local councils are given the facts as early as possible so that alternate ways of keeping the services available can be investigated. The Post Office must ensure that it works closely with councils to ensure that decisions are made in the best interest of the people the post office network serves.”

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15 September 2008
© LGA