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OUR AWARD-WINNING LEAGUE TABLES ARE BACK: Which schools triumphed this time? Page 3 SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 | EDITION 54 teachers given who are the Joyce Matthews: secret briefing rscS? (no one leading all over at top uni really knows) the world Page 2 Page 8 Page 12 How the comma is causing chaos Continued on page 6 Primary teachers told symbol will be reintroduced to year 6 maths tests Pupils may struggle as UK is only country in Europe (and most of world) to use it The humble comma, often misused in written thousands of children. SOPHIE SCOTT language, will make its mark in maths tests In an email to schools last week, the Standards @SOPH_E_SCOTT Investigates this year, causing potential problems for and Testing Agency announced that from May, THE FESTIVAL OF SUMMER 2016 Over 120 speakers now confirmed. @EDUCATIONFEST JUNE 23-24, 2016 FESTIVALOFEDUCATION.COM SEE PAGE 9 FOR MORE INFO. 2 @SCHOOLSWEEK SCHOOLS WEEK FRIDAY, JAN 22, 2016 EDITION 54 NEWS SCHOOLS WEEK TEAM Cambridge briefs over test return Editor: Laura McInerney JOHN DICKENS Head designer: Nicky Phillips @JOHNDICKENSSW Exclusive Designer: Russell Hardman Sub editor: Johnny Paige The University of Cambridge held a secret briefing for selected teachers this week over Senior reporter: Sophie Scott its plans to bring back entrance tests for Senior reporter: John Dickens many subjects, but will not publicise details of its decision until March. Senior reporter: Freddie Whittaker Schools Week has learned that university Reporter: Billy Camden officials met the group of hand-picked teachers in London on Tuesday. Photographer: Ellis O’Brien A source said they had been Cartoonist: Stan Dupp “confidentially briefed” on the university’s plans to bring back admission exams this Financials: Helen Neilly year – first revealed by this newspaper last Photo: Mario Sánchez Prada: http://bit.ly/1J4mYL3 via freeforcommercialuse.org Victoria Boyle April. A university spokesperson confirmed be run as a pilot for two years. Many pupils applying to the university in a statement that the group had met Not all faculties are believed to support Sales manager: Hannah Smith will need to sit the tests in schools from “to discuss the Collegiate University’s the changes. The student union has also Administration: Frances Ogefere Dell September before the deadline for 2017 developing plans to adapt its admissions previously raised concerns. entry applications in October. The test system” and representatives attended “from Many staff were reluctant to speak when scores will then be used to invite applicants a range of institutions”. contacted by Schools Week, but one said Contributors: Julie McCulloch for interview. Adding: “We are considering feedback colleges are ensuring the tests will not Marc Rowland But the university does not plan to and will announce any changes to our disadvantage applicants. provide teachers with a full outline of its admissions system in due course.” Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the social Emma Hardy plans for the assessments until March. He refused to be drawn on any questions mobility thinktank the Sutton Trust, told Andrew Clapham Headteacher Allan Foulds, who is also regarding the selection of teachers at the Schools Week: “We would be concerned president of the Association of School group, or details of the test. at the reintroduction of entrance tests and College Leaders, said briefing a small The university currently uses scores at Cambridge, as this could present a group of teachers is a standard model of calculated from students’ performance in disadvantage for low and middle income engagement. their AS-levels to decide which applicants students.” He added: “We would expect the group are invited to interview. The University of Oxford already to be inclusive of the diverse group of Under new reforms brought in to uses subject-specific aptitude tests for schools we have. We would want to ensure toughen up the qualifications, AS exams many courses, taken in schools prior to that school leaders are briefed on what the became optional in September and scores interview. Managing director: Shane Mann university is doing.” no longer contribute to the overall A-level. Sir Peter said the introduction of tests And tweet us your thoughts @schoolsweek or A well-placed source told Schools Week Documents presented at a senior tutors’ at Cambridge could further expand the with the hashtag #schoolsweek the briefing was part of the university’s plan committee, and previously seen by Schools thriving market in private tuition. to “put informed teachers at the heart” of its Week, revealed how the university thought “Those parents who can afford additional subscribe changes. it was being forced into changing its “well- tuition and resources will be able to give For an annual subscription to Schools Week for Selected teachers were said to have been tried system”. their children a significant advantage over just £50 visit www.schoolsweek.co.uk and click chosen so university officials could hear Schools Week understands the new those who cannot.” on ‘subscribe’ at the top of the page. concerns and feedback before providing exams will vary by subject, but several The trust is due to publish a report that www.schoolsweek.co.uk others teachers with a broad outline of their subjects are planning a three-hour written will reveal further findings on admission or call 020 8123 4778 to subscribe plans next month. test. It is understood the entrance tests will tests at universities in the coming weeks. ADVERTISE WITH US UNREGISTERED SCHOOL PROPOSALS MET WITH DISMAY If you are interested in placing a product or job advert in a future edition please click on FREDDIE WHITTAKER those running valuable services in their children with out-of-school educational the ‘advertise’ link at the top of the page on @FCDWHITTAKER communities would be affected. activities, using 80,000 volunteers, and schoolsweek.co.uk or contact: She said: “Just this very morning, we had called for the government to use existing E: [email protected] The supply of volunteers who give “hours news around teacher recruitment. We are protections, such as Disclosure and Barring T: 020 81234 778 and hours of tremendous value” to pupils struggling to recruit the numbers that we Service checks. Disclaimer in out-of-school education settings could need. Schools minister Nick Gibb sought Schools Week is owned and published by Lsect Ltd. The views be decimated under new registration “Ofsted represents one of the most to reassure MPs that provision such as expressed within the publication are those of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of Schools Week, Lsect proposals, an MP and former teacher has significant pressures. Bring Ofsted into this Sunday schools and the Scouts would Ltd or any of its employees. While we try to ensure that the warned. setting, and we will decimate volunteers not be subject to registration, and added: information we provide is correct, mistakes do occur and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of our material. Caroline Ansell, the Conservative MP who give hour upon hour upon hour and “We think inspection should only happen The design of the printed newspaper and of the website is copyright of Lsect Ltd and material from the newspaper for Eastbourne and Willingdon, told give tremendous value to the young when there is evidence that certain should not be reproduced without prior permission. If you parliament on Wednesday that plans to people they engage with.” prohibited activities are taking wish to reproduce an article from either the printed paper or the website, both the article’s author and Schools Week force institutions and voluntary groups Conservative MP Sir place.” must be referenced (to not do so, would be an infringement on copyright). educating children for more than six hours Gerald Howarth warned The government has received Lsect Ltd is not responsible for the content of any external a week to register and face inspection against passing “massive more than 10,000 responses internet sites linked to. Please address any complaints to the editor. We are fully by Ofsted would put them under similar powers” to Ofsted, to “define to its consultation, including committed to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint which cannot be resolved by pressures to those experienced by teachers. both extremism and what those from many religious the editor, write to the Press Complaints Commission, Halton Her comments came during a debate on constitutes British values”, groups. House, 22—23 Holborn, London EC1N 2JD the government’s recent consultation into and said the proposals in The Catholic Education “unregistered schools”, aimed at tackling the consultation were Service said: “It is reasonable Learning & Skills Events, extremism and radicalisation through hopelessly broad. to expect any group which has Consultancy and Training Ltd forced registration, with a particular focus Second church estates responsibility for children in 161-165 Greenwich High Road on certain religious schools. commissioner Caroline their care for substantial periods of London SE10 8JA Ms Ansell claimed those who were Spelman said the time to be subject to reasonable T: 020 8123 4778 E: [email protected] radicalising children would not register Church of England regulation to protect children’s their institutions under the proposals, but provided 500,000 Nick Gibb health, safety and welfare.” SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK EDITION 54 FRIDAY, JAN 22, 2016 3 NEWS: LEAGUE

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