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Students send messages
In brief
Teacher struck off
Unions were adamant that the
first case of a Scottish teacher to
be struck off the teaching register
of support across globe
for incompetence would not lead
to a raft of similar actions. Susan
Barnard, 55, who was described
as patronising and insulting to
colleagues, taught as a supply
teacher in Stirling having been
dismissed by Perth & Kinross.
by Chris Parr
getting involved in the Greetings Essex, year 9 PSHE students also
Cards Campaign. got involved. Teacher Amanda
Teacher Marcia Kizwini told Potterton explained: “After watch-
Film contest
Yesterday (Wednesday, December SecEd: “We have been running ing the Amnesty DVD our stu- A short-film competition
10) was the 60th anniversary of the a week of dedicated assemblies, dents went off and came up with a has been launched by the
signing of the Universal Declaration all addressing the issue of Human number of ways to spread the word Institution of Civil Engineers
of Human Rights, and schools up Rights. Subjects covered include about Human Rights abuse. (ICE). Students are being asked
and down the country have been Guantanamo Bay, violence against “One group went into Colchester to make a film of up to five
marking the occasion. women, and forced prostitution. and asked members of the public minutes with a civil engineering
Amnesty International has sent “Every child in years 7 to 10 if they knew how many Human theme for the chance to win a
out learning resources, including a has written a greetings card as part Rights there are, and what they digital camcorder. ICE director
DVD, to more than 90 per cent of of the Amnesty campaign, and one represent. They filmed the reac- general Tom Foulkes said: “This
the UK’s secondary schools, urging of our students dressed in an orange tions, and used the conversations as competition is all about finding
them to get involved in a range of Guantanamo-style outfit to raise an opportunity to raise awareness new ways of looking at civil
activities, one of the most popu- awareness about the situation.” about the subject. engineering and communicating
lar of which among schools is the The school has set also up an “Others did PowerPoint displays your ideas to a global audience
annual Greetings Cards Campaign. Amnesty Youth group and marked and ‘graffiti boards’ covering topics of all ages. Visit: uk.youtube.
The campaign selects 30 indi- the anniversary of the signing of the such as slavery, child abuse, bully- com/user/civilengineeringtv
viduals around the world who have Declaration by displaying balloons ing and women’s rights – specifi-
suffered Human Rights abuses, and and stickers, and decorating the cally in Afghanistan.
who Amnesty identifies as “at risk”. corridors. “They also took the opportunity
Banding together
People are encouraged to send them Headteacher Helen Cryer added: to ask me, as an American, about Westfield Sports College in
friendly messages of support, as a “It is crucial that young people take why the death penalty was legal Sheffield has helped campaigners
sign of solidarity. responsibility for their own actions there, and we discussed what our to reach a major landmark after
Peacehaven Community School and the actions of others, developing opinions were on this issue too.” purchasing the 1,000,000th anti-
in East Sussex organised a range of their awareness of global concerns.” For more information, visit Righting the wrongs: Members of Peacehaven’s Amnesty bullying wristband, produced by
activities for its students, including At Colchester High School in www.amnesty.org.uk/education Youth group prepare banners for the 60th anniversary charity BeatBullying. Westfield
head Gaynor Black said: “We are
Language decline
thrilled with this news. Everyone
here fervently supports Anti-
Have your say on plans
Bullying Week and we all wear
blue wristbands, showing that
we feel bullying is completely
could be slowing
unacceptable.” Visit:
for school ‘report card’
www.antibullyingweek.org
The decline in the uptake of GCSE vide language learning for more than
Pupil appointment
language courses has shown signs half their students, compared to 77 Further details about how schools Ed Balls, minister for children, plicity too far to pretend that a sin- The Royal Society for the
of levelling out, ending a four year per cent of the “highest achieving”. might be assessed at key stage 3 schools and families, said: “There is gle grade can summarise the whole Prevention of Road Accidents
slump. It said: “The declines of the following the abolition of SATs lots of useful information out there performance of the school.” has appointed its first youth
Language study ceased being last few years have been halted were revealed as SecEd went to for parents on how schools are per- Christine Blower, acting gener- liaison officer, Cassius Francis.
compulsory at key stage 4 in 2004, – although not yet reversed – but press this week. forming – like performance tables al secretary of the National Union Pupils from Birmingham’s
which started a decline in main- the picture is one of turbulence Ministers are asking teachers, and Ofsted reports. But the volume of Teachers, blasted the report Swanshurst Girls’ School and
tained schools, although in the rather than stability. parents and governors to take part of data can be confusing and difficult card as an unnecessary piece of Selly Park Technology College
private sector the subjects have “Some schools are responding in a consultation regarding the new to navigate. School report cards will bureaucracy. for Girls took part in the
remained relatively popular. well to the challenge. However, school “report card”, which was provide parents with a clear, regu- She said: “I’m at a loss to under- recruitment process, offering
However, a report by CILT – the others are still seeing decreasing first proposed as an alternative to larly-updated picture of how schools stand what purpose the proposed their views, while also learning
National Centre for Languages numbers for German and French, SATs when the tests were abol- are performing.” report card serves, or what problem about human resources practice.
– found that languages are now with little prospect of reversing ished in October. The aim is to give the public it solves. Ofsted is already in place. Visit: www.rospa.com
optional in 77 per cent of state trends.” The report card’s proposed an “at a glance” overview of how Perhaps if the report card replaced
schools, compared to 78 per cent in It continued: “Whether lan- ratings system would see schools schools are performing, but educa- Ofsted, teachers might view it in
2007, suggesting that the decline is guages are compulsory or optional assessed on a range of issues tionalists have warned that this must a different light. I have yet to hear
Teachers strike
showing signs of coming to an end. is not now the main question, but including: not trivialise how schools are held ministers proposing the abolition of Members of the NASUWT
In other findings, Spanish is set rather how prominently languages • The proportion of pupils attain to account. their inspection regime.” union staged a day of strike
to overtake German as the sec- sit within a curriculum laden with ing level 4 in key stage 2 tests. Dr John Dunford, general secre- Dr Mary Bousted, general action at St Julie’s Catholic High
ond most taught language in state other options and requirements.” • The number of pupils attaining tary of the Association of School and secretary of the Association of School in Woolton, Liverpool,
schools after French. This is already Katheryn Board, chief executive five GCSEs including English College Leaders, said that if report Teachers and Lecturers, added: on Tuesday (December 9).
the case in the independent sector. of CILT, said that language teaching and maths. cards were to be effective, they “The government must use its con- The strike action was the
Other languages, such as Russian, in England was undergoing a rapid • The progress that pupils make would have to replace league tables, sultation to have an open discus- result of a dispute over alleged
Urdu and Mandarin are also now transformation. during their time at school. not run alongside them – something sion about the opportunities and unacceptable management
being offered in an increasing She added: “Our survey shows • Pupils’ health and enjoyment that Mr Balls has already dismissed. pitfalls of a report card, including practices. SecEd understands the
number of schools. that many schools and teachers levels and prospects of future Dr Dunford added: “We do not looking at experiences in the USA concerns derive from the level
The report, which garnered are making a huge effort to revi- economic wellbeing. want to see the whole performance and Canada (where similar cards and scope of lesson observations.
responses from around 850 schools, talise their language provision. I • Efforts to raise the achievement of a school reduced to a single grade. are already used).”
also suggests that overall school per- am optimistic that we can support of disadvantaged and Schools already have a single grade To take part in the consulta-
formance is linked to the uptake of all schools in making languages a vulnerable groups. – the Ofsted judgement – and it tion, visit www.teachernet.gov.
Apprentice worry
languages. Only 10 per cent of the ‘must-have’ option for pupils.” • Extended services. would be taking the pursuit of sim- uk/21stcenturyschools Ministers are concerned that
“lowest performing” schools pro- Read more at www.cilt.org.uk the economic downturn could
mean a fall in the number of
Premiership club helps pupils tackle violence
apprenticeships on offer. Recent
draft legislation had stated that
government would provide on-
the-job training for all young
Students from Portsmouth have violence-prevention programme people by 2013. The NASUWT
been producing anti-violence which will aim to raise awareness of union said that the economic
sculptures that are to be displayed the dangers of knife and gun crime, downturn must not “become an
across the world as part of the Knot and challenge students to change easy excuse” for employers to
Violence campaign. how they perceive these issues. renege on their duties.
The students have been joined Clem Leech, campaign director,
by Portsmouth and England goal- said: “This whole programme is
keeper David James in decorating based on the concept that to stop
s3 award on course
a series of “knotted guns”, which violence, we must be creative. The Scotland will press ahead
are replicas of the original Non- campaign is designed to challenge with plans for numeracy and
Violence sculpture that is on display young people to think creatively literacy awards at S3, despite
at the United Nations. about conflict resolution and non- concerns from the two biggest
The sculptures, including one dec- violence. teaching unions and the head of
orated by Mr James, will be set out “The pilot we are undertaking Scotland’s literacy commission.
in a 4-4-2 formation on Fratton Park, in Portsmouth is aimed at establish- Education secretary Fiona
the home ground of Portsmouth FC. ing ‘best practice’ and to act as a Hyslop, revealing the 1,800
They will then be sent for display in model for rolling the campaign out responses to the consultation on
other areas where the campaign is across the UK and globally into all the next generation of national
taking place, including South Africa, schools.” qualifications, said there was
Shot stopper: England and Portsmouth goalkeeper David James has turned his attention Brazil, and Miami. For more information, visit “general support” for the awards.
to preventing a different kind of shooting as part of the Knot Violence campaign The project is part of a six-week www.knotviolence.org
SecEd • December 11 2008 
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