NEWS
Over 20,000 sign
‘Flexible’
up to SecEddigital
training for
headteachers
by Chris Parr
Email addresses have been will be able to annotate pages and Thursday, January 15, at the BETT Radical changes to the way tion each year, official figures
flooding into the SecEd offices from forward them to your colleagues. educational technology show in Scottish headteachers are trained show, but some 900 new heads
teachers and schools wanting to Readers can also reply to the London. will take effect next year as part need to be appointed by 2012.
More than 20,000 teachers have receive the new virtual edition – and weekly email containing the link Details are being finalised, of a strategy to attract more Ms Hyslop said: “There will
already signed up to receive more are coming in every day. to SecEddigital, giving their views but the event will take place from candidates to leadership roles in still be challenges for the next
SecEddigital, the virtual version of The virtual edition looks identi- directly to the editor. 12pm, and teachers and education- both primaries and secondaries. few years and we are not there
SecEd that is available free to all cal to the hard copies of the newspa- The hard copies of SecEd will alists are welcome to attend. Email Aspiring headteachers will no yet because leadership needs to
secondary professionals. per that are sent to every secondary continue to be sent out to schools, editor@sec-ed.co.uk for full details longer have to attain a formal uni- be built over time across all levels
SecEd announced details of the school in the UK each Thursday. with the digital version offering about the launch. versity qualification to reach the of staff so we have proper succes-
new digital version of the news- You can even turn the pages on- every secondary school profession- And to start receiving necessary level of expertise, the sion planning.
paper in November, and has been screen. al in the UK the chance to receive SecEddigital from January, send Standard for Headship. “However, the evaluation of
trialling the new format at five sec- Weblinks at the end of articles their own personal copy. your name, school and email to the The Master’s Diploma, which the pilot programme has been
ondary schools across the UK over are “clickable”, taking you directly SecEd also confirmed this week above address, or register online at is now offered by six Scottish a positive one and this will be
the last two months. to the relevant websites, and you that it is to launch SecEddigital on www.sec-ed.co.uk universities, will still be an option, implemented across Scotland in
but deputes and principal teachers the new year. This is a green light
can also be awarded the standard for flexible headship across all
Left-handed pupils suffer in class
via on-the-job training. local authority areas.”
Education secretary Fiona Headteachers’ unions wel-
Hyslop unveiled the move after a comed the decision, but officials
successful pilot project involving cited other reasons for the short-
Teachers need to take more account 30 prospective headteachers who fall of aspiring leaders, particu-
of their pupils’ “handedness” when took the “flexible route” in five larly declining levels of pay. The
measuring progress, after research local authorities. average salary of a secondary
found that left-handed pupils do A shortage of candidates for headteacher at a school of 800
less well in tests than their right- vacant headteacher roles has raised pupils in Scotland is £58,000,
handed peers. fears of an impending recruitment against £78,000 south of the
The study, from Bristol crisis. border.
University, revealed that children Scottish primaries and second- Mounting bureaucracy as
who are left-handed return lower aries are facing a shortfall of 200 well as restructuring by local
scores in IQ tests and will achieve senior posts in the next five years authorities – job-sizing – have
around one per cent lower in tests as more are due to retire than are also contributed, unions say. They
than right-handed pupils during being trained, according to a report have created a confused career
their school life. in The Herald last summer. structure whereby a deputy head
Researchers from the universi- An average of 140 people at a large primary school can
ty’s Centre for Market and Public are graduating with the formal earn more than a headteacher at a
Organisation examined the results Standard for Headship qualifica- neighbouring, smaller school.
of more than 10,000 children from
the University of Bristol’s Children
of the 90s project.
They looked at each child’s tests
scores at key stages 1, 2 and 3, we Everything a
well as an IQ test.
The study, funded by the
Economic and Social Research
Council, revealed that slowed
girl could ever
development was more obvious in
children who are “mixed-handed” “Our results suggest that schools Lauren Milsom, author of Your consideration from teachers in any
– for whom neither hand is domi- could use mixed-handedness as a Left-Handed Child and spokes- but the most basic writing skills, but
nant – particularly girls. marker for children who are likely person for the Left-Handers it is fundamental to a child’s ability
When it came to left-handed- to need greater intervention,” the Association, said: “Children who to acquire skills or complete work
need to know
ness, the gap in performance did academics said. are either left-handed or unsure of comfortably and efficiently.”
not lessen with age, suggesting that “As tests for mixed-handed- their hand preference quite often lag A recent study among school Celebrities like Jilly Cooper, Sophie the girls: “Don’t be too sad, because
those pupils went through school ness are simple to administer, they behind at the start of their school- children by the Left-Handers Dahl and Miriam Margolyes have love is so excruciatingly painful at
achieving less than their potential. would be a cheap way of identify- ing, and at any stage where they are Association found that the majority contributed tips to a new advice your age and I just want to say, if it
The researchers said the findings ing children who otherwise might acquiring new skills, as they need of left-handers struggled at school book written by teenage girls for really hurts you, you will get over it.
allowed them to rule out other fac- slip behind their peers.” to adapt given instructions or equip- with fundamental skills, such as teenage girls. When I was your age I
tors that might have had an impact The findings were welcomed by ment to work for them, or worse, writing, yet only 10 per cent had It’s Crunch Time! is found huge comfort in
on cognitive development, such as experts who have campaigned for undertake tasks in an awkward and received specific guidance on left- the idea of year 12 girls reading poetry.”
family size, the child’s birth weight greater understanding in schools of inefficient way. handed writing techniques from at Oxford High School. Meanwhile, top
and socio-economic background. left-handedness. “Handedness often receives no their teachers. The 16 and 17-year-olds model Sophie Dahl told
devised the book as part them: “Always, always,
Private schools ‘quiet’ about public use
of a project for Young always wash your face
Enterprise, the UK’s larg- before you go to bed if
est business and enterprise you’re wearing make-
education charity. up. Otherwise you wake
Some private schools are failing gyms and drama studios are being “Community use is currently Regulator that they risk losing char- Operating under the up like an old harridan.”
to advertise that many of their kept out of public reach, according not considered a positive selling itable status unless they improve company name of Spice, “We’re really pleased
top-class facilities are open to to the Scottish Independent Schools point to potential parents who may public access. they designed, wrote and with the book,” said
the public because they do not Project. well expect their child to have unre- Some private schools openly marketed the book, and hope to sell Lottie Kingdon and Alice Eccles,
want to put off fee-paying parents, Dr Joan Forbes, a researcher with stricted, and perhaps ‘exclusive’, allow community groups access 500 copies over the coming months. both 16 and joint managing direc-
according to government-funded the organisation, which is supported access to the full range of school to facilities. Gordonstoun in Elgin, The £7.99 guide, subtitled “Your tors of the project. “Having to write,
researchers. by the government-funded Applied facilities,” she said. which has an ocean-going yacht, essential guide to life – everything illustrate and get it ready for printing
Independent schools are not Educational Research Scheme in Merchiston Castle in Edinburgh, a rifle range, a climbing wall, a a girl could ever need to know”, has been a huge learning curve.
obliged to open their facilities to Scotland, found that three schools Hutchesons’ Grammar in Glasgow, swimming pool, an all-weath- contains advice on fashion, beauty, We wish a book like this had been
the public but if they do, even for a she looked at in detail did not adver- Lomond School in Helensburgh, er pitch, and a huge sports hall, schoolwork, exams, health, and around when we were younger.”
fee, it counts towards their charita- tise public access because their web- and St Leonard’s School in St names on its website 33 commu- saving money. It is aimed at girls Copies of the book can
ble status. sites were aimed at parents rather Andrews have already been warned nity groups that use its facilities aged 12 to 16. be ordered by contacting
Sports pitches, swimming pools, than the community. by the Office of the Scottish Charity regularly. Novelist Jilly Cooper advised spice_08@hotmail.co.uk
National Archives release 60 years of Cabinet papers online
The two world wars, the General that for the first time provides The website covers many of National Archives, said: “For sheer es like this means that students have
Strike of 1926, and the creation free online access to more than the topics forming part of A level knowledge-access and inspiration access to historical records tracing
of the NHS are just some of the 60 years of Cabinet papers. exam syllabuses and university alone, the Cabinet papers are invalu- key events in 20th century British
key 20th century events studied by The Cabinet Papers 1915 programmes. It also includes a able. On top of that, the powerful and international history.”
youngsters in history lessons. to 1977 project, funded by writing frame tool, which pro- interactive tools in the website will The JISC digitisation pro-
But now students will get the the Joint Information Systems vides a step-by-step framework to support students in their analysis of gramme aims to make available
chance to read first-hand details of Committee’s (JISC) digitisation help students learn how to study the primary sources and significantly hard-to-reach resources for use in
how past British governments grap- programme, shows more than primary sources and structure an enhance their interpretative skills.” teaching, learning, research and to
pled with crucial issues like these. half a million pages of key gov- essay around a central theme. Paola Marchionni, the JISC’s the wider public too. To view the
The National Archives has ernment documents, as well as Andrew Payne, head of digitisation programme manager, Cabinet papers, go to www.national
launched a new education website interactive maps and images. education and outreach at The added: “The digitisation of resourc- archives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers
4 SecEd • December 11 2008
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20