Here are links to a selection of articles from this week’s Education news:

• Headteachers plan to boycott SATs tests – The National Association of Head Teachers is boycotting next month’s SATs tests for 10 and 11 year olds. There is also a ‘Q&A‘ about the boycott.
• School governors attack the SATs boycott – The National Governors’ Association says that a boycott of the tests will damage schools. Parents have also commented that the boycott has come too late.
• Behaviour ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ – Statistics compiled from school inspections in England showed that 74% of schools were rated good or outstanding for behaviour.
• Getting children to behave in class – This BBC report outlines a number of strategies adopted by schools to encourage good behaviour amongst their pupils.
• Teach children how to manage money – A petition is calling on the next government to bring back plans to introduce formal financial education lessons for pupils.
• Scotland’s secondary curriculum will not be delayed – The Scottish Education Secretary says that the introduction of a new curriculum in secondary schools will go ahead in the new school year as originally planned.
• Some schools struggled to open due to transport chaos – Flight cancellations due to the volcanic ash disrupted many lessons as teachers and pupils struggled to return home after their Easter holidays.
• Stranded teachers using webcams to continue lessons – A teacher from Oxfordshire who was stranded in Spain because of air restrictions used an internet cafe to take lessons.
• Students use extra-curricular activity to improve job chances – Undergraduates are using these activities, including the creation of their own radio station, to give them ‘employability’.
• Jamie Oliver to continue work on improving school meals – The celebrity chef plans to spend millions of pounds of his own money, enabling schools to bid for new kitchens and other equipment.
• What else can a primary teacher do? – The Guardian reports on alternative career choices for primary school teachers.

Image – Newspaper

Following on from my previous post about free teaching resources from My Money, the site has just announced two competitions for UK schools.

The competitions aim to get pupils engaged in personal finance education in an exciting way by combining their knowledge of personal finance with their opinions on the value and importance of money. They then produce a piece of artwork to represent their knowledge and opinions.

www.mymoneyonline.org

The competitions are supported by specially created lesson plans, which lead pupils from specific personal finance education curriculum learning materials into producing a competition entry.

Competition prizes include Nintendo DSs, iPod Touches, digital cameras, books, cash for schools and a private tour around the Bank of England and the British Museum! The closing date for the competition is 2nd April 2010.

Find out more on the My Money site.

My Money is a £10 million investment by the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) to deliver joined up lessons on personal finance in schools until 2011. As you may be aware, one of the key outcomes of the Every Child Matters agenda is for young people to achieve Economic Wellbeing. A major contributor to this is their ability to have the skills, knowledge and attitudes to manage their personal finances successfully.

The My Money Mathematics Resources were launched recently and comprises six themes built around different practical aspects of money. They are:

Money…

• what is it? – local trading schemes leading to currency exchange
• earning it – the world of work and take home pays
• spending it – buying and running a car
• investing it – savings accounts and investing in shares
• risking it – gambling and fruit machines
• being enterprising with it – setting up an ice-cream business (geometric investigation)

Mathematical demand increases throughout each theme, from National Curriculum Level 1 (Entry Level 1) to National Curriculum Level 8 (GCSE Grade B+) but can be easily extended to challenge the brightest pupils. The activities have been designed to give teachers the freedom to create their own units of work, as recommended by National Strategies, but individual activities can also be used within discrete starter–main–plenary lessons.

Download the resources here.

Support Your School is a new recycling scheme whereby schools across the UK can raise funds for their school by recycling used inkjet cartridges and unwanted mobile phones. The scheme is completely free for schools to join and participate in, and at a time of under funding for lots of organisations, gives schools a new, ethical way to fundraise.

www.supportyourschool.co.uk

The scheme also helps teachers and schools supporters with a fully integrated website where you can download support materials and manage your accounts in as easy and transparent way as possible. They have a special platform for 6-11 year olds called the RecyKids Area, where young people can learn about recycling and take part in activities that help educate them about the importance of being eco friendly.

The Teachers Building Society has produced a set of podcasts and resources for teachers. These include:

• Podcasts – the most recent podcast gives tips for saving money and information on ISAs.
• Moving Home Checklists – A very handy list for those who are moving house in the near future.
• Articles – A set of interesting articles to help teachers, and others, to manage their money.

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Fun to Save is a fun, online teaching resource for use both in the classroom and at home, which aims to encourage KS1 children to develop healthy attitudes towards money and saving.

www.funtosave.org

The site has online games for pupils, downloadable teacher resources and suggested activities for children and parents/carers to enjoy at home. Its topic-based lesson plans support the national curriculum providing classroom tips, ideas, cross curricular links and activity sheets.