Latest education news
5th of September 2008
Cambridge lecturer sentenced for child porn
A Cambridge University academic was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence today after detectives found more than 1,000 indecent images of children on his computers.
White students 'avoid maths and science'
Thousands of high-flying white youngsters are giving up maths and science at 16 because they think they are not clever enough to succeed atA-Level, according to a report published today.
Cambridge takes on more state pupils
Cambridge University has admitted 200 more state school pupils this autumn than last year, new figures show.
2nd of September 2008
One-to-one lessons plan for failing pupils
Thousands of primary school children struggling with literacy and numeracy skills are to receive one-to-one catch-up lessons, ministers announced today.
31st of August 2008
State secondaries urged to bring back the house system
The days of the "house" system – a cornerstone of Britain's independent schools – is making a comeback in the state sector.
30th of August 2008
GCSEs are mindless and boring, says headteacher
Political meddling has undermined the credibility of A-levels and GCSEs, the headmaster of a leading independent school said yesterday.
Faith school discrimination 'will fragment education'
Britain's education system will become increasingly fragmented if faith schools use new powers to discriminate on religious grounds when hiring headteachers and support staff, campaigners warn today.
29th of August 2008
Dozens more GCSE courses approved
More than 180 GCSEs have been approved by England's new exams regulator for teaching from next year, it was announced today.
28th of August 2008
Edexcel exam board to help re-mark school SATs papers
One of Britain's biggest exam boards, Edexcel, has been called in to help re-mark this year's national curriculum tests after record requests from schools. Teachers have asked for more than 40,000 reviews of pupils' scripts from the tests for 11- and 14-year-olds.
27th of August 2008
Number of 'inadequate' childminders doubles in a year, say inspectors
The number of childminders ranked as "inadequate" has doubled in the past year, a report by inspectors reveals today.
24th of August 2008
Top marks for Eugenie as her exam results break all royal records
Mortar boards off to Princess Eugenie, officially the cleverest member of the royal family since records began. The Princess collected her A-level results from £23,000-a-year Marlborough College last week, receiving two As and a B in art, English literature and history of art.
23rd of August 2008
Grammar beats private schools at A-level
A state school has recorded the best A-level results in the country, beating hundreds of prestigious private schools which charge fees of up to £27,000 a year.
22nd of August 2008
More schools threatened with closure
More secondary schools across England could be under threat after the Government said it would expand its hit list of underperforming schools despite a record year for overall GCSE results yesterday.
Boy dies in fall the day before collecting grades
A 16-year-old boy fell to his death from a block of flats in east London the day before he was due to collect his GCSE results. Police are investigating reports that Ahmed Benyermak was being chased by a gang of masked youths when he fell from the seventh floor of the 13-storey building in Hackney.
GCSE pass rate rises to 98 per cent as pupils put quality before quantity
Choosy teenagers recorded the biggest rise in top grade GCSE passes for almost two decades yesterday – partly by taking fewer exams, in subjects they were best at.
Business blamed for slump in foreign language entries
Exam boards are blaming British businesses for a further slump in the take-up of modern foreign languages at GCSE.
21st of August 2008
Teenagers notch up record GCSE results
Britain's teenagers notched up record GCSE results today, with one in five exams awarded top grades.
Trio of boy twins secure 48 top-grade GCSEs
Three sets of boy twins from the same school were celebrating today after amassing an impressive set of A-grade GCSE passes.
GCSE results reveal 'two-tier' schools
Labour is presiding over a return by stealth to the era of grammar and secondary modern schools, a study suggests today. Schools – including many of the Government's flagship academies – are switching from academic GCSE subjects to boost their rankings in league tables, according to the independent think-tank Civitas.
Grades slashed to fill science courses
Some of Britain's most prestigious universities have been forced to slash A-level requirements for science degrees by up to four grades as they struggle to fill unpopular courses.
Private schools boycott 'meaningless' league tables
Leading independent schools are boycotting A-level and GCSE examination league tables this year, claiming that they have become increasingly "meaningless".
GCSEs results reveal 'two-tier' schools
Labour is presiding over a return by stealth to the era of grammar and secondary modern schools, a study suggests today. Schools – including many of the Government's flagship academies – are switching from academic GCSE subjects to boost their rankings in league tables, according to the independent think-tank Civitas.
18th of August 2008
Lecturers revolt over 'rate your tutor' website
As feedback goes it's a bit on the harsh side. "She is very kind and can be helpful but, boy, is she insane. The insanity leads to volatility sometimes which leads to her being not very kind."
Students in rush to grab final places at university
The "house full" sign has gone up at most of Britain's leading universities as students snapped up places on courses at a record rate. But a lifeline was offered for youngsters who had flunked their A-levels as some universities urged them to sign up for foundation degree courses that could pave the way for a full degree course later.
16th of August 2008
Exam marking firm loses contract over late results
The American firm at the centre of this summer's exams fiasco for national curriculum tests has lost its five-year contract to mark the papers.