Welcome to Dean Associates' Autumn briefing on the leading education stories affecting relocating families and companies.
The end of childcare vouchers?
The government is planning to phase out tax relief on the childcare vouchers scheme from 2011.
The vouchers allow parents substantial savings on the cost of childcare by allowing them to exchange part of their gross salary for the vouchers. The exchanged salary is exempt of income tax and national insurance. Companies also benefit as they don't have to pay national insurance on the exchanged salary.
The government's stated aim is to use the money earned from ending the tax break for funding nursery places for poorer families. There is, however, significant opposition from all parties within Westminster.
More flexibility on school starting age
From 2011, all children will be able to start school from the first September after their fourth birthday or take up a free full-time nursery place as an alternative.
Currently, most children start school in the academic year in which they turn five, with younger children sometimes held back for a January or even an April start.
The government argues that the move will allow the children to gain a headstart in learning, though does run counter to a new, comprehensive review of primary schooling that suggested that children should not start school until the age of six.
Home schooling to come under greater regulation
A new report has demanded that parents "home educating" their children are placed under greater scrutiny. The government has accepted this and has announced plans to compel home educators to register annually with the local education authority.
A significant minority of relocating parents choose to home educate their children. At present, they need do more than notify the council of their decision to remove their child from mainstream schooling.
Throughout the UK over 20,000 children are educated at home.
University fees set to increase
With a review of university tuition fees likely after the next General Election, another signficant voice has suggested that the fees cap - currently set at £3225 per year - is lifted. Many vice-chancellors would like to see the fees doubled to nearly £7000 per year.
The ex-BP boss, Lord Browne, has been charged with leading a review of university fees and is due to report back next year.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Monday, 5 October 2009
Tories announce plans for "technical" schools
The Conservative Party have announced plans to open a "technical" school in every town in England. The schools would concentrate on on vocational training, rather than academic study, though GCSEs and A Levels would still be followed in core subjects, such as English and Maths.
Opposition bodies have attacked the plans suggesting technical schools will widen the gap between the academic and vocational sectors.
Currently, the Labour government has introduced ten diploma subjects that combine vocational and academic study.
Opposition bodies have attacked the plans suggesting technical schools will widen the gap between the academic and vocational sectors.
Currently, the Labour government has introduced ten diploma subjects that combine vocational and academic study.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
September 09: New pressures on private schools.
Welcome to Dean Associates' September 09 newsletter, providing relocators with a round-up of the top education stories for the UK.
Schools hold back on large fee increases
There has been slight rise in the fees for English private schools in 2009/10. Dean Associates' recent survey shows that fees for senior schools have risen, on average, by less than 2% over 2008/9 levels.
School bursars have advised that they are well aware of the pressures that many families feel in the current economic climate. Over the last five years , fees had been increasing by around 8% year-on-year.
Charitable status under pressure
The majority of private schools in the UK enjoy charitable status, providing them with substantial tax relief. There has been heated political debate over the value provided by this status, with commentators asking how private schools clearly “demonstrate that they bring real benefit to the wider public.”
In a recent test case run by the Charity Commission, two out of the five schools inspected failed to meet the expected criteria of a charity. The schools have argued that the boundaries were set too narrowly but this test could herald further legislation. There was a similar outcome in a test case in Scotland.
Losing charitable status will force schools to make good the financial loss, probably through increases in fees and class sizes (one of the private sector's chief advantages over state schools). It may also lead many to close their doors.
New diplomas introduced despite doubts
Five new diplomas have been introduced for the new school year in England, doubling the number of diploma courses available. They are intended to include a strong vocational element with extended periods of work experience, connecting students to the workplace, though still teaching the basic English curriculum.
Leading universities have commented, however, that though they would accept the diploma, students would need to undertake some supplementary learning, most probably an A Level, to make them competitive in the admissions process.
£2 million barrier removed for school sponsors
The government has announced that potential sponsors for their flagship “Academy” programme need no longer provide £2 million in advance to be eligible.
The academies are intended to help pupils in disadvantaged areas. The 200th has recently opened, with sixty-seven further academies due to open soon. Sponsors have included businesses, charities and Churches (the Church of England is the biggest sponsor).
Despite this worthy aim, academies have proven controversial. Although most are over-subscribed, some teachers and parents worry that a two-tier school system is being established.
Other news...
New international school for Surrey
The International School of London has taken over a private school in Woking to provide a new International Baccalaureate school in the Surrey area. The school will begin life as a primary school but will grow organically to include a secondary campus over the next few years.
Exam results improve. Critics grumble.
August brought the usual annual debate about examination standards. Over 97% of pupils passed their A Levels - the 27th consecutive year of improvement - with over 26% achieving the top "A" grade. Over 21% of pupils received "A's" in GCSE, again a record.
Interestingly the most recent results in the SATs, which children take in the final year of primary school, are heading in the opposite direction. In both English and Maths, the percentage of pupils achieving above the expected level has dropped.
Schools hold back on large fee increases
There has been slight rise in the fees for English private schools in 2009/10. Dean Associates' recent survey shows that fees for senior schools have risen, on average, by less than 2% over 2008/9 levels.
School bursars have advised that they are well aware of the pressures that many families feel in the current economic climate. Over the last five years , fees had been increasing by around 8% year-on-year.
Charitable status under pressure
The majority of private schools in the UK enjoy charitable status, providing them with substantial tax relief. There has been heated political debate over the value provided by this status, with commentators asking how private schools clearly “demonstrate that they bring real benefit to the wider public.”
In a recent test case run by the Charity Commission, two out of the five schools inspected failed to meet the expected criteria of a charity. The schools have argued that the boundaries were set too narrowly but this test could herald further legislation. There was a similar outcome in a test case in Scotland.
Losing charitable status will force schools to make good the financial loss, probably through increases in fees and class sizes (one of the private sector's chief advantages over state schools). It may also lead many to close their doors.
New diplomas introduced despite doubts
Five new diplomas have been introduced for the new school year in England, doubling the number of diploma courses available. They are intended to include a strong vocational element with extended periods of work experience, connecting students to the workplace, though still teaching the basic English curriculum.
Leading universities have commented, however, that though they would accept the diploma, students would need to undertake some supplementary learning, most probably an A Level, to make them competitive in the admissions process.
£2 million barrier removed for school sponsors
The government has announced that potential sponsors for their flagship “Academy” programme need no longer provide £2 million in advance to be eligible.
The academies are intended to help pupils in disadvantaged areas. The 200th has recently opened, with sixty-seven further academies due to open soon. Sponsors have included businesses, charities and Churches (the Church of England is the biggest sponsor).
Despite this worthy aim, academies have proven controversial. Although most are over-subscribed, some teachers and parents worry that a two-tier school system is being established.
Other news...
New international school for Surrey
The International School of London has taken over a private school in Woking to provide a new International Baccalaureate school in the Surrey area. The school will begin life as a primary school but will grow organically to include a secondary campus over the next few years.
Exam results improve. Critics grumble.
August brought the usual annual debate about examination standards. Over 97% of pupils passed their A Levels - the 27th consecutive year of improvement - with over 26% achieving the top "A" grade. Over 21% of pupils received "A's" in GCSE, again a record.
Interestingly the most recent results in the SATs, which children take in the final year of primary school, are heading in the opposite direction. In both English and Maths, the percentage of pupils achieving above the expected level has dropped.
Monday, 16 March 2009
March 2009: Change in the air
Welcome to our regular round-up of the leading stories in education and schooling in the UK.
Cambridge University to raise the bar
School-leavers will need to get at least an A* and two A grades in their A-levels from next year if they want to study at Cambridge University. The A* grade will be awarded for the first time in 2010 for marks over 90%. The more prestigious universities have been saying for some time that they find it hard to distinguish between the best candidates, with over a quarter of pupils achieving the A grade.
Admissions disputes
One in six pupils in England has been denied a place in their first choice secondary school, with families in Greater London the worst affected (nearly one in two). Many parents and commentators cry foul, pointing at how a number of schools break the rules, whilst others hold the view that the system is too complicated for some parents.
However, it is difficult to see how the system can be any more transparent and it is unlikely that “cheating” on the part of parents or schools can entirely be eradicated. One solution is to lift the overall performance of the struggling state sector, ironing out the discrepancies in quality between schools so that parents have more choice.
There is hope. Innovations such as academies, trust schools or specialist status – often sniped at by both the right and left-wing press – are starting to allow schools greater autonomy, which in turn should nurture more diversity and choice in the school system.
End of the lottery?
Allocating school places by lottery – in effect the local education authorities pulling names out of a hat – is likely to be stopped, mainly due to its widespread unpopularity. 6% of all secondary school places are currently decided by a lottery system.
Changes to the GCSE
From September 2009 structural changes are to be made to the GCSE, the qualification that English students take between the ages of 14 and 16. Coursework is to be phased out and replaced by assessed “modules”, that children can retake if they fail. Removing coursework from the qualification may allow schools more flexibility to integrate pupils part-way through the GCSE course.
The rise of the IGCSE?
One leading private school, Manchester Grammar School, has decided to replace all GCSEs with the international GCSE (also known as the IGCSE). Many private schools have started to adopt the IGCSE in certain subjects as it is deemed more rigorous. Indeed, the head of St Pauls School, a private school in London, recently described the GCSE as "pap". The concern is that it will create a greater divide between the private and state sector, with the latter welded to the GCSE through the national curriculum.
University applications to change
From September 2009 there will be a mini-revolution in university applications made through the central body, UCAS. Candidates are to be allowed to apply on the basis of actual, achieved grades rather than predicted grades, with the intention that all applications will be handled like this within three years.
A survey of predicted grades has shown that they are wrong 55% of the time, the failure more heavily weighted towards those predicted within the state sector. The idea is that universities will get a more accurate idea of a student’s capabilities, and that pupils from poorer backgrounds (who are often deterred from applying to the better universities) will have more confidence in doing so.
In the short-term, however, there is likely to be some confusion and disappointment as the system beds in.
University fees to rise?
A BBC survey of university vice-chancellors shows that most feel that student fees - currently capped at £3500 - need to rise sharply. The government has delayed a decision on future plans until 2010, unsurprising given the levels of opposition when they were first introduced in 2004.
International schools update
Are the international schools experiencing less pressure on places this year more, compared to the heavy traffic of the last three years? Formally, with the re-enrollment process still underway, this is difficult to assert with any confidence. Informally, there does seem to be a little more flexibility in the system. The advice remains that applications need to be made as soon as possible.
Cambridge University to raise the bar
School-leavers will need to get at least an A* and two A grades in their A-levels from next year if they want to study at Cambridge University. The A* grade will be awarded for the first time in 2010 for marks over 90%. The more prestigious universities have been saying for some time that they find it hard to distinguish between the best candidates, with over a quarter of pupils achieving the A grade.
Admissions disputes
One in six pupils in England has been denied a place in their first choice secondary school, with families in Greater London the worst affected (nearly one in two). Many parents and commentators cry foul, pointing at how a number of schools break the rules, whilst others hold the view that the system is too complicated for some parents.
However, it is difficult to see how the system can be any more transparent and it is unlikely that “cheating” on the part of parents or schools can entirely be eradicated. One solution is to lift the overall performance of the struggling state sector, ironing out the discrepancies in quality between schools so that parents have more choice.
There is hope. Innovations such as academies, trust schools or specialist status – often sniped at by both the right and left-wing press – are starting to allow schools greater autonomy, which in turn should nurture more diversity and choice in the school system.
End of the lottery?
Allocating school places by lottery – in effect the local education authorities pulling names out of a hat – is likely to be stopped, mainly due to its widespread unpopularity. 6% of all secondary school places are currently decided by a lottery system.
Changes to the GCSE
From September 2009 structural changes are to be made to the GCSE, the qualification that English students take between the ages of 14 and 16. Coursework is to be phased out and replaced by assessed “modules”, that children can retake if they fail. Removing coursework from the qualification may allow schools more flexibility to integrate pupils part-way through the GCSE course.
The rise of the IGCSE?
One leading private school, Manchester Grammar School, has decided to replace all GCSEs with the international GCSE (also known as the IGCSE). Many private schools have started to adopt the IGCSE in certain subjects as it is deemed more rigorous. Indeed, the head of St Pauls School, a private school in London, recently described the GCSE as "pap". The concern is that it will create a greater divide between the private and state sector, with the latter welded to the GCSE through the national curriculum.
University applications to change
From September 2009 there will be a mini-revolution in university applications made through the central body, UCAS. Candidates are to be allowed to apply on the basis of actual, achieved grades rather than predicted grades, with the intention that all applications will be handled like this within three years.
A survey of predicted grades has shown that they are wrong 55% of the time, the failure more heavily weighted towards those predicted within the state sector. The idea is that universities will get a more accurate idea of a student’s capabilities, and that pupils from poorer backgrounds (who are often deterred from applying to the better universities) will have more confidence in doing so.
In the short-term, however, there is likely to be some confusion and disappointment as the system beds in.
University fees to rise?
A BBC survey of university vice-chancellors shows that most feel that student fees - currently capped at £3500 - need to rise sharply. The government has delayed a decision on future plans until 2010, unsurprising given the levels of opposition when they were first introduced in 2004.
International schools update
Are the international schools experiencing less pressure on places this year more, compared to the heavy traffic of the last three years? Formally, with the re-enrollment process still underway, this is difficult to assert with any confidence. Informally, there does seem to be a little more flexibility in the system. The advice remains that applications need to be made as soon as possible.
Thursday, 5 February 2009
February 09: Is the recession biting?
Welcome to the first newsletter of 2009, our regular run-down of the key education news stories of the moment.
Recession proof?
Is the recession opening up more spaces in schools for relocating families? That seems to be the assumption of many families that we have been helping since the turn of the year.
Without doubt schools have been feeling the squeeze – ten have recently closed, six have been forced into mergers and three have decided to move into the state sector. The UK government is considering “nationalising” struggling private schools.
But is there greater availability? Not yet. International schools say applications are currently holding up and English schools don’t seem to be experiencing any churn in families.
A key time will be Easter - the last date that parents can pull their children from a private school without financial penalty. Also, will the schools force up their fees at the rate of recent years (6% on average last year, over 30% over the last five years). If they do there may be a parental backlash.
In the end it may come down to parental responsibilities – a poll of our families shows that over 90% see school stability as their chief priority alongside paying the mortgage or rent.
New league tables released
The new league tables for secondary school performance in the 2008 public examinations have been released. Because of the mistakes in the marking of the primary school, Year 6 SATs, the release date for these is as yet unconfirmed.
Home education under the microscope
Many relocating families – especially those on short assignments – consider home education as an alternative to placing their children in a school. Although no official statistics, estimates places over 50,000 children being taught outside of mainstream schools. To date this has required no more than a call to the local education authority to advise them that this is happening. However, there are now plans to fully review home education to ensure that children receive an appropriate education, which may herald new regulation in this field.
Spiralling costs of state schooling
The cost of sending a child to a state secondary has risen to nearly £1,200 a year, as the price of uniforms, school trips and lunches has rocketed, according to new research.
The research found that families are increasingly struggling to pay for everything their child's school requests. In 2003, 27% said they found it difficult. This has now risen to 40%.
Fee cap decision delayed
The decision on whether to increase the university “top-up” fee in England – currently just over £3000 a year – has been delayed until 2010, probably to keep this political hot potato cool until after the next General Election.
Grammar schools
Many parents are now interested in grammar schools as a long-term, low-cost education option.
Grammar school are state secondary schools that select their pupils based on academic merit – with children sitting a competitive, “11+” examination. The schools tend to have much stronger academic profiles than ordinary, non-selective state schools. Only a minority of England's education authorities offer a grammar school option.
However parents may be underestimating the level of competition for places and that just moving to a grammar school area will not guarantee success. In a small education authority, such as Kingston in south London, 40% of pupils who sit the test obtain a place. In a larger county, such as Kent, only a quarter of pupils gain entry.
Recession proof?
Is the recession opening up more spaces in schools for relocating families? That seems to be the assumption of many families that we have been helping since the turn of the year.
Without doubt schools have been feeling the squeeze – ten have recently closed, six have been forced into mergers and three have decided to move into the state sector. The UK government is considering “nationalising” struggling private schools.
But is there greater availability? Not yet. International schools say applications are currently holding up and English schools don’t seem to be experiencing any churn in families.
A key time will be Easter - the last date that parents can pull their children from a private school without financial penalty. Also, will the schools force up their fees at the rate of recent years (6% on average last year, over 30% over the last five years). If they do there may be a parental backlash.
In the end it may come down to parental responsibilities – a poll of our families shows that over 90% see school stability as their chief priority alongside paying the mortgage or rent.
New league tables released
The new league tables for secondary school performance in the 2008 public examinations have been released. Because of the mistakes in the marking of the primary school, Year 6 SATs, the release date for these is as yet unconfirmed.
Home education under the microscope
Many relocating families – especially those on short assignments – consider home education as an alternative to placing their children in a school. Although no official statistics, estimates places over 50,000 children being taught outside of mainstream schools. To date this has required no more than a call to the local education authority to advise them that this is happening. However, there are now plans to fully review home education to ensure that children receive an appropriate education, which may herald new regulation in this field.
Spiralling costs of state schooling
The cost of sending a child to a state secondary has risen to nearly £1,200 a year, as the price of uniforms, school trips and lunches has rocketed, according to new research.
The research found that families are increasingly struggling to pay for everything their child's school requests. In 2003, 27% said they found it difficult. This has now risen to 40%.
Fee cap decision delayed
The decision on whether to increase the university “top-up” fee in England – currently just over £3000 a year – has been delayed until 2010, probably to keep this political hot potato cool until after the next General Election.
Grammar schools
Many parents are now interested in grammar schools as a long-term, low-cost education option.
Grammar school are state secondary schools that select their pupils based on academic merit – with children sitting a competitive, “11+” examination. The schools tend to have much stronger academic profiles than ordinary, non-selective state schools. Only a minority of England's education authorities offer a grammar school option.
However parents may be underestimating the level of competition for places and that just moving to a grammar school area will not guarantee success. In a small education authority, such as Kingston in south London, 40% of pupils who sit the test obtain a place. In a larger county, such as Kent, only a quarter of pupils gain entry.
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