Dean Associates

London's independent schools full to bursting

2011-11-04T13:37:00.004Z

Availability of spaces for younger children in London's independent schools is currently extremely limited.

Despite fears of recession and the talk of belt-tightening, relocating families are finding it harder to secure slots in private schools. This is most felt in the early years, Reception through to Year 2 (ages 4 to 7).

This is focused not on central London but also popular areas for relocating families, such as Hampstead, Richmond and Wimbledon.

The state sector is struggling to provide much slack in the system. The better state schools in London tend to be full with waiting lists, and there is such pressure on space that the Government is earmarking a large chunk of cash to help provide more school spaces.

Relocating families will need to think flexibly about where they should live and also consider what back-up strategies to employ to pin down school places for their children.

State school families facing delays

2011-09-19T12:18:00.012+01:00

Many relocating families are currently facing long delays when applying for state school places.

Families placing "in-year" applications - those made outside the normal admissions points of Reception, Year 3 and Year 7 - are finding that councils take up to four weeks to respond to their application. The problem is at its worst in London and the south-east but is being mirrored across the country.

At the heart of the problem are the councils that now handle school admissions in most areas. They appear to be overwhelmed by the workload of managing the applications. There is also evidence of institutional inefficiency and incompetence, with lost applications and paperwork sitting on desks gathering dust.

One inner-city council worker told me last week, "we are overwhelmed by the number of applications that arrive with us each day, we have to phone the schools for each application and don't have enough staff for the job."

This particular council had not processed an application that arrived nearly three months ago.

In some areas, for example Hampshire, local authorities have recognised the level of the challenge and have passed control of admissions back to schools. Historically, when schools handle their own entry, applications can be turned around in as little as one or two days.

However, relocating families, and their employers, will need to factor in such delays when planning a move, especially if they are intending to move during the school holidays.

Education News - March 2011

2011-03-18T12:00:00.014Z

Welcome to Dean Associates' March 2011 newsletter highlighting the key education stories for the relocation market.

You can now also follow us on Twitter at @educationda bringing you the key education news and comment as it breaks.

Change in Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Provision for special educational needs (SEN) is facing its "biggest change in three decades" if government reforms are passed.

Ministers want to replace statements - the documents that agree and set out individual children's needs - with education and health care plans drawn up after a single assessment.

The aim is to remove the heavy burden of bureaucracy that leaves many parents exhausted in their quest to find the right level of support for their children. This is often worse for the families moving into the UK who have children with SEN.

But there are warnings that spending cuts will hit any improvements and that what looks sensible on paper will be impossible to implement on the ground under current conditions.

One in five pupils in England - some 1.7 million children - is believed to have some form of special needs.

More English Universities to charge the full £9000 tuition fee

Oxford University and the University of Surrey are planning to raise tuition fees to the maximum level of £9,000 per year - balanced by a package of fee subsidies and bursaries.

Six universities have announced that they intend to charge the maximum fee level from the autumn of 2012. It is looking likely that the majority of other institutions will follow this lead.

EU students could be charged higher tuition fees in Scotland

Students from other EU countries could be charged to study in Scotland, the education secretary has revealed.

The SNP government, if elected, would also increase fees to students from other parts of the UK.

Scottish students studying at home currently pay no tuition fees, while other UK students at Scottish universities pay about £1,900 per year.

Under EU rules, students coming to Scotland from other European countries have to be treated in the same way as Scottish students. This has seen a large increase in the number of applicants from both other UK and EU countries.

Change in visa laws hits overseas students

Proposals by the government to limit the number of overseas students coming to Britain could "cripple" the prosperous education sector, a cross-party Commons committee has declared.

The move to curb the annual flow of 300,000 students into Britain is based on a Conservative pledge to reduce net annual migration from outside Europe. Currently, international students make up nearly three-quarters of that migration.

Critics have said that the government should recognise that students, through tuition fees and other spending, benefit Britain economically, and contribute to enhancing the UK's place in the world.

Wolf review of vocational education

Hundreds of thousands of young people are doing vocational courses which do not lead to university or a job says a review of vocational education led by the academic Dr Alison Wolf.

The review, commissioned by ministers, recommends a radical shake-up of vocational education in England.

It says all pupils should study a core of academic subjects until they are 16.

Her report says: "The staple offer for between a quarter and a third of the post-16 cohort is a diet of low-level vocational qualifications, most of which have little to no labour market value.

Among 16 to 19 year olds, the review estimates that at least 350,000 get little to no benefit from the post-16 education system."

2011-01-17T10:48:00.011Z

Welcome to Dean Associates' January 2011 education update, bringing you the key stories in the UK's education market.

What is the English "Bac"?

The Government has introduced a new measurement for English secondary schools - what has been described as the English "Bac" (short for Baccalaureate).

The measurement shows the percentage of pupils who achieve GCSE A*-C grades in English, Maths, a Science, a Language and either History or Geography. As such, it an indicator of traditional academic achievement.

The national average achieving the English "Bac" in 2010 was just under 16%.

One of the reasons for the introduction is that many schools have "inflated" their GCSE results by pushing students towards less academically rigorous subjects. For example, one secondary school in west London achieves 46% A-C grades but only 1% obtaining the "Bac".

Many schools are angry that this measurement has been rushed in, although since it is simply a different way to interpret existing results, the protests seem a little hollow. However, the "Bac" does present a challenge to those schools who have done a good job in engaging students who are traditionally academic and could be seen as undermining their work.

Timings of A Levels could change

The Government is considering changing the timing of A Levels so that students can apply to university with their actual grades, rather than with their predicted grades.

Research shows that students from poorer backgrounds would benefit from this move, as they tend to achieve better actual than predicted results. At the moment, they face a crunch period during the "Clearing" process to upgrade their university choices.

Since A-Levels, and their timing, have been hard-wired into the system for over a generation, any changes would take substantial planning and upheaval. There does seem to be a great deal of sense and evidence to show that this would be worthwhile.

Scottish universities seen as a "cheap" option

The Scottish government is concerned at the rise in overseas applicants for undergraduate courses from the EU.

Scottish universities offer free tuition to Scottish residents and, because of EU law, have to offer this to EU applicants as well.

Applicants from England still have to pay tuition fees, though at half the cost of English universities.

The latest admissions figures show the number of students from other EU countries taking up places at Scottish universities has nearly doubled in a decade to almost 16,000 last year, at a cost of nearly £75m.

Why private schools score badly in GCSE league tables.

Many independent schools are scoring below some of the worst-performing English state schools in GCSE league tables.

The reason for this is that many independent schools have switched to the IGCSE (the International GCSE). The government does not count the IGCSE in its league tables, hence the independent schools often appear to have dreadful results.

English curriculum review

Michael Gove, the education minister, has stated, "We have sunk in international league tables and the National Curriculum is substandard."

A review of the National Curriculum is to take place - with English, Maths, Science and PE compulsory parts of teaching 5 to 16 year olds. A foreign language may also be introduced. Teaching of the new curriculum will begin in September 2013.

We will keep you updated on all the inevitable arguments and compromises!

November 2010 Education News

2010-11-09T11:31:00.009Z

Welcome to Dean Associates' round-up of the top education stories in the UK.

Tuition fees to rise to £9000

Following Lord Browne's review of university tuition fees - currently capped at £3290 per year - the Government is set up to propose that universities can charge up to £9000 per year from 2012.

This will herald a transfer of university funding from "state to student" and is set against a backdrop of a £3 billion cut in the higher education teaching budget outlined in the Government's October 2010 Spending Review.

The Russell Group of leading universities described the decision as a "life-saving transfusion of money."

Many students, and some of the newer universities, view it as burdening the next generation with debt and another barrier for children of poorer families to make it into university.

Major school funding change proposed

The Government is looking to centralise the way in which funding for England's 20,000 state schools is allocated.

Local authorities have managed school budgets for over a century. The new form will give headteachers more authority to decide their priorities.

Proponents of the change state that it will even out inequalities. Currently, two schools in different parts of the country but with a similar social and economic intake can receive vastly different funding sums.

Critics - headed up by the main teachers' union and local authority representatives - say that centralisation will create more red tape and make the system insensitive to local needs.

Review of primary school exams

The Government has announced a review of primary school exams in England.

At present children sit SATs (Standard Assessment Tests) in English, Maths and Science in Years 2 and 6. The Year 6 results are published and are often used as a guide to a school's worth by parents.

Last year many schools boycotted the Year 6 SATs, insisting that too much teaching is aimed at prepping pupils for the exams rather than more productive education.

The review will focus on whether the SATs can be improved, yet still maintaining statistical basis to help benchmark childrens' attainment levels and to provide information on school performance to parents.

Under-performing schools to be turned into academies

The Government has announced that all under-performing schools should be turned into academies. He has asked councils to draw up "black lists" of the worst schools to place under consideration.

Academy schools were founded by the previous Labour administration, with autonomy from the local education authorities, and control over management and budget.

Welsh schools falling behind?

Research from the University of Bristol has concluded that Welsh secondary schools are performing worse since league tables were scrapped in 2001.

The end of "naming and shaming" the worst schools has taken away the incentive to improve performance, the study suggested.

It goes on to say that English children are now more likely to do well at GCSE in comparison to their English peers.

Basic skills failing in Northern Ireland?

There is growing concern in Northern Ireland that children are leaving school without basic literacy and numeracy skills.

It comes on the back of published statistics which highlighted that 60% of sign-ups for adult courses designed to provide basic maths and reading skills were from the 16-19 year group.

Nearly 40% of the Northern Irish workforce has no qualifications, as opposed to a UK-wide average of 19%.

Educators are wondering whether pupils show now stay in primary school until they have achieved these basic skills.

University fees - an update

2010-10-14T13:23:00.002+01:00

In our October 2010 newsletter we highlighted Lord Browne's review of university fees in England.

The full report was published on 11th October and a handy executive summary can be downloaded here.

The coalition Government's initial response to this hottest of political potatoes is neatly summarised here.

There is a fair distance to run with this story. Government's like big reviews - remember Mike Tomlinson's innovative recommendations to secondary education in 2004 - but they tend to like their reforms with more than a splash of water.

2010-10-01T13:00:00.011+01:00

Welcome to Dean Associates' October update, highlighting the important stories in education in the UK.

University tuition fees - what future?

On 11th October, Lord Browne is due to release his independent review of higher education and student finance.

Sources close to the report state that he is likely to recommend that the cap on English university tuition fees rises to between £6000 and £7000 per year. These fees are currently capped at £3225, a figure that universities see as unsustainable if England wants to maintain the quality of its higher education facilities.

An alternative idea - and one pushed heavily by the Liberal Democrat members of the Coalition government - is for a graduate tax: those who benefit from a university education paying once they start receiving a pay packet. Lord Brown is said to be unconvinced by this.

Those against a rise in tuition fees say that poorer families will be unable to afford higher education.

The first "free schools"

The Coalition government has recently announced that 16 new, "free" schools have been given the go-ahead to open.

Free schools are central to Government policy, allowing parents, teachers, charities and other voluntary bodies to establish a school independent from the local education authority and with direct funding from central government.

The Coalition's hope is that this will provide greater choice for parents, quoting similar schemes in the US and Sweden as examples.

However, many commentators are concerned that half of the 16 free schools will be linked to a "faith" and may operate admissions policies based on religious affiliation, closing the door on families who are not religious.

Proper perspective will only come after a year, when it will be clearer if the concept of free schools are popular and whether the initial concerns are valid.

Surrey explores turning all secondary schools into academies

An update on our September newsletter regarding the Coalition's Academy programme.

Gaining an Academy status allows the school to operate in a similar way to a free school, independent of the local education authority and with direct funding. The government has recently invited all schools to become academies.

Surrey County Council is contemplating changing all 53 of its secondary schools into Academies in one move.

This could have positive consequences for many companies and families that operate in the Surrey area. State education in Surrey is broadly of good standard but it can be hard for relocating parents to obtain places in the better secondary schools. The change to Academies could lead to admission policies being less bureaucratic and more flexible to the needs of mobile families.

New admissions codes for primary and secondary schools

The Coalition has announced that state schools may be offered additional central funding if they allocate places in the admissions round to families eligible for free school meals.

Reformers hope that poorer families will gain the opportunity to land places in state schools that are situated in predominantly middle class areas and where affordable housing is not always available.

Not special needs. Better teaching

Ofsted has accused many schools of labelling children as having "special educational needs" (SEN) when the balance of fault lies with poor day-to-day teaching or parenting.

Ofsted’s report states that half of the 916,000 children on the “school action” register - the first stage of support - should not have been identified as having special needs. Inspectors say effective identification of SEN and good-quality extra help in schools is “not common” and this results in children developing needless problems.

The National Union of Teachers has accused Ofsted of being "insulting and wrong" saying that teachers are "scapegoats" for implementing government policy.

Currently 1 in 5 pupils in England - 1.7 million children in total - are diagnosed with some type of SEN.

New review of vocational qualifications

An independent review of vocational qualifications for 14 to 19 year-olds is to be undertaken by Professor Alison Wolf of King's College, London.

Current qualifications include BTECs and City and Guilds, as well as the new "Diplomas" that the Labour government founded.

However, there continues to a perception that vocational qualifications are "second best" to academic ones and that children who are not suited to academic learning are not being given effective options.

Autumn 2010 Education Update

2010-09-03T11:06:00.012+01:00

Welcome to Dean Associates Autumn 2010 education update.

Welcome to Dean Associates' regular update on the important education stories for relocating families.

We are now in for a period of change in UK education as the Coalition Government aims to introduce a number of new education policies over the following months. This, combined with budget cuts that will inevitably work their way into education, could usher in some challenging times for relocating parents.

Shortage of state school places

England is facing an acute shortage of school places, with more than one in ten pupils in schools suffering overcrowding.

The causes are said to be a new baby-boom generation reaching school age, and increased immigration. London is the worst affected area, with many boroughs putting up temporary structures to house the demand for school places.

To make matters worse, the Government, as part of its budget cutting, has put a stop to many new school building projects. However the roots of this problem lie deeper, with the previous Labour administration unwilling or unable to act on the issue.

For families moving into England, especially London, finding state schools places has always been difficult and in the near future is going to get worse. Parents will need guidance as to best strategies to employ, and to be flexible on housing location.

Academies - a muted take-off

One flagship educational reform of the Government has seen a limited initial take-up. Schools have been offered the right to become Academies with immediate effect. Academies are independent state schools that receive direct funding, removing them from council control. The government hopes that this independence will help drive up standards.

However, only 32 schools have so far become academies. This has included, for the first time, seven primary schools.

The Government has blamed the weight of paperwork that needed completion in a short-time frame. Opposition groups see it as a rejection of the initiative. A more balanced view may well need to wait to see what the take-up is for the 2012 school year.

What else is on the horizon?

Other Coalition plans include the introduction of so-called "free" schools, where parent groups or charities can set up and run their own schools, taking direct funding from the Government. There may be further reform of the exam and qualifications system and the need for more rigorous teaching qualifications.

We will keep you updated with developments.

Modest rise in school fees

Dean Associates' annual survey of independent school fees showed a modest rise of just over 3% on 2009/2010 levels. This was a higher leap than the previous year but shows that the schools are still responding to the tightening economic circumstances.

Independent schools may also still be nervous about ongoing review of their charitable status - which provides substantial tax breaks - and how far they fulfil the role of charities.

Has the new A* made the grade?

The recently released A Level results heralded the first arrival of the new A* grade.

This was in introduced by the previous Labour Government to help universities and employers identify candidates who were performing at the very top of the ability range.

8% of pupils achieved the A*, whilst 27% achieved the A grade. The overall pass rate (all grades A*-E) rose to 97.6%, a new record.

Not all universities have recognised the new A*. Some see it as socially divisive with more A* grades expected in the independent, fee-paying sector. Others feel that it is not necessarily the best way to identify the best students.

There are still a number of alternative qualifications available, including the International Baccalaureate, the Pre-U and Diplomas.

University becomes more competitive

Entry to university in the UK is likely to remain extremely competitive over the coming years.

There was an 11% rise in university applications in 2010, and though the government did fund and increase in the number of places available, budget cuts has meant that this rise did not keep pace with demand.

The rise in applications has been put down to a number of factors. On the positive side, universities are receiving more applications from the state school sector as greater efforts are made to engage families from poorer backgrounds.

However the recession has also played a part, with more mature students applying when faced with a difficult job market.

Given the competition, early planning for university choices is essential. This runs back to what choices are taken GCSE level, how to make an effective UCAS application, and how to supplement the application with other activities, academic, professional and extra-curricular.

Council delays - a warning

Many councils have now taken over the management of primary and secondary school admissions, running the process centrally them rather than the schools dealing with their own admissions.

This has led to a number of families experiencing very long delays in getting a response from applications. There seems to be some confusion in how the process works and the councils have become jammed with too many applications and too few staff to handle them.

It may well be that in many popular areas for relocation - in the south-east and London - this back-log will last until Christmas.

2010-03-05T12:44:00.013Z

Welcome to Dean Associates's March newsletter, with an update of the leading stories in UK education.

Conservatives to expand academies if they win power

With the polls narrowing, the Conservative party is starting to put some flesh on the bones of its education policy.

A recent announcement has promised that they will look to push for hundreds of new schools to become "academies" by removing the need for consent from the local council.

The current government brought in the academy programme, allowing secondary schools autonomy in management although still receiving state funding. Businesses, charities and universities have all been involved in backing academies across England.

The Association of School and College Leaders has accused the Tories of wanting to create "corner-shop" that will fragment the schooling market and leave the poorest struggling.

793,000 school places available

Official figures published last week have shown that there are 793,000 empty seats in secondary and primary schools across England.

Critics of the government have stated that this is an indication of the uneven quality of the state school system that turns many parents from their local schools. The Labour party insists that it is working hard to bring down the surplus places, recognising that they are a waste of resources in tightening times.

The end to free Scottish university tuition?

The Scottish government has indicated that the introduction of tuition fees may well be a possibility in the future.

The Scottish education secretary has stated that university tuition fees will not be introduced during the current administration. However, it was admitted that university funding would come under pressure in the next few years and that there would need to be a review of this position.

In England and Wales, a full review of tuition fees - currently £3240 - is being undertaken by Lord Browne. Findings will be published later this year.

Currently, university education is free to all Scottish students who meet the eligibility criteria.

Class sizes on the up?

One in eight primary school children is being taught in a class with more than 30 pupils and over 200 primary schools in the UK regularly teach children classes of more than 40.

Although the government introduced legislation in 1997 to limit the size of infant classes - Reception through to Year 2 - class sizes have been creeping upwards since 2000.

It is generally agreed that large class sizes make it harder for teachers to keep order and also allows less support for weaker pupils.

Government diplomas too easy

The new diploma qualification - introduced by the government to meld academic and vocational work - is not stretching the brightest pupils.

There are 14 diploma subjects currently available - for example, engineering, creative and media studies and IT - and they are intended to be an alternative to A Levels for 16 to 18 years olds.

Recently, a study revealed that a student applying to a university with a diploma would need an additional qualification - for example an A Level - to make them competitive.

Childcare vouchers reprieved

A happy ending for a previous story. The government has dropped plans to phase out tax relief on childcare vouchers for working parents. Instead, the Government will allow tax relief on all basic rate tax, only removing the ability to claim on higher rate tax.

The vouchers offer 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. The move to basic rate tax means that parents will save just over 30% on the first £240 spent on childcare each month.

January 2010: Education news

2010-01-26T11:09:00.011Z

Welcome to Dean Associates' Winter briefing on the leading education stories affecting relocating families and companies.

Applications soar for primary school places.

Education authorites in cities and towns across the UK have warned about the rise in applications for state primary school places.

A baby boom, migration levels and the recession forcing parents to pull back from private schools are being blamed.

Many councils are taking emergency measures to create "bulge" classes in community schools. However, this may mean that places for relocating families are going to be harder to come by in the state sector.

Universities facing "meltdown."

The Russell Group - the voice of the UK's leading universities - has warned that government cuts to higher education will downgrade the current "gold" standard of th UK's higher education to one of "bronze or worse."

The universities warn of courses being closed, academic staff slashed and an increase in class size. They argue that higher education in France and Germany is seeing a rise in state funding.

There was a record university intake in 2009 leading to greater competition for places. Preliminary figures showed applications up a further 12% this year.

With the size of the national deficit cuts do seem inevitable. What also seems set in stone is that the review of higher education funding will back an increase in tuition fees from the current cap of £3250 per year.

The case for "free" schools.

There has been much media debate over English schools copying the Swedish "free" school model.

This allows parents to "claim" the money that the education authority would spend on schooling their child and invest it in an independent school, or, potentially, club together with other parents to set up their own schools.

Effectively this would be independent schooling funded by the state. Although the education authority would impose rules on allowing equal access to such schools, control over management and curriculum would reside in the hands of the parents.

As yet, none of the political parties have backed the concept formally. The government says that its academy programme allows for external institutions - for example businesses, charities or universities - to run schools. However, the financial barrier of establishing, building and running a school is too high for most parents to climb over.

1 in 10 English secondaries schools "failing"

Recently published GCSE results for English schools have shown that 1 in 10 schools have not reached the acceptable "benchmark" figure of 30% of pupils achieving 5 or more A-C grades including English and Maths.

The government threatens to close schools that are unable to bring their results up to this level. In 2009 49% of pupils reached the acceptable level.

November 2009: Education costs on the rise?

2009-10-20T13:52:00.013+01:00

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.

Tories announce plans for "technical" schools

2009-10-05T14:57:00.002+01:00

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.

September 09: New pressures on private schools.

2009-09-16T14:19:00.021+01:00

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.

March 2009: Change in the air

2009-03-16T15:52:00.010Z

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.

February 09: Is the recession biting?

2009-02-05T14:30:00.010Z

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.

November 2008 news

2008-11-20T14:15:00.005Z

Welcome to Dean Associates’ run-down of the top education stories over the past month.

End of SATs for 14 year olds

The government’s decision to scrap official testing of 14-year-olds in England - the Key Stage 3 SATs - has been generally welcomed by the education community. It has also increased calls to scrap the tests that 11-year-olds take in the final year of primary school – one of the key statistics parents can use to evaluate school performance. Read more:

Scottish independent schools charity status questioned

Four Scottish independent schools have been told that they must implement changes to maintain their charitable status. The majority of private schools across the UK have charitable status, giving them significant tax advantages – but in return they must provide a wider public benefit. The decision will generate new calls to make private schools across the UK work harder to hold onto their charitable position. Read more:

Recession threatens prep schools

A leading conference of prep (junior, private) school headmasters has discussed the likelihood that a number of smaller schools will be forced to close or merge during the up-coming recession as parents face a financial squeeze. Read more:

"Chaos" in schools admissions

Over half of primary schools have been accused of not following the new schools admissions code that the government introduced last year. Some of the “mistakes” have included not giving priority to children in social care, interviewing parents, asking for a financial contribution and not defining “distance from school to home” precisely. It could mean much closer inspection of this year's admissions process. Read more:

Big changes planned for universities

The government are suggesting a series of major reforms for the higher education sector – including changing the traditional academic year, reforming degree classification and allowing more flexibility in studies. An initial report has been released to encourage debate prior to a review of “top up” fees due next year.
Read more:

Schools now offering the Cambridge Pre-U

The first wave of schools has begun teaching the new Cambridge Pre-U qualification. There are now fifty schools – independent and state – offering the qualification. The Pre U can be taken as individual subjects or as a diploma – three subjects, independent research and a series of seminars of practical problems facing the world. It has been developed in response to universities’ doubts over the rigour of the English A Level system.

Dean Associates news

Dean Associates has been recognised by BP for the value of its education support to their relocating families.

We are preparing a new “parents newsletter” to keep the families up-to-date with key education news and deadlines, as well as top stories from their home countries that could impact on future relocations.

We are pleased to announce the arrival of Sarah Heaton at Dean Associates. Sarah is an expert on nurseries and state schooling.

For more information, contact Nathaniel Price at nathaniel@deanassociates.co.uk or +44 1646 661 646.

September 2008 News

2008-10-06T15:36:00.004+01:00

Here is our monthly digest of the top education stories for internationally mobile families and their employers. From September 2008:

School fees rise again

Dean Associates’ recent survey of English independent school fees showed an average rise of nearly 6 per cent from the last academic year. Over the last five years, school fees have risen, on average, by a little over 33 per cent.

University “top up” fees inadequate

Vice-chancellors in English universities have stated that the “top up” fee that each student must pay – currently £3000 – is not sufficient to meet the rising cost of higher education. They say that it is inevitable that fees will rise when a cap on fees is lifted in 2009. There has been a new rigour in which universities inspect the “home fee” credentials of British families overseas, perhaps a knock-on effect of the financial situation.

New diplomas launched

2008 heralds a small revolution in education in England with the launch of the Diploma programme. Diplomas are to work alongside the existing GCSE and A Level curriculums, allowing students to study skills that have vocational relevance. Five areas have been launched in September 2008, with five more to come in 2009 and more in following years. 20,000 students are starting the courses this year, half the number that the government expected.

School age rise to 17

Children starting secondary schools in England in September will be the first to be legally required to stay in education until they are 17. This will rise to 18 in the next couple of years. Children do no necessarily need to be in school, and could look at vocational training as an alternative to the classroom.

New A* grade

The new academic year also welcomes the new A* grade at A Level, a new ruse to help universities pick out the brightest students. At the same time, the International Baccalaureate dipoma – seen by many university tutors as a better guide to ability than the A Levels – is more widely available than before. Over 130 private and state schools now offer the IB Diploma across the UK.

New “academies” opened

Nearly fifty new “academies” have opened in England in September 2008. Academies are state run schools established in partnership with privately run institutions – for example businesses, universities or faith groups. One of the main aims is to provide stronger schools for pupils in deprived areas. There are now 130 academy schools in England with more to follow.

The rise and rise of the church school

2008-09-15T16:43:00.002+01:00

The first state-maintained Hindu school opened this week in Edgware, north London. The Church of England is set to become the biggest sponsor of the Labour government’s “academy” programme.

Across the UK, there are now schools run by a range of faiths, especially at primary level. The Church of England and the Roman Catholic churches have the biggest stakes, but there are seven Muslim schools and over thirty Jewish schools. Education and religion seem to be intertwined.

Does this matter? After all, the Anglican and Catholic churches have long played an active role in establishing and managing schools in the UK.

Those for the growth in faith schools see them widening parental choice and driving up standards by taking the day-to-day management out of government’s hands. It has been claimed that children in a church school can be a year ahead of their peers in a community primary school.

Many see church schools as socially divisive. Not just by potentially “ghetto-ising” religious groups but also because many Anglican and Catholic church schools seem to take pupils from a mainly middle-class background, effectively making them selective.

What is apparent is that faith schools have support of both the government and the church communities that they serve.

Winning the Lottery

2008-03-10T18:38:00.002Z

Applying for a school place is a tense time for most parents, especially in the state sector.

There are a limited number of strong schools in the state sector across the UK and a lot of families chasing places in them. Only 7% of pupils in the UK attend a private school.

A new approach to allocate places has just been piloted in a number of areas across England – deciding by "lottery". Families apply for their preferred school as usual but when that school is oversubscribed, names are pulled out of a hat to decide who goes and who doesn't.

The lottery's main strength is that it removes the tendency for wealthier parents to group around the better schools, pushing out poorer families. Some argue that this "postcode education" is harming social cohesion.

Those who argue against note that it removes parental choice – a key theme of the government’s education policy - as well as pushing many families into the private sector. Independent schools in Brighton – where state secondary places have been decided by lottery for the first time this year – say that they saw a huge rise in applications this year.

The government's argument is that admissions policy is a red herring. The key to provide parents with choice and to heal society is to ensure that all schools are performing well. However, that is proving easier to say, than achieve.