Rules relaxed on new staff vetting scheme

Authors who visit schools won't now have to register under the Government's vetting and barring scheme.

People who go to different schools to work with different groups of children have been exempted after the Government asked the scheme's boss Sir Roger Singleton to review the rules.

The Vetting and Barring scheme aims to stop paedophiles and other unsafe people from working with children. It is run by the Independent Safeguarding Authority which keeps a list of individuals who are barred from working with children, and makes decisions about whether someone should be included in the list, or removed from it.

Also excused from registering under the changed rules is anyone who works with children less than once a week, or for less than four days a month. Previously people who worked with children once a month or more were told they would have to register.

Everyone else who works with children will eventually have to register under the scheme. New employees and people changing jobs can apply after July 2010. From 2011 everyone working with children, including those who have CRB checks, will have to be registered.

Boys still way behind at Key Stage 1

Girls are beating boys in all four Key Stage 1 subjects, statistics show.

The gap was highest for writing. 87% of girls reached level 2, compared to 75% of boys.

Among Black Caribbean pupils the gap in achievement between boys and girls is even bigger, with only 67% of boys achieving the expected level compared to 83% of girls.

In maths the gap was smaller with 91% of all girls and 88% of all boys reaching at least level 2.The attainment gap between girls and boys has been getting bigger in science, writing and maths since 2006 but in reading it has narrowed slightly.

Overall, teacher assessments at Key Stage 1 show children are at almost the same level as last year. But there are big differences between different groups of pupils.

Children who speak English as an additional language not surprisingly did less well in all four subjects than children whose first language is English, but their marks have been gradually improving over recent years.

Children who are eligible for free school meals do much worse at Key Stage 1 than other children in all subjects. The biggest gap is in writing, where they are nearly 19% behind, though there is evidence that the gap has been gradually closing.

Key Stage 1 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2008/09

TAs put children first

The role of teaching assistants should be clarified, and properly supported, says the independent Cambridge Primary Review.

The three year enquiry is calling for a full review of all primary school staffing.

The research team from Cambridge university talked to heads, teachers, support staff, parents and children. They found that teaching assistants try to make school a secure and caring environment for children.

But there was confusion about the roles and responsibilities teaching assistants should be shouldering. The introduction of Planning, Preparation and Assessment time for teachers - covered by TAs - had ironically meant many teaching assistants lost joint planning time with their teachers.

TAs saw children's well-being as their first priority. But many felt they were poorly qualified for the responsibilities they had been given, especially supporting children with complex learning needs.

The three year enquiry has ended with a 608 page report, including 75 recommendations for the future.

Since 1997 when Labour came to power, investment in primary education has risen dramatically and many policies have had a positive impact, says the report.

"Highly valued by children and parents, primary schools provide stability and positive values in a world of change and uncertainty."

But the review criticised the government's standards agenda. Targets, testing, perforance tables, national strategies and inspection are believed to have caused a lot of damage for questionable benefits.


Summary of key recommendations

• Compulsory schooling should start at six instead of five
• The foundation stage should be extended to age six
• Key stages one and two should be replaced with a single primary stage
• Formal assessment at the end of primary school should stay, but SATs should be scrapped
• Redefine standards as excellence in all areas of the curriculum - not just reading, writing and maths
• Review primary school staffing.
• More specialists among primary teachers
• Review SEN provision, including definitions of SEN

Final report of the Primary Review