2008
Vocational courses are bridging the skills gap to meet industry needs
Inspectors made over 100 visits to colleges to identify good practice in vocational education and training. The vocational areas that were surveyed comprised business, administration and law; science; engineering and manufacturing technologies; construction, planning and the built environment; and agriculture, horticulture and animal care.
- 24 Jan 2008
- Ref no: NR- 2008-03
Children’s centres provide a range of services that benefit children as well as parents, Ofsted report finds
Children's centres and extended schools make a positive contribution to improving the lives of children and their families, as well as achieving overall success, according to How well are they doing: the impact of children's centres and extended schools, published today by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted).
- 23 Jan 2008
- Ref no: NR- 2008-02
Geography in schools - changing practice
Geography in schools is not doing enough to help children develop a picture of climate change, learn to lead sustainable lives and find their feet as global citizens of the 21st century, according to a new report published today.
- 17 Jan 2008
- Ref no: NR- 2008-01
Community languages need more support, says Ofsted
Courses for people wanting to qualify as teachers of ”community” or ”heritage” languages such as Arabic, Bengali, Japanese, Mandarin, Panjabi, Turkish, and Urdu should be expanded, Ofsted has found.
- 21 Feb 2008
- Ref no: NR- 2008-07
The service provided by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) in the East Midlands is inadequate, according to an Ofsted inspection report published today
Cafcass provides a social work service to children and families who are involved in family court proceedings and where the welfare of children is, or may be, in question. Cafcass in the East Midlands covers Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland.
- 15 Feb 2008
- Ref no: NR- 2008-05
Ofsted to carry out inspections on Armed Forces training
Ofsted and the Ministry of Defence have forged a new partnership to ensure recruits and trainees experience a high quality of training, welfare and care in the UK's Armed Forces.
Melanie Hunt, Director of Learning and Skills, Ofsted and Bob Ainsworth, the Minister for Armed Forces signed a pledge to work more closely together.
- 19 Mar 2008
- Ref no: NR- 2008-10
Teaching young people to manage their money is important, according to government, head teachers, students and financial institutions alike.
Ofsted's new report, 'Developing financially capable young people' shows that delivering better teaching of personal finance education in schools and colleges can equip students with the right mix of skills and attitudes to help them manage their finances sensibly. It can also help prepare them for the world of bank accounts, credit cards, insurance and mortgages.
- 12 Mar 2008
- Ref no: NR- 2008-08
Learning to live a greener life can start in the classroom, says new Ofsted report
Teaching sustainability in schools can help bring the significance of climate change to life and show children that that they each have an important part to play in helping to protect the environment.
- 21 May 2008
- Ref no: NR- 2008-11
Trainee teachers are well prepared to teach early reading skills, says new Ofsted survey
Providers of initial teacher training have responded well to an independent review which recommended ways that teachers can improve their teaching of early reading, according to the latest survey by Ofsted.
- 27 Jun 2008
- Ref no: NR- 2008-19
Design and technology is the most popular GCSE foundation subject, but a lack of specialist teachers means expensive school equipment sometimes lies idle
A lack of specialist trained Design and Technology teachers in some parts of the country results in equipment in some schools lying unused, according to Ofsted's new report, 'Education for a technologically advanced nation: Design and Technology in schools 2004/07'.
- 25 Jun 2008
- Ref no: NR- 2008-18