Research Projects
A New Agenda for Schools
Contact Email: j.cannings@ippr.org
Introduction
‘A New Agenda for Schools’ aims to inject a wave of new thinking into primary and secondary school reform in England. The project will engage critically with the standards agenda, asking what has worked and what has not. It will draw from international experience and original research from a variety of disciplines to seek new ways to raise standards of school performance and equity of outcomes in the decade ahead.
Taking on board current directions and future challenges, the project will explore opportunities and alternatives on three key themes across age 5–16 provision:
- Primary and secondary school admissions
- Assessment, curriculum and pedagogy
- Schools workforce.
The focus will be on finding real, workable solutions in all these areas. Key cross-cutting questions that will be addressed through all of these themes will include:
- To what extent has the standards agenda run its course?
- How can early years social and cognitive gains be sustained through primary schooling?
- How can the gains in attainment (as measured at end of key stage 2) be sustained through secondary schooling?
- Will turning most secondary schools into specialist schools, and introducing other forms such as City Academies, raise the value added and increase the rate of improvement in attainment?
- Could a more collaborative school agenda better serve progressive ends and, if so, how could such an agenda be encouraged to take root?
- How will any proposals fit with developments in early years and the post-compulsory education?
Files
The Aims of School Education, by Professor John White
Curriculum, Assessment and Pedagogy captures the author's contribution to a seminar held at ippr as part of the New Agenda for Schools project.
Publications
School Admissions:
Fair choice for parents and pupils
We argue in this paper that the current school admissions system is a cause of segregation by social class and ability across our schools system, and is thus likely to hamper efforts to improve all schools. In addition, it is likely to lead to systematic unfairness in terms of whose preferences can be satisfied. We argue that a system of fair choice would take into account the need to achieve a balanced intake in every school.
Assessment and Testing:
Making space for teaching and learning
This paper is primarily concerned with assessment in the form of national testing up to the end of Key Stage 3 at age 14.
Pupil Attainment:
Time for a Three Rs Guarantee
Schools policy is complex and controversial, partly because it seeks to achieve a wide range of objectives. This paper presents an overview of how well the English schools system is performing against one of its key objectives, attainment, together with some interim conclusions and recommendations.
School Admissions in the United States:
Policy, Research and Practice
This paper reviews and distils a considerable body of evidence from the US to inform the admissions policy debate.
Events
Empowering professionals: The challenge of letting go in the right way
This roundtable discussion included presentations from Robert Hill (former adviser to Charles Clarke and author of a recent book on school leadership) and Ralph Tabberer (Department for Education and Skills). Darren Atkinson (Edunova) presented ne...
08/06/2006 -
Curriculum, Assessment and Pedagogy: Beyond the “standards agenda”
This event provided an opportunity to think critically about the current relationship between curriculum, assessment and pedagogy in light of the latest evidence from the UK and abroad. Participants were asked to consider future long-term policy o...
03/04/2006 -
Trusts: A New Future for Schools
Self-governing school trusts are the latest new vehicle for the involvement of non-government players in the provision of schooling. Created in the 2005 schools White Paper, they have been billed by the government as the key element of a “radical ...
02/02/2006 -
School Admissions: Beyond the White Paper
The Speakers included Professor Stephen Gorard of the University of York Professor Anne West of CER, London School of Economics Professor Simon Burgess of CMPO, University of Bristol Josh Hillman (formerly ippr and BBC) presented his p...
01/12/2005 -
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