English in the News
Below is a selection of articles which are archived online and may be of interest to NATE members. If you know of others please let us know. Keep up to date with our Twitter feed, too.
- 'Concern' over English Sats test - BBC, Wednesday March 18, 2009
Further concerns have been raised about the marking of English "Sats" tests taken in England's secondary schools....A sample of hundreds of papers found wide variation in the marking of English tests at Key Stage 3 (age 14).In 44% of cases, papers did not end up with the grade an expert panel of examiners would have given it.
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Up to half the grades on Sats papers were wrong, says review - The Guardian, Wednesday March 18, 2009
Mistakes in grading English and science papers strengthen demands for tests to be scrappedLink broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Tests blamed for blighting children's lives - The Guardian, Friday February 20, 2009
Landmark study of primary schools calls for teachers to be freed of targetsLink broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Primary education 'is deficient' - BBC, Friday February 20, 2009
Children in England are getting a "deficient" primary education because schools are focusing too much on maths, English and testing, a report has said.
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Scrap Sats and league tables, say teaching unions - The Guardian, Wednesday February 11, 2009
Teaching unions representing the majority of teachers and school leaders in England will today call for the scrapping of Sats tests and school league tables.Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Sats replacement ideas divisive - BBC, Wednesday February 11, 2009
Two education unions have called again for national curriculum or "Sats" tests in England, and school league tables derived from them, to be scrapped.
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Sats essays 'should be scrapped' - BBC, Monday January 19, 2009
Essay questions in Sats tests are "subjective and stressful to mark" and should be replaced, a report suggests.Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Primary school exam essays 'should be ditched' - The Guardian, Monday January 19, 2009
Thinktank suggests written tests do not give an accurate picture of how pupils are doing and should be replaced by multiple-choice tests
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - MP brands dyslexia a 'fiction' - BBC, Wednesday January 14, 2009
A Labour MP has claimed dyslexia is a myth invented by education chiefs to cover up poor teaching.Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - MP under fire for questioning existence of dyslexia - The Guardian, Wednesday January 14, 2009
A Labour MP who claimed dyslexia was "cruel fiction" a to cover up bad teaching of reading and writing was fiercely criticised today by charities for the condition.Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Warning on replacing Sats tests - BBC, Saturday January 10, 2009
There is a risk that the replacement for the scrapped national tests at age 14 in England will be rushed, untried, and will lead to "unintended consequences".
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Computer-esque books to lure boys - BBC, Wednesday January 7, 2009
Books illustrated with computer- generated images are the latest attempt to get boys to enjoy reading. .... Professor Elaine Millard from the National Association for the Teaching of English said the books were a shallow response to the problem of boys not enjoying reading.
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - A good teacher is an entertainer as well as an educator - The Guardian, Monday January 5, 2009
Teachers who routinely take dull lessons do children no good and should be put to sleep, says Phil Beadle
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - 'No guarantee' over Sats delivery - BBC, Wednesday December 31, 2008
Examiners have warned the government there is a "significant" risk that pupils could face a repeat of this summer's Sats test fiasco.
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - The benefit of a bedtime story - The Guardian, Tuesday December 23, 2008
Children who are read to daily are likely to do better when they start school and be better behaved, according to a government study.Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Poet Adrian Mitchell dies, aged 76 - The Guardian, Monday December 22, 2008
Inspirational poet, playwright and performer who was a natural pacifist
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Appeals soar after Sats fiasco - BBC, Thursday December 18, 2008
Appeals against the marking of this year's national curriculum test papers in England have reached record levels after a marking "shambles".
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Sats agency scrapped and bosses suspended after inquiry pinpoints blame for tests fiasco - The Guardian, Wednesday December 17, 2008
The exams agency has disbanded the body responsible for Sats and suspended its two most senior executives in an attempt to regain credibility after it was condemned for its "massive failure" to prevent the collapse of this summer's tests.Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Sats inquiry: Watchdog 'failed' - BBC, Tuesday December 16, 2008
The inquiry into this year's Sats test shambles has blamed the exam watchdog and private contractor ETS Europe.
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Exam chiefs suspended and SATs agency scrapped in wake of school tests fiasco - Daily Mail, Tuesday December 16, 2008
The future of SATs was thrown into doubt yesterday as a damning report blamed a culture of complacency among testing officials for this year's marking fiasco.Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here