School Development Plans (SDPs) were pioneered by individual schools and local education authorities (LEAs) in England as a grassroots approach to school management that was eventually adopted by national education authorities. An empirical investigation of the implementation and impact of SDPs was carried out in primary schools through a…

Major visuospatial and verbal abilities were assessed for 197 10-year-olds in Hong Kong and 170 10-year-olds in the United Kingdom. The Hong Kong subjects resembled their Japanese counterparts in having high Searman's "g," exhibiting abstract reasoning ability, high spatial ability, high perceptual speed, and low word fluency. (SLD)

In this study we described development of boys' and girls' games on the school playground at recess as they progressed across the first year of primary school in London (UK) and Minneapolis (USA) in order to document age-related trends in games during this period and to examine the predictive role of games in children's adjustment to school and…

The authors work in a city local education authority Special Educational Needs Support Service with an Anti-Bullying Project that continues to develop effective approaches to dealing with bullying in schools. This paper describes the project's use of Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and reports on the outcomes of a large number of…

The impact of changing classroom grouping practices from those requiring individual outcomes to those requiring cooperative outcomes was investigated in classrooms of 15 primary (elementary) school teachers in the United Kingdom. The nature and quality of talk in the cooperative groups with 4- to 11-year-old students were examined. (SLD)

Presents results of study of British elementary school boys aged seven to nine, comparing disruptive behavior to heart rate. Distinguishes this study from earlier ones that found relationship between low base heart rates and low reactivity to mild stress among high school boys. Reports that this study disproves prediction that results would be…

During the past ten years in the UK there has been a considerable increase in the number of teaching assistants (TAs) appointed to work alongside teachers in schools. A significant number of these colleagues are appointed to support pupils with special educational needs (SEN), including those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties…

This paper outlines issues around learning to write and considers the range of difficulties children may experience. The role of Information and Communications Technology in facilitating writing development is considered. Software applications that can be used to support aspects of the writing process and target teaching are outlined. Criteria for…

Reports a study of British teachers' and students' perceptions of effective teaching and learning. Researchers observed and interviewed 13 teachers and 235 students (ages 11-12 years) and found considerable agreement about what constituted effective teaching and learning. Both groups believed learning opportunities were heightened by the use of…

Student assessment in science in primary (elementary) schools in the United Kingdom is discussed in the context of the enactment of a National Curriculum. Sample science test items are included. Teachers must develop the skills required to assess students' learning in science and should not rely on external tests. (SLD)

The Nutrition Division of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) held a seminar in November 2001 to discuss results from research projects related to encouraging good diets and identifying needs to ensure an integrated approach within schools. The principle aim of the seminar was to discuss the results from school-based interventions designed to increase…

It is generally accepted that dyslexia should be identified early for interventions to have maximum effect. However, when children speak English as an additional language (EAL), diagnosis is more complex and there is concern that these children tend to be under-identified. This paper reports a longitudinal study following the development of…

The growing use of the interactive whiteboard (IWB) in primary school teaching forms part of a number of initiatives within the schools of the United Kingdom to develop the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in teaching and learning. The IWB presents both challenges and opportunities to teachers, particularly in terms of staff…

This book contains a compilation of papers presented at the International Conference on Education and New Developments (END 2017), organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (W.I.A.R.S.). Education, in our contemporary world, is a right since we are born. Every experience has a formative effect on the constitution of the…

Reports on the state of transition in governance in English primary schools following the Education Reform Act. Analyzes contemporary primary school practices and their antecedents, then considers a proposed national curriculum and associated assessment procedures. Focuses on the preparedness of teachers to implement changes in the classroom and…