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 is intended to describe the roles and responsibilities of the small school head and is based on the personal experiences of a serving headteacher. It seems an accepted element of academic discourse that recent governmental initiatives have impacted on the leadership and management of educational institutions in such a way that they have…

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…

Boys' underachievement has to some extent been attributed to the feminisation of the teaching profession. The authors understand the concept of feminisation to mean in the first instance an increase in the number of women teachers in primary schools as a proportion of the total work force. The evidence the authors have for this pragmatic…

The UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) documents for religious education indicate two distinct areas for study that may be characterised as teaching about the main faith traditions and tackling puzzling problems. This paper presents a detailed analysis of whole-class interactive teaching and learning in one session in each of four…

The Teachers' International Professional Development (TIPD) Programme was launched by the British Council in 2000 in response to a Government Green Paper on teacher training. This provides opportunities for teachers to participate in international study visits to gain first-hand experience of good practice. As part of this programme, eighteen…

Reviews the successes and failures of the science curriculum reform activities in England and Wales during the last 20 years and examines the underlying causes. In this review the author draws extensively on findings from researchers into curriculum implementation, conducted in Britain and elsewhere. (Author/HM)

Questions how England's Secretary of State for Education uses the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) to define and control inservice teacher competency requirements, suggesting that this leads to teacher deprofessionalization. Recommends identifying threats to professional autonomy and preventing the TTA from moving to the next phase of regulation. (SM)

Depicts the current state of professional development of teachers in England and Wales, identifying pertinent issues and describing the INSET (Inservice Education and Training for Teachers) program. The paper discusses the status of the teaching profession in the United Kingdom and presents an agenda for teacher education in the 1990s. (SM)

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)

Dunblane Primary School, Scotland, and Columbine High School, USA. Two headline tragedies that have led to trauma for their pupils and staff. Trauma that could be devastating because of the psychological impact and the practical requirements a crisis brings. Children's social and personal development can be negatively affected, their academic…

In December 2005, the General Teaching Council for Wales, acting on behalf of the General Teaching Councils' (GTCs') Five Nations Group, commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to conduct research into the contents of the standards and routes to teaching qualifications in the UK nation states and the Republic of…

The Third World Science Project (TWSP) is designed to add a multicultural element to existing science syllabi (for students aged 11-16) in the United Kingdom. The project seeks to develop an appreciation of the: boundless facination of the natural world; knowledge, skills, and expertise possessed by men/women everywhere; application of knowledge…

The material in this book was devised in answer to a need expressed by many teachers, especially in primary (elementary) schools, for support in the teaching of astronomy. These projects and activities are aimed at fulfilling the requirements of the National Curriculum in England and Wales and the 5-14 Guidelines in Scotland. Each activity gives…

Because children are in danger of losing their curiosity in adolescence, science teaching in primary school is of critical importance. Nurturing curiosity requires that the locus of control must reside with the learner. Instructional density (the amount of teaching) must not inhibit children's thinking and decision-making so as to remove the…