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Issue 7.08

Leadership

The Power Of Prepaid

Welfare reform and the personal budgets agenda have created significant new opportunities for more creative and innovative thinking regarding how people relate to local and national government and public services. Prepaid card technology could hold the key to substantially reduced administration costs for personal budgets – back-office savings which cannot be under-valued in the current era of limited funding. This report, published by think-tank, Demos, looks at radical and inventive new solutions to the distribution of benefits and services. Leadership Briefing issue 7.08 (80)

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Leadership

Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report

This report by Ofcom provides detailed evidence of media use, attitudes and understanding among children and young people aged 5-15. For the first time it also provides indicative information about the access to, and use of, media among children aged 3-4. The report also includes findings relating to parents’ views about their children’s media use, and the ways that parents seek – or not – to monitor or limit such use. Leadership Briefing issue 7.08 (80)

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Leadership

A Survey Of Teachers’ Views On School Meals

This report by the Children's Society reveals that huge numbers of children in poverty throughout the country are missing out on free school meals. As part of its campaign, the Children's Society worked with the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT) to survey 570 teachers about their views on food in schools covering issues of free school meals, the levels of hunger in schools and the quality of school food. Leadership Briefing issue 7.08 (80)

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Leadership

To The Next Level: Good Schools Becoming Outstanding

For some time now in the UK, close attention has been given to schools, especially secondary schools, facing particular challenges in raising attainment. This research by CfBT Education Trust has identified six common characteristics amongst schools which have raised the standards of their teaching and learning to outstanding. Research and inspection evidence suggests they have many qualities in common. Leadership Briefing issue 7.08 (80)

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Leadership

Adoption: Post-Legislative Scrutiny

This report, published by the House of Lords, argues that adoptive parents in England should have a legal right to support and adoption service bodies should have a statutory duty to provide post-adoption support. The committee also warns that adoption is not necessarily suitable for all children in care and that the drive to increase adoption should not undermine efforts to keep birth families together. Leadership Briefing issue 7.08 (80)

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Leadership

New Teachers’ Standards and Appraisal Regulations

This Department for Education report provides an analysis of the awareness and impact of the new Teachers’ Standards and appraisal regulations. It looks at whether schools had changed their performance management/appraisal policy since the new regulations were introduced; and whether teachers had been told that their performance in the coming year would be assessed against the new Teachers’ Standards. Leadership Briefing issue 7.08 (80)

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Leadership

Review Of The School Leadership Landscape

The Institute of Education (IOE), together with NFER, were commissioned by the National College for School Leadership to carry out a review of the landscape of school leadership in England, between October 2011 and September 2012. This report presents a snapshot of a changing educational landscape (prior to changes such as the new Ofsted framework and national curriculum review) and took place at a time when academy status was still proceeding at pace. It shows that half of heads had clear plans on how they would use greater autonomy, but half did not think their institution would actually gain more autonomy. Leadership Briefing issue 7.08 (80)

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Leadership

Reading And Maths Skills At Age 10 And Earnings In Later Life

This research by the Institute of Fiscal Studies and CAYT uses data from the British Cohort Study to investigate the relationship between reading skills at age 10 and weekly earnings at age 30. The research extended the analysis to look at the association of maths as well as reading skills at age 10 with earnings in later life and investigates whether the relationship between skills and later earnings varies over time, by considering the relationship between age 10 skills and earnings at ages 34 and 38 as well as age 30. Leadership Briefing issue 7.08 (80)

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Leadership

Adoption Cases Reviewed: An Indicative Study Of Process And Practice

This DfE report looks into the strengths of the current adoption process to establish what changes, if any, are required to ensure that the processes of local authority and court case handling and decision making are consistent with the principles underpinning the current legal framework of adoption in England. The study provides insights into case handling, decision making and practice quality assurance with a focus on whether due process was followed by local authorities and the judiciary. Leadership Briefing issue 7.08 (80)

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Leadership

Childcare Costs Survey 2013

Average childcare costs across England, Scotland and Wales rose by £5 a week (or 6%) per child in a year, according to the Daycare Trust's annual survey. Compiled from figures submitted by Family Information Services, it shows nursery, childminder and after-school club costs all rising at more than double the inflation rate (2.7 per cent). This report shows parents are struggling to find affordable childcare in their local communities. Leadership Briefing issue 7.08 (80)

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