In a move Ofsted says is designed to ‘tackle the number of coasting schools that have remained stubbornly ‘satisfactory’ over a number of inspections’, it has said it will scrap its ‘satisfactory’ rating, replacing it with a ‘requires improvement’ category. But one union has said the measure ‘is about ratcheting up pressure on schools, without providing the support and resources they need to assist them in securing further improvements ‘.

Currently, schools can be ranked ‘inadequate’, ‘satisfactory’, ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. But if the new proposals, which are subject to consultation, get the green light, ‘satisfactory’ will become ‘requires improvement’, and no school will be allowed to remain within this grade for more than three years.

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Education Secretary Michael Gove has announced a radical shake-up of the ICT curriculum, along with a focus on training for teachers to make sure they have the skills and knowledge needed to use technology confidently. So is it a long overdue change, or an unrealistic headline spinner? Are ICT lessons really ‘boring’ – and is the government simply ‘washing its hands of ICT’, as some have suggested? Read more, and share your views on the blog.

The government is opening a consultation on withdrawing the existing National Curriculum Programme of Study for ICT from September this year.

Open source curriculum

ICT will remain compulsory at all key stages of the curriculum, and the existing Programme of Study will remain available for reference, but schools will no longer be forced to follow it.

Speaking at the BETT education trade fair, which focuses on educational technology, he announced plans to embrace and capitalise on technological developments for learning, teaching and assessment.

“Technology is already bringing about a profound transformation in education, in ways that we can see before our very eyes and in others that we haven’t even dreamt of yet,” he said (taken from his speech as reported by the Guardian. “It’s clear that technology is going to bring profound changes to how and what we teach. But it’s equally clear that we have not yet managed to make the most of it.”

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The education secretary Michael Gove described those opposed to schools becoming academies as “the same old ideologues pushing the same old ideology of failure and mediocrity” in a speech last week. But opponents say academies are not about improvement, but part of an ideologically driven agenda to dismantle our current system of local accountability for education. Who’s right? Read more and have your say .

Michael Gove, who the Guardian points out is often described by his adversaries as an ideologue, entitled his speech ‘Who are the ideologues now?’ and opened by suggesting that academy opponents are “blighting futures and limiting horizons”:

“Last month, a headline appeared in the Hornsey Journal – a headline that would have been funny had its subtext not been so dispiriting. Stamped across the top of the page in stark, Nimrod Bold lettering were the words:

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From a new aerospace academy aiming to help breed the next generation of spacemen, to chewing gum and its benefits for exam results, and even a school which is tackling the thorny issue of ‘baggy pants’, we take our monthly roundup of the weird, wacky, and even serious news stories from the world of education. Join us, and share your comments.

Interest grows for teacher scholarships

Almost 2,000 teachers have now applied for the government’s new £2 million scholarship scheme for teachers. The National Scholarship Fund for Teachers was set up earlier this year to help existing teachers in England develop their skills and deepen their subject knowledge. It offers scholarships worth up to £3,500 to help them acquire postgraduate qualifications and make further academic progress, reports wired.gov.

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Following on from our feature on St. George’s School in Switzerland, we speak to Hazel Hogg, who lives with her husband and her daughters Morven (11), Rowan (8) and Alexa (3) in France – practically on the border with Switzerland, where they enjoy stunning views of the Alps and Lake Geneva.  Her children attend the International School of Geneva. Here Hazel talks about living overseas, and tells us more about choosing this school for her children. Read more.

Could you explain how you came to be living in France, and why you chose an international school for your children?

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