As a “nearly 30″ adult, I do speak fluent “text speak”, although reading through the message from my teenage cousins, I do not always follow their initial meaning, but I am confident enough in it that I can pick it up quickly.

I believe that text speak developed initially as a way of minimising the cost of text messages (we had to get across what we wanted to say in a minimum of 160 characters, or pay lots more), and became more and more the “language of technology users”. And I must confess I believed that this language became more and more commonly used because speakers didn’t have to learn to use appropriate spelling and grammar.

But recent studies show that pupils using this text speak “requires an awareness of how sounds relate to written English” and demonstrates their greater spelling ability. So don’t be so hasty in stopping your children from using this language.

With more and more attention being focused on kids performances at school, parents are increasing feeling the pressure to provide their kids with the best start, making sure they have the knowledge and skills to be able to excel in the classroom.

Studies have showed that by reading to your child from an early age, you are able to instil a love of books and desire to learn. And there have been many campaigns to try and encourage people to read with their children more. Despite a recession driven dip in sales last year, the numbers for childrens book sales appear to be on the up. And the driving force behind this sales increase appears to be the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer having stepped firmly into JK Rowling’s shoes as favourite childrens author.

Annual figures from Nielson BookScan show children’s book sales in 2009 were up 4.9% in volume and picture book sales were up by 13% on 2008. The top ten children’s book were:

1. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series
2. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series
3. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series
4. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series
5. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series
6. Beano Annual 2010
7. Miles to go by Mylie Cyrus
8. Mr Gum in the Hound of Lamonic Bibber /Sephir the Storm Monster by Andy Stanton and Adam Blade
9. Peppa Pig official annual
10. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K Rowling

With hundreds of thousands of teenagers preparing to sit their first part A-levels this week, lots of them have been prevented from doing so because of the weather. And they will have to apply for special consideration in the May/June exams, they won’t just get it.

It’s been over a decade since my exams, and I remember the pressure all too clearly, but to be sat at home, worrying about getting in safely, and feeling that I should get in even if it is not safe, would have sent me into a panic. But those sitting at home won’t be faring any better, because they won’t be able to “re-sit” them until the summer, alongside all of their other exams.

I wouldn’t want to be a teenager again for all the tea in China.

Richmond Council has accepted Kunskapsskolan as sponsor of 2 schools set to become academies. Kunskapsskolan is a Swedish company already operating 30 secondary schools in Sweden. They are independently run from the state, but still state funded. Kunskapsskolan believes that one size does not fit all when it comes to education and uses an individual personalized based learning, and ensures that each pupil achieves the very best grade/qualification that they are possible of. All Kunskapsskolan schools are independently run from the government, but they are still the main funding partner for the schools. The Conservative party have been championing this style of education for some time and have used Kunskapsskolan as an example

Ed Balls, Children’s Secretary has been accused of by-passing parliament when naming the new head of Ofqual, the new watchdog overseeing schools qualifications. He has been accused of not allowing MP’s to quiz the new appointee before she was named.
Kathleen Tattersall was named chief regulator of Ofqual, she had previously been chairing the interim Ofqual since it began work as part of the Qualification and Curriculum Authority last spring.
The decision to not hold a pre appointment hearing was made back in February, when former Education minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry told parliament of the plans.

“The permanent secretary advised ministers that – since this is not a new appointment – it need not be subject to the pre-appointment hearing process.”

Said a DCSF Spokesman

After the Department of Education released there revised child safety rules, the authority safeguarding the system predict the safety vetting list will grow further past the initial 9m, so the database which is already the largest of its kind will cover even more of the population.

The revision which was leased last week, reduced the amount of workers and volunteers requiring to be vetted in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Under the new rules people who have regular and frequent access to children will have to register with the ISA. It will cost £64 to register although this fee will be waivered for volunteers.

Some Academy Schools have been accused of pushing some pupils down, what is seen as easier qualifications, generally the vocational ones to boost the number of high grades the schools achieve. Some of these vocational qualification are whole up to 4 A*-C GCSE grades.

The state funded but independently run schools are exempt from the Freedom of Information act and can hide behind this. Researchers from a Think Tank, Civitas, believe that some academies which have shown a fast rate of improvement were using this method of selecting qualifications to boost their league position.

In Scotland over the past year there has been a drop in the number of teachers. The figure has dropped by 1348, and Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop has blamed the councils for spending money, set aside for teachers on other areas. The councils reply was to state that maintaining the number of teachers in schools would be “economic suicide”.

Ultimately with less teachers, class sizes are only going to get bigger than they already are. This goes against the government’s manifesto of cutting class sizes to a maximum of 18 for the first three years of primary school.

Now that Fiona Hyslop has admitted this drop in figures is unacceptable many are calling upon her to resign. It is difficult to see how, with this next failure, Fiona Hyslop will keep her in her role as Education Secretary.

Under the government’s current plans, in 2011 schools are set to teach pupils about domestic violence. The message will be that domestic violence against women and girls is unacceptable.

It seems to me that this is yet another step towards schools taking over the role of the parent. Schools should be a place for academic learning, where issues such as not committing violence towards others is something that should be taught at home. It is this that has led to some parent groups to criticising the government for its interference.

Surely if the government are going to go ahead and introduce these lessons in schools it is important that they be set to include the unacceptability of domestic violence as a whole and not just that against women and girls. What do you think?

Some parents who take their children to school in the car are continually causing congestion problems around school entrances. While some park in school car parks reserved for teachers, others are parking in the keep clear areas, which is a danger to other pupils.

One School in Northumberland which is fed up with parents not obeying the rules has brought in a three strikes policy whereby if they are caught disobeying the parking rules three times their child will be excluded from the school.
This obviously goes against government guidelines on how expulsions should be used, but it proves just how frustrated the school is with the problem.

The schools argument, apart from the fact that the parking rules are in place to protect pupils, is that how can parents expect children to behave courteously and have respect for the law if their parents do not.

This is a very valid point as parental behaviour has a strong influence on children. However it seems unfair to punish the child for the parent’s offences. Hopefully the move will work and parents will become more responsible when it comes to dropping their children of at school.