Department For Education And Employment Research Articles

An Investigation About the Challenges of Adopting Performance Management in Educational Leadership in England

Since the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) introduced the performance management system in general education in September 2000, it has become an important component in education reform in England. The goal of this study is to explore the challenges that teachers and principals may encounter in adopting performance management in educational leadership in England. This study finds that performance management provides a single, unfair mechanism for teacher evaluation, and within this framework, teachers’ personal development is largely ignored. And for leaders, performance management results in a lack of leadership responsibility. This study argues that performance management is not conducive to the development of schools in England.

Perspectives on pupil creativity in design and technology in the lower secondary curriculum in England

This paper is based on work carried out as part of a research study into the professional practices of secondary design and technology teachers in England. It focused on fostering creativity or teaching for creativity as defined by the Robinson Report (1999, All our futures: creativity, culture and education. London: Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)) for pupils aged 11–14 years. The overall research question that drove this study was “to what extent can teachers influence the creativity of pupils aged 11–14 years in design and technology lessons?” The paper provides the basis used to generate a unique theoretical three-feature model or framework that can be used to explore creativity within an educational context.

Equal opportunities or affirmative action? The induction of minority ethnic teachers

Currently in the UK there is much pressure to increase the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority teachers, not only to respond to the continuing shortage, but to develop a teaching force that reflects the diversity in the UK population and provides role models for ethnic minority students. There is, however, little research on how ethnic minority teachers cope with the demands of the profession, especially in their first year. The introduction by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) of an induction period for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) in 1999 was an attempt to create a programme of individual support and monitoring to provide NQTs with a bridge from Initial Teacher Training (ITT) to becoming established in their chosen profession. We believe it is now timely and important to examine how ethnic minority beginning teachers experience these new arrangements. In this paper we, therefore, explore the induction experiences of British teachers of Asian and African Caribbean origin in three Local Education Authorities (LEAs) in the North West of England. We conclude that the NQTs are being provided with equal opportunities by their employers and that affirmative action may have been undertaken by a few of these employers during the recruitment and selection process, although some anecdotal evidence is also presented of discrimination. Further, the paper suggests that the majority of the NQTs find their schools and LEAs supportive and the induction process valuable, although it highlights the need for additional support in some individual cases.

Are Health and Education talking to each other? Perceptions of parents of children with speech and language needs

This paper reports on the findings of a multi-centre, year-long study commissioned in July 1999 by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), Department of Health (DOH) and the National Assembly for Wales; the focus here is upon the perspectives of parents of children with a variety of speech and language needs, at various stages of assessment and provision within educational settings. Groups of parents were interviewed about their perceptions of the extent and nature of collaboration existing between the agents of health and education, and during the final ‘research into practice’ stage of the study, parents joined managers and practitioners from the two agencies in discussion groups aimed at generating innovative and practical ideas for facilitating future collaboration between the two agencies. Emphasizing their wish for a partnership relationship with professionals, some parents highlighted professionals' failure at times to communicate effectively with them. They perceived a lack of transparency in the process of assessment and provision, voicing concerns about continuity of provision, particularly at the stage of transition from primary to secondary education. In a context of insufficiently defined professional roles, some parents lacked confidence in a move towards a consultative model of speech and language therapy; they suggested a need for greater mutual understanding between teachers and speech and language therapists to provide a more secure basis for implementing therapy effectively.

Reassessing Variability of Induction for Newly Qualified Teachers: statutory policy and schools' provision

Since September 1999, all newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in England who wish to teach in the maintained sector have to complete an induction period. In the light of the introduction of this statutory policy, this article critically re-examines a central, long-standing perceived failure of previous induction policies, namely the variability of provision between and within schools. It draws upon an analysis of the government's induction circulars [Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), 1999, 2000; Department for Education and Skills (DfES), 2001] and uses empirical data from a larger DfES-funded project to evaluate the implementation of the policy. We argue that, for the majority of schools, induction provision has become less variable and more coherent due to the introduction of statutory induction. However, there remains a significant minority of NQTs whose reported experience does not reflect this. An attempt is made to map out the distinctive settings and circumstances where specific aspects of statutory induction are not consistently received by NQTs.

Engaging teachers in research: inspiration versus the daily grind

What factors influence teachers' decisions as to whether to involve themselves in school-based research? Both the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) and the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) for England and Wales have launched initiatives to promote the idea of teaching as an evidence-based profession. The DfEE has also provided £3 million to support teacher-researchers in carrying out small studies into classroom practice. This article looks at the factors which have influenced teachers' and schools' decisions on whether to engage in research into classroom practice, from the perspective of the Norwich Area Schools Consortium (NASC).

Anticipating the Citizenship Curriculum Order in Secondary Schools in England: A Snapshot of Teachers' Preferred Purposes and Curriculum Practices

This paper is based on a small-scale study that explored how a sample of ‘specialist’ secondary school teachers in England characterize ‘educating for citizenship’ on the eve of its inclusion into the National Curriculum. This study was carried out between September, 2000 and January, 2001. Data was gathered from a group of ‘specialist’ secondary teachers through postal self-completion questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations. Relevant documents, e.g. school-based curriculum documents, Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), and Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) documents, were also considered. Teachers' thinking about essential learnings, curriculum practices, and contextual concerns are described and analyzed. Findings suggest general support for the purposes of the Citizenship initiative, preferred yet divergent curriculum practices, and scepticism about implementation. They also suggest a need for a more critical examination of the interconnections among curriculum intentions, pedagogical practices, and contextual considerations.

Marketing in supported employment enterprises – Part 1: case studies

Supported employment enterprises (SEEs) are commercial enterprises that provide meaningful, gainful employment, training and development opportunities for people with a disability. Hence, SEEs are run specifically to provide employment. SEEs, with the exception of Remploy, represent a unique sector of SMEs owned and run by local authorities and charities. The Supported Employment Procurement and Consultancy Service (SEPACS) provides SEEs with per capita funding for disabled employees, capital grants for premises and equipment, grants for marketing research, business advice and performance monitoring. SEPACS is part of the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE). This paper presents some case studies of SEEs in the Yorkshire area. The work explains the complex dificulties facing these organisations and illustrates the different approaches used to cope with these situations. Many SEEs are under threat of closure or radical change in their function as employers of disabled people. This work investigates these issues through selected illustrative case studies. The general weakness of marketing strategies and plans in these organisations is highlighted and related to the impact of SEPACS and local authority policies and practices. This work establishes the important role that marketing strategies and plans could have in ensuring the future survival and growth of these companies.

Portable computers for teachers and support services working with pupils with Special Educational Needs: An evaluation of the 1999 United Kingdom Department for Education and Employment scheme

This study arose from the distribution of portable computers (“portables”) to special educational needs coordinators and support services by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) through Standards Grant 36 in mid 1999. The study comprised two successive questionnaires. The aim of the surveys was to elicit the benefits of portables in relation to the special educational needs coordinator/support service roles as well as to evaluate this process of distributing resources.Questionnaire A to local education authorities (LEAs) was returned by 96 LEAs (a 64% return rate). There were 778 returns of questionnaire B from recipients of portables and 405 returns from the matched group of non‐recipients.Overall the distribution of portables under this grant was well‐regarded by LEA personnel, particularly in the smaller authorities, with reservations relating mainly to the lack of time to administer the scheme. The guidance from the DfEE was regarded as helpful with inherent (valued) flexibility. Amount and level of training appeared to have varied greatly across LEAs but where training had been relatively substantial there was evidence of its impact on teachers' reported use of the portables. The scheme was welcomed by school and, particularly, support service staff. However all recipient groups tended to reflect some disappointment with what the portable provided in practice.Three particular aspects are discussed in more detail. First, in relation to time and workload issues, it was reported that teachers were spending considerable “non work” time in learning to make good use of the portables. Second, there were considerable training needs for teachers and others, spanning a wide range of levels. Third, the position of support service staff warranted more attention as their apparently comparatively disadvantageous position has implications for wider changes concerning centralised LEA, as opposed to school‐based, resources.

Learning from Experience or Just Meeting Standards? The Future of Continuing Professional Development Provision for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators

This article reviews the role of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) as set out in Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) and Teacher Training Agency (TTA) documentation. Drawing on data gathered by the authors and data from other research the article considers what kinds of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) are currently available. It goes on to argue that the little attention has been paid to the affective domain in CPD provided for SENCOs. Finally, the article suggests that CPD for SENCOs should focus on the affective, as well as the cognitive domain in the development of reflective practice

Developments: Report: Performance Management—The Key to Higher Standards in Schools?

The object of this article is to make a critical review of a series of official documents which have emanated from the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), since the Labour Government came to office in 1997, on performance management in schools. This technique is seen by the Government as crucial in improving standards in schools. The key documents are shown in the list of references at the end of the article, and our review is divided into two parts: the first considers the defining features of performance management in schools and the role which the Government sees it playing in improving standards; the second part explores some key tensions in the performance management framework.

Grammar Schools' Achievements and the DfEE's Measures of Value-added: an attempt at clarification

In an endeavour to compare the teaching-efficiency of individual secondary schools in England, the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) published measures of pupils' progress in learning attainments between the ages of 14 and 16, based on the results of obligatory nationwide tests in a range of school-subjects at each of those ages (SATs and GCSE). The results were subsequently used by commentators to suggest that grammar schools do not make as much progress between those ages as comprehensive schools; and that pupils who are high-attainers at age 14 do better in their subsequent two years if they attend a comprehensive school rather than a grammar school. The present paper examines the robustness of the measuring rods for these purposes; it concludes that they are hardly adequate but, insofar as they are used for these purposes, the results indicate precisely the opposite: namely, greater average progress (greater 'value-added') for grammar schools, and for high-attaining pupils in grammar schools.

Grammar Schools' Achievements and the DfEE's Measures of Value-added: An attempt at clarification

In an endeavour to compare the teaching-efficiency of individual secondary schools in England, the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) published measures of pupils' progress in learning attainments between the ages of 14 and 16, based on the results of obligatory nationwide tests in a range of school-subjects at each of those ages (SATs and GCSE). The results were subsequently used by commentators to suggest that grammar schools do not make as much progress between those ages as comprehensive schools; and that pupils who are high-attainers at age 14 do better in their subsequent two years if they attend a comprehensive school rather than a grammar school. The present paper examines the robustness of the measuring rods for these purposes; it concludes that they are hardly adequate but, insofar as they are used for these purposes, the results indicate precisely the opposite: namely, greater average progress (greater 'value-added') for grammar schools, and for high-attaining pupils in grammar schools.

New Labour's cultural turn: some tensions in contemporary educational and cultural policy

The election of a Labour government in Britain, after 18 years of Conservative rule, has seen the emergence of a new educational discourse, based on a distinctive combination of cultural, economic and social themes. In this article, we identify the components of the discourse, and explore how it is currently deployed in arguments for educational change. Specifically, our focus is on two recent documents: All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education (NACCCE 1999), produced by an Advisory Committee appointed by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); and Making Movies Matter (FEWG 1999) by the Film Education Working Group, set up by the British Film Institute at the request of the DCMS. Embodying in separate ways the features of the emergent discourse, these texts also position themselves very differently in relation to current educational policy. Through a critique of the reports, we identify some of the broader difficulties of the ‘cultural turn’ in education, and the possibility of a more productive alternative.

Superteachrs: From Policy Towards Practice

This article is concerned with the origins and evolution of the Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) initiative from its announcement in 1995 to the end of 1999. It examines the Government rationale and the contributions of the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) and the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB).

School Inspection in England: A Re‐appraisal

ImpactVolume 2000, Issue 9 p. vii-47 Free Access School Inspection in England: A Re-appraisal Colin Richards, Colin RichardsSearch for more papers by this author Colin Richards, Colin RichardsSearch for more papers by this author First published: 06 December 2011 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2048-416X.2000.tb00068.xCitations: 4AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat References Bramall, S. and White, J. (2000) Will the new National Curriculum live up to its aims? Impact No.6, London: Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain. Davis, A. (1999) Educational Assessment: a critique of current policy. Impact No. 1, London: Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)/ Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) (1999a) The National Curriculum Handbook for Primary Teachers in England, London: DfEE/QCA. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)/ Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) (1999b) The National Curriculum Handbook for Secondary Teachers in England, London: DfEE/QCA. Department for Education and Science (1985) Better Schools, London: HMSO. IMPACT NO. 9. Frater, G. (1999) National initiatives for literacy, Education 3–13, 27: 1, 3– 11. Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) (1995) Guidance on the Inspection of Nursery and Primary Schools, London: HMSO. Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) (1999a) Inspecting Schools: The Framework, London: Ofsted. Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) (1999b) Handbook for Inspecting Primary and Nursery Schools, London: HMSO. Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) (1999c) Standards and Quality in Education 1997–98: The Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools, London: HMSO. Office for Standards in Education (2000a) Standards and Quality in Education 1998–99: The Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools, London: HMSO. Office for Standards in Education (2000b) Evaluating Educational Inclusion, London: Office for Standards in Education. Office for Standards in Education (2001) Standards and Quality in Education 2999 2000: The Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools, London: HMSO. Pring, R. (1992) Standards and quality in education, British Journal of Educational Studies, 40.1, 4– 22. Richards, C. (1997a) The high price of inspection, The Guardian, June 3. Richards, C. (1997b) Casualties of inspection, Education Journal, November. Richards, C. (2000a) The profession's poultice, Times Educational Supplement, December 8. Richards, C. (2000b) Survivors of Inspection, Education Journal, November. Ryle, G. (1949) The Concept of Mind, London: Hutchinson. Thomas, N. (2001) Assessing schools: quantity is no substitute for quality, in: C. Richards (ed.) Changing English Primary Education: retrospect and prospect, Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books, pp. 57– 65. D. Thompson (ed.) (1995) The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, ninth edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press. Winch, C. (1996) Quality and Education, Oxford: Blackwell. Winch, C. and Gingell, J. (1999) Key Concepts in the Philosophy of Education, London: Routledge. Suggestions for further reading Centre for the Study of Public Policy and Practice (1999) The Ofsted System of School Inspection: an independent evaluation, London: Brunei University. Davis, A. (1998) The Limits of Educational Assessment, Oxford: Blackwell. Davis, A. (1999) Educational Assessment: a critique of current policy, Impact No. 1 London: Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain. Frater, G. (1995) Criteria or Chimera? Standards for assessment and inspection: some problems of definition, Sheffield: The National Association for the Teaching of English. Gilroy, P. and Wilcox, B. (1977) OFSTED, criteria and the nature of social understanding: a Wittgensteinian critique of the practice of educational judgement, British Journal of Educational Studies, 45.1, pp. 22– 38. National Union of Teachers (2001) Education Review 14.2, Inspection and Accountability. Richards, C. (1997) Primary Education, Standards and Ofsted: towards an authentic conversation, Occasional Paper, Coventry: Centre for Elementary and Primary Education, University of Warwick. Thomas, N. (2001) Assessing schools: quantity is no substitute for quality, in: C. Richards (ed.) Changing English Primary Education: retrospect and prospect, Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books, pp. 57– 65. Wilcox, B. and Gray, J. (1996) Inspecting Schools: holding schools to account and helping schools to improve, Buckingham: Open University Press. Winch, C. (1996) Quality and Education, Oxford: Blackwell. Citing Literature Volume2000, Issue9Special Issue: School Inspection in England: A Re-appraisal, Colin RichardsSeptember 2000Pages vii-47 ReferencesRelatedInformation

UFI--University for the Industrious?

We explore some of the ethical issues in tacit discourses of the UK’s University for Industry (Ufi). These centre on six broad themes or strands seen in the development process. These are the ethics of social engineering through HE, the renegotiation of citizenship, the Ufi model of the ICT interface with learners, the moral panic about unwilling learners, the invisible excluded and the articulation of old and new labour dialectics. There are also some ethical issues concerning the contradictions of the values of the Blairite “Third way” and notions of stakeholder democracy, public-private sector “communities of interest”. The third way democracy moves a long way from the former labour party view of the citizen’s collective duties. In the devolved structures of the UK, this becomes a much more contested field and we are already seeing signs of this. To add to this, there are funding issues concerning the potential providers of the service (Tysome, 2000). Thus, for the evangelists of the Ufi, a number of questions remain. Are there real partnerships for prosperity that are as socially inclusive as the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) insists? Are the real economics of lifelong learning about cutting HE costs? Is it ethically acceptable for a government to appear to valorise one section of the population at the expense of another? Are the current ethical issues, the “presenting problems” of the patient or part of an inoculation against future social ills? Are we mortgaging our future for an untried technological fix that will redefine and constrain the role of the educated citizenry that some believe it facilitates?

Entrepreneurship Education in UK HEIs

The paper reviews the origins of entrepreneurship education in the UK from the time when it was considered almost a deviant form of academic behaviour through to the present day. At different times the main drivers for this work have been outreach to entrepreneurs and ‘real’ small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), research, and the growth of courses aimed at traditional degree students. Now, at least 45% of UK higher education institutions have one or more courses within the curriculum which address business start-up issues. Such activity looks set to increase, even without the investment of some £25 million of pump-priming funds from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). That money will shortly become available to universities with leading-edge science and technology to establish ‘Centres of Excellence’ in support of the creation of high-tech firms by their students and staff. Much of the paper draws upon the results of work supported by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) to assess and disseminate best practice in this field and to create new resources for entrepreneurship education. Signposts to these resources and others are given.

Gambling in the careers lottery: a consumer approach to career choice?

One of the principal aims of the education and training ‘business’ as emphasised by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) is ‘supporting economic growth by promoting a competitive, efficient and flexible labour market’ (Rajan et al, 1997). Existing models of occupational decision-making, however, have proved inadequate to explain the behaviour of individuals in relation to their entry into and mobility within the labour market, and have, therefore, provided difficulties for policy makers in their planning to achieve intended labour market outcomes. The assumption that young people will make choices based on the need to acquire the skills most in demand in the labour market has not been supported by this research. The models presented in this article provide a broad picture of some of the complex perspectives and processes at work in career decision-making among young people, supporting the notion that the macro-scale character of the labour market can be seen as the sum of long- and short-term decision-making by individuals.

Nursing is not positively portrayed to children.

Last year the Government ran a nursing recruitment campaign called ‘Nursing — have you got what it takes?’ It was aimed at changing public perceptions about nursing and encouraging more entrants into the profession. This year the focus of the campaign has intensified and there have been renewed efforts to attract school leavers. However, an official Department for Education and Employment (DFEE) document, aimed at school children, falls far short of adequately describing what nursing is about. Job File — Which Way Now? (DFEE, 1998) gives a brief snapshot of various jobs.