In 2013 the UK government introduced the primary physical education and sport premium (PPESP) to improve Physical Education (PE) provision in eligible schools. In 2017 this was doubled, and further funding was committed until 2020. There is currently a lack of information regarding the comprehension and implementation of the PPESP amongst staff…

In May 2016, Government funding of £80 million was awarded to establish five employer-led National Colleges in key growth sectors -- Creative and Cultural (NCCI), Digital Skills (Ada), Nuclear (NCfN), High Speed Rail (NCHSR) and Oil and Gas. This was alongside substantial investment from Local Authorities (LAs), Local Enterprise Partnerships…

Published in July 2012, "The Concordat to Support Research Integrity" set out five broad commitments to be made by institutions in receipt of public research funding, to help assure the government and the public that UK research meets the highest ethical, legal and professional standards. This progress report explores the impact and…

Consultation of the DfE's Green Paper, "Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs," provoked considerable debate among public and private sector professionals, parents and young people over the planned special educational needs reform. Since then, publication of the Children and Families Bill in 2013 indicates…

Drawing on longitudinal data from the ESRC-funded "Adult Basic Skills and Workplace learning" project (2003-2008), together with recent findings from research undertaken under the auspices of the LLAKES research centre (Centre for Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies), this paper seeks to explore the key factors…

Despite a robust body of evidence of effectiveness of social programs, few evidence-based programs have been scaled for population-level improvement in social problems. Since 2010 the federal government has invested in evidence-based social policy by supporting a number of new evidence-based programs and grant initiatives. These initiatives…

During the affluent noughties it was sometimes said of government that it had "more visions than Mystic Meg and more pilots than British Airways". In 2011, the pilots, the pathfinders, the new initiatives are largely gone--implementation is the name of the game--but the visions remain. The latest one, as it affects adult learners, is in…

This article considers the challenges and issues facing school leaders in the implementation of Every Child Matters. It outlines the factors that contribute to the effective delivery of Every Child Matters and outlines some of the barriers that make the delivery of this agenda more difficult. The article concludes that school leaders play a…

The impact of voucher schools on the further education (FE) curriculum in Britain was examined in a study of the 22 FE colleges and 3 training and enterprise councils (TECs) involved in the initial pilot testing of the 5 voucher schemes: Youth Credits; Gateway to Learning; Skill Choice; Open Learning Credits; and Adult Training Credits. It was…

Although education technologies have had a substantial impact on curricula, teaching, and learning, the overall impact on education has been limited. Evaluative studies of technology in the classroom in California, England, and France, have shown that computers and other new education technologies were embraced initially as viable educational…

This synthesis report provides information to policy makers, practitioners, and researchers on the new strategies and measures adopted in Belgium, Denmark, and the United Kingdom to combat long-term unemployment. It begins with a summary of strategies and measures adopted in each of the three countries. Each country report highlights the following…

Individual lifelong learning accounts (ILLAs) promise to improve the way postschool education and training is financed in the United Kingdom. ILLAs should comprise three distinct functions: save to learn (all individuals would be allowed to save into a special account dedicated to learning); borrow to learn (account holders could borrow for…

Since the first toy libraries opened in the 1960s and 1970s to support families of children with special educational needs, they have expanded to serve broader communities. Toy libraries do more than lend toys: they can provide family support services and specialist support to families with children with special educational needs, benefit…

This document contains a total of 57 welcoming speeches, theme addresses, seminar and workshop papers, and poster sessions that were presented at a conference on technological education and national development. The papers explore the ways technology and technological advances have both necessitated and enabled changes in the way education is…