The transition students face moving from Further Education (FE) to Higher Education (HE) can be a daunting experience. This transition to HE may require a substantial adjustment to a student mindset recognising that they would be responsible for their own learning and their eventual success compared to a FE environment where student learning is…

This study sought to explore the motivations and challenges to the engagement of female West African university students, whilst participating in competitive and non-competitive extra-curricular sport and physical activity (ECSPA). The study was situated at a university in the North West of England that has a culturally diverse student population.…

Traditionally, undergraduates study several 'long thin' modules at the same time. Under 'immersive scheduling', students complete a 'short fat' module (i.e. a single subject studied over a compressed period), before moving onto other modules. This piece of social research capitalised on the introduction of immersive scheduling to the first year of…

We examined the feasibility of implementing preventive measures to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission across 105 English primary schools in summer 2020 via a survey and interviews with headteachers. High rates of implementation of most recommended measures were noted with the exception of requiring 2 m distance for students, fitting hand sanitizers…

RPA (Raising of Participation Age) legislation re-positioned all youth in England to participate in post-16 education and training, the ultimate aim to develop 'human capital'. However, how does RPA play out in practice with previously NEET (not in education, employment or training) and so-called disengaged youth engaged on a Level 1…

Proposals for legislative change to the regulatory framework of higher education in England, as envisaged in 2011, were delayed, but a comprehensive "operating framework" was designed and a Register of providers created. The Green Paper published in November 2015 includes proposals influenced by the recent work of the Competition and…

This research set out to investigate the part-time student experience of higher education across the United Kingdom, in the context of a well-publicised contraction in the sector, and increasing divergence between policies affecting part-time study in the four nations. In order to explore the part-time student experience in England, Scotland, and…

Many factors and pressures affect decisions made in UK university libraries on opening hours especially 24/7. This article reports on a project to examine the decision-making process, influential factors, and stakeholders. A workshop for senior library managers in the East Midlands was held to gather data and share experiences. From analysis of…

Arguments about the content and structure of the curriculum for 14- to 18-year-old students in England continue apace, not least as a consequence of the National Curriculum review and proposed changes to qualifications. However, the majority of initiatives aimed at providing high-quality and rigorous technical pathways from age 14 onwards have…

Purpose: A recent development in England is the emergence, under various names, of groups of schools working together in a variety of collaborative ways. Such diversification enjoys broad political support. In this paper, the author aims to argue that the trend is potentially a radical transformation of the school system as a whole. The concepts…

From September 2006 schools across England and Wales will have to deliver the new KS4 Programme of study. The wide consultation initiated by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in the year 2000 resulted in the piloting of the new criteria in 78 different schools and colleges. The piloting was performed by the awarding body Oxford…

The experience of two schools indicates that computer agencies may not yet have the capacity to adapt their systems to the changing needs of schools with sufficient rapidity, especially in the context of future staffing uncertainties generated by falling enrollments. (Author/IRT)

A study was conducted to determine how school personnel responsible for scheduling approach their tasks, and then to study the schedules (f=fiche number). (MH)

In this article, the authors compare texts, times, technologies, and trails in mathematics lessons in five European countries (Flanders, England, Finland, Hungary and Spain). They start by discussing the provision and use of textbooks. After this they discuss lesson lengths and their impact on learners. They consider the extent of technology…

This experiment in using computer-assisted curriculum planning in two British secondary schools tested the practicability of using computers not only in the annual compilation of school timetables but, more radically, in the characterization of constraints that "knock-on" from one year's timetable to the next. The Oxford School…