Teach about fatty foods, doctors plead
Schools should teach children about fatty foods as part of the national curriculum, doctors have said. Nutritional education should be a mandatory part of children’s schooling to help them make informed decisions about what they eat, the British Medical Association annual conference was told. A third of children are overweight or obese, the conference heard. “We need to start teaching our children about their food, where it comes from and what’s in it,” said Louise Harding.
Call for learning difficulties training
Teachers should be better prepared to support children with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, according to parents. A total of 89 per cent of mothers and fathers questioned by Dyslexia Action said that teachers should have specialist training. A new report by the charity said that there is an urgent need for a UK dyslexia and literacy strategy. More than 450 parents of dyslexic children took part in the research - 56 per cent said that dyslexia was not given enough recognition within the education system.
Top independent becomes academy
A top private school is set to become a state-funded academy, it emerged this week. Liverpool College, which currently charges nearly #163;10,000 a year, will switch in September 2013. The move will see its pupil numbers rise from 730 to 1,126 over five years. It is following in the footsteps of several other top independents, including Batley Grammar in Yorkshire, which became a taxpayer-funded free school in September 2011.
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From failing head to Ofsted inspector
Former failing headteachers have been recruited by Ofsted to inspect schools, it was reported this week. Governors and ex-school secretaries have also taken on the job despite never teaching a class, according to an investigation by Radio 4‘s File on 4. Chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw admitted that the watchdog uses some inspectors to look at areas other than teaching, but added that if there are inspectors who have failed as heads, or never taught, then that needs to be dealt with. The news comes amid an increasing number of complaints about inspections since changes to the regime were introduced in January.
Too naughty for school
Some children are simply too naughty to fit into everyday school life, the government’s behaviour tsar suggested on Wednesday. Some youngsters behave in very difficult and violent ways, and need much more help and support, according to Charlie Taylor, who suggested that there may have been a rise in such pupils. Giving evidence to the Commons Education Select Committee, Mr Taylor said that while behaviour in general is improving, there is a group that persistently behaves poorly.
