The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is conducting a consultation on behalf of David Blunkett, the Secretary of State, who plans to open up opportunities for work-related learning at key stage 4. The investigation - open to all schools and interested organisations and ending on April 9 - is focusing on criteria to be used in making regulations to disapply or modify sections of the national curriculum to give schools greater flexibility in finding effective ways of encouraging pupils to learn. Details: SMSR Ltd, Victoria House, 82 Beverley Road, Hull HU3 1YD, tel: 01482 211200.

MEDIA EDUCATION

For her dissertation, Juliet Ashford-Lawrence, a third-year undergraduate at Liverpool John Moore’s University, is researching the extent to which media studies is taught within the primary and secondary national curriculum. Would teachers of the subject please contact her at: Carr Farm Road, Lumb, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4 9RZ.

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

In the wake of Baz Luhrman’s film of Romeo and Juliet, which attracted teenagers to Shakespeare’s plays, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and Oberon Books have commissioned Shaun McKenna to write a book about innovative ideas in school Shakespeare production. Feedback is particularly welcome from teachers who have recently directed or are due to direct Shakespeare for the under-12s or mixed ability students, in a racially mixed environment or in an urban inner- city school. Address: 235 Whitton Dene, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 7NJ.

PROPORTIONING DIVIDER NEEDED

Retired educationist turned artist, Peter Wilson, needs a divider which can be set to give any desired ratio (from about 1.5 to 5) in order to scale up images to fit a particular frame size. The usual methods have proved unsatisfactory and his current proportioning dividers can only be set to one of three fixed scaling ratios. Can anyone help? Address: 11 Monsell Drive, Redhill, Nottingham NG5 8LY.