Daily roundup: Class sizes, inspections and childcare
Laura McCardle
Friday, June 13, 2014
Infant school class sizes on the rise; Slough children's centres group rated inadequate; and parliamentary childcare inquiry launched, all in the news today.
The Department for Education’s annual census on schools shows a surge in the number of primary school pupils. The BBC reports the number of infant classes with more than 30 pupils – the legal limit - has more than doubled since last year to 549.
A children's centres group in Slough has been rated "inadequate" by Ofsted, just months after the Department for Education announced it will strip the council of its children's services following widespread failures. The Slough Observer reports that it is the town's third critical report in five months.
A new parliamentary committee will hold a one-off inquiry into the cost of childcare. The House of Lords announced the appointment of the affordable childcare select committee yesterday.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said all children have the “basic right” to a qualified teacher and core curriculum regardless of what type of school they attend. According to ITV News, Clegg said academy and free school pupils deserve the same rights as other children.
A survey has found that Scottish children believe poverty is a barrier to fair education. The survey by Save the Children found that disadvantaged children feel penalised by a lack of technology available at home, reports the BBC.
