By James Chapman Mail
Ministers have approved the sale of more than 200 school and community playing fields, despite repeated promises to protect them.
Even in the four years since London was chosen to host the 2012 Olympics, the Government has allowed the sell-off of 49 school sports fields. In total since Labour came to power in 1997, 203 pitches have been lost. In its 1997 General Election manifesto, Labour pledged to bring the then Tory government’s ‘policy of forcing schools to sell off playing fields to an end’. Sacrificed: Since Labour …

There are times when one wonders the logic in the way Government spends the small amount of money we now have available. Although I am now a grandparent I still have daily charge of a baby, a 2 year old, a 3year old boy who continually tries to cause himself serious harm (its called playing and being a boy) a 6year old and an 11 year old. Days are fun but stressful and when an emergency occurs even I panic but 999 stays firmly in my …

ED BALLS: Get Children Cooking this summer with new picnic recipe book
16 June 2009
Picnics can be much more than just soggy sandwiches and convenience foods, Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls will say today, as he joins a group of primary school children to prepare recipes from a new picnic cookbook for children and parents to use over the summer.
So lets not worry about admissions, school placers and SATs or the confusion over the exam paper marking. Lets pretend all is well and go and watch children cooking. …

It must now surely be the time for OFSTED to go they have totally lost the plot and reduced inspections to nonsense with no one benefiting from the service. We should revert to HMI inspections not good to go backward but over the last 10 years it has been slowly decimated and is neither fair to school or parents we need some form of inspection but OFSTED have failed miserably. Some would say it never was of any use, I was a Lay Inspector for 10 years …

This is the Departments response to Parentsoutloud comments on the Alan Steers report on behaviour and discipline. Unfortunately it totally misses the points we commented on ( Steers Report on Behaviour story ).If this is the official response it makes you wonder why we need to spend our precious money in the education budget to employ Steers and his…

“The Key Stage Three tests had no negative consequences. We should re-establish the tests – when you make a mistake, rub it out and put it back.”
One delegate, Stuart Merry, from Kirklees, opposed the union’s plan, arguing that scrapping the tests for 11-year-olds would help children “regain their right to childhood”.
“Children, particularly in Years Five and Six at primary school, aren’t receiving the broad and balanced curriculum they’re entitled to…

Having had to watch Edd Balls and Alan Steers pictured on this evenings news playing ping pong with young people in a school hall I feel it is very appropriate that they have chosen such a press call but emphasises how out of touch and ineffective they are. I have trialled the interim reports of Steers and today’s full report and feel on behalf of all parents and tax payer insulted that either of these men are receiving large amounts of money to report what is blindingly obvious …

Parents are told children’s behavior has deteriorate in the last five years and we are all scratching our heads, well some of us are. Some of us including me have been constantly challenging change and even begging Government to stop. We understood why when surveyed our children were the unhappiest in the developed world, have seen them put under increasing pressure , pressure to do well or they will not get into the next school, do well or you will let the school down in the SATs, do well …

Geraldine Nicholson
Chair, No Third Runway Action Group (NoTRAG)

To build a third runway at Heathrow airport the No Third Runway Action
Group say:
“Schools will be bulldozed or rendered useless, removing parental choice, dislocating children’s lives, disrupting their friendships, and having a detrimental effect on their education. Apart from the 80+ schools in the London Borough of Hounslow that would suffer the disruption of continuous noise throughout every school day, seven schools in the London Borough of Hillingdon would be severely affected. You cannot soundproof playgrounds and you cannot expect our children to …

I have always supported teachers and admire the work they do. Anyone who has spent time in a classroom understands teachers earn every penny they get and more, so can I put that one to bed. I have learnt a lot today by the number of comments placed on this Blog, some by those who admit to being teachers, have been rude , personal and offensive. I would not dream of writing about a person I did not know in such a manner. You have every right to …