News

Students with sight loss or dyslexia will benefit from text and reading books being made available in accessible formats through a free online service.

Pearson has teamed up with Load2Learn, a web-based service delivered by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Dyslexia Action, to offer access to its titles for UK schools and colleges in alternative formats.

Pearson is making thousands of its books available, across Early Years, all Key Stages, GCSE, A-level and BTEC. As well as PDFs, Load2Learn offers a means to access the most popular titles in Word, EPUB, audio and Braille. Teachers can now access texts within hours rather than days, saving time and allowing staff more opportunity to support students in their learning.

Rod Bristow, president of Pearson’s UK and core markets, has responded to the Ofqual report on qualification purchasing behaviours in schools and colleges.

A new report from CentreForum says that ‘pupil progress’ should be the principal league table measure for primary schools in England.

The report, sponsored by Pearson, argues that the government should revise its plan to overhaul primary school league tables.

The Chair of the Education Select Committee described the report as “excellent” and said he hopes the Department for Education will “give it the consideration it deserves”.

Government proposals

Under coalition proposals announced in 2014, primary schools in England will be held to account by two new league table measures to replace the longstanding attainment measure.

The present measure requires 65% of pupils in every primary school to achieve level 4 in their SATs exams at age 11. But under the new tougher regime, the expected attainment level per school will be raised to 85%.

Those primary schools that fail to meet this more aspirational standard will instead be held to account by an alternate measure tracking pupils’ progress over time.

The new progress measure will require a baseline assessment of pupils in their first half term of reception. This will be used to measure the progress pupils have made by age 11 compared to others who were assessed to be at a similar level of attainment at the start of primary school.

Make ‘pupil progress’ the principal league table measure for primary schools

While welcoming the government’s push to raise standards for all pupils, CentreForum says that the new regime should be concerned chiefly with measuring pupil progress – as the government resolved to do at secondary school level in response to CentreForum’s earlier analysis.

Statistics show large increases in students studying vocational qualifications in subjects most critical for UK economy.

Today, Pearson publishes entry and achievement data for students completing level 2 (First) and level 3 (National) BTEC qualifications between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014.

The statistics show that students are choosing to study subjects identified as the most important for economic growth, revealing a 17% rise in level 3 (sixth form) students taking STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) focused BTECs, with an increase of students at level 3 of 27% taking Applied Science, 12% taking ICT and 17% taking Engineering. A recent report by the CBI outlined how a healthy supply of STEM-skilled employees at all levels is required for a flourishing UK economy and rising living standards[1].

Bucking the trend that sees sciences as traditionally 'male' subjects, there was a big increase of 27% in girls taking this subject. As a result, more girls (54%) than boys (46%) gained Applied Science level 3 BTECs this year.

ICT and Engineering remain male-dominated subjects. 83% of students taking ICT at level 3 are male and so are 95% of those taking Engineering at level 3. Nevertheless, the percentage of female students taking these subjects has increased since last year by 11% for ICT and 53% for Engineering.

The girls that do take these subjects also out-perform their male peers:

• 25% of girls who took an Applied Science level 3 BTEC got the highest grade of a D*, compared to 14% of boys
• 25% of girls who took an Engineering level 3 BTEC got the highest grade of a D*, compared to 14% of boys 
• 36% of girls who took an ICT Level 3 BTEC got the highest grade of a D*, compared to 21% of boys.

After Ofqual’s announcement that GCSEs will be graded 1 to 9, Lesley Davies, vice president of quality, standards and research at Pearson, had this to say.

Businesses want the education system to improve at giving young people the skills they need for work, says the 2014 CBI/Pearson Education and Skills survey.

In the survey of 291 companies employing nearly 1.5 million people, over half (61%) are concerned about the resilience and self-management of school leavers and a third (33%) with their attitude to work. By contrast, nearly all firms (96%) are satisfied with young peoples’ IT abilities when they enter the workplace.

Firms want primary schools to focus on developing literacy and numeracy (85%) with around one-third not satisfied with these skills among school leavers. Half (52%) are urging schools to develop a greater awareness of working life among 14-19 year olds with support from businesses. Companies are prepared to play their part with two-thirds (66%) willing to take on a larger role in the school careers system.

Ofqual has accepted Pearson's application to be recognised to offer the new GCSE 9 to 1 qualifications. Confirmation was received on 13 May 2014.

New qualifications in English language, English literature and mathematics will be rolled out from September 2015, subject to accreditation, with the first awards being made in the summer of 2017. Further subjects will follow a year later. The reformed qualifications will have a numbered grading system, from 9 to 1 (with 9 being the highest grade available).

The BBC and Pearson College have joined forces to launch a Higher Apprenticeship and degree programme for business management in the creative industries.

• This is a unique opportunity for talented young apprentices to earn while they learn and get a high-quality university degree.
• Participants gain both a Pearson College Business Management Degree and a Leadership and Management Higher Apprenticeship.
• Work placements at the BBC will provide enviable experience of working at the heart of the media industry.
• First degree-level Business scheme to be offered by the BBC.
• Two-year scheme opens up entry to the brightest from all backgrounds.
• Applications are open from 14 April until 4 May 2014.

The two-year scheme targets those without a degree and opens up entry into the creative industries to the broadest range of backgrounds.

Alongside teaching at Pearson College to understand key aspects of business – from management and leadership to business law – successful candidates will have the opportunity to develop hands-on experience through three placements within the BBC. These will take place within three of five areas: Television, Marketing and Audiences, Future Media, Policy and Strategy, or Worldwide.

The scheme provides a Leadership and Management Higher Apprenticeship incorporating a Pearson College BA (Hons) Business Management* degree with all fees paid, validated by Ashridge Business School, one of the world's leading business schools.

A new report published today urges the government to radically overhaul the way the current school curriculum is developed to ensure it better meets the needs of the future economy.

The report, 'Making Education Work,' follows a six-month review of England’s education system by an independent advisory group consisting of prominent business leaders and chaired by leading academic Professor Sir Roy Anderson.

The report's key recommendations are:

• A cross-party body should ensure the school curriculum is aligned to the future economy.
• A levels should be slowly replaced with a Baccalaureate system.
• The importance of interpersonal skills should be recognised and evidenced.
  

With the content of the school curriculum continuing to change with each new administration, the report recommends the establishment of a new independent body, made up of teachers, employers, higher education and importantly, political parties. The new group would aim to establish a long-term political consensus on the school curriculum, with ultimate responsibility for delivering and assessing that curriculum continuing to be vested in the government.

The Making Education Work report also recommends:

• The A level system should slowly change to a baccalaureate-type system which supports a broader curriculum, to keep career options open and enable flexibility in later life.
• England should formally adopt a formal framework for key competences, to include important attributes like team working, which are predicted to become increasingly important in the job market.
• The testing of higher level reasoning skills, rather than just knowledge of theory or facts, should carry greater weight in qualifications, as more roles in the future will require these skills.