What will be in the Education White Paper published next week

An education White Paper to be published this coming week will herald a switch from the dedicated schools grant to a national funding formula for all state schools, according to reports in the Daily Telegraph and Financial Times.

The Daily Telegraph predict that the White Paper will see:

Proposals to allow the best performing schools to take on more pupils – while unpopular schools may see numbers dwindle.

A new review on the curriculum is to be launched in December this year and be introduced from September 2013.

Changes to planning laws to allow schools greater flexibility to increase classroom space, and
the creation of a new quango to control education finances for five to 18-year-olds.

The funding shake-up will mean schools receiving roughly the same amount for each pupil “in a move that will reduce the amount of power wielded by local authorities over education budgets”.

Schools with large numbers of children from deprived areas will win more money in line with coalition plans for a "pupil premium".

Pupils will be marked down for poor grammar, spelling and punctuation in exams.

A reading test will be introduced for all six-year-olds.

The highest-performing schools will be spared any visits by Ofsted inspectors unless parents or staff trigger a "warning signal".

Instead of being assessed by Ofsted in 18 different criteria, schools will be rated in just four categories – teaching, leadership, behaviour and attainment.

The current ban on same-day detentions will be removed, with schools no longer required to give parents 24 hours' notice.

Teachers will be given more powers to search pupils. Currently pupils can only be searched without consent if suspected of carrying knives or other weapons, but this list will be extended to include a variety of items including alcohol, mobile phones, pornography, and fireworks.

Every primary teacher will be trained in phonics.

National pay bargaining will be scrapped by 2012, with the best teachers able to earn far more than the current average teacher's salary of £29,240 a year

Telegraph Story Links

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8147987/Education-White-Paper-key-points-explained.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8148105/Education-White-Paper-frees-heads-to-monitor-staff.html