1. Starter – Reflection on Gender & Ethnicity Policies
POLICY
GENDER OR ETHNICITY?
GIST
Sure Start
Multicultural Curriculum
WISE
National Literacy Strategy
Operation Head Start
EAL
Reading Champions
Education Action Zones
Dads & Sons Campaign

2. Contemporary Education Policy: Coalition Government 2010-15
* Review policies that relate to gender and ethnicity.
* Develop an understanding of recent government initiatives - free schools, academies, curriculum 2015.
* Review key policies and develop exam technique.
ALL: to identify and explain government policies related to education.
MOST: to analyse the impact of these policies on the education system, and on wider society.
SOME: to evaluate whether they have contributed to gender, ethnic, or class differences in achievement.
The significance of educational policies, including policies of selection, marketization and NC: privatisation, and policies to achieve greater equality of opportunity or outcome, for an understanding of the structure, role, impact and experience of education; NC: the impact of globalisation on educational policy.

3. DIRT: Exam Question

4. Introduction to Academies

5. Coalition government – 2010-2015
INCREASE INEQUALITY
* Increased university fees to £9000 per year
* Abolish EMA
*Power to schools to Increase contributions from parents towards education costs
*Baccalaureate benchmark
*Continued New Labour Policy of Compulsory education to the age of 18
*Increased OFSTED inspections for weaker schools, ‘light-touch inspections’ for good & outstanding schools
* Propose Higher entry requirements for teachers – Masters Level
*Linear courses for A-Levels AS/A2
Move power away from local authorities to schools
Sure Start centres closed, and 60% reduction on school building spending
Academies – allowed all schools to now become academies, budgets given directly to them rather than the local authority, freedom over curriculum choices (over half of schools now academies)
Free Schools – Can be run by parents, teachers, and business – similar to academies but more freedom from local authority. However…20% of schools in Sweden are free schools and only benefit highly educated families…maintaining class divisions. Charter Schools in the USA are similar and have even tougher selection policies. Research done in the UK shows that Free Schools take in less disadvantaged students.
Analysis – BALL – Fragmentation (Comprehensive education being replaced by a patchwork of diverse provision) & Centralisation of Control (Government has power to approve or force schools to become academies / freedom to approve Free Schools, making elected local authorities redundant in having a role in education)
REDUCE INEQUALITY
Free School Meals (All children in Reception, Y1-2, as well as continuing for disadvantaged students in later education)
Pupil Premium – Extra money schools receive for each pupil from a disadvantaged background. Is the money spent wisely? say OFSTED.
Red = Compensatory
Blue = Marketisation

6. Independent Research Focus
ACADEMIES & FREE SCHOOLS – Good or Bad? For each policy create an advantages & disadvantages table to demonstrate evaluation skills. ACADEMIES FREE SCHOOLS

7. Plenary Debate
“Academies & Free Schools have contributed to reducing inequalities between social classes, and improving standards in schools”

8. Homework
Pick out three recent Conservative Policies (2015-Present) and summarise in note form. (Green Book) NB: Modern examples can really impress the examiner! Notes from Sociological Review Article. (Green Book)