Is failure a positive opportunity to learn and grow, or is it a negative experience that hinders success? How parents answer that question has a big influence on how much children think they can improve their intelligence through hard work, a study says. Read more
Tens of thousands of ill-prepared primary school pupils lack social skills, have speech problems and poor personal hygiene, a national study has found. Almost one-third of new starters are not considered to be ready for the classroom, according to primary school leaders. The State of Education report, by schools leaders service The Key, estimated that at least 194,000 pupils could be starting ill-prepared for the classroom come September. Read more
Young men are not performing as well in higher education as young women – white men in particular – which is ‘storing up problems for the future,’ says a new report. The findings from the Higher Education Policy Institute show that, by the main Ucas deadline in January 2016, over 94,000 fewer men had applied for university, making them a minority among undergraduates, postgraduates, and full and part-time students. Read more
Allowing students to use computers and the internet in classrooms substantially harms their results, a study has found. The paper found that students barred from using laptops or digital devices in lectures and seminars did better in their exams than those allowed to use computers and access the internet. The researchers suggested that removing laptops and iPads from classes was the equivalent of improving the quality of teaching. Read more
A haul of genes that influence how long people spend in education has been uncovered by one of the largest studies conducted in the field. The international effort by more than 250 scientists found 74 genetic variants that shape the number of years people spend at school and university, with most of the variants involved in brain development, particularly in the womb. Read more
From September, if you want a job as a level three nursery worker in England you’re going to need a minimum grade C in GCSE maths and English. There’s been criticism that this is unfair because 40% of teenagers don’t achieve those grades. So how much maths and English will nursery workers be expected to know and how much will they actually use? Read more