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New University of Exeter tutoring scheme to boost children’s literacy

A new tutoring scheme for hundreds of children in the South West will help to boost literacy in the region.

Prestigious prize for University of Exeter educational psychologist

Renowned University of Exeter educational psychologist Dr Andrew Richards has been given a prestigious award for his outstanding contribution to children’s wellbeing.

New “Citizens Panel” tasked with improving English schools for children with SEN

Children, parents and teachers will take part in an innovative Citizens Panel tasked with improving education for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

Reading project which pairs old and young boosts wellbeing among children and the elderly, analysis shows

A reading project which pairs the old and young helps to boost wellbeing among children and the elderly, analysis shows.

New research will reveal more about how environmental education will help children’s wellbeing

New research will reveal more about how environmental education in schools and colleges can help children’s health and wellbeing.

Sir Michael Barber to chair work to improve life prospects across the South-West

Sir Michael Barber, a world-renowned expert on government delivery, will chair the newly created South-West Social Mobility Commission, it was announced today.

Children and young people need lessons in building strong relationships to counteract negative role models and “Disneyfied” portrayals of love, experts say

Children should get lessons in school on how to build strong relationships to counteract negative role models and any “Disneyfied” portrayals of love they are exposed to, experts have said.

Little objective evidence to show effectiveness of learner-centred teaching methods, study warns

There is currently relatively little objective evidence that the much-promoted “learner-centred” approach to teaching is effective, according to new research.

Ambition to succeed despite adversity motivates people from diverse backgrounds to pursue legal careers, study shows

A desire to succeed despite adversity motivates people to pursue a legal career, but barriers caused by finances and careers advice are obstacles, a new study suggests.

New research to discover more about the “invisible community” of academics who have spent time in care

New research will reveal more about the largely invisible community of academics who spent time in care when they were children.

Lack of support to tackle school non-attendance leads parents to lose faith in the education system, study shows

Some parents have “lost all faith” in the education system because of a lack of support to tackle children’s non-attendance from teachers and local authorities, a new study warns.

Online programme to support children with reading difficulties helped them make significant progress, study shows

An innovative programme to support children with reading difficulties helped them make significant progress when used online, new analysis shows.

University of Exeter honoured with silver award at the UK Social Mobility Awards 2022

The University of Exeter has been honoured for innovative work to address barriers to progression to higher education.

New analysis shows “rising wave” of school absence among poorer pupils

New analysis reveals “deeply worrying” attendance gaps, with pupils entitled to free school meals increasingly likely to miss school in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Plant blindness” is caused by urban life and could be cured through wild food foraging, study shows

“Plant blindness” is caused by a lack of exposure to nature and could be cured by close contact through activities such as wild food foraging, a study shows.

'Disconnection' and 'significant policy churn' may impact the success of T Level vocational qualifications, study warns

Disconnection between further education lecturers and industry and significant policy churn may impact on the success of T Level qualifications, a new study warns.

Half of pupils who get low grades in GCSEs already judged to be behind at age 5, study finds

Assessments of children as early as age 3 and 5 are powerful predictors of who will go on to fail to secure good GCSE results in English language and maths, a major study has revealed.

University of Exeter recognised by prestigious award scheme for work to boost social mobility

Work by staff and students at the University of Exeter to narrow gaps in access to higher education has been recognised by a prestigious national awards scheme.

Staff and students celebrate 50 years of educational psychology at the University of Exeter

Staff and students are marking 50 years of educational psychologists being trained at the University of Exeter.

Student from the Graduate School of Education wins this years Hutton Prize for Excellence

Joanna Merrett, postgraduate student in the Graduate School of Education, has won this year’s Hutton Prize for Excellence for her dissertation on Understanding Home Educators Experience of Exam Cancellations and Teacher Assessed Grades 2020-21.

University of Exeter hosts British Association for Applied Linguistics Vocabulary Special Interest Group Annual Conference 2022

The University of Exeter’s Graduate School of Education hosted the British Association for Applied Linguistics Vocabulary Special Interest Group’s Annual Conference 2022.

Teachers and experts join forces for major new research network to support Deaf children’s achievement at school

Teachers, researchers and British Sign Language interpreters have joined forces for a major new research network which will seek to understand why Deaf pupils are more likely to underperform at school.

Social mobility prospects bleak for Jubilee Generation

Social mobility prospects for the current generation of school-aged young people are bleak, warns a major new report published today to mark the 25^th anniversary of the Sutton Trust.

Uncovering hidden cultures in workplaces can help make businesses more inclusive, according to social mobility expert

Companies should introduce ways of uncovering informal hidden cultures to create more inclusive workplaces, a social mobility expert has told parliamentarians.

New environmental education manifesto launch led by University of Exeter expert

A new manifesto, led by a University of Exeter academic has been launched to help young people meet the environmental challenges of the future.

South West blighted by low social mobility, experts warn in new report

The South West suffers some of the lowest levels of social mobility in the UK, blighting the prospects of hundreds of thousands of young people across the peninsula, experts have warned.

Online lockdown outdoor science lessons boosted teachers’ skills, study shows

Online outdoor science lessons run during the pandemic helped to engage children with the subject and boosted teachers’ skills, analysis suggests.

New research highlights “significant gap” in evidence about effectiveness of relationship education programmes

Educators should have not have ‘high’ confidence in the quality of existing relationship education programmes because there is a lack of robust evaluation, experts have warned.

Major new study will show how widening inequalities in education and employment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will impact children’s life prospects

A major new study will show how widening inequalities in education and employment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will impact children’s life prospects.

Pressure to be ‘perfect’ causes mental health issues for teenage girls, research shows

Pressure from schools and families to live up to society’s expectations of the “ideal” girl and be “good” causes mental health issues in teenage girls, a study shows.

Lack of joined-up support from education and health is harming outcomes for young people with ADHD, a new paper warns

Lack of communication between child and adult clinicians and between clinicians and those in education can lead to educational underperformance and unmet health needs for young people with ADHD, a new paper warns.

Few parents aware excessive praise is not good for children’s learning, new study shows

Few parents are aware praising children too much can harm their learning, a new study shows.

Experts to track impact of inspirational charity connecting old and young through reading

Education experts are working to pilot the impact of an inspirational charity which connects old and young through reading.

Stark divides in parenting attitudes towards education revealed by new research

Middle class parents of school-age children are more likely than working class parents to ask teachers for information regarding their children’s education (61 per cent versus 46 per cent).

More effective partnerships between medics and dance professionals needed to discover the benefits of dance to health, report finds

More effective partnerships involving medical and care staff, alongside professionals from the dance sector, are needed for experts to better understand how dance can help promote good health, according to a new report.

Atmosphere and caring teachers at special schools more important to parents of children with SEN than educational standards, study shows

Parents are more influenced by the atmosphere and how caring staff are than academic educational standards or the curriculum when choosing a special educational needs school, a study shows.

Historical funding arrangements are the cause of significant inequities in special educational needs funding, study shows

Significant inequities in the budgets given to local areas to fund high special educational needs are largely the result of historical spending arrangements, research shows.

Elite universities need to do much more work to simplify admissions and address major misperceptions among for applicants, new analysis concludes

Research highlights “huge complexity” in use of contextual admissions among Russell Group universities. Current university students meanwhile are likely to vastly over-estimate the proportion of student intakes who come from private schools.

Greater investment and innovation in educating children about environmental issues needed to help future generations respond to the climate emergency, experts urge

Environmental education provision needs greater investment and innovation if future generations are to be able to respond fully to the climate emergency, experts have said.

Pupils lost a third of learning time during pandemic year - differences in learning loss between nations show effect of variation in lockdowns

Pupils across the UK have lost out on a third of their learning time since the pandemic started, even once learning at home is taken into account, new research finds.

Major new research project aims to address social mobility issues blighting young lives in the South West

A major new research project will seek to highlight and address the social mobility issues blighting young lives in the South West.

Teachers want to encourage children to take a public stand against climate change

More than half of teachers in England are in favour of teaching children to take direct action against climate change and participate in related civil disobedience, according to a new survey.

Tasks set in science lessons influence children’s writing development, study finds

Tasks set in science lessons are helping children to develop their mastery of grammar, research shows.

Exeter pupils need encouragement more than catch-up sessions, survey suggests

Exeter pupils need encouragement, reassurance and mental health support, not a focus on “catching-up” or “lost learning”, a survey of children, parents and teachers in the city suggests.

Have your say about lockdown learning in major new survey of Exeter families and teachers

Parents, children and teachers in Exeter are being asked to share their experiences of lockdown learning as part of a new survey.

National Tutoring Programme will need to support ten times current numbers of pupils to reach all disadvantaged children, experts warn

The Government’s National Tutoring Programme to help children affected by pandemic school closures will need to reach at least ten times the current numbers of pupils being supported to help all disadvantaged young people, experts have warned.

GSE Alumnus wins the British Council Alumni Award - the social impact award.

Dr Abdullah Alazmi was awarded the “social impact” award for his dedication to providing free access to English learning content for millions of Arabs all around the world.

From taking exams in Afghanistan to training to be a teacher during a pandemic – a new type of tour of duty for University of Exeter student

Royal Marine Dave Mason was so determined to fulfil his dream of becoming a teacher he sat exams while serving in Afghanistan.

Leading experts in public health and social mobility made fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences

Leading University of Exeter experts in public health and social mobility have been made fellows of the prestigious Academy of Social Sciences.

2021 assessment changes mean teachers need “extensive support” to avoid unconscious bias, experts urge

The cancellation of 2021 exams mean teachers need “extensive guidance” on how to minimise the threat of unconscious bias while assessing pupils’ work, experts have said.

Learn about national and regional social mobility challenges from leading University of Exeter expert

The stark social mobility challenges facing the South West – and the UK – will be the focus of an event led by a leading expert on the issue.

Poorer pupils most likely to be away from school at the end of 2020, researchers tracking coronavirus learning loss have found

Poorer pupils were most likely to be away from school at the end of 2020, experts analysing the learning loss caused by coronavirus have found.

The distress caused by the Coronavirus pandemic means parents should maintain the “vital tonic” of the Father Christmas myth for children this year, psychologist urges

Parents agonise about how to handle difficult questions about Father Christmas when children grow up, but the coronavirus pandemic means it could be damaging to be totally honest this year.

Widespread public support for job guarantees and exam reform, survey shows

There is strong public support for job guarantees and reforms to exams in 2021 to help young people affected by the coronavirus pandemic, a new survey shows.

Experts urge review of maths teaching after study shows children lack spatial reasoning skills

Mathematics teaching needs to be rethought because children’s spatial reasoning skills are not developed enough, a new study says.

One in 10 young people lost their job during covid-19 pandemic, new survey shows

More than one in 10 people aged 16 to 25 have lost their job, and just under six in 10 have seen their earnings fall since the coronavirus pandemic began, new research shows.

Fundamental reset of society needed to prevent decline in social mobility in the post-Covid era, experts warn

A fundamental reset of society is needed to avert an unprecedented decline in social mobility in the post-Covid era, leading experts have warned.

New education “hubs” for Deaf children needed to replace social spaces lost when specialist schools close

New dedicated hubs for Deaf children are needed around the country to provide new social spaces, education and support, an expert has said.

Home-educated children left without qualifications as exams replaced with teacher-predicted grades, study shows

The cancellation of exams this year in favour of teacher-predicted grades has had a “significantly detrimental” impact on many home-educated children, who are not able to gain qualifications this summer, a study warns.

UK Social Mobility Awards

The University of Exeter has been shortlisted for both Innovation and University of the Year in the UK Social Mobility Awards.

Talking about grammar is a crucial tool in literacy teaching, study shows

Discussion between teachers and children about writing is a crucial tool to help pupils learn about grammar, a new study shows.

Science education community should withdraw from international tests which have led to “narrow” curricula and pedagogy, study says

The science community should withdraw from involvement in international tests such as PISA because they have forced schools to adopt “narrow” curricula and pedagogies, a study says.

Decision to replace exams with predicted grades during coronavirus has left pupils feeling “powerless” survey shows

The decision to replace GCSE and A-level exams with predicted grades this summer has left pupils feeling “powerless” and “overwhelmingly” concerned with their grades, a major survey shows.

Concerns for disadvantaged teenagers as activities to encourage them to apply to university disrupted during coronavirus lockdown, research shows

University staff working with prospective students are concerned about the prospects of those from disadvantaged homes as their work is disrupted or put on hold during the coronavirus lockdown, research shows.

Innovative programme where children use their own voice to improve reading open for more participants

An innovative education programme which helps children improve their reading by using the sound of their own voice is open for more participants.

Disadvantaged pupils could be unfairly penalised by coronavirus predicted grades, expert warns

This year’s system of using predicted grades to award A-level and GCSE results should be closely monitored to ensure it doesn’t unfairly penalise disadvantaged pupils, a social mobility expert has warned.

Make writing a positive experience and don’t force it, experts say

A team of experts at the University of Exeter have given their top tips for parents to support their children’s writing as they begin to return to school following more than two months of lockdown.

Covid generation faces ‘dark age’ of low social mobility - young Britons at risk of long-term damage to future life prospects

The unprecedented economic and educational shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic could inflict long-term damage to young people’s prospects in life, a new study finds.

Coronavirus has led to major change in attitudes about parental responsibility for children’s education, survey shows

School closures have led to a change in attitudes among parents about who should be responsible for their child’s education, a major new survey shows.

Covid lockdown could leave disadvantaged children with “learning loss” of six months, experts warn

School closures during the coronavirus lockdown could leave disadvantaged children with “learning loss” of up to six months, leading social mobility experts have warned.

Lindsay Hetherington

Lindsay is Head of Initial Teacher Education at the Graduate School of Education, and an Associate Professor of Science Education.

It could take a century to hit the latest official university access targets

The Higher Education Policy Institute has published a new report on access to higher education which shows that, at the current rate of progress, it will take 96 years to hit the Office for Students’s targets for access to highly-selective universities.

What the fall of the Berlin Wall and German unification have meant for educational inequality

Dr Katherin Barg, Lecturer in Education at the University of Exeter, writes for The Conversation

Adjust children’s test scores by age to tackle summer-born disadvantage, education experts urge

Children’s test scores should be adjusted according to their age to tackle the disadvantage suffered by pupils born in the summer, influential education experts say.

Leading social mobility expert awarded OBE

Britain’s first Professor of Social Mobility has been awarded OBE for his work helping schools and universities to improve the prospects of disadvantaged young people

A career in heritage and the arts

Alumna Catherine Farnell (PGCE 2008) runs Heritage Arts and People (HAP), a community interest company based in Exeter which aims to bring communities together to enjoy and explore the Southwest’s rich and varied heritage. She shares where her degree has taken her in her career.

SciCulture: Envisioning the Future of Education in 2050

The EU project SciCulture brought artists, scientists, researchers, educators and entrepreneurs together in an intensive 5-day course this month in Greece.

Creative Start-Up Comes Full Circle with CircleTales®

University of Exeter alumnus, Annie Murdock (MA Ed Creative Arts, 2016) and her partner Herman Castaneda, co-developers of the collaborative tabletop game CircleTales®, shared their insights into creative entrepreneurship with current MA Ed Creative Arts postgraduate students.

Natural world and fantasy helps young children use sophisticated language, study shows

The natural world and fantasy helps young children use sophisticated words such as “slithering” and “abracadabra”, one of the largest studies to measure pupils’ language skills has found.

Teachers should teach Muslim, feminist and other views of Jesus this Christmas

Lessons about Jesus should include exploration of how Muslims view him as a prophet and investigation of his Jewish identity, experts have said.

Mother and daughter both graduate together - for the second time

A mother and daughter are celebrating graduating together from the same university – for the second time.

First international academic “Santa survey” shows children stop believing in Father Christmas aged eight

It’s that time of year when children look forward to a stocking full of presents - but the first international academic “Santa survey” shows many adults also wish they still believed in Father Christmas and some had felt betrayed when they discovered the truth.

BAAL/Routledge Development Workshop Call for Papers

'Language teacher cognition research: theoretical stances and methodological choices'. We invite papers before 18 December 2018.

Exeter Maths School named Sunday Times Sixth Form College of the Year

Exeter Mathematics School has been named as The Sunday Times Sixth Form College of the Year.

The ideal school would put children’s development before league tables

Dr Sue Roffey, honorary associate professor from the Graduate School of Education, writes for the Conversation UK

Improving the Prescribing Practice of Newly-qualified Doctors

It is known that prescribing errors in hospitals are common and that junior doctors may make more mistakes than senior doctors as they write the most prescriptions in hospital settings.

Education Incubator award for Dr Kerry Chappell and Dr Katie Natanel

Dr Kerry Chappell from the Graduate School of Education has been awarded a £10,000 University of Exeter Education Incubator grant, along with project partner Dr Katie Natanel from the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies.

The project is called "Digital innovation in project-based learning: toward a model for praxis".

The Graduate School of Education hosts a two-week study visit as part of the Proteach Project

Student teachers, researchers and teacher educators from Israel, Romania, Estonia and Austria attend a study visit at the Graduate School of Education.

Graduate School of Education hosts reception for visiting STEM teachers and civil servants

The Graduate School of Education hosted a reception for 15 secondary school teachers and five civil servants from Hong Kong on April 25.

Graduate School of Education to launch joint projects with University of South Florida

Two projects in the Graduate School of Education (GSE) will receive funding through the newly established Exeter / University of South Florida Research Catalyst Fund. The Exeter / USF Research Catalyst Fund provides grants of up to £8000 to support joint research or education initiatives between the two institutions.

Exeter alumna named in The Independent’s top 20 Extraordinary Women of 2017

Exeter alumna and single mum entrepreneur, Ali Golds (PGCE, 2009), was recently named by The Independent as one of the top 20 Extraordinary Women of 2017.

Professor Justin Dillon appointed Editor of prestigious science education journal

Professor Dillon joined the Graduate School of Education in late December 2017 from the University of Bristol.

Grammar teaching leaves children confused, research shows

Children can be left confused and unable to write accurate sentences because of “uncertain” grammar teaching, experts have warned. But confident teachers can enable students to use their grammar knowledge to help them craft and create their writing and positively support children’s development as writers.

“Exceptional” University of Exeter trainee teachers significantly enhance education in the South West

“Exceptional” University of Exeter trainee teachers are helping to “significantly enhance” the quality of education in South West schools, inspectors have said.

“Outdated and incoherent” curriculum turning children off Religious Education

The “incoherent, confusing and outdated” Religious Education curriculum is leading children to reject the subject and needs radical reform if it is to stay relevant, experts have said.

New study to develop teachers’ skills as creative writers

Experts will help teachers develop their own skills as creative writers so they can help boost children’s confidence in writing.

University of Exeter Graduate School of Education part of regional network to help support teachers

The University of Exeter will be part of a new regional network to help teachers develop their skills and share knowledge.

Outstanding new teachers honoured for their inspirational work

Outstanding new teachers have been honoured for their work in the classroom as well as their academic work as part of an awards scheme in honour of one of the UK’s best educators.

University of South Florida doctoral students visit the Graduate School of Education

Seven doctoral students and Professor Phyllis Jones from the University of South Florida visited the Graduate School of Education (GSE) from 29 June to 4 July 2017.

An evidence gathering session to review the legal, education, and policy frameworks for religious education (RE), will be held at Exeter on 20th June

Experts and stakeholders will present evidence between 2.30pm-7.00pm. Members of the public are welcome to observe both sessions.

Global schools programme provides ‘inoculation against extremist violence’, academics find

The Tony Blair Institute’s global dialogue programme makes teenagers more resilient to recruitment by extremists.

Teachers who write themselves can boost children’s confidence in creative writing

Giving teachers time and support to become creative writers has helped them motivate their students, according to the findings of a two-year research project.

No evidence that enrichment activities encourage pupils to study STEM A-levels, research finds

There is no evidence to suggest enrichment activities run to interest pupils in science, technology, engineering and maths results in significantly higher numbers of teenagers studying these subjects at A-level.

Exeter Law School and Graduate School of Education success at the Teaching Awards 2017

The University of Exeter’s best lecturers were recognised by students at the Teaching Awards 2017 on 2 May, and two academic staff in the College of Social Sciences and International Studies were recognised for their contribution to their students’ experience.