ACE News
Click on a headline to read the full story:
- ACE expresses concern at the exclusion of SEN pupils
- New school admissions consultation
- ACE awarded THA Parent Know-How Quality Standard
- ACE concern at changes to PRUs
- Parent Know How funding
- ACE response to the initial behaviour review by Sir Alan Steer
- Ask ACE - education advice by text message
- ACE in the media
- Simon Hepburn appointed ACE Chief Executive
ACE expresses concern at the exclusion of SEN pupils
ACE has responded to new exclusion figures from the DCSF for 2006/07 published today.
While it is positive that the permanent exclusion statistics for 2006/07 have decreased, the percentage of excluded pupils in the school population remains the same at 0.12%. In addition, the figures for fixed period exclusions have risen from 389,560 in 2004/05 to 425,600.
It is the most vulnerable children who are being excluded. Children with a special educational need (SEN) are now nine times more likely to be permanently excluded than their peers without SEN (last year children with SEN were three times more likely to be excluded).
Read our full press release (
PDF 212KB) >
New school admissions consultation
ACE has maintained over many years that what parents tell us they want is a good local school and a fair, uncomplicated application process. The DCSF appears to have heard us, and them, at last, as Jim Knight, Minister for Schools, in announcing a major consultation on school admissions between June and October 2008, said:
“Parents always tell me they want a place for their child at a good, local school. … I am concerned that many parents find admissions far too complicated. Applying to a school shouldn’t be an overly stressful, bureaucratic and opaque process.”
Read ACE's initial comments and summary of the key proposed changes ( PDF 148kb) >
The consultation document is available at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/conDetails.cfm?consultationId=1561
ACE Awarded Telephone Helplines Association Parent Know-How Quality Standard
Following a rigorous assessment process looking at our policies and practices ACE is delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Telephone Helplines Association Parent Know-How Quality Standard.
ACE Expresses Concern at Changes to PRUs
The Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) is pleased that the Government has announced its intention to improve the quality of education for children who have been excluded from school. However, it is crucial that appropriate safeguards are put in place to any new plans to ensure that pupils are protected and supported.
Read our full press release (
29kb)
Parent Know How Funding
ACE is delighted to have received funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Parent Know How fund. This money will enable us a significantly expand capacity on our busy telephone advice lines and has paid for the launch of our exciting new AskACE advice by text service.
ACE and our technology partner Cy-nap Limited presented our services at the Parent Know How launch event in held in London and hosted by George Alagiah on May 7th.
Watch ACE's Head of Advice Services, Julia Parnaby and other organisations who have also benefitted from this funding, talk about how the money will allow us to help and support more parents and carers
Helplines Funding
Innovations Funding
ACE response to the initial behaviour review by Sir Alan Steer
The Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) welcomes the initial behaviour review by Sir Alan Steer, published 26th March 2008 on school behaviour, as well as the core beliefs of the former Practitioners’ Group on School Behaviour and Discipline, which he chaired, that appear to balance the rights and responsibilities of schools, parents and pupils.
However, we are concerned that current government policy does not always get this balance right, in particular when looking at issues surrounding exclusions from school and vulnerable children.
Whilst ACE endorses Sir Alan’s views on the need for clear understanding by all parties of their rights and their responsibilities, we have concerns about the practical implications of the new regime of requiring parents to be legally and practically responsible for their children during normal school hours for the first five post-exclusion school days.
Simon Hepburn, Chief Executive for ACE said:
“The legislation has serious ramifications for single parents and foster carers who have other children to care for, whilst having to keep their excluded child at home. We have heard of parents losing their jobs as a result of schools giving several consecutive less-than-five-school-days exclusions because they had to remain at home with their children. This disproportionately affects poorer families who cannot afford child-care whilst working. These children often have behavioural problems and keeping such a child in effect under house arrest, can cause its own emotional and social difficulties. ACE has heard of foster placements breaking down under the strain imposed by this new legislation.”
The supposed balancing duty on schools and local authorities does not have a comparable enforcement measure. ACE has been monitoring calls received on our advice line since the inception of this new regime and is reporting to the DCSF about the issue. It has found that certain schools and local authorities are failing to make the legally required educational provision for excluded children in time, or sufficiently, or in some cases, at all. There is no legal recourse for families to enforce these duties if they are not carried out. Whereas if parents fail to adhere to their duty, they can be fined.
Government must ensure that all children and young people are treated fairly and equitably. It is of course crucial to ensure that children behave in an appropriate way to allow all to access education. However, those who need help in accessing their own education must also be provided with adequate support and protection.
Ask ACE - education advice by text message
From Monday 3rd March 2008 Ask ACE, a free, independent education advice service, delivered via text, will be available to all Vodafone, O2 and 3 users. It will be available shortly on all other networks, check back regularly for details.
Text the word ADMISSIONS to the Ask ACE number, 68808, to access free advice* on what to do if you wish to appeal against the school your child has been offered or need help with any part of the admissions process.
From May 2008 the service will expand to cover the full range of education issues offered by ACE.
* Personalised answers to questions sent using the ADMASK keyword are available Mon-Fri (10am-5pm), all other options are available 24 hours a day.
ACE in the media
ACE has been speaking to the media about school admissions and appeals and our new text advice service.
LBC Radio: James Hartigan & Petrie Hosken
London Evening Standard: Schools facing flood of appeals as 5,000 lose out
The Guardian: Appeals Action
BBC London 94.9 FM: Drivetime with Eddie and Kath
Colourful Radio: Drivetime with Henry Bonsu
BBC News Online: School choice 'misleads parents'
The Guardian: Fifth of parents fail to secure first choice of school
The Guardian: Live Web Chat (4th & 5th March)
BBC Radio 5 live: Weekend News 02/03/08 (real audio file)
BBC News 24
Simon Hepburn appointed ACE Chief Executive
ACE is delighted to announce the appointment of Simon Hepburn as its first Chief Executive, who took up the post at the end of November 2007.
Making the announcement Margaret Tulloch Chair of ACE Council, the board of trustees said "ACE’s work in supporting and advising parents with children in education is vital. We are very pleased indeed to welcome Simon to head up this new phase in ACE’s development".
Simon has joined ACE from The Children’s Society, where he was an Assistant Director and where he had worked for over twelve years in a range of operational and strategic positions.
Simon said, "I am delighted to join ACE because it provides such an important service to parents and carers on one of the most important issues, education, which can transform the lives of children, young people and impact greatly on society".
He went onto say, "It is an honour for me to be at the helm of the Advisory Centre for Education, at this exciting time as we look to the future with confidence, building on the great work of the Board of Trustees and staff who have created a highly respected organisation in the education field".
Press Release ( 48kb)