Latest PSA TLG e-bulletin 29th May 2017

Dear PSA Teaching and Learning Group members,

Updates as follows:

PSA 2018 Annual Conference call for teaching and learning papers and panels [reminder]

The call for papers is open for the 2018 Political Studies Association Annual Conference. The event will be held from 26th – 28th March 2018 at City Hall, Cardiff.

As a specialist group of the PSA, the Teaching and Learning group is able to submit panel proposals. Our panels need to be agreed and submitted by 3^rd November.

If you would like to submit a paper to a teaching and learning panel, please contact Donna Smith (donna.smith@open.ac.uk) by 12^th October and provide the following details:

- Paper title

- A short abstract summary of the paper

- Principal author email address

- Any additional authors should also be listed (with email addresses)

- Author attending the conference

For ease of identification, please title the email ‘PSA TLG paper submission’. Papers will then be grouped on the basis of topic and submitted as panels as appropriate.

This year we will also accept proposals from group members who would like to propose whole panels on thematic issues relating to teaching and learning and/or in conjunction with another PSA specialist group/network as a joint panel. If you propose a panel, you will need to provide the details for each paper (as above), plus contact details for the chair and discussant. If you wish to propose a panel/joint panel, please contact Donna Smith by 5^th October, with an outline of the proposal. Please title emails proposing panels ‘PSA TLG panel proposal’.

If you are interested in submitting a paper/panel but have questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. I am happy to answer any queries.

Please note, the PSA is committed to promoting equality and diversity in all areas of its work. As such, all panels submitted to the Annual International Conference must endeavour to reflect the diversity of the profession and gender balance - this will be taken into account when accepting proposals.

House of Commons Education Select Committee

Education Committee launches inquiry into Alternative Provision

The Committee has today launched an inquiry into Alternative Provision (AP). Alternative provision, provided in settings such as Pupil Referral Units, educates young people who do not attend mainstream school for a variety of reasons, such as school exclusion, behaviour issues, school refusal, or short- or long-term illness.

Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP, Chair of the Education Select Committee, said: “Some of the most disadvantaged young people in our society are educated through alternative provision and we want to establish whether they are receiving the best possible support.

“Students in alternative provision are far less likely to achieve good exam results, find well-paid jobs or go on to further study. Only around 1% of young people in state alternative provision receive five good GCSEs. As a Committee dedicated to promoting social justice, we are committed to examining these issues in our inquiry and pressing Government, local authorities, schools and others to do all they can to improve educational outcomes and life chances. Every student, whatever their background, should be given the chance to climb the educational ladder of opportunity.”

In addition to looking at the quality of their education and the outcomes of these students, the Committee will also look at safeguarding and resources within AP, provision of AP within schools and regulation of independent providers.

Background

Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) constitute one form of AP. Department for Education statistics indicate that there are 353 schools in England and that are 15,000 students in PRUs, an increase of 16% since 2011/12.

Permanent and fixed-term exclusions have risen in recent years, mainly affecting secondary and special schools. There were around 35.2 permanent exclusions per day in 2015/16, up from an average of 30.5 per day in 2014/15.

DfE statistics also show that:

• Pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (FSM) were around four times more likely to receive a permanent or fixed period exclusion than those who are not eligible.
• Pupils with identified special educational needs (SEN) accounted for almost half of all permanent exclusions and fixed period exclusions
• Boys were over three times more likely to receive a permanent exclusion and almost three times more likely to receive a fixed period exclusion than girls.

Terms of Reference

The Education Committee invites written submissions by 1 November on the following issues:

• Routes into alternative provision.
• The quality of teaching in alternative provision (including pupil referral units);
• Educational outcomes and destinations of students;
• Safety, accommodation, and provision of resources for students;
• In-school alternatives to external alternative provision;
• Regulation of independent providers.

Written evidence should be submitted on the inquiry page on the Committee’s website.

Teaching Excellence Framework - panelist and assessor opportunities

Panel members and assessors, Teaching Excellence Framework

HEFCE is seeking approximately 100 high calibre individuals to form the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Subject Pilot panels and to supplement the TEF Year Three panel. This is an opportunity to get involved in delivering a high-profile and ground-breaking exercise in the higher education sector.

The opportunities

Roles are available for academics; students; employer representatives; professional, statutory and regulatory bodies (PSRB) representatives; widening participation experts and employment experts as subject panel chairs, subject panel deputy chairs, panel members and assessors.

For full details and to apply, please visit: https://tef.hefce.ac.uk/recruitment

The deadline for applications is midday on Friday 6 October.

About the TEF

Introduced by the Department for Education in England in 2016, and delivered by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), higher education providers across the UK participating in TEF Year Two received a gold, silver, bronze or provisional award reflecting the excellence of their teaching, learning environment and student outcomes.

The TEF Year Three process begins in Autumn 2017. At the same time HEFCE is running a subject-level pilot of the Teaching Excellence Framework, to inform future development of the framework.

ECPR Teaching and Learning summer school

The call for applications for the 4th ECPR Teaching and Learning summer school to be held in Bratislava, Slovakia from July 15 to July 23, 2018 is now open! The purpose of this school is to enhance participants' teaching practice by introducing them to the principles of student-centred education. The school draws upon best practice in the scholarship of teaching and learning, and will offer a combination of practical and theoretical sessions. Applications are accepted until February 16, 2018. For more please see http://teaching.eurea.sk/summer-school/

Best wishes,

Donna

PSA T&L Specialist Group Co-convenor (Vice-Chair)