In our lecture we had a guest speaker called Steve Gullick. In the lecture we talked and discussed what the role governor’s play in schools around Britain and who governors are.
Anyone aged 18 or over can become a school or college governor. No specialist qualifications are needed and people from many different backgrounds volunteer for the role. Enthusiasm, commitment and an interest in education are the most important qualities. You don’t need to have a family member attending a school or college to become a governor (www.directgov.com). Governors are not paid they are only volunteers that’s why there is not many governors around. They are mostly made up of people that are retired because they will have more spare time. Younger people will be busy with jobs or studying.
Governors play a massive role in the success of the school;
- They employ and discipline staff
- They also decide and approve whether a pupil should be permanently excluded
- What the schools budget should be spent on
- They have to make sure the curriculum for the school is broadly based and particularly that religious education is taught
- They also have to report on the national curriculum assessments and examination results.
- Governors meet at least three times a year and are responsible for the planning of the school year ahead.
- They draw up and action plan after an inspection has taken place.
Governors don’t regularly visits schools the only occasions in which they will are to come into contact with the teachers for example;
1) When there are job interviews being held where there will be 2-5 governors attending
2) Informal visits to the schools
3) Celebrations such as school concerts or productions
4) Staff disciplinary meetings, if a member of staff has done something wrong a meeting is held to decide the punishment. 2-5 governors will be present.
This is a big responsibility for governors some people may find it too much and time consuming.
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Monday, 16 April 2012
Professor David Warner 27th March (guest speaker)
In our last lecture with our guest speakers we had a man called Professor David Warner who is the vice-chancellor in Swansea metropolitan university. He talked to us about the framework and background in education in the UK. We looked at different pictures of universities and had to place five in order from the oldest to the newest built, I learnt that Aberdeen was the oldest as it was founded in 1495.
We talked about some of the purposes of higher education and how it helps people to develop their capabilities and fulfil their potentials. It also brings social justice and gives everyone the opportunity to meet new friends and move away from home it brings a sense of independence. It brings a knowledge and understanding through scholarships and research.
The trends in the UK higher education are;
- There is a major increase in female students in universities, this is because of the change in societies perceptions of women not being the typical "house wife" women are as equal to men in society these days so you get a mixture of both men and women in higher education.
- There is also a decrease in part time students which show that more students are going from school to college then university as full time students to get the qualifications they need.
- There are ten times more post graduate functions today than ever before.
- There are more international students
Another reason why more students are able to go to university is the funding they receive for example, student loans and grants. If you are living with your parents and studying in Wales you will receive a loan of £3,673 for each term in university. Also if you are living with your parents have the household income in less than £18,370 you will receive a grant from the government of £5,000 which does not need to be paid back. (www.studentfiancewales.co.uk). In different circumstances for example if you don’t live at home or you studying in England the loans would be different.
The government loans students enough money to cover the cost of going to and living in university when they are out of university and earning money over a certain amount you have to pay back the loan in small parts.
By loaning money to students to go to university it is giving everyone an equal chance and wider opportunity, they can achieve the qualificatons they need for their furture careers
We talked about some of the purposes of higher education and how it helps people to develop their capabilities and fulfil their potentials. It also brings social justice and gives everyone the opportunity to meet new friends and move away from home it brings a sense of independence. It brings a knowledge and understanding through scholarships and research.
The trends in the UK higher education are;
- There is a major increase in female students in universities, this is because of the change in societies perceptions of women not being the typical "house wife" women are as equal to men in society these days so you get a mixture of both men and women in higher education.
- There is also a decrease in part time students which show that more students are going from school to college then university as full time students to get the qualifications they need.
- There are ten times more post graduate functions today than ever before.
- There are more international students
Another reason why more students are able to go to university is the funding they receive for example, student loans and grants. If you are living with your parents and studying in Wales you will receive a loan of £3,673 for each term in university. Also if you are living with your parents have the household income in less than £18,370 you will receive a grant from the government of £5,000 which does not need to be paid back. (www.studentfiancewales.co.uk). In different circumstances for example if you don’t live at home or you studying in England the loans would be different.
The government loans students enough money to cover the cost of going to and living in university when they are out of university and earning money over a certain amount you have to pay back the loan in small parts.
By loaning money to students to go to university it is giving everyone an equal chance and wider opportunity, they can achieve the qualificatons they need for their furture careers
Alice Davies 13th March (guest speaker)
In the lecture with Alice Davies who was from Widening Access Wales, she came to speak to use about the program and what their roles in education are. The program Widening Access is about increasing opportunities for people from different and diverse backgrounds, for example people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and people from low income families.
‘We want to see a country where every individual is given equal opportunity to fulfil their potential, maximise their earning potential and contribute to society’. (Jane Davidson Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, March 2002).
The programme is supported and funded by the higher education funding council for Wales (HEFEC) it is split up into;
- WA premium
- Fee planning
- WA strategy funding
- Reaching wider
Their aim is to;
-Encourage progression to higher education
-Assist with enhancing achievement
-Work with severe relative social disadvantage
-Focus on underrepresented communities
In schools the widening access programme will help children at different ages in different areas of learning.
Their programme is as followed;
-Primary School = Art Arts in Action and STEM workshops
- Year 7 = Literacy support
- Year 9 = ACE days, mentoring, saturday clubs and techno camps
- Year 10 = Spring School, STAR days, taste of university or college life, saturday clubs
- Year 11 = GCSE Revision, college taster days, study skills, mentoring
By having schemes it encourages students to try new things and to feel they always have help there if they need it. Also by having different programmes the students will learn something new every year because they are not the same from year to year. It brings variety to the school and the students will benefit from each programme.
There are a lot of measurable outcomes to the programme;
-GCSE results
-Attendance
-Retention in further education
-Progression to higher education
-Impact Measurement
This shows that the widening access programme is very successful and is helping students of all ages and backgrounds.
Some strategic context;
-A 10% rise in the proportion of all Welsh domiciled students studying higher education courses at higher education institutions and further education institutions in Wales who are domiciled in the Welsh Communities First Areas from 15.6% in 2008/09 to 17.2% in 2012/13.
-A 2.7%% rise in the module completion rate for undergraduate enrolments in Welsh higher education institutions from 87.6% in 2008/09 to 90% in 2012/13. (www.hefcw.ac.uk)
‘We want to see a country where every individual is given equal opportunity to fulfil their potential, maximise their earning potential and contribute to society’. (Jane Davidson Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, March 2002).
The programme is supported and funded by the higher education funding council for Wales (HEFEC) it is split up into;
- WA premium
- Fee planning
- WA strategy funding
- Reaching wider
Their aim is to;
-Encourage progression to higher education
-Assist with enhancing achievement
-Work with severe relative social disadvantage
-Focus on underrepresented communities
In schools the widening access programme will help children at different ages in different areas of learning.
Their programme is as followed;
-Primary School = Art Arts in Action and STEM workshops
- Year 7 = Literacy support
- Year 9 = ACE days, mentoring, saturday clubs and techno camps
- Year 10 = Spring School, STAR days, taste of university or college life, saturday clubs
- Year 11 = GCSE Revision, college taster days, study skills, mentoring
By having schemes it encourages students to try new things and to feel they always have help there if they need it. Also by having different programmes the students will learn something new every year because they are not the same from year to year. It brings variety to the school and the students will benefit from each programme.
There are a lot of measurable outcomes to the programme;
-GCSE results
-Attendance
-Retention in further education
-Progression to higher education
-Impact Measurement
This shows that the widening access programme is very successful and is helping students of all ages and backgrounds.
Some strategic context;
-A 10% rise in the proportion of all Welsh domiciled students studying higher education courses at higher education institutions and further education institutions in Wales who are domiciled in the Welsh Communities First Areas from 15.6% in 2008/09 to 17.2% in 2012/13.
-A 2.7%% rise in the module completion rate for undergraduate enrolments in Welsh higher education institutions from 87.6% in 2008/09 to 90% in 2012/13. (www.hefcw.ac.uk)
Nick Bennett 6th March (guest speaker)
We had a lecture with Nick Bennett who is the Principal of Gower college he talked to us about the overview of further education in Wales and why some people attend college. These reasons could be that they want to widen their learning experience. They need higher qualification for the career they want to do or they are not sure on what career path they want to take so by going to college and trying out new subjects they may find the best career for them.
The Welsh Government has two major functions;
1. Underpinning Social Justice
- Widening access
- Second chances
- Cultural awareness
- Financial support
2. Supporting the Economy
- Qualifications
- Entrepreneurship
- Work based learning
- Business generation
- Employer engagement
By having these major functions further education everyone gets an equal opportunity to go onto further education, it doesn’t matter on your age, gender, religion or race.
Nick also gave us some statistics in colleges;
- In 2000/01, 37% of pupils completed their courses
- In 2009/10, 41% of pupils completed their courses
- There were 184,730 college learners in 2009/10
- 957 of them were from Wales
- Further education offers over 5,000 different qualifications in Wales
- 68% of students are over the age of 19
- 95% of students studying in Wales are actually Welsh
This shows us that college's are performing at a higher level than they were a couple of years before. More people are attending colleges to get a higher qualification and more opportunities to get a job or move onto universities.
When students go onto further education if they are between the ages of 16-18 they can receive money if their household income is less than £20,817 this is called EMA. They can get £30 a week, paid every two weeks. This will help a student to buy new things for college, for example books, equipment, stationary. (www.studentfiancewales.co.uk)
This could help more students to go onto further education after school if they know they can get financial help along the way.
Mr Bennett also told us that in 1979 there were 40 colleges and today in 2012 there are only 17 colleges, this is because they have merged together creating bigger and better places for higher education.
The Welsh Government has two major functions;
1. Underpinning Social Justice
- Widening access
- Second chances
- Cultural awareness
- Financial support
2. Supporting the Economy
- Qualifications
- Entrepreneurship
- Work based learning
- Business generation
- Employer engagement
By having these major functions further education everyone gets an equal opportunity to go onto further education, it doesn’t matter on your age, gender, religion or race.
Nick also gave us some statistics in colleges;
- In 2000/01, 37% of pupils completed their courses
- In 2009/10, 41% of pupils completed their courses
- There were 184,730 college learners in 2009/10
- 957 of them were from Wales
- Further education offers over 5,000 different qualifications in Wales
- 68% of students are over the age of 19
- 95% of students studying in Wales are actually Welsh
This shows us that college's are performing at a higher level than they were a couple of years before. More people are attending colleges to get a higher qualification and more opportunities to get a job or move onto universities.
When students go onto further education if they are between the ages of 16-18 they can receive money if their household income is less than £20,817 this is called EMA. They can get £30 a week, paid every two weeks. This will help a student to buy new things for college, for example books, equipment, stationary. (www.studentfiancewales.co.uk)
This could help more students to go onto further education after school if they know they can get financial help along the way.
Mr Bennett also told us that in 1979 there were 40 colleges and today in 2012 there are only 17 colleges, this is because they have merged together creating bigger and better places for higher education.
Suzie Pugh
In our last lesson just before we broke up for the Easter holidays we looked at pictures that Suzie had gaven to us of world wide well known companies and brands, but only part of the picture we could see we had to try and guess what the companies were we had 10 seconds to look at them and then we had to say what they were, which were tesco, virgin, kitkat and PG tips. That showed how powerful advertising is that we couldnt see all of the image and yet everyone in the class knew what companies they were advertising.
After that we looked at how you companies design and brand their products for example posters, tb adverts etc. What they use to draw the audience in, for example pictures, logos, colour, slogans. We looked at a poster by a Jam company it started off with the name with a boarder around it which was not very eye catching. Once that lable had been put onto a jam jar with a slogan it started to look more appealing, then the background was created with fresh grown strawberries for the jam. When you broke the poster down it told a story to the audience about where the jam had come from. It was very clever.
For our task over Easter Suzie wants us to create our own posters and in our next lesson to explain to the class the process we went through to create it and the product that is being sold.
That was a fun lesson and task because I love being creative and designing new things using photoshop and paint
After that we looked at how you companies design and brand their products for example posters, tb adverts etc. What they use to draw the audience in, for example pictures, logos, colour, slogans. We looked at a poster by a Jam company it started off with the name with a boarder around it which was not very eye catching. Once that lable had been put onto a jam jar with a slogan it started to look more appealing, then the background was created with fresh grown strawberries for the jam. When you broke the poster down it told a story to the audience about where the jam had come from. It was very clever.
For our task over Easter Suzie wants us to create our own posters and in our next lesson to explain to the class the process we went through to create it and the product that is being sold.
That was a fun lesson and task because I love being creative and designing new things using photoshop and paint
Suzie Pugh
In our next lesson we were still on the topic of advertising and what companies stand for, for example cancer research UK and which words would you use to describe their charity. We had a list of different companies/charities and a list of different words and we had to match the words to the company we thought best described them.
After we had done that task we looked at different pictures and had to put them into groups on what they were trying to advertise, for example smoking, child abuse etc. Some of the pictures were very graphical and really caught your attention and made you think. This is how clever advertising is it draws the audience in with a powerful message. After putting them into groups we went around the classroom to see what pictures people had put into which groups, we had to explain why we put them into that group. I enjoyed the exercise because it showed advertising differently to the lesson we had done previously, they were selling a product it was more of an awareness to the audience
After we had done that task we looked at different pictures and had to put them into groups on what they were trying to advertise, for example smoking, child abuse etc. Some of the pictures were very graphical and really caught your attention and made you think. This is how clever advertising is it draws the audience in with a powerful message. After putting them into groups we went around the classroom to see what pictures people had put into which groups, we had to explain why we put them into that group. I enjoyed the exercise because it showed advertising differently to the lesson we had done previously, they were selling a product it was more of an awareness to the audience
Suzie Pugh
Our next topic we started to look at was advertisting. We put ourselves into pairs and looked at how companies advertise their products through the media, I was with Ffion we thought about different adverts in which caught our attention through using humour. We choice to look at adverts that advertice beer they are always funny. We looked on youtube at the Grolsch advert where a couple are having a house warming party the woman goes to show her friends how big her wardrobe is, the women start screaming at the size of it but then stop when they hear screaming coming from the other room when they go to look the men are screaming at the size of the fridge full of Grolsch bottles. We showed the class our advert they all thought it was very funny. We choice that advert because it was memorable and made you laugh, if you saw it again you would know straight away what product it was selling and how happy beer makes men.
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