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It is important that UK teachers are aware that media coverage of the 1997 key stage 1 and 2 national test results does not necessarily reflect the information contained in the three volumes produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Dividing the English results at key stage 2 for the first time highlights the fact that children read better than they write and write better than they can spell. The English results for key stage 1 show a fall in the number of children reaching level 3, but there was a rise in the proportion of children achieving level 2. Practical advice is given for teachers organizing key stage 1 and 2 tests.

The Labour Government is aiming for class sizes of no more than 30 pupils for infant school children by the year 2002. The consultative document Excellence in Schools deals with all aspects of education in the UK. The clarification of school policies on behaviour, truancy and exclusion and increasing parental involvement are seen as vital areas for improvement. More information should be available to parents of a child who is not reaching the expected standards. Parents will be admitted to local education committees. The Government intends to continue with performance tables.

A discussion on how inspection reports from the UK Office of Standards in Education can have an effect on teachers' morale is presented. The case of the Edward Redhead school where 9 teachers and the headteacher chose to resign after receiving what they felt was an unfair inspection report.

Some British primary schools have achieved a 100% success rate in key stage 2 examinations which has made them the top of the league tables. They admit they will find it difficult to maintain such high standards particularly if there are special needs children in Year 6. Some observers point out the high performing schools spend a long time preparing the children prior to the examinations. Others point out schools in the same location as a top performing school may find parents reluctant to send their children to schools which do less well in the examinations.

The introduction of performance-related pay for teachers at Hurlingham and Chelsea school in London, England, has had a significant impact on improving pupil performance. The school, which serves a deprived area, is now over-subscribed and has been named as one of the 41 most improved schools in the UK. Staff are willing to teach after-school sessions without extra pay, and devote a great deal of time to gaining information about pupil achievement at national curriculum levels.

There is some concern the variable quality of the school inspections carried out by the UK Office of Standards in Education is lowering teachers morale and may lead to shortages of staff. It has been suggested inspectors are not given adequate training. They have been accused of sometimes using poor quality evidence in their reports. The system is also inconsistent. Some 15% of inspections are estimated to be incorrect. A school in Birmingham, England, was considered to have major areas of concern only 18 months after a previous report had stated the school was making good progress.

Many teachers in the UK are concerned about performance management, and particularly about performance-related pay. In fact, a good performance management system can assist teachers in establishing targets and seeing potential difficulties.

Chantry primary school Headmaster Eric Gates was asked to take over leadership of the school after it had failed it Office of Standards in Education (OFSTED) inspection in Jul 1997. Gates has helped to improve the internal and external environment of the school and increased standards. The school was removed for special measures in Jun 1999. Rose Street county primary school was also put on special measures after an OFSTED visit in Mar 1997. The teachers were very unhappy at the report. Headteacher Pat Newman along with some new teachers were able to reverse the decision in Jun 1999.

Some of the national industry award schemes are being used as a measure of the standards in British schools. St Mary's College, Londonderry, Headteacher points out schools must take care to pick the most appropriate award. Her school has been awarded 18 quality awards. Schools may choose to take part in awards, such as the Investors in People and the Charter Mark. Observers suggest many parents will already be familiar with the schemes through their work. A new award has been introduced by the government, it will known as the TNT Modernising Government Partnership Award.

Many teachers in the UK find an inspection by the Office of Standards in Education extremely stressful. However, there are ways in which inspection-related stress can be reduced. These include taking care not to lose sight of the real role of teachers and having a clear sense of purpose while the inspection is actually taking place. Teachers must seek to manage the inspection process, and should put this process into perspective by continuing with enjoyable activities.

There are a number of straightforward ways in which teachers can make the school inspection process easier to handle. They should familiarize themselves with the code of conduct for inspectors, and make sure that the inspector knows that they are familiar with this code. They should take care to smile, and should spend a short time introducing the subject of the lesson. If possible, they should make sure that the inspector sits close to the most friendly and enthusiastic pupils. They should try hard not to overwork just before the inspection week and during the inspection.

A study of standards in literacy, in UK primary schools, found the involvement of parents was felt to be vital to help the schools improve. It was also noted home life could affect children's levels of attainment despite having the same teacher. Some teachers were found to have very high standards in managing their classes. The most successful teachers were able to give individual children the attention and work they required. The Primary Improvement Project was undertaken by Exeter University. It involved 1,400 schools during 1994-97.

A nursery school inspector from the UK Office of Standards in Education describes his experiences during an inspection visit. A lesson on space travel was taken over by the children's enthusiasm. The teacher's planned aims and outcomes of the lesson were ignored. The inspector found himself involved in the lesson. The teacher was able to guide the children but allowed them to use their imagination and creativity fully. The inspector felt the lesson had been outstanding despite not strictly adhering to the teacher's plans.

The use of national tests in mathematics has led to some children being taught purely to pass at level 4 or 5. Tests do not ensure the pupils understand some of the important mathematical concepts. The marking system does not reflect the children's overall understanding of the subject. Teachers feel they must push their pupils to achieve higher levels as average is not longer satisfactory. Comparisons with other schools in their area and the need for schools to show constant improvement add to the impetus which requires children achieve higher levels in their tests.

UK School Standards Minister Stephen Byers looks likely to see significant developments in his political career as the Labour party prepares for a long period in power. He is known to be a firm supporter of Prime Minister Tony Blair, and, like Blair, is a north-eastern MP. For autumn 1997, his main responsibility will be monitoring the drafting of the new Education Bill. He believes that this will be extremely influential, creating the basis for schools in the UK for the foreseeable future.

The new Labour government in the UK will work closely with local education authorities, according to Standards Minister Stephen Byers. It is keen to encourage local education authorities to boost educational standards, and will not hesitate to name those which fail to do so. Authorities which are regarded as not being sufficiently effective in addressing the problem of failing schools will be required to draw up action plans. Local education authorities will be expected to take on a leadership role.

Many UK schools find it hard to determine the standards which they expect from their pupils. They do not wish to establish targets which are too ambitious, but they are also keen to challenge their pupils. The best approach is to set targets which are specific, measurable and manageable. They must also be appropriate, achievable and realistic. Target-setting should go beyond examination results, and must work to boost the quality of school life across many different activities.

Curwen Primary school in the London borough of Newham, England, was applauded by the Office for Standards in Education for exercising good management and leadership and providing a good quality of education, but pupils scored far below the average in science and maths in national key stage 2 tests. The school scored comparatively high in English as it focuses heavily on reading, although 66% of the pupils speak English as a second language. The school is in a deprived inner-city area but its apparently happy pupils are taught in a caring, bright environment.

The gap between the educational achievements of middle-class and disadvantaged children in the UK has risen significantly since 1980, according to research by educational consultant and author Dr Elizabeth Hunter-Grundin. The average difference in reading age between schools taking mainly middle-class children and those taking mainly deprived children has grown from six months in 1980 to between 15 months and two years in 1996. The widening gap is attributed to the rise in selection and parental choice, which means middle-class children are concentrated in fewer schools.

The UK Labour party's recently-launched election manifesto emphasises its strong commitment to improving educational standards, particularly in urban areas. It plans a number of approaches to this problem, including the creation of education action zones in poor areas. Measures designed to boost educational standards would be implemented by a new body formed from a partnership between business, schools and local authorities. It is possible that head teachers would be offered extra pay to work in these action zones.

Governing bodies for primary schools in the United Kingdom are made up of local people who bring their own professional expertise to school management but they may be uncomfortable with some of the demands made in government legislation. Representatives of the Office for Standards in Education have found that involvement by governors in all aspects of school life brings the greatest improvement to a school. School governors must be prepared not just to manage a school financially but to fully investigate the way pupils are taught, their attainment records and set clear objectives for the future.

The GCSE, a standardized math test for secondary students in the UK, does not appear to be any less thorough than the O-level exams used in previous generations. A comparison of the tests shows that the new versions do cover much of the information on the old test, only in a different way. Conservative arguments that the new test is too easy make little sense, and seem more a reaction to change than a reaction to the test's content.

The UK government needs to implement a more effective strategy to save failing schools and raise the quality of education in the country. This can be done by adopting a national policy that will promote school improvement and provide steady funding to the educational system. The standards expected for all schools should also be raised regularly by implementing post-improvement inspection tests.

The deputy director of education of North-east Lincolnshire, England proposes a new method of determining student attainment targets for primary schools. Schools benefit more from assessment tools that measure true learning instead of simple reiteration of material.

A recent Inspectors' report shows that math competency standards are not rising in the United Kingdom. Because math is a difficult subject to teach and to learn, the government should not expect steady increases in student performance as it raises mathematics standards. Math standards and competency levels will only improve when teachers focus on problem solving and teaching for understanding.

The UK education system has failed too many children, according to the report 'The Betrayed Generations - Standards in British Schools 1950-2000.' This report claims that standards are too low, even in basic skills such as reading and writing.

Half of the teachers at Two Mile Ash middle school in Milton Keynes, England, which has been praised for the quality of its teaching, have less than five years' experience. The school has placed strong emphasis on minimizing bureaucracy.

Some UK schools have already introduced initiatives to improve the results of all their pupils. The UK government plans to use value-added performance tables to help get a clearer idea of how schools are performing. Bordesley Green school is situated in a very poor area of the Midlands, England, yet it is continuously improving its results.

The UK Office for Standards in Education draft report criticises the role of the members of some local authorities and their failure to give schools adequate support and funds.

Criticisms and new ideas for the school inspection system carried out by the UK Office of Standards in Education are presented.

Cambridge Education Associates Vincent McDonnell has taken on the role of manager of Islington's education service. It is the first time a private firm has been given the contract. McDonnell talks about his life and his plans for the future.

Summerhill school has gained support from a number of international bodies since it was served with a Notice of Complaint by UK school inspectors, in 1999. The school has always been innovative in its methods of teaching. Although its faults were acknowledged in previous inspections its aims in providing education for its pupils were recognized as being very valid. The school plans to appeal to the Independent School Tribunal on Mar. 20, 2000. Some observers suggest the appeal will be seen as representing the first step by a school which openly objects to too much state interference.

United Kingdom Chief Inspector of Schools Chris Woodhead's sixth annual report pointed out some 6% of pupils left school with no qualifications. He felt secondary schools still had to make improvements. He called for better liaison between primary and secondary schools to ensure children continued to maintain the progress they made during their early years. Woodhead suggested primary school teachers may need more training to cope with the higher standards of education in their schools. He felt much of the progress during 1999 was due to the introduction of the literacy and numeracy schemes.

Education Consultant Professor Sig Prais suggests research which has found English children, particularly boys, are behind those from many other countries may have under-estimated the extent of the problem in the UK. Times Educational Supplement Editor Caroline St John-Brooks points to the persistent problem of social class in British schools. Chief Inspector Chris Woodhead suggest the labelling of children as special needs leads to low expectations for the children. The experts all suggest the UK could learn from other countries.

A number of local education authorities in the UK have been found to be experiencing serious problems. Most recently, inspections by the Office for Standards in Education have revealed difficulties in Southwark, London, England. Standards Minister Estelle Morris has also requested reports on Walsall, England, and Bristol, England. The inspection of local authorities is now seen as the most significant element of the work of the Office for Standards in Education.

The UK Dept for Education and Employment should be aware that poor political leadership in local government is often the real reason for inadequate performance by local education authorities. It is not possible to resolve the problem of poor political leadership by bringing in private companies to manage schools. Standards can only be improved by moving towards much more open government and creating partnerships with headteachers, school governors and others, including the voluntary sector. Local government's main role in education is to create a culture in which schools can help all children to achieve their full potential.