Last day of the holidays has arrived, back to work tomorrow which is a stupid day to go back on. Simon starts sixth form college this morning. He gets his timetable and gets shown round the building as far as I can make out. He is on the courses of his choice - maths, further maths, chemistry, biology and he has to do the ECDL course but I know he will sail through that one. Can't help but feel he is taking on too much but I have arranged for him to have a little help with his maths, not that he needs it, but sometimes to have someone explain something from a different perspective or different teaching style can make it so much easier and he has benefitted from the extra help for his GCSE, so we are keeping it on.

His only problem now is to find a Saturday job which seem to be few and far between at the moment. It is frustrating him a little but I am sure one will come up eventually.

Woke to the news that the Government have managed to make changes to education again. All children will have to stay in full time education until they are 17 now, that should be fun trying to keep my youngest in school for that long. While I am all for further education and getting as much as you can out of it, I wonder if it will help those children who are bored with school, who are not challenged, who are left unsupported either by home or school, those that struggle like Richard does. When some schools take in children as young as three years of age, you can't help but wonder why so many of them decide to keep away from school - will making them stay there if they don't want to be there until they are 17 help this situation? I don't think so though on the other hand there is no requirement for them to spend that time in the classroom if they are not academically minded, as they may receive training elsewhere, say in the construction industry for example.

On top of this there are huge changes in the curriculum again for secondary schools at all levels with a diploma being introduced

The curriculum will still include the statutory requirements for learners to gain strong foundations in English and mathematics and to be able to see the importance of subjects and their applications to the real world.

However, the new curriculum will encourage schools to plan events, out-of-school learning, daily routines and involvement in the local community in ways that enrich the learning that takes place in the classroom. Learners will gain valuable life skills through this sort of learning experience, such as managing money and engaging in debate.

Schools will also look at how the skills used in different subjects can be brought together, and will plan the school day to allow this to happen. So, for example, in an area where flooding is a problem, geography and citizenship teachers might jointly plan work on why flooding happens and what local people can do to protect themselves.

The new curriculum will blend the best of old and new, with individual schools deciding what changes will be most helpful in improving the curriculum that they offer.

At key stage 3 your child will do the full range of subjects: art and design, citizenship, design and technology, English geography, history, ICT, mathematics, modern foreign languages, music, PE, PSHEE (personal, social, health and economic education), religious education and science.

At key stage 4 they will do citizenship, English, ICT, mathematics, PE, PSHEE, religious education and science, as well as a selection of the optional subjects offered by individual schools.

Schools will decide how to organise the curriculum, so each subject may not appear on your child's timetable every week.

We have reviewed all subjects to ensure there is a stronger emphasis on the skills needed for life and work.
We have developed a set of personal, learning and thinking skills (PLTS), which draw together the skills pupils need for success in learning and life. These skills cut across subjects and can be developed through the full range of activities and events offered by schools. So, for example, participating in a fundraising challenge will help young people to become good at planning, working as a team and presenting their ideas with confidence. Setting challenging homework will develop learners as independent thinkers who can manage their time effectively.
PSHE education has grown in importance and scope at both key stages. Two main areas will be taught:

* personal wellbeing
* economic wellbeing and financial capability.

Personal wellbeing includes health-related issues such as teaching about sex and relationships, and drugs and alcohol. Pupils will be taught to understand and recognise the importance of personal identity, to feel positive about who they are and to understand the values of others in the diverse communities in which they live. Economic wellbeing and financial capability will develop an understanding of how to manage money and be an informed consumer. It will also include careers education.

The new curriculum has an increased emphasis on functional skills, the core elements of English, maths and ICT that provide pupils with the essential knowledge, skills and understanding to be confident, effective and independent in life and at work.

In fairness, the high school Simon has just left, was one of the first to implement a lot of this before it became a national thing. They joined up with one of the local colleges and offered NVQs and apprenticeships in engineering, construction and hairdressing. A lot of the schools in the area sent some of their pupils along as well to benefit from it. They realised that not all students were academically minded and to keep them in school they offered an alternative that they might be interested in instead. They got a lot of support and funding from a local trust in the area and quite a few children have benefited from it so hopefully when it is Richards turn to go there, there will be something that he can find he can do rather than the endless problems we are getting now.

So the changes may or may not work depending on the delivery of the curriculum, teaching style of the teacher delivering it, the way the timetable is structured (something that will cause headaches with all teachers and head teachers alike) and if your child likes that style of teaching or not.

Will it raise standards in education? that remains to be seen.