Support - government bodies

Department for Children, Schools and Families

This vast site has loads of useful resources. I have put here some that I have found of particular importance for us:

Literacy Across the Curriculum Module 10
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/respub/lit_xc
Scroll down the page to Module 10. The role of the school library in delivering the Key Stage 3 National Strategy

The School Library and the Key Stage 3 National Strategy
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/respub/en_library
The material produced to support a training day for school librarians. Makes very useful reading, packed with supportive comments. But would it not have been better to target this at senior managers and teachers so that they became more aware of how to use their library/LRC? Surely, school librarians already knew most of this!

OfSTED

Office for Standards in Education (OfSTED)
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/
Look at the OfSTED Guidelines for inspecting school libraries at:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/docs/update36/update36-08.htm#TopOfPage
This document appears to have been moved. Does anyone know the up-to-date link?

The report on school libraries is available online at:
OfSTED (2006) "Good school libraries: making a difference to learning"
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/index.cfm?fuseaction=pubs.summary&id=4170

English 2000-05: A review of inspection evidence
Available for download at this link:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/index.cfm?fuseaction=pubs.summary&id=4016
"This report evaluates changes in provision for English across primary and secondary schools over the period 2000-05. It draws attention to improvements in standards and teaching. However, the report also identifies groups of pupils who tend to achieve less well in English than might be expected, including boys and pupils from certain minority ethnic groups. It goes on to highlight weaknesses in provision in some schools, such as unimaginative teaching, a narrow curriculum and gaps in assessment." Several findings are relevant to school libraries.

OfSTED recognise the value of school libraries. Look at the full text of this speech:

EducationGuardian.co.uk: Schools special reports: Full text - David Bell's Speech
http://education.guardian.co.uk/primaryeducation/story/0,11146,1373441,00.html
Full text of a speech by David Bell, the chief inspector of schools, to a press conference in London on the OfSTED report: Reading for purpose and pleasure.

Other quasi-governmental sites of considerable use are:

Curriculum Online
http://www.curriculumonline.gov.uk/default.htm?cookie%5Ftest=1

Empowering the Learning Community
http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/empower/
Look at the School Libraries subgroup. Lots of reports and papers concerning the impact of school libraries.

Inspiring Learning for All
http://www.inspiringlearningforall.gov.uk
MLA (formerly Re:Source) site enabling museums, libraries and archives to review and develop learning activities based on a framework of best practice and to measure their impact on learners. This is a major new programme aiming to make museums, libraries and archives central to the development of modern education.

MLA - Museums, Libraries and Archives
http://www.mla.gov.uk
Main site for MLA (formerly Re:Source).

National Curriculum Online
http://www.nc.uk.net/home.html

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