Ofsted: how family income affects success at school

Ofsted: how family income affects success at school

Ofsted has set out the strong links between family background and success at school in England, in its annual report yesterday.

It said pupils from low-income families were half as likely than better off students to get good GCSEs, while children in care were a fifth as likely as the average to leave school with good qualifications.

The inspectorate also found that four out of the ten independent schools it visited during the year did not have “sufficiently robust” policies to safeguard children.

Meanwhile, a separate report by the Commons public accounts committee has found that academies have used exclusions has a policy to control behaviour and failed to engage with local communities.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 18 October 2007 page 4

More than half meet all 44 standards on services to patients

Mental health trusts were the top performers in the Healthcare Commission’s annual performance assessment of NHS boldies, with more than half graded excellent for quality of services.

Of primary care trusts, 51% were graded fair and 29% weak on service quality, while the commission criticised the performance of organisations on equality and human rights.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 18 October 2007 page 7

Rich more neighbourly than poor, says study

Poor families feel much less able than richer ones to depend on the kindness of neighbours and have far more negative views of their neighbourhood in general, a report by the Family and Parenting Institute has found.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 18 October 2007 page 9

Champion of elderly must sell her home to meet care bills

A campaigner who received an MBE for her work on improving the lives of older people is being forced to sell her home to pay for her own care.

Dorothy Bagnall, who received the honour for setting up the Council for Voluntary Services in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside and was is also a former chair of the local Age Concern, has Alzheimer’s and is in a care home.

Because she has assets over £21,500 she has to meet her £1,700 monthly care and accommodation fees.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Thursday 18 October 2007 page 15

Care home death

Police and social services have launched a joint investigation after an 86-year-old died from a head injury sustained at his care home.

William Lewis was found with the injury in his room at the Woodfield Nursing Home, Pembrokeshire, on 4 October, and died the following day.

Source:- The Times Thursday 18 October 2007 page 35

Why didn’t they act?

A coroner has refused to blame social services in the case of a nine-month-old baby who died at home in July 2002 following severe neglect.

Social workers were among professionals who visited Perrin Barlow 47 times in 50 days but he died of pneumonia seven days after the last visit by social worker Catherine Capron.

She told the inquest he must have deteriorated quickly after the last visit.

Perrin’s mother, Stephanie Horrocks, was jailed for two years for child cruelty but later died in prison from a stroke reportedly brought on by her withdrawal from heroin.

A serious case review by Plymouth’s area child protection committee found that professionals had focused on the needs of the adults rather than Perrin.

Source:- The Daily Mail Thursday 18 October 2007 page 5