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Useful links for parents

Listed below are some of the more useful links you can use to find more information. They have been grouped into subject areas. Each site has been checked for suitability. If you have a comment about any of the sites or would like to suggest a site for inclusion please e mail to: cypdinformation@sheffield.gov.uk or you can use the feedback form for your comments.
 
 

Bullying Issues

 
  • Bullying Online gives advice for parents and pupils on how to address bullying at school
 
  • Childline deals with a wide range of children's problems, the most common being abuse and bullying
 
  • Don't Suffer in Silence . This website aims to show pupils, their families and teachers how to tackle bullying problems
 
  • Kidscape . A national charity helping to prevent bullying and child abuse
 
 

Connexions

 
  • Connexions . Information for young people aged 13-19
 
 

Curriculum

 
  • Assessment & Qualifications Alliance . AQA offers a range of qualifications and services, including GCSE, GCE, GNVQ, VCE and Entry Level, which are studied by over three quarters of a million students in a wide range of centres across the country
 
  • Information Technology. Becta (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) is the Government's lead agency for ICT in education. Working to support the development of ICT in education throughout the UK, Becta's unique contribution is to combine knowledge of the needs of education with an understanding of the power of technology.
 
  • National Curriculum . This site links every National Curriculum programme of study requirement to resources on the Curriculum Online
 
  • Performance Tables . A source information on the achievements of pupils in their schools and colleges, and how they compare with other schools and colleges in the area and in England as a whole
 
  • Qualifications and Curriculum Authority QCA maintains and develops the national curriculum and associated assessments, tests and examinations; and accredits and monitors qualifications in colleges and at work
 
 

Early Years

 
  • Surestart . The Sure Start site gives clear and concise information about its work with parents and children to promote the intellectual and social development of pre-school children
 

Equal Opportunities

 
  • Equality and Human Rights Commission -  On 1 October 2007 the three equality commissions of Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) merged into the new Equality and Human Rights Commission.
     
 
 

Further Education

 
  • Learning and Skills Council .The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for funding and planning education and training for over 16-year-olds in England
 
 

General Information

 
  • Advisory Centre for Education . ACE is an independent advice centre for parents, offering information about state education in England and Wales for 5-16 year olds. They offer free advice on many topics like exclusion from school, bullying, special educational needs and school admission appeals
 
  • Children's Services Network (CSN, formerly TEN) CSN is an independent body set up to support local education authorities in their work of raising education standards
 
  • Information Commissioner .The Commissioner has formal powers under the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act
 
 

Government Sites

 
  • Audit Commission . This is an independent body responsible for ensuring that public money is used economically, efficiently and effectively
 
  • Cabinet Office . The Cabinet Office’s role is to support the Government’s delivery and reform programme
 
 
 
  • Legislation . This website is managed by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office on behalf of the Queen’s Printer. The site contains the full text of all public and local acts of the UK Parliament and Statutory Instruments
 
 
 
  • School Improvement - Department for Children, Schools and Families site for school improvement and standards. There is also a section for Local Authorities on raising standards
 
 

Governors

 
  • Governornet -  Information for School Governors sponsored by the DCSF
 
 
 

Higher Education

 
 
  • Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE)- Distributes public money for teaching and research to universities and colleges. Aims to promote high quality education and research, within a financially healthy sector. The Council also plays a key role in ensuring accountability and promoting good practice
 
 
 

Home Education

 
  • Educating a child at home  - Education Otherwise- UK-based membership organisation which provides support and information for families whose children are being educated outside school, and for those who wish to uphold the freedom of families to take proper responsibility for the education of their children
 
 

Independent Schools

 
 
 

Inspection

 
  • Ofsted - The new Ofsted –the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills–came into being on 1 April 2007. It brings together the wide experience of four formerly separate inspectorates – Ofsted, the Adult Learning Inspectorate for (ALI), and parts of the Commission for Social Care Inspection for children and young people (CSCI), and the children and families court advisory service (HMICA). It will inspect and regulate care for children and young people, and inspect education and training for learners of all ages
 
 
 

Lifelong Learning

 
  • Lifelong Learning - a web site for the encouragement, promotion and development of lifelong learning
 
 

Local Government/Other Councils

 

Local Councils

 
  • Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
 
 
 
 
 

Local Government

 
  • info4local provides local authorities with quick and easy access to information from more than 65 government departments, agencies and public bodies.
 
  • Local Government Information Unit - An independent policy and research think-tank. It provides an information, advice, training and lobbying service, representing the interests of local authorities and supporting them in delivering excellent results for their communities
 
  • The Local Government Association (LGA) was formed on 1 April 1997 and represents the local authorities of England and Wales – a total of just under 500 authorities
 
 
 

Media

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Parliament

 
 
 

Pupil Issues

 
  • Headliners  - A programme of learning through journalism for young people aged 8 to 18. There is a bureau based in Sheffield
 
  • Safer routes to school - Safe Routes to Schools projects encourage and enable children to walk and cycle to school through a combined package of practical and educational measures
 
 

School Issues

 
 
  • Pupil Performance - This site supports headteachers and governors with the process of target-setting and school improvement
 
  • Specialist Schools - Specialist Schools Trust is the lead body for the Government's specialist schools programme. It seeks to give more young people access to a good secondary education
 
  

Special Needs

 
  • Council for Disabled Children - provides a national forum for discussion and dissemination of wide range of policy and practice issues relating to service provision and support for children and young people with disabilities and special needs
 
  • Disability - This new site represents a step forward in helping people to find out about their civil rights and to see more clearly how useful the Internet can be as a source for information
 
 

Teaching

 
  • Association of School and College Lecturers (formerly Secondary Heads Association) - the professional association for leaders of secondary schools and colleges. Heads, principals, deputy heads, vice-principals, assistant heads, assistant principals and other senior post holders are eligible for membership
 
  • General Teaching Council - GTC for England aims to raise the status of the teaching profession, provide a professional voice for teachers, listen to and work for teachers and guarantee high standards of teaching and learning
 
 
 
 
  • Teachernet - Teachernet has been developed by the DCSF as a resource to support the education profession. It has a very comprehensive set of links to other useful sites