The OCR exams board has confirmed it plans to develop a new GCSE in natural history to help pupils develop a greater understanding of the natural environment.
As reported by the i today, the board hopes the GCSE will respond to pupils' growing interest in conserving the natural world.
Read more: https://www.tes.com/news/exams-board-confirms-natural-history-gcse-plans
'WhatsApp groups can help parents support their child's education'
Sally Peck writes in The Telegraph arguing WhatsApp groups can help keep busy parents involved in their child's education. The article follows comments from Jane Lunnon, head of Wimbledon High School, that WhatsApp groups 'prevent children from taking responsibility for their own daily lives'.
"My university friend sent a draft of every single essay he wrote to his father. Dad would swiftly return it with comments before my friend submitted it to his professors for grading.
Here’s another scenario: another friend’s mother had to wake him every single morning for school. If his mum left early for work, as she wanted to, my friend didn’t wake, and his mum would get an angry call at her office from the head teacher: where was her son? They tried every alarm clock going. The kid didn’t wake without human intervention.
So: what’s a parent to do? Where is the line between helicopter and helpful parent? At what stage do you subject your child to a sink or swim situation?"