Just added to the Links Library

The NUT has produced a set of resources for teaching about the holocaust including a poster and leaflet specifically relating to Gypsies.  You will find a link to these materials under links – TEACHING

Throughout history, the Romany and Sinti people (commonly referred to as “Gypsies”) have been discriminated against and treated differently in the countries they have settled in.  During the period of 1933-1945 the level of persecution was increased considerably, as the prejudice of the Nazi regime and its collaborators led to widespread violence and even murder. This experience is usually referred to by Gypsies as the “porrajmos” – the “devouring” or the “destruction”.

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Donation from Cambridge Primary Review Royalties

ACERT is one of five charities to benefit from a share of the royalties from the seminal Children, their World, their Education: final report of the Cambridge Primary ReviewThe decision reflected one of CPRʼs key recommendations:

While recent concerns should be heeded about the pressures to which todayʼs children are subject, and the undesirable values, influences and experiences to which many are exposed, the main focus of policy should continue to be on narrowing the gaps in income, housing, care, risk, opportunity and educational attainment suffered by a significant minority of children, rather than on prescribing the character of the lives of the majority. The governmentʼs efforts to narrow the gap in all outcomes between vulnerable children and the rest deserves the strongest possible support.

In his letter making the donation to ACERT, Professor Robin Alexander wrote:

…we are particularly pleased to be able to support ACERT. As part of our evidence-gathering process we met a number of Travellers and heard about their educational aspirations and concerns, and these are referred to in our final report. Thereʼs also a happy symmetry in the fact that the CPR is the biggest and most comprehensive enquiry into English primary education since Plowden, and Lady Plowden founded ACERT.

ACERT Executive Committee will consider how to use the donation most effectively to develop CPR’s recommendations in relations to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. Prof. Alexander also wrote, “From next September it moves into a new phase, building capacity in schools through publications and CPD.” We hope we will be able to collaborate to ensure this phase includes key messages about the ways in which schools can ensure every children has the opportunities to reach their full potential.

CPR royalties go to charities tackling disadvantage

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Do 2011 GCSE results show low achievers suffering from loss of support?

The trend (shown by the dashed line and the right hand axis) in number of pupils registered for GCSE or equivalent examinations at KS4 has continued to rise over the past four years. The gradient is steeper for Gypsy/R0ma pupils, which will be influenced by growing numbers of Roma pupils in the education system. The percentage of Gypsy/Roma reaching the benchmark 5 or more A*-C grades has also shown a significant rise. The fact that the 5+A*-C with English and Maths, has remained relatively flat, suggests that these improvements may be due to increased flexibility in the curriculum at KS4,  of which Michael Gove is critical. Newly arrived Roma pupils may also find difficulties reaching level C and above in English.

The table showing Irish Traveller results shows a much more noticeable change in 2010, with the greatest impact being a reduction in the proportion of candidates getting five or more A*-G grades.

We would suggest that the loss of encouragement and mediation from TESSs may have had more effect on these pupils than those heading for A to Cs.

It is important to remember that these figures are based on those pupils ascribing to the ethnic codes Gypsy/Roma and Traveller of Irish Heritage; DFE research found 2/3 of Gypsies and Irish Travellers,  and 4/5 of Roma, changed their ethnic codes between Y6 and Y11.

 

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Annual Report 2010-11

2010-11 represented the first year of Coalition Government and many challenges for ACERT.
  • The localism agenda resulted in changes to planning guidance which Lord Avebury, President of ACERT, said  would reverse a trend in thereduction in the proportion of the caravan-dwelling Gypsy-Traveller population who are homeless, from a quarter in 2004 to 17% in 2011.
  •  The impact of the Dale Farm eviction, supported financially by the Government, clearly signalled the new climate
  • The gradual extinction of Traveller Education Support Services and the reliance on the Pupil Premium to meet needs
  • The Inter-Departmental Ministerial Working Group on Gypsies and Travellers (but not Roma), led by Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

ACERT sought to respond to these challenges providing information to parliamentarians, stakeholders groups and  government consultations. In meetings with ministers, OFSTED and the Children’s Commissioner, we sought to ensure that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils remained on the inclusion agenda. We also worked with other organisations, such as the NATT+, ITMB and RSG, to develop effective and coordinated responses to developing policies.

Download ACERTAnnual report 2010-2011

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