Promoting the achievement of looked after children and young people in the City of Nottingham

As of March 2016, there were 70,440 children and young people in care in England. The number of looked after children has continued to increase steadily over the last eight years. Sixty per cent of these children are in care because of abuse or neglect and three-quarters are placed in foster care arrangements. Children and young people who are in or have experienced care remain one of the lowest performing groups in terms of educational outcomes. Last year, 14% of looked after children achieved five or more A*–C GCSEs or equivalent, including English and mathematics. As a consequence, they also experience poorer employment and health outcomes after leaving school compared to their peers. They are over-represented amongst the offender population and those who experience homelessness. However, research is emerging to show that children and young people in care can have very positive experiences of school and are supported effectively to reach their full potential academically and socially. The purpose of this report is to share practice in selected City of Nottingham schools that is contributing to improved outcomes and school experiences for children and young people in care. In July 2015, the City of Nottingham Virtual School (VS) commissioned UCL Institute of Education to run their Promoting the Achievement of Looked After Children (PALAC) programme with seven schools in the Local Authority (LA). This report presents an account of the programme, including the activities undertaken by the participants and the outcomes of the programme to date for pupils in care and staff in the participating schools

The Western Australian regional forest agreement: economic rationalism and the normalisation of political closure

This article explores the constraints imposed by economic rationalism on environmental policy-making in light of Western Australia\u27s (WA) Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) experience. Data derived from interviews with WA RFA stakeholders shed light on their perceptions of the RFA process and its outcomes. The extent to which involvement of science and the public RFA management enabled is analysed. The findings point to a pervasive constrainedness of WA\u27s RFA owing to a closing of the process by the administrative decision-making structures. A dominant economic rationality is seen to have normalised and legitimised political closure, effectively excluding rationalities dissenting from an implicit economic orthodoxy. This article argues for the explication of invisible, economic constraints affecting environmental policy and for the public-cum-political negotiation of the points of closure within political processes

Why 'a forest conscienceness'?

The phrase 'a forest conscienceness' was used in a major statement made by Charles Lane Poole, Western Australia's Conservator of Forests from 1916-1921, for the 1920 British Empire Forestry Conference. It is both relevant and contemporary at the beginning of the 21st century. We chose it as the conference theme to encourage engagement with both a conscious awareness of forests and their values, and a sense of moral responsibility toward forest management. It stimulated a broad range of lively contributions that emphasized mainly the 'awareness' aspect, although some authors addressed 'moral responsibility'. Perhaps 'conscienceness', like sustainability, is an evolving concept not yet fully mature. It warrants further engagement

A forest conscienceness: Proceedings of the 6th National Conference of the Australian Forest History Society

Writing in 1920, Western Australia's Conservator of Forests Charles E Lane Poole looked forward to a time when people would develop a 'forest conscienceness' and ensure that forests were managed for the benefit of whole communities and not select interest groups. The unusual word 'conscienceness' has echoes of both awareness and responsibility, which were clearly parts of his vision. Eighty years later community interest in the many values of forests and in forest management policy has heightened throughout the world and it is appropriate to ask if Lane Poole's vision has been fulfilled. This book of abstracts and its accompanying CD ROM of full papers considers the question by integrating over 50 contributions from natural scientists, social scientists, foresters and community organizations in evaluating what 'forest conscienceness' means to forest managers and the diverse communities they represent at the beginning of the 21st century. Although the focus is predominantly Australian, contrasting international perspectives from New Zealand, southeast Asia, South Africa and both North and South America illustrate the universality of many of the issues. The broad themes covered include differing perspectives on what 'forest conscienceness' means to individuals and communities today, resolving conflicts over forest use, forest ecosystem health (including the capacity of forests to sustain healthy human communities), sustainable forest management and reconstructing forests of the past. The themes are complemented by a series of special topic papers highlighting illustrative examples from forest history. The publication is an important reference for all those interested in the history of forests and their management and the application of interdisciplinary approaches to the challenges faced in achieving 'forest conscienceness' today