A report on the impact of RAAC closure on the exam cohorts of St Leonard’s Catholic School, County Durham

St Leonard’s School, Durham has been seriously affected by the RAAC crisis. It was one of only two secondary schools in England that was required to close completely in September 2023, and is reportedly the school most affected by RAAC. This report explains what has happened. It is important that the current exam cohorts in KS4 and KS5 are protected from the implications of the RAAC crisis, which is not their responsibility, and which has affected so few schools in England. The government, Ofqual, and exam boards need to devise a plan to relieve the anxiety of the students in this schools and any others like it, and offer them qualification outcomes equivalent to what would have happened in the absence of the crisis

Thinking bigger: The importance of an ambitious doctoral research project

This chapter sets the scene for this book. We present the case for doing ambitious doctoral projects, and provide advice for prospective researchers on making their doctoral journey a worthwhile experience. The chapter includes some fresh perspectives on the role and responsibilities of supervisors, emphasising the importance of having research active supervisors who can play a key role in defining the success of a project and a successful academic or related career

A survey of children’s learning and non-cognitive attitudes in England and Pakistan

Children’s learning attitudes and social emotional skills can be shaped by their family background and school experiences. This study compares 832 children aged 10-11 years old attending primary and middle schools in England and Pakistan, who completed a survey of non-cognitive skills and learning attitudes. Any comparison is cross-sectional and does not necessarily imply a causal relationship. The findings suggest that children in the sample from England were more developed than their counterpart sample in Pakistan in teamwork, social engagement, adaptability, problem solving and empathy. However, the children from Pakistan showed higher resilience and reported more happiness with general life than their counterparts in England. Policy level changes are suggested for Pakistan to give schools more mixed intakes of children and environments where they feel safe, cared for, and are fairly treated by teachers. Improving children’s resilience in academic activities can be useful for schools in England

Special issue: Gender equality and education

This special issue presents a compilation of scholarly articles on gender equality in education. This issue is particularly timely, aligning with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 5, which emphasises the importance of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. As the United Nation asserts, ‘Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world’ (United Nations, 2023)

Equilibrar los derechos de las poblaciones desplazadas, las que regresan y las que se quedan: lecciones de Irak

El regreso de alrededor de 3,1 millones de desplazados internos de Irak a sus lugares de origen se considera un indicador de éxito tras la reciente guerra civil. Sin embargo, la situación es compleja y se dan cuestiones críticas que tienen que ver con atenuar la competición entre derechos y necesidades de protección