Press cuttings

 
Teach Jane Austen, state schools to be told
The Daily Telegraph 6 November 2011
Bethan Marshall, from the Department of Education and Professional Studies, says that proposals to teach classic English novels at any early age could be a mistake.

Thinking AllowedBBC Radio 4 5 October 2011Dr Hayley Davies from the Department of Education & Professional Studies, discusses how importance children give to surnames (item starts 01:38).
 
Humanism and atheism as civil religionsABC Australia 4 October 2011Dr Luke Bretherton, from the Department of Educational and Professional Studies, writes about the nature of modern humanism and atheism.

 
Woman's HourBBC Radio 4 21 September 2011Dr Jeremy Hodgen, from the Department of Education and Professional Studies, talks about research he has conducted looking at the understanding of maths by teenagers (item starts 01:23).
 
 
Criminal investigationsThe Guardian 13 September 2011Dr Chris Tribble, from the Department of Education and Professional Studies, writes a column on the linguistics behind describing crime.
Number of clueless maths pupils soarsThe Sunday Times 11 September 2011Dr Jeremy Hodgen, from the Department of Education and Professional Studies, has presented research stating that there has been no improvement in the standard of maths education.
Woman's HourBBC Radio 4 2nd September 2011Dr Bethan Marshall, from the Department of Education and Professional Studies, talks about the impact of the reduction in funding for gifted and talented children (item starts 13:06).
 
Fry's English DelightBBC Radio 4 1 August 2011Dr Julia Snell, from the Education and Professional Studies Department, spoke to Stephen Fry about whether we judge each other by accents and language (item starts 04:38). * Dr Snell's comments were also reported by The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail.
 
It's club night for science teachersThe Guardian 19 July 2011Professor Justin Dillon, from the Department of Education and Professional Studies, reports on the Science Teacher Journal Club, a network of science teachers who discuss new ideas.
 
Eye on the jobThe Sunday Times 11 July 2011Professor Celia Roberts, from the Department of Education and Professional Studies, writes a letter commenting on the perception of equality in interviews
Famous first wordsGuardian Weekly 5 July 2011Dr Chris Tribble, from the Departmen of Education and Professional Studies, writes an article about phrases used to start sentences.
Healthcare showBBC London 6th June 2011Professor Margaret Cox, from the Department of Education and Professional Studies, talks about artificial limb technology designed at Kings.
Blue Labour's openness embraces traditionGuardian.co.uk, Comment is Free, Tuesday 3 May 2011Dr Luke Bretherton, Reader in Theology & Politics, Department of Education & Professional Studies, writes "Religion can appear a threat to what is 'progressive'. But tradition is not the enemy of emancipatory politics – it is the basis of it.
"Sound and fury of the New AtheistsThe Times (Christian Faith supplement) 23 April 2011Reverend Professor Alister McGrath, Chair in Theology, Ministry and Education and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion & Culture, writes about the 'New Atheism', and how cultural interest in God and religion has resurged.
 
RE is being killed off, say academicsThe Telegraph (p10) 12 March 2011 High-quality religious education lessons face being killed off because of teaching cuts and the subject's exclusion from new-style school league tables, academics have warned in a letter to The Telegraph today. Revered Professor Alister McGrath, Chair in Theology, Ministry & Education and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion & Culture, Andrew Wright, Professor of Religious and Theological Education, and Ann-Marie Brandom, Lecturer in Religious Education, have co-signed the letter.
 
Poor maths result for home teamThe Times Higher Education (p14) 6 January 2011Fewer than one in five students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland study any kind of mathematics after GCSE, the lowest participation in a comparative study of 24 countries. The research was by Dr Jeremy Hodgen, Department of Education & Professional studies. 
 
King James BibleBBC Radio 4's 'King James Bible' 4 January 2011Reverend Professor Alister McGrath, Chair in Theology, Ministry and Education and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion & Culture, was featured in this programme hosted by James Naughtie which marked the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible.    
 

Class divide says books are for girlsThe Daily Telegraph (p14) 18 December 2010An article by Dr Bethan Marshall, Department of Education & Professional Studies, on reading. Japan: 85 per cent. The UK: 14 per centThe Guardian (p5) 14 December 2010A new report by Dr Jeremy Hodgen, Department of Education and Professional Studies, shows the UK performing poorly in the numbers doing maths after 16. *Also on The Daily Telegraph online. Community organizingABC - The Drum (Australia) 8 December 2010Dr Luke Bretherton, Senior Lecturer in Theology & Politics, Convener, Faith & Public Policy Forum, took part in a discussion on community organizing and the role of religion in politics. Gove serves notice on teacher trainingThe Times Educational Supplement (p4) 19 November 2010Michael Gove will announce the biggest overhaul of teacher training in a generation when he publishes his white paper next week. Dr Jeremy Burke, Lecturer in mathematics education, Department of Education & Professional Studies said Mr Gove’s position is an ideological one. Talking yourself into an MAThe Guardian Weekly (p29) 12 November 2010The UK is a leader in the field of ELT research and study, with over 40 MA courses aimed at developing knowledge about language acquisition, pedagogical theory and the diversity of ELT in a global context, while instructions in other countries are increasingly opening up this subject to international participants. Dr Nick Andon, Lecturer in English Language Education, Department of Education & Professional Studies, runs the MA Tescol course and is looking not just for experience but to bring together a student group that reflects the diversity of ELT globally. An embarrassment of richesThe Guardian 9 November 2010Words associated with 'poor' are multiplying, stretching the gap with 'rich' writes Dr Christopher Tribble, Lecturer in applied linguistics, Department of Education & Professional Studies.  Free SchoolsBBC Radio 4's 'Today' programme 26 October 2010How "free" will Free Schools in England be? One of the ideas being considered by the government is that rules about teaching qualifications should be relaxed, allowing some people to take classes who did not have the required teacher training. The feature included interviews with two trainee teachers Gove should delay creating more academies and free schoolsThe Guardian (p31) 14 September 2010Mr Gove should call together leading researchers into school admissions, governance and finances, with other experts and professional leaders, to advise him quickly on the likely consequences of his far-reaching policies. We urge him to delay making approvals beyond the 16 free schools and 32 new academies opening this term until this has been done writes Professor Margaret Brown, Department of Education, and others. Maths in primary schoolsBBC Radio 4's 'More or Less' 10 September 2010Dr Jeremy Hodgen, Senior lecturer in mathematics education, questioned whether people need to be able to maths on paper or whether they need to be taught how to use a calculator. Place of God in creation of the universeChannel 4 'Channel 4 News' 3 September 2010God did not create the universe according to Professor Stephen Hawking. The scientist, who has previously failed to rule out the role of a creator, says the laws of physics were behind the Big Bang. Alister E. McGrath, Professor of Theology, Department of Education & Professional Studies, was interviewed on the subject. *Also on ITV 1 'News At Ten'. Labour's organising rootsGuardian, Comment is Free, Friday 16 July 2010Dr Luke Bretherton traces the common roots of Labour and community organising and relates this to David Miliband's leadership campaign. Votes, vows and volunteersThe Tablet (p6) 10 July 2010Dr Luke Bretherton, Senior lecturer in theology and politics, writes that active citizenship is not a responsibility to the state but responsibilty for joining with others in the care of our common inheritence, on which all our futures depend. Training move would 'kill off' PGCE, dons warnThe Times Educational Supplement (p4) 25 June 2010Government plans to shift initial teacher training into schools could "kill off" the PGCE and "wipe out" university education departments, experts have warned. Jeremy Burke,Department of Education & Professional studies, said: 'Pulling funding will kill off the PGCE because universities wouldn't be able to afford to run them and management will close them down if they can't pay.' Consensus versus conflict: new politics?Times Online 5 May 2010Dr Luke Bretherton, Department of Education & Professional Studies, writes that Community organising, as exemplified by CitizensUK, is a principle embraced by all three of the main parties, but it questions core tenets of political liberalism. 'Cool' science is still underfunded and undervalued The Guardian (P41) 15 April Justin Dillon, Professor of science and environmental education, Department of Education & Professional Studies, writes that scepticism supported by a powerful blend of science, social science and the humanities that is moving us towards the golden age.  It's time for all parties to take politics out of running schoolsThe Guardian (Letters) 31 March 2010A letter that calls for schooling to be depoliticised is signed by Professor Margaret Brown, Department of Education and Professional Studies. Brain developmentBBC Radio 4 'Inside the Brain of a Five-Year-Old' 29 March 2010The programme investigates the latest research into the working of the five year old brain, and asks whether they are really designed to cope with today's classrooms. It includes an interview with Professor Mike Askew, Department of Education & Professional Studies, who said that there needs to be a consensus in brain development research before it is used to influence the classroom.  Quality of school books hit by changesThe Independent (p17) 29 March 2010Constant changes to the national curriculum have left school textbooks floundering in their wake, according to a major international study of maths performance published today. The research is by the Department of Education & Professional Studies. *Also in the Daily Mail. King's press release related to 'Quality of school books hit by changes' Must trig harder: how can we make maths count in primaries?The Times Educational Supplement (p26) 26 March 2010One in five children does not reach the target level in maths when they leave primary school. The article includes comment from Margaret Brown, Professor of mathematics education, Department of Education & Professional Studies. Natural sciencesBBC Radio 4 'Lent Talks' 24 March 2010Rev Professor Alister McGrath, Department of Education and Professional Studies, gave one of a series of six talks by eminent thinkers exploring how faith and religion interact with a variety of aspects in society. Letter: National havensThe Guardian (p35) 15 February 2010Justin Dillon, Professor of science and environmental education, Department of Education and Professional Studies, writes that whichever academic subject you choose, papers are invariably subject to a similar peer review process.She's a 'pushy' middle-class parent, but why does she feel her views aren't welcome at school?TES (p16) 29 January 2010Middle-class parents from ethnic minorities are happy to live out the cliche of excessive involvement in their children's academic lives, but often struggle to make their views heard at school, new research from Professor Louise Archer has found. King's press release related to 'She's a 'pushy' middle-class parent, but why does she feel her views aren't welcome at school?'Maths and parentsBBC 1 'Breakfast' 13 January 2010Mike Askew, Professor of mathematics education, appeared on BBC Breakfast discussing maths and parents.MathsBBC Radio 4's 'What's So Great About ...?' 9 January 2010Mike Askew, Professor of mathematics education, Department of Education & Professional Studies, was featured on Lenny Henry's 'What’s so Great about Maths.'