Education,health and care plans and tribunals in England: A statistical tale from 2019

Education, health and care (EHC) plans were introduced in England in 2014, as a replacement for statements of special educational needs. Unexpectedly, the number of children and young people in receipt of an EHC plan rose by 49% during the 5 years up to 2019. Whilst most of the increase has been due to the extension of the age range up to age 25, there has still been a notable rise of 20% in the 0–15-year range. This study explores the trends and variations in EHC plans and tribunals within English local authorities (LAs) for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND) by interrogating the latest full set of data from 2013 to 2018. Two quintile groups (n = 30) are used for comparing LAs with high and low levels of EHC plans and LA case studies are also presented for further inspection of the data. Wide variations across LAs still exist for EHC plans (5.2% to 1.0%) and tribunal appeals (43 to 0 per 10,000). LAs with low EHC plans have more appealable decisions at tribunals and are financed at significantly lower levels than LAs with high EHC plans, largely due to an historic spend factor of 50% in the national funding formula. There are also clear differences between the English regions for both EHC plans and tribunals, with high increases for both in the South East. The implications of the findings are discussed within the framework of LA critical self-reviews, benchmarking, fiscal constraints and inclusion.     

Poetry and Assessment: An Investigation into Teachers' Perceptions of the Impact of Closed Book Examinations on Teaching and Learning at GCSE

In 2015 the government initiated reforms to GCSE English Literature which included a shift from open book to closed book examinations. This change, now being implemented in schools, has been overlooked in research and policy discourse. This study compares government intentions for the reforms with teachers’ experiences of teaching poetry, using data drawn from interviews with seven teachers. Teachers felt the demands of closed book examinations affected their autonomy, distribution of classroom time and students’ creative relationship with poetry. This study raises questions as to whether closed book examinations are appropriate for assessing poetry and are conducive to a fulfilling poetry education.     

Telecommunications and Cable

Ken Marsh's Independent Video (San Francisco: Straight Arrow Books, 1974—$7.95, paper)

Richard H. Davis and Allen E. Edwards' Television: A Therapeutic Tool for the Aged (Publication and Media Projects, Andrus Gerontology Center, University Park, Los Angeles, Calif. 90007—$2.25, paper)

Irving W. Larson (ed.) EIA Electronics Multimedia Handbook (Indianapolis: Howard W. Sams, 1975—price not known, paper)

Kendall Webster Sessions' 2nd Class FCC Encyclopedia (Blue Ridge Summit, Pa.: TAB Books, 1975—$10.95/7.95)

Mary Louise Hollowell (ed.) Cable Handbook: 1975-1976—A Guide to Cable and New Communications Technologies (Communications Press, 1346 Connecticutt Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036—$7.35, including postage, paper)

Gilbert Gillespie's Public Access Cable Television in the United States and Canada (New York: Praeger Special Studies, 1975—price not given, but likely around $12.00 or so)     

Music and Music People

Jay Caress Hank Willimns: Country Musics Tragic King (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.; Stein & Day, 1979—S10.95)

Dave Marsh Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen. Story (Garden City r. N.Y.: Doubleday/Dolphin Books, l979—$7.75,paper.)

The Music Makera (New York: Harry N. Abrams, l979-$35.00)

Yehudi Menuhin and Curtis W. Davis. The Music of Man (Toronto and New York: Methuen, 1979 —$24,95)

Gregory Allen Munford Munford's Simple Guide to Classical Music (Chicago: Chicago Review Press (215 Ohio St., 60610), . 1979– - $4.95, paper)

John Storm Roberts The Latin Tinge: The Impact of Latin America Music on the United States (New York: Oxford University Press,.1979–$12.95)