Google is to ban adverts for essay writing services - following claims that plagiarism is threatening the integrity of university degrees.

There have been complaints from universities about students being sold customised essays on the internet.

A secondary school has apologised after a confidential report book which called pupils names like "ding bat" and "wally" was found lying in a street.

The booklet, produced by The Howard School for boys, in Rainham, Kent, carried a specific message on its front page - "Do not leave lying around".

There are fears for the future of a scheme aimed at promoting top grade teaching, after a lack of applications.

The Excellent Teacher scheme aims to boost standards in England by getting experienced teachers to coach others.

An A-level biology practical exam was so problematic some schools told students what outcomes they should be getting, it has been claimed.

The headmaster of Brighton College, Richard Cairns, said at some schools, teachers helped during the exam while others provided answers at the outset.

School support staff in England could get their own pay structure - ending years of ad hoc arrangements.

The government has begun moves towards drawing up a framework for pay and conditions for the 300,000 teaching assistants and other support staff.

The National Union of Teachers has made a 10% pay claim for staff in England and Wales from September 2008.

It wants a minimum award of £3,000 and an end to the separate, performance-related upper pay scale.

Private schools could be required to lend teachers to state schools and share other facilities under proposals by Education Secretary Alan Johnson.

Mr Johnson, a Labour deputy leadership candidate, says independent schools in England and Wales should do more to justify their charitable status.

Dyslexia Action and British Dyslexia Association (BDA) strongly dispute claims that dyslexia does not exist.

To the 6 million people dyslexia effects in the UK, it is very real. Dyslexia is not the same as just having a reading difficulty. It is a combination of abilities and difficulties that affect the learning process in one or more of reading, spelling and writing.

School staff will need body armour when new powers to search pupils for weapons come into force, a teaching union says. Teachers are now able to authorise staff or security guards to carry out such searches.

The Professional Association of Teachers says staff who carry out searches must be trained and should have access to protective clothing.

Teachers who encourage whole classes to put their hands up to answer a question, risk leaving quiet children behind, a government study suggests.

Researchers in England studied why some primary pupils, who performed well in previous years, struggled to keep up.

Members of Scotland's largest teaching union have called for Army recruitment teams to be banned from visiting schools and colleges.

The EIS said it could seem like an endorsement of Army careers.

Colin Mackay, from the union's Edinburgh branch, said most teachers did not support careers where young people could be sent to danger zones.

Schools in poorer parts of England are struggling to find enough governors to cope with what is an increasingly complex role, a study has said.

A Joseph Rowntree Foundation report said the idea every school should have its own governors might seem "bizarre".

Orange UK has released its first anti-bullying programme specifically designed to tackle the new and growing problem of mobile bullying.

The Orange anti-bullying programme includes a film highlighting the issue and classroom activities for use by secondary school teachers. The programme is available to schools throughout the UK.

The number of surplus school places in England has risen to 758,000 - the highest level since 1998.

This is the equivalent of more than 2,000 average-sized primary and 250 secondary schools lying empty.

Four primary schools are giving families the choice of pupils starting lessons at different times of the day.

In a government-funded experiment, pupils in Plymouth, Devon, can start formal lessons at 7.45am or 11am, instead of 9am.

Bewator’s award winning Entro access control system, already renowned for its reliability, value for money and scalability, has now evolved even further with the release of Version 5.3.

Entro Version 5.3 now facilitates access control integration with the Siemens Building Technologies Sistore digital video recording (DVR) range.

The results and attitudes to school of unruly and disaffected pupils can be improved by having one or two hours of extra sport a week, research suggests.

Across the UK, 11,000 pupils have been taking part in a scheme called Living for Sport, doing such things as archery, martial arts and boxing.

Edinburgh University's Senate has agreed to strip Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe of his honorary degree.

It comes after years of campaigning by politicians and students because of Mugabe's brutal regime.

One of the biggest frustrations for teachers today is assessing ICT. The new GOAL ICT Online Assessments offered by Education Development International (EDI), allow teachers to assess the ICT capabilities of pupils in word processing, spreadsheets, databases, drawing packages and the internet. Designed by teachers for teachers, the assessments incorporate the latest interactive technology delivering a range of tasks for students to accomplish, in order to establish their ability in ICT and measure knowledge and skill levels.

Budding young journalists between the ages of 7-19 years are invited to submit a film review of no more than 250 words whilst younger film fans (aged 3-7) can enter the Mini Film Fan Poster Design Competition. The winner of each age category will receive a Yamaha Theatre System as well as a school prize of classroom equipment and film teaching resources.

Children are exposed to far more technology today than ever before. When we think of mobile phones, MP3 or DVD players, we tend to see them as the necessary accoutrements of everyday life for a child. But when it comes to employing this technology in the classroom, the concerns are slightly different. It is no longer a matter of choice or fashion whether children come into contact with these new devices; it is mass indoctrination on a hitherto unprecedented scale.

Walker Morris is launching their annual Children's Charity Calendar Painting Competition, now in its 14th year.

Corporate law firm Walker Morris is encouraging budding young artists to win prizes for both themselves and their schools in its annual Charity Calendar Painting Competition.

A nationwide project to seek out the most talented woodworkers in secondary schools and sixth form colleges has been launched. Design and technology departments are being invited to submit examples of their pupils’ handicraft in a bid to win valuable specialist woodworking equipment and materials for their workshop.

Olympic gold medallist Darren Campbell has joined forces with children’s fitness specialist Gymkids as chief ambassador for the company’s new children’s fitness initiative – Fit Crew.

Now crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks cannot be sold on the premises, schools are looking for tempting, healthier alternatives to keep students satisfied between meals. Lucky schools in the West Midlands can thank HEART of ENGLAND fine foods (HEFF) for developing the ‘S Bar’ smoothie bar and the healthier vending ‘V Machine’ initiatives to help students adopt healthier eating habits.

Independent schools are under fire from the government and the Charity Commission to prove their charitable status in order to continue to benefit from lucrative tax breaks. Education secretary Alan Johnson has put forward various suggestions as to how private schools can serve their communities better, from opening up more facilities to state schools, to actually lending teachers.

The founders of the Democracy in Schools Standard, a set of practical guidelines that has been developed in consultation with young people, teachers and staff from higher education to assist in the teaching of democracy, are celebrating the launch of their brand new website. The new website, www.thedemocracyinschoolsstandard.com has been designed to provide useful information and case studies relating to the standard, and is a point of contact for all schools that would like to register.

This summer, Samsung IT will launch of its latest technology innovation for the education sector. Named the Q1 Ultra, Samsung’s new Ultra Mobile Portable PC has been developed to provide a new type of flexible technology platform and true mobile computing for the education sector. Nicknamed the personal learning tool of the future, the Samsung Q1 Ultra is part of a Samsung initiative to cultivate and inspire the classrooms of the future.

DK's Eyewitness series has transformed the world of children’s non-fiction publishing by presenting comprehensive information on a wide range of topics in a clear and accessible way and will shortly be celebrating twenty magnificent years. The Eyewitness series offer clear and specific facts, records and timelines which are accompanied by striking colour photography and impressive design, providing a one-stop shop for everything children need to know about anything.

School Milk was axed in 1971 by then Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher. However 30 years on, and the old favourite is back in schools.

5.6 million Primary School children in England are entitled to 189ml of free or subsidised milk everyday, thanks to UK funding from the Welfare Foods scheme, and EU subsidy available under the Rural Payment Agency.

Figures released by Foremans Relocatable Building Systems, the UK’s largest supplier of recycled and refurbished modular buildings to the education sector, indicate that the demand for this highly sustainable approach to construction is increasing dramatically.

In the UK in the last decade, 66 under-19s were killed at work whilst over 14,500 suffered major injuries. With over 350,000 school children annually embarking on work experience these statistics have highlighted the need for relevant health and safety training in schools.

At St Edmund’s School in Canterbury, a new single storey, 10- bay modular dormitory unit supplied by A-Plant’s Modular Accommodation division forms the new temporary home during term time for the 28 boys of the Canterbury Cathedral Choir, all of whom are pupils at the school. The choir boys will be boarding in the modular building hired from A-Plant for two years whilst their normal accommodation, the beautiful Choir House in the Cathedral Precincts, is refurbished.

We’ve all heard the old adage ‘children should be seen and not heard’, but the reality is that groups of lively children are rarely silent. However, there are steps that schools can take to ensure that noise is minimised, says Linda Briffett of interior surfaces specialists Altro.

Mitsubishi Electric’s Visual Information Systems division, a leading manufacturer of innovative, high quality display solutions has announced the introduction of a new deinstall/reinstall warranty for both the education and public sector on the XL9U standard and Orange XL9U ultra portable projector.

Keeping the attention of young people with special educational needs is a tough challenge – Waterloo Lodge School in Lancashire is improving attainment through increased use of interactive whiteboards.

We are teaching a generation that is surrounded by technology that is second nature to them. Many children are immersed in the world of gadgets, and for some teachers, it is a daily battle to draw their attention back to class. Here, we focus on some of the technologies that have found their way into classrooms in the race to compete with PSPs and iPods for pupils’ mind space.

Epson announces the launch of two new versatile desktop projectors, ideal for use in schools, colleges and universities. Both the EMP-83e and EMP-X5e, offer the quality and security features typically associated with higher range projectors, combined with an affordable price tag.

Café Bar (UK), one of the country’s largest suppliers of hot and cold drinks machines and ingredients, currently supplies drinks systems to campus halls of residence, staff rooms and student dining rooms throughout the UK.

Built and designed to the highest specifications from beech-faced MDF, the stylish yet robust mobile storage units are perfect for keeping classrooms neat, tidy and free from clutter. Manufactured to withstand the rigours of constant use, they can cope with even the most demanding environments like pre-school, nurseries and junior schools.

At a glance the Mobile storage concept from Railex Systems may seem too large and commercial in style for the education sector, but a recent installation at Woodbridge School in Suffolk illustrates the total flexibility of this unique design.

A new Desk System for Schools

Essex based Akhter Computers plc, who have supplied PCs to schools for more than a quarter of a century, recently launched their first IT desks. The Desk8 system has been designed in the UK, to help keep school PCs secure. The move into furniture represents a new direction for the company in response to the need that schools have for a value for money desk system that is robust, flexible and secure; with a tidy cable management system.

The regulatory reform (fire safety) order 2005, now states: “you must consider the safe evacuation of everyone on your premises and pay particular attention to people with disabilities or anyone who may need special help”. This order includes “Educational Premises” (Schools, Colleges, Universities and Training Establishments).

Following the success of the 2006 Bin It! Schools Programme, The Wrigley Company has relaunched the campaign for summer 2007. This year's tour of the actorpresentation will see a further 5000 Year 7 and 8 pupils take part in the interactive education programme that teaches young people to dispose of their used gum and litter responsibly.

Valpak Ltd, the UK’s leading compliance scheme, is once again co-ordinating the UK’s entry to the Youth Eco-Parliament 2007-08. In May 2008, Valpak will be taking a delegation of young people to represent the UK at the third Youth Eco- Parliament in Prague.

For a better understanding of modern school washrooms, consult the new Education brochure by Twyford Bushboard. You will find practical, fun washroom answers for all ages, from bib to mortarboard.

Teachers at a pioneering Doncaster college are at the forefront of a groundbreaking initiative to further the employment opportunities of people with hearing and communication difficulties.

With the recent launch of the Zapkut portable vertical panel saw and the Koolkut Series '2' and '3' families, associate companies Zapkut Ltd and Sagetech Industries Ltd now offer the widest range of vertical panel saws available worldwide.

Discover the benefits of a virtual learning environment (VLE) by populating your platform with Birchfield Interactive’s VLE Content Packs.

Liversedge-based GNG Sport, the UK’s leading provider of branded rugby training equipment, is swapping the training pitch for the playground in a first for the company, by producing a number of bespoke protective pads in the play area of a local prepreparatory school.

Parrs, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of industrial and commercial workplace equipment, has enhanced its existing range of mobile air conditioners, air coolers and fans with a host of new models.

More than thirty-five air-cooling products, including mobile systems, are featured in the latest 636-page Parrs catalogue or can be ordered online at www.parrs.co.uk

Looking for washrooms that are safe, secure yet also stimulating? Then discover the choice for secondary schools and universities that only Armitage Venesta can offer.

Recent years have seen mobile Notebook PCs come into favour in education, as both their specification and price gap has converged with traditional desktop PCs. For many schools, the promised advantage of mobile computing has been somewhat disappointing. The reason, Notebook operating hours has not kept pace with the dramatic overall upward shift in other specifications. Many existing notebooks still need recharging after just 2 or 3 hours.

Introducing Shakespeare isn't easy. One innovative and entertaining approach is offered by the Shakespeare Comic Book Series. Each of the titles in the series presents an edited version of an original Shakespeare play, supported by a modern English translation - and all in a highly illustrated, comic book format.

Alphabets, Hieroglyphs &Pictograms

Thames & Hudson paperback £11.95

Without writing there would be no history and no civilization as we know it. But how, when and where did writing evolve?

for ages 4+

Scholastic paperback £30

This complete solution to the new phonics guidance, contains:

• an intensive 22-week systematic synthetic phonics course all in one book

This beautifully illustrated, full-colour history of costume has bee produced by bestselling author, John Peacock, especially for children.

With over 325 hand-drawn illustrations and clearly written descriptions on every page, it is sure to delight and inspire any child aged eight and above who has an interest in fashion or history.

Over 70 playground activities for fit, healthy and happy kids

A&C Black paperback £14.99

Playtimes are the ideal time to get kids active and encourage them to get fit, cooperate with each other and have fun. This is a comprehensive guide to introducing constructive, positive physical play to playtimes to improve the situation for pupils, teachers and school assistants.

KS1, Lower KS2, Upper KS2

A&C Black paperback £12.99 each

These easy-to-use, practical manuals contain everything needed to know to carry out each 10-minute activity. Equipment required is minimal.