A complete ban on smacking has been rejected by ministers, after a review suggested most parents opposed one. Laws were tightened in England and Wales in 2004, but minister Kevin Brennan said they appeared to be working and would not change further.

Parents in England may be warned if their children are found to be overweight, under government proposals. Children in England are currently measured at the ages of five and 10, but parents are informed of the results only if they request them. The new plan may see parents getting results automatically.

Summer-born children do significantly worse in exams than those born earlier in the school year, research suggests. Analysis of exam results in England's state schools showed August-born pupils were less likely to get five good GCSEs than those born in September.

There needs to be "a national revolution" in children's reading at school and at home, says England's Schools Secretary, Ed Balls. A book at bedtime should be as much a part of the daily routine as brushing a child's teeth, Mr Balls said. Just 10 minutes of reading a day could make a difference to a child's future by instilling a love of books, he said.

The government should rethink its refusal to separate the assessment and funding of special educational needs provision, an MPs' committee has said. Local councils are responsible for assessing what extra help children may need in schools, as well as funding it.

Schoolgirls in Britain will be vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer from September 2008, ministers have announced. This goes further than recommended by experts, with all aged 12-13 eligible, and a catch-up campaign up to 18. It is thought that vaccinating against human papilloma virus (HPV) could save hundreds of lives in the UK each year.

Almost half of all children have had property stolen from them at school, a survey by the charity the Howard League for Penal Reform suggests. The survey of more than 3,000 children, questioned between 1997 and 2006, also found that 18% had been the victim of theft on their way home from school. It also suggests that 57% of children have had property deliberately damaged.

Schools have been given new government targets for the progress children in England make during their education. Targets remain for getting a certain proportion of pupils past particular levels in Sats tests and GCSEs. But new ones from the Treasury involve children going up by at least two national curriculum levels from their starting points in each Key Stage. Schools must also narrow the attainment gap between the poor and the rest. Unions say it all overburdens teachers.

Primary school children and their parents are suffering from "deep anxiety" about modern life, according to a study of education in England. The Cambridge-based Primary Review's report said the pressure of Sats tests dominated the last two primary years. Researchers ran 87 discussions with groups of children, parents, teachers and others; 750 people took part.

A High Court judge who ruled on whether climate change film, An Inconvenient Truth, could be shown in schools said it contains "nine scientific errors". Mr Justice Burton said the government could still send the film to schools - if accompanied by guidance giving the other side of the argument. He was ruling on an attempt by a Kent school governor to ban the film from secondary schools.

Parents are prepared to move house or lie to win a place for their child at a good school, a study has suggested. Half of the 1,255 adults polled for the Children's Society said they would move home to get into a good state school's catchment area. And one in seven said they would give a false address or fib about their faith to escape the "schools lottery". Ministers said the schools admissions code was designed to outlaw unfair and covert admission practices.

The social divide in schools in England shows little sign of closing, says the annual report from Ofsted inspectors. Chief Inspector Christine Gilbert warned that poorer children still had "odds stacked against them" - achieving lower results than wealthier children.

The government is taking another look at the effect that wireless networks have on health. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has announced it will carry out "systematic" research into how wireless networks are being used.

Gordon Brown has pledged to eradicate failure from England's schools, saying those which let children down will be taken over or closed. He said local authorities would be encouraged to use new powers to intervene in failing schools. Britain needed to do more to close the achievement gap between children from different backgrounds, he said. And he announced plans to overhaul the apprenticeship system to make training more widely available.

The growing number of toythemed virtual worlds aimed at young people risks undermining the basic human values we wish to instil in children. So said industry veteran Lord Puttnam opening a London conference devoted to discussing virtual worlds.

The UK computer agency Becta is advising schools not to sign licensing agreements with Microsoft because of alleged anticompetitive practices. The government agency has complained to the Office of Fair Trading. It says talks with Microsoft have not resolved "fundamental concerns" about academic licensing and about Office 2007 and the Vista operating system.

Sing Up is the new Government funded national singing programme which aims to increase opportunities for primary school-aged children to enjoy singing as part of their everyday lives in school, the home and in the wider community. The Sing Up programme will provide resources to help teachers and parents to put singing back at the heart of children’s lives.

The authors question the validity of rising national test scores Costly literacy schemes in England have not paid off, with children's reading skills barely improved since the 1950s, an independent inquiry suggests. The £500m spent has had a "relatively small impact", according to the Cambridgebased Primary Review. Interim reports for the twoyear inquiry also criticise national tests, saying teachers' views should be used.

Children who move to secondary schools without their friends can struggle to settle in, research says. A study of 600 children and 80 parents showed that 10% of the children were going on to secondary school alone. The author of the report, for the Economic and Social Research Council, says children feared turning up alone would make them a target for bullies.

PAT General Secretary Philip Parkin said: "Raising the school leaving age is a potential minefield that could be disastrous. We could end up with married, voting parents being disciplined or criminalised for not attending school or college. “It is hardly surprising that some disenchanted young people do not want to set themselves up to be further alienated by compulsory 16 to 18 education or business-led training designed for purely economic reasons to fill a skills gap. To make them conscripts is likely to reinforce failure, leading to even greater disaffection.

Teaching for tests in maths and English deprives primary school children of a wide range of subjects, a study claims. Data from 802 of England's primary schools over the past 10 years showed these core subjects were taught at the expense of science, art and humanities.

Three-quarters of people in Britain are optimistic about the future for their families, a BBC poll suggests. Despite dire political warnings about family breakdown, that figure is 24% higher than when the same question was asked in 1964. And of 1,001 adults surveyed, 95% said their families were close - a rise of 4% since 1999.

Extra funding has been announced to give three and four-year-olds in England more free nursery education. Children's Minister Beverley Hughes has pledged £340m to extend the entitlement from 12.5 to 15 hours a week. The expansion will be rolled out across the country over three years, with poor families being targeted first. The 15 hours is available in 20 areas already.

A firm favourite with teachers and children alike, STAEDTLER’s Handwriting Pen --is designed to give children more control and therefore encourage better handwriting skills. The tip is specially designed to provide resistance against the paper which slows children down and encourages tidy writing. It is also made from hardwearing plastic to withstand even the sort of heavy duty pressure children can inflict.

Global restaurant chain McDonalds is introducing California Raisins into its restaurants. Believed to be a first for California Raisins in McDonalds in any global region, the initial launch is planned for Ireland with the intended roll out across the UK. The move reflects the chain’s decision to offer healthier options to its 54 million daily global customers.

The £1.25m Emerald II Fund, managed by early stage investment specialist ESynergy, is offering more financial support to university research projects with commercial potential.

Students and teachers from England and Poland have been taking part in a pioneering project aimed at increasing the awareness of enterprise and entrepreneurship and building an enterprise culture in schools. The teaching materials produced throughout the project are now available to other schools free of charge.

Why Does Your School Need Soundfield? Children need clear speech from teachers to overcome their undeveloped listening skills, high levels of background noise as well as temporary hearing impairments due to colds, glue ear, etc. Teachers thus find themselves repeating everything and raising their voices above a normal level. Time is wasted, stress levels go up and valuable learning opportunities are missed - with the inevitable effect on academic results.

Recently, a group of enthusiastic pupils from Ferryhill Primary School, Edinburgh, attended a meeting with the Scottish Executive at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, to give an inspirational presentation about life at their Eco School.

The crucial role technology can play in responding to the education challenges laid out in the Prime Minister’s speech in November 2007 was today emphasised by Becta’s Chief Executive Stephen Crowne.

A young language student is found murdered in her digs in Italy during her exchange year from Leeds University, a toddler is abducted from her hotel room in Portugal and an 11-year-old boy is shot dead while playing football in a pub car park in Liverpool. These are the headlines that have dominated papers in recent months. Can there be a parent out there that hasn’t read these stories with mounting dread and vowed to keep their children under closer supervision?

Some may believe that refurbishment is the cheaper or easier option when it comes to improving school buildings but they would be wrong. Refurbishment is in fact often more expensive and constitutes more of a challenge than undertaking a rebuild. For example, when installing new ceilings or floors, it is necessary to remove the old ones from site before proceeding. In addition, there are fixtures and fittings from another era, which need to be taken into consideration.

Interior surfaces specialist, Altro has challenged traditional perceptions of slip resistant flooring with its innovative product Timbersafe, the first wood effect safety flooring from Altro, the inventors of safety flooring.

With a reputation for first class education, the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, needed something special when it came to flooring for its new design and technology room.

Linda Briffett of interior surfaces specialists, Altro, discusses the importance of specifying sustainable materials in educational buildings.

Spillages and shoe scuffs were proving a real headache for teachers at a Warwickshire school as previous floors in its science laboratories have always failed to score top marks. But now thanks to interior surface specialists Altro, the lab floors at Kenilworth School are going to be making the grade for longer after Mirica was recently installed in two attractive colourways.

Interior surfaces specialist Altro has launched an innovative design and cut flooring service so that compliance with the DDA regulations is not compromise.

Altro, has launched a range of safety flooring to keep floors looking good for longer. Mirica has been developed to retain its attractive appearance, even in high traffic areas and has been created with the needs of the end user in mind. Its modern patterned look is designed to minimise the visibility of scuffing and soiling that are the result of routine use between daily cleaning.

Health and safety is at the top of schools’ agendas. Floors in entrances, circulation areas and science and technology laboratories, in particular, are surfaces that see the most slips and trips.

Schools and colleges looking for a sustainable flooring solution can turn to Altro, which has recently been awarded the highest possible A rating for its Suprema safety flooring range under the Building Research Establishment (BRE) environmental profiling scheme.

Resin flooring offers unrivalled versatility and all round performance to suit any school environment that cannot be matched by ‘off the peg’ floor coverings. Resins are manufactured specifically for each individual situation, meaning that a vast array of colours, textures and finishes can be achieved.

Altro’s wall cladding portfolio has already proved to be a winner in a variety of environments such as education and is ideal for areas such as showers and changing rooms.

Caterham School in Surrey has been given a new lease of life by Altro, after replacing the wall cladding throughout the campus for a striking new look.

Earlier this year Ashbeech School in Ramsey St. Mary’s undertook a project to build an entirely ecofriendly classroom, funded by the school with many people volunteering their time and materials.

School rebuilding and refurbishment projects under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme will see many thousands of school pupils ‘decanted’ into alternative accommodation for up to two years while the work is completed. This is a significant part of a child’s school experience, so it is essential the temporary learning space is of a sufficiently high standard to meet the same objectives as BSF.

By incorporating Class A acoustic materials in its wing panels, the new Foil luminaire from Whitecroft Lighting addresses acoustic issues in the increasing number of classrooms, offices and other spaces where soffits are exposed to exploit the building’s thermal mass.

A Dor-O-Matic sliding door system has been installed at the new John Atkinson Sports Centre at Myton School in Warwick. This solution from Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies met the Centre’s need for an entrance able to cope with heavy pedestrian traffic and to facilitate easy access for people carrying bags and sporting equipment.

St Johns Primary School, a new build school in Sheldon, Co Durham opened its doors this year complete with Tarkett Marley Floors’ safety floors fitted throughout all the wet areas.

Contract interiors specialist Gradus has extended its range of barrier matting with the launch of Esplanade 1500 primary matting, for use in interior areas subject to medium to heavy volumes of pedestrian and wheeled traffic.

The main hall at Hawley Primary School in Blackwater, Surrey, has been transformed by the installation of American Oak effect sheet vinyl flooring from commercial flooring specialist Polyflor’s Forest FX collection.

FS Carpets has supplied textile and fibre bonded carpets and carpet tiles into hundreds of educational establishments for over 25 years. Ranges such as Chinook and New Typhoon broad and narrow rib fibre bonded products have become firm favourites with contractors and specifiers throughout the UK. CFS Carpets also has several ranges of extremely hard wearing textile carpets and carpet tiles that are suitable for use in communal areas, staff rooms and halls of residence. CFS Carpets products are regularly specified in large universities and City Academies.

The next generation of Graded safes from Securikey

Brand new range of Vds Tested and approved safes. The units are designed to provide the customer with a competitively priced , fully certified safe tested at one of Europe's leading test houses.

Victor’s popular Crown and Count hot cupboards, part of the company’s general purpose range, is undergoing a makeover. The units are now produced in a rich Golden Oak finish, as well as the popular stainless steel. Determined to give caterers more choice, the new golden oak wood effect plastic coated steel finish is part of the company’s continuous programme of product development.

Transforming gloomy quiet spaces into vibrant energetic performance settings, Stage Systems present their own show stopping performance with the launch of Sound & Light.

Total Print Finishing Services (Total PFS) is pleased to introduce the Total RP Sign and Presentation System. An on-demand sign production system developed specifically for use in the office and educational environments.

Leading independent UK finishing equipment supplier, Total Print Finishing Services, (Total PFS) has been appointed as the sole distribution agency for Planatol's PLANAX range of print finishing products in the UK - including the Copybinder 3 system.

Nu-way has announced the arrival of the EcoPart ground source heat pump.

Designed as an environmental heating solution for private houses and light commercial use, the heat pump is also suitable for small heated swimming pool applications.

Innovative external detection technology from Optex Europe, manufacturers of the award-winning Redwall range, is being deployed by South Lanarkshire Council to combat crime and reduce costly repair bills from vandalism at two primary schools in its area.

A newly constituted primary school in South Wales is benefiting from the installation of aluminium curtain walling and window systems from leading building envelope and solar energy products specialist, Schüco International.

Modern Security Solutions has enhanced the functionality of the AFIANT system, one of the UK’s leading network video recorders, with a new, integraded mobile phone/PDA application. The application delivers real-time, live video and audio playback to a standard 3G mobile or PDA and enables users to monitor activity without requiring a PC, 24 hours a day, regardless of location. All AFIANT customers with a customer care support package can be remotely upgraded for free.

A thermally-broken vertical sliding window that is eminently flexible but compliant with the ventilation requirements of Document F has been launched by leading architectural aluminium systems supplier Kawneer.

With its friendly character and vibrant colours, new “Munchy” the Caterpillar Seat from Glasdon is an exciting and appealing seat for children.

Leading North East business provider Knowledge I.T has completed work on a major contract to provide the IT infrastructure for a new Gateshead school.

The Pilot Pen Company is predicting a massive shift in the buying habits of schools and colleges in 2008.

According to John Cotterell, Pilot’s National Account Manager (Education): “The environment is a high priority for Bursars, Teachers and Pupils alike who are now demanding and switching to green versions of every day products.

A new scheme will allow schools, colleges and universities the advantage of a free independent technical consultant. Drama by Design has researched difficulties schools have with refurbishing drama or performing arts spaces and has come up with a solution.

Wireless and cellular telemetry specialist Radio-Tech has produced a remote legionella control and monitoring system that delivers significant time and cost savings to employers. The RTcom Legion is the only system currently available to fully comply with Table 3 of the Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) and Guidance, Legionnaires’ disease: The control of legionella bacteria in water systems (L8).

The National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) has pioneered an innovative toolkit to stop over a million children missing out at school.

Mitsubishi Electric has for many years been a leading manufacturer of presentation and display products for business, retail as well as the education sector, with a reputation for high quality, innovative solutions. Now Mitsubishi have two fully featured projectors designed specifically for the education market that both come with a three year deinstall/reinstall warranty as well as a three year lamp replacement warranty.

TV hosts Richard and Judy are hoping to boost child literacy by launching a children's version of their book club on their Channel 4 show.

Youngsters are missing out on their childhood because we over-protect them, a child play expert claims.

A reluctance to let children take risks could stop them developing vital skills needed to protect themselves, he adds.

This easy-to-read book was written for parents to buy on Saturday and, by Monday, have strategies in place to help their children cope with school.

Garnet Education paperback £6.95

This series of learning and practice books offers a fun route through Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 English and maths.

It features the Alien Club - six aliens from the planet Dunk, who won a prize to go to school on Earth and now want to pass on all they have learnt to your child.

This series provides all that is needed in order for students to prepare for their GCSE examinations. The practice paper are written by established Letts authors, who are examiners and teachers, with proven records of helping students to achieve top grades.

For anyone in the education sector wanting to acquaint themselves with the latest and very best in educational technology products, BETT is an absolute must.

It is that time of year again when nearly 30,000 visitors descend upon London Olympia for what has become the biggest and best technology in education show in the world. Taking place from the 9 -12 of January 2008 at London Olympia, BETT 2008 promises to be the biggest yet with almost 700 educational suppliers attending.

With an excellent local and national reputation, an outstanding Ofsted inspection, top examination results and high-reaching aims Middleton Technology School needs exceptional service from its suppliers.

Data security was put under the microscope recently with the loss of data on millions of families by HMRC. And last month the results of a comprehensive research project into school Management Information Systems (MIS) highlighted that much more should be done to protect the data relating to our children.

In fact, revolution in school MIS has already been called for. In their 2005 report ‘School Management Information Systems and Value for Money’, Becta identified that the school MIS marketplace suffered from a significant number of ‘suboptimal features’ that combined to prevent schools from realising the benefits from the significant investments made in school MIS systems.

The creation of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) has put technology at the heart of education. ICT decisions are becoming ever more critical to a school’s performance as new technologies inspire pupils of all abilities. Along the road to creating a first class Virtual Learning Environment, are key facilities that, if included, can take the VLE to a new level, helping schools achieve far more.

The education ‘industry’ is increasingly introducing technological advancement within the education environment at all levels. The Building Schools for the Future (BSF) program is not merely concerned with new buildings; it is also about finding ways to upgrade older type classrooms to be comparable with the modern, hi-tech teaching environments of new-build schools.

Hitachi Interactive Solutions is launching a revolutionary new interactive whiteboard – the FX-Duo board. This new whiteboard sets a new benchmark in interactive whiteboard technology with its distinctive simple touch of a finger or pen feature combined with a hard and durable surface – previously finger based technology required a touch membrane surface which is easily damaged. The FX-Duo combines all existing whiteboard functionality in one single solution giving educators and learners more flexibility in the classroom.

Epson, worldwide leader in the video-projector market for the past 6 years (Source: Decision Tree Consulting Limited) will use BETT 2008 to host the global launch of its latest education projector. Whilst Epson are being tight lipped about the details, their track record in the education projector market guarantees that it will meet the demanding requirements of the education market.

What can the education sector expect from Adobe at BETT this year?

At Adobe we believe that engaging learning experiences are the foundation of a great education, and at BETT we will be providing demonstrations and information that will bring this belief to life.

For secure storage and ultra-safe recharging of ICT in the classroom with that ‘little extra’, look no further than LapSafe® Products, stand H6 at The BETT Show.

Shorter, sharper Ofsted inspections have come at a price. Senior managers in schools now have to show, at a moment’s notice, that the school has undertaken an evaluation of its performance and identified priorities for improvement and set targets.

Parents and teachers can encourage, cajole, and even offer rewards for the completion of homework – but if the teenager doesn’t want to know, what else can the poor parent do?

Alfred McAlpine – IT Services has been chosen as the technology partner for Stockport College’s five-year new build project to create the ‘college of the future’. Alfred McAlpine – IT Services will provide design consultancy services and programme management for an IT system that will help the college to deliver a super infrastructure to support its 8,500 students.

Q. There is obviously a huge range of educational software available, what makes istopmotion different for students and teachers?

A. The technique of stop motion animation is the easiest way to create a movie with a story in the classroom. No need for a script (although you can make one if you like), no retakes until the actors got the lines right, no carpenter required to build the stage. Almost anything can be animated.

At the heart of any teaching environment is the aim to develop and inspire individuals and communities through engaging, educating and empowering them with theoretical knowledge and practical skills. As technology outside of the classroom succeeds in informing people at so many points in their lives, isn’t it time that education facilities also take advantage of today’s latest audio visual and information technology? However, with so much technology to choose from and so many tools to help bring lessons more to life, where should teachers even start?

Modern library systems must be multi-talented, managing a range of physical, digital and on-line resources. Whilst books are still of fundamental importance, targeted web-sites and electronic files now make up a greater proportion of a school’s resources. Students no longer expect to be limited to research from a few computers on a network, but expect to be able to search all available resources, over the web, from wherever they are.

Universities, Colleges and Schools offer vital services to students. The modern student will attend classes, access the resource centre, copy and print work, and buy lunch at a canteen. At each stage, they need to register in some way or verify both who they are and what services they have used. Traditionally, face-to-face encounters with members of staff would be enough, but in this world where reporting is a tiresome but necessary part of education, cards and now biometrics have become significant methods of authentication.

Pandi (www.pandi.co.uk) an IT Network Service company and a dedicated Cisco Premier Partner based in Chalfont St. Peter, have provided the first Cisco® Smart Care Service globally to Featherstone Primary & Nursery School. This brand new school opened in September 2006 in Southall, Middlesex.

Data-entry specialist Kendata Peripherals has introduced a new formsprocessing software package that enables the rapid extraction of data from responses to surveys and questionnaires.

New version of the one-click translation and reference software now includes Internet spell check, smart dictionary with automatic language recognition and auto completion of words

Puteaux, 27th November 2007 – NEC Computers has integrated the latest NVIDIA Quadro® graphic cards into its professional workstation range, allowing professional software users to obtain maximum flexibility and performance at an excellent price.

Q. There is obviously a huge range of educational software available, what makes istopmotion different for students and teachers?

A. The technique of stop motion animation is the easiest way to create a movie with a story in the classroom.