[eal-bilingual] Notifications and Announcements

Dear All,

This week's notice includes: 

1. DfES Making the Grade conference on Friday March 16th
2. Telling it like it is - A study detailing the experiences of disabled
children, young people and their families in Great Britain in 2006
3. Conference - The Write Strategies: Good for EAL, Good for All

Full details below. 

If you have any announcements, information about courses, details of
conferences, job vacancies that you would like included in future
notices please email details to: eal-bilingual-owner at lists.becta.org.uk

Regards, 

Jason 
Becta

___________________________________ 

1. DfES Making the Grade conference on Friday March 16th

Dear colleagues

if you haven't done so already, you may like to book a place now for the
DfES Making the Grade conference on Friday March 16th at the Oval
conference centre in South London.  The report of the 2 year action
research project will be launched and distributed to delegates along
with the documentary film 'Found in Translation' that was made during
the course of the project.  The report details the ways in which the 8
London schools that took part tried out a range of approaches and
strategies to raising the attainment of advanced bilingual learners in
their GCSE exams.  The DVD goes behind the data to the lives of some of
the students and the good practice in schools.

To register for the conference, for which there is no charge, go to the
organisers' website http://www.pauljamesassociates.co.uk , the
conference code is 358827 and the password is mtg.

A paragraph about the conference appears in the latest Dfes EMA unit
newletter which you will find on
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ethnicminority 
and schools and LAs were informed about it in a DfES e-mail on February
13th.

It should be a good event - not only will everybody receive a copy of
the report, a pack of practical strategies and the DVD but also the
keynote speaker is Sir Keith Ajegbo whose report on Diversity and
Citizenship, as I'm sure you know, is just out.  In the afternoon there
are 5 workshops by experts and practitioners in the field on aspects of
provision for advanced bilingual learners at Key Stage 4.

Hope to see you there!
With best wishes
Penny Travers

___________________________________ 

2. Telling it like it is - A study detailing the experiences of disabled
children, young people and their families in Great Britain in 2006

What do children and young people with special educational needs or
disabilities think about their schools, families and communities?  

A recent two year study ('Telling it like it is') carried out by a team
from the University of Birmingham and funded by the Disability Rights
Commission sheds light on these topics across Great Britain. The work is
based on in-depth interviews with children and young people (and their
parents) as well as a large scale parent postal survey. The findings
dovetail with discussions about child 'voice'  and participatory
research as well as with contested policy issues such as the future role
for special schools. 

For more information - see summary and reports on the DRC website: 

'Telling it like it is':  Final report
http://www.drc.org.uk/library/research/education/my_school_my_family_my_
life.aspx

'Telling it like it is': Parent survey
http://www.drc.org.uk/library/research/education/survey_of_parents_and_c
arers.aspx

'Telling it like it is': Piloting methods
http://www.drc.org.uk/library/research/education/experiences_of_disabled
.aspx

___________________________________ 

3. Conference - The Write Strategies: Good for EAL, Good for All

The English as an Additional Language Team in East Sussex is hosting
their third conference entitled The Write Strategies: Good for EAL, Good
for All. Main speaker Ros Wilson. For a flyer with more information
email eals at eastsussex.gov.uk