Children, Schools & Family Reports

With Parliament due to dissolve this week ahead of the General Election, a lot of business is being rushed through before the campaign can begin properly. So in the last week or so, the House of Commons' Children, Schools & Family Committee has published three reports, all of which may be of interest to some readers.

The first report is an in-depth study of the impact of Sure Start children's centres; among the recommendations is a warning that the network of 3500 existing centres should not be a target for post-election spending cuts until their effectiveness can be properly measured.

Another new report deals with England's education system, by examining the impact of various policy shifts and initiatives since the publication of the Education Reform Act 1988. A conclusion of the report is that future governments will need to strike a balance between central and local control. To read the full text of From Baker to Balls: the Foundations of the Education System, click here.

Also new is a report entitled Transforming Education Outside the Classroom.