Parents say academy cchain has not honoured pledges; scientists raise concern over GCSE reforms; primary school fights demolition plan; School Direct suffers shortfall in recruits; Michael Gove's "Old" friend. Camden parents were also shocked to find a Harris promise to them that the school would have a headteacher appointed and ready to go this month, which they say was made in consultation meetings by the chain as a selling point against the claims of a rival school's sponsorship offer were also not fulfilled. The school, now Harris Junior Academy Carshalton, began with an interim principal last week. Parents at the former Roke school- now rebranded as Harris Primary Academy Kenley have accomplained of Englist mistakes in a document setting out the chain's strict new uniform policy. It features the word "mohican's" and "pinafore" spelt "pinnafore". Serious concerns are being raised by leading scientists about the government's latest GCSE reform plans. In its offficial submission to a consultation on changes from 2015, which the government has now delayed until 2016 Score, the umbrella body for five science groups including the Royal Society, says the new GCSEs "have been written only for those progressing for further sttudy" in science.
The Previous week, the normally cautious National Foundation for Educational Research said science education in England was a national success story but that the proposals put this position under threat as they "risk dampening many pupils' enjoyment of the subject." School Direct, the controversial governemtn scheme that sees schools, rather than universities, leading the training of teaching recruits, faces intense scrutiny this term, with students starting the first courses since Michael Gove dramatically increased the size of the programme. Official data have yet to arrive on how many School Direct places have been filled. But recruitment expert Prof John howson, of Oxford University, has studied the number of positions still available in England's largest local authority, Kent, through the DfE's official School Direct vacancy search site.