National Education Trust

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The National Education Trust (NET) is an independent, not-for-profit charity devoted to positive change in education. It is a small organisation based in Saunderton, Buckinghamshire, UK.

History

The NET was founded in September 2006 by Roy Blatchford, who has held a number of posts in education including head of Walton High, HM Inspector of Schools and lecturer / commentator on all education issues.[1]

The NET is chaired by Richard Howard, honorary fellow of Oxford Brookes University and former Chief Education Adviser in Oxfordshire. It has an impressive board of trustees including Hilary Hodgson, Head of Education at the Esmée Fairbairn Charitable Trust, and a trustee of the Sutton Trust; Sir David Winkley, fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford, and founder of the National Primary Trust; and Mike Baker, former BBC education correspondent and now an honorary fellow of the College of Teachers and regular contributor to education debate in print and online media.

Activities

The NET is based around four complementary strands of National Resource, Independent Services, Aspire & Inspire, and Policy & Research.

National Resource: sharing educational best practice via seminars and conferences around the country.

Independent Services: training, development, support and practical advice for primary and secondary schools via a network of experienced education professionals.

Aspire & Inspire: chartermarked projects for young people including writers, and the 6s & 7s projects, aimed at increasing the confidence of this age group.[2] One particularly important project has been that run in conjunction with the Inner Temple, aiming at raising the awareness of children to the opportunities inherent in a legal career.[3]

Policy & Research: shaping debate at the cutting edge of education.[4]

The NET is also active in promoting debate and discussion. Recent lecturers include Estelle Morris who spoke in March 2008 on the dichotomy between policy pronouncements and their implementation in the classroom.[5] Shami Chakrabarti gave the third annual lecture in March 2009, and Alan Milburn, Labour Education Secretary, is due to deliver the 2010 lecture on 'Unleashing Aspiration'.[6] This continues along the lines of the report he produced in the summer of 2009 regarding equal access from all social classes to the professions.[7] This report was described by the Guardian as "impressive ... well received".[8]

The future

The NET aims to become the foremost independent think and do tank on education, similar to The King's Fund in healthcare.

References

  1. ↑ Roy Blatchford 'Passion for learning in desert heat' Times Educational Supplement, June 2009 retrieved on 10.11.09
  2. ↑ Helen Ward 'Pupils at 6s & 7s? Tutor them in teasing' Times Educational Supplement, October 2008 retrieved on 10.11.09
  3. ↑ The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, 'Opening Doors: Social Mobility and the Bar' retrieved 10.11.09
  4. ↑ Selection of articles by NET's network of leading thinkers
  5. ↑ Mike Baker 'Who rules in the classroom?' BBC News Online retrieved 10.11.09
  6. ↑ Mike Baker 'Concerns about pupil finger printing' retrieved 10.11.09
  7. ↑ Full report here
  8. ↑ The Guardian here retrieved 10.11.09

External links


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