By Peter BramleyTraining evaluation is much more than finding out if the training was delivered effectively. The author argues that there should be evaluation before any training takes place to find out whether learning is necessary or if the desired changes can be achieved some other way. There should also be an assessment of how the training will be integrated with the organisation’s goals and the level of involvement required from supervisors and colleagues. Reviewing the training during the event allows continuous clarification of the objectives and can reinforce the utility of the course. These reviews should be combined with checking how performance has improved after training. Feedback from the evaluation should influence decisions about training policy as well as issues on quality control of future training.
A report out today says around 700,000 children in rural areas live on the margins of poverty, and it highlights some of the work being done to ensure that deprived children in the countryside get better access to services and facilities.The report from the Countryside Agency says historically the needs of children in rural areas have been difficult to tackle and are often overlooked because the children are dispersed and live some distance from services. The report, “Delivering Effective Services to Children and Families in Rural Areas: the early lessons from SureStart,” goes on to look at ways that the programme has helped some of the children and their families.
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Head teachers are calling for radical changes in the checks made on people applying for jobs in schools, including extending the number of posts where vetting is necessary. The National Association of Head Teachers is today submitting evidence to the Bichard Inquiry into the vetting process for school staff, which was set up following the Soham murder trial.The Association says there is a need for unequivocal and comprehensive guidance on the posts for which particular levels of guidance are deemed to be necessary. It says it is not sufficient to consider only posts where staff would have day-to-day unsupervised access to children. There is a strong case for extending the mandatory Enhanced Disclosure to all support staff.
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