6 February
Inclusion
Nearly a fifth of KS4 students recorded with SEND
The latest key stage 4 data shows that the proportion of students with SEND has been rising since before Covid, but also that the gender gap in KS4 results has narrowed.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
Speech and language screening pilot reveals ‘shocking’ level of need
Analysis suggests 6 in 10 children given universal screening were found to have speech and language needs.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
One in six autistic children have not gone to school since September, study finds
The government is expected to publish its plans to reform the special educational needs and disabilities system in the coming weeks.
Piloted in-school SEND support ‘cut exclusions’ – report
Standardised EHCPs also welcomed by parents and councils, researchers find.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
8 in 10 councils could be left insolvent by SEND deficits
Research suggests 95 per cent of councils have a deficit as a result of SEND spending exceeding their funding.
Ministers on lobbying blitz to avoid Labour rebellion over Send changes
Government has ‘learned lesson’ of botched welfare overhauls but MPs say they will not back cost-saving measures.
Revealed: DfE’s orders to councils as SEND reforms quietly begin
Whitehall tells councils not to wait for the white paper or further information on deficits to get started.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
The Guardian view on inclusive schools: ministers should recognise that class size matters
Less crowded classrooms would make interacting with teachers easier, benefiting pupils including those with Send.
Teacher retention and recruitment
‘Barriers’ to upper pay range cause frustration for teachers
Staff report ‘shifting’ goalposts as union warns of ‘significant contribution to the exodus’ of teachers.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
School Improvement
Dodgy DfEDepartment for Education - a ministerial department responsible for children’s services and education in England data shortens schools’ working weeks
Figures suggested one in six schools are not complying with the 32.5 hour week.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Curriculum & qualifications
Scotland: New exams body plans to shake up qualifications system
A shake-up of the exams system could be in the pipeline after Scotland’s new exams body gave more details of plans for a major review.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Reading for pleasure needs a ‘higher profile’ at school, MPs told
Education experts giving evidence to an MPs’ inquiry into the decline in children reading for pleasure make four recommendations to address the problem.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
RE provision in NI to be reviewed but ‘Christianity will remain central’, Education Minister says
The Department of Education has announced the first revision of the religious education syllabus in Northern Ireland in nearly 20 years.
https://www.itv.com/news/utv/
Collective Worship
Government to ‘update’ collective worship guidance for England’s schools
Move comes after the Supreme Court ruled the delivery of religious education in Northern Ireland schools was unlawful.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Tech
DfE’s AI tutoring plan prompt calls for more research
DfE says 450,000 disadvantaged children will benefit, but experts warn evidence on AI provision ‘in its infancy’.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Ban on phones in schools backed by House of Lords
A ban on students using mobile phones during the school day has been backed by the House of Lords.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Exclusion
Schools could be required to record internal exclusions
Government looks to collect data as it urges schools to send fewer children home.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Behaviour
Do schools need to change course on behaviour?
‘Bad’ behaviour is damaging teacher wellbeing and disrupting learning, despite successive governments trying to tackle it.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
Ofsted
Fears over head and Sendco workload in new OfstedThe Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills – a non-ministerial department responsible for inspecting and regulating services that care for children and young people, and services providing education and skills inspections
Some senior leaders who have experienced the new report-card inspections have described them as ‘brutal’, ASCL tells schools’ conference.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
Ofsted plans closer monitoring of impact on heads’ wellbeing
Deal with headteachers will broaden new framework feedback and establish union-led ‘independent advisory group’ to scrutinise data.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Policy-making
Labour’s confusing communications create same old policy problems
ASCL chief Pepe Di’Iasio laments that the government seems to have learned little from the past as it continues to issue ‘policy via press release’.
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30 January
Disadvantage
Britain’s ‘poorest still getting poorer’ as Labour urged to act on ‘record high’ levels of poverty
Poverty will remain stuck at a high level without change, researchers warn.
Over 700,000 graduates out of work and claiming benefits, analysis suggest
More than 700,000 university graduates are out of work and claiming welfare benefits, new analysis by a think tank suggests.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Warning of literacy ‘crisis’ in Welsh schools as 20% of children don’t own books
Wales’ National Children’s Laureates are warning of a “crisis” in literacy in schools.
Pupil premiumAdditional funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils of all abilities paperwork reveals schools snub effective strategies
Our review of 550 pupil premium strategies found many schools aren’t strategic at all – which suggests leaders need help to use evidence effectively, says Emma Dobson.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Equalities
Disadvantaged white pupils ‘fall furthest after primary’
Research also shows that high achievers in primary who are disadvantaged are much less likely to go on to get strong GCSE and A-level results.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
GCSE reading lists ‘will take decades’ to reflect UK diversityThe recognition of individual differences in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, physical ability, religious beliefs and other differences
Teachers need more support to introduce texts to the classroom that provide GCSE English literature students with a more diverse choice, warns report.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
White disadvantaged girls see sharpest drop at GCSE
Leaders call for the government to set out targeted action amid fears that girls are being overlooked in the drive to improve white working-class pupils’ outcomes.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
Curriculum & qualifications
Concerns over make-up of curriculum drafters group
Leaders ‘disappointed’ at ‘lack of diversity and representation’ among experts recruited to help write new national curriculum.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Teacher uses 40-year-old law to withdraw from teaching religion
A primary school teacher has used a conscience clause in a 40-year-old law to withdraw from teaching religious education (RE).
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Government row breaks out over plan to cut spending for PE in England’s schools
Proposed cuts by DHSC and DfE came despite concerns about inactivity among children contributing to obesity.
The case for clearer Holocaust curriculum guidance
Teaching and learning about the Holocaust is not easy. And the evidence is suggesting our teachers and students need more support.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/the-
Feeling ‘in control’ helps students make stronger reading progress
Researchers find a notable decline in students’ sense of control over their academic outcomes as they progress through key stage 3.
Tech
Schools in England should be phone-free all day, education secretary says
Bridget Phillipson says pupils should not use mobiles at any point, as Ofsted prepares to inspect compliance.
Ministers to trial AI tutoring in England’s schools
Government claims pilot ‘could support up to 450,000 children a year on free school meals to access one to one tutoring’.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
1 in 3 teachers reports WhatsApp pastoral incidents
Exclusive polling revealing the impact of social media in schools comes as the government is considering a ban for under-16s.
Accountability
Schools with good governance ‘better prepared for Ofsted’
Those with effective boards ‘more likely to sustain improvement beyond the inspection cycle’, report finds.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
School Improvement
‘Universal RISE’: How will the DfE’s school improvement scheme work?
DfE writes to schools with the lowest attainment rates urging them to engage with optional programme.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Early years
Wednesday briefing: Can we turn around the growing school readiness crisis?
In today’s newsletter: Rising living costs, shrinking early years services and soaring screen use are reshaping what teachers encounter on the first day of school, with consequences felt across the system.
Behaviour
Attendance and behaviour hubs: 29 more lead schools revealed
Schools Week obtains list of additional lead schools, with several more due to be announced later this week.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
School suspension in England only to be for pupils’ most serious misbehaviour
Policy intended to keep more children sanctioned for non-violent bad behaviour in school in ‘internal exclusion’ units.
School places
Community health hubs could use empty classrooms
LocatED chief ‘seriously worried’ closures due to demographic shifts could undo the work of the free schools programme.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Ofsted
Ofsted admits to ‘generic wording’ in new report cards
Concerns emerge after 12 out of 103 new inspection report cards show duplicated language, despite different inspectors visiting the schools in question.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
Pupil absence
The attendance crisis: what does last term’s data tell us?
Pupil absence was up in the autumn term, but what else can we learn when we break down the details of the latest DfE attendance data? Ellen Peirson-Hagger shares key insights.
Absence fines level out after post-Covid surge
Unions argue new £80 penalties are not ‘much of a deterrent’ amid fresh calls for limits on travel firm school holiday price rises.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Parents
Repairs to the school-parent contract must come from the top
The situation is not irreparable, and the first small steps have already been taken towards forging a more positive home-school relationship.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Lack of home reading prompts school concerns over language skills
A quarter of parents avoid reading to their children because they lack belief in their own ability, finds Parentkind poll, as schools contend with ‘weaker language foundations’.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
Retention and recruitment
Senedd election: Labour pledges ‘pay boost’ for school support staff
Welsh Labour has said that school support staff would receive year-round pay if the party leads the next Welsh Government following May’s Senedd Election.
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23 January
Tech
Why digital transformation must be a priority for schools in 2026
AI tools to improve teaching, workloads, admin and pupil results are all here – the challenge is to implement them equitably, says Chris Thackray.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/why-
£23m expansion of school edtech and AI pilot
Pilot to launch in September, and to involve primary, secondary and further education settings across England.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/23m-
New AI platform aims to make sense of ‘myriad of data’
Open Education AI formally launches as a ‘sector-led non-profit’ and seeks to help schools bring together data from multiple apps and tools.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/new-
AI used in schools should ‘detect signs of learner distress’
The DfE has updated AI guidance around emotional, social and cognitive development and ‘manipulation’.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ai-
Starmer edges closer to Australia-style social media ban for u-16s after Lords vote
Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver says prime minister’s consultation plan is ‘a little bit late’.
https://www.independent.co.uk/
Would an under-16s social media ban help schools?
The government is considering restricting or banning children’s use of social media.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
Government launches ‘tougher’ guidance on phones in schools
Ofsted will check mobile phone policies in every inspection, with schools expected to be ‘phone-free by default’.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
UK study to examine effects of restricting social media for children
Trial involving 4,000 children will explore impact on mental health, sleep and time spent with friends and family.
Excessive screen time limits vocabulary of toddlers, experts warn
Children aged two with highest screen use can say significantly fewer words, UK government research finds.
Teacher retention and recruitment
We need your input to ensure NPQs provide the skills needed in schools
The demands on leaders are shifting, and the frameworks that support them have to move too. Evidence and practice evolve, so must NPQs.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/we-
‘Stressed and overworked’: School leaders reveal how the job is taking its toll on their mental health
NAHT General Secretary Paul Whiteman said the findings are ‘worrying’ and ‘should be a real cause for concern for the government’.
Leaders suffer ‘disturbing’ mistreatment, support service warns
School leaders are being set ‘undeliverable’ expectations, says Headrest, as it fields a big increase in calls.
Ofsted
Ofsted publishes first school report cards
Leaders give their views on new inspections as reports for 21 volunteer schools are released.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Our game of guess the Ofsted grade was more baffling than we’d hoped
How do pupils ‘thrive’ in a school where curriculum and teaching aren’t rated as ‘strong’
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/our-
Merging behaviour and attendance judgments ‘bothered’ Ofsted chief
Leaders have taken issue with the new joint judgment area, but Oliver says it’s what consultation called for.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Accountability
Impact of RISE teams to be published this year
But government will not publish individual adviser objectives amid data protection concerns.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Are schools being judged unfairly without Progress 8?
We’re now experiencing two years without the Progress 8 performance measure as a result of the cancellation of Sats during the pandemic.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
Inclusion
New campaign urges Starmer not to diminish legal rights of Send children
Backed by actor Sally Phillips and MPs across parties, group raises concerns about overhaul of provision in England.
It’s ‘crunch time’ on SEND reform, warns IFS
With SEND spending set to more than double, the government must try to deliver a sustainable system without squeezing mainstream schools’ funding, says the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
Health
Urgent call for action as England found to be among worst in Europe for child health
MPs called for the ‘urgent’ rebuilding of the health visitor workforce amid the findings.
https://www.independent.co.uk/
Curriculum & qualifications
Revealed: The experts shaping England’s new curriculum
Dozens of ‘curriculum drafters’ have been chosen to help the government revise the national curriculum, following on from last year’s Francis review.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
Ofqual chief reveals ‘anxiety’ about AI use in exam coursework
Sir Ian Bauckham tells MPs that he has informed the DfE of his concern about students using AI in A-level English and history coursework
https://www.tes.com/magazine/
International
Government backs international schools to drive £40bn export goal
International Education Strategy gets its first update since 2019, as Labour touts demand for UK education worldwide.
Early years
One in four children in England start school without being toilet trained, say teachers
Survey finds rising numbers of reception pupils struggling with basic life skills such as eating independently.
Funding
Schools face £47.5m free school meals expansion shortfall
Leaders say government’s plan to increase funding by 5p per meal goes ‘nowhere near far enough’.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/
Parents
Parents to receive guide on how to complain to schools amid rise in disputes
The guide will lay out a five-step process that parents are advised to follow when complaining to their child’s school.
Politics
Education key to divide on immigration and politics, research suggests
The report found that education divides attitudes on immigration and diversity more sharply in the UK than in the US.
School buildings
Schools, airports, high-rise towers: architects urged to get ‘bamboo-ready’
Manual for building design aims to encourage low-carbon construction as alternative to steel and concrete.
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