Education news, articles and events of the week: archive
28 March
Teacher retention and recruitment
Why US schools have fallen in love with scripted lessons
Scripted lessons – good or bad? Of course it’s more nuanced than that
Over 5,000 Scottish primary teachers on temporary contracts
While in Scotland, a fifth of primary teachers are on temporary contracts – which is an improvement on last year but still worse than 2019
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/thousands-scottish-primary-teachers-temporary-contracts
Spring Statement: Teacher pay rise should top 3.7%, says NFER
Average earnings is forecast to be 3.7% in 2025-26, making DfE’s recommendation of a 2.8% pay rise for teachers look laughable
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/spring-statement-teacher-pay-rise-nfer
Funding
Restore £3.6bn ‘lost’ school capital funding, ASCL tells Treasury
It’s Spring Statement time. ASCL says government should make up some of the money lost over the last few years in school funding.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/restore-3-6bn-lost-school-capital-funding-ascl-tells-treasury/
Classes ‘shivering’ in winter and ‘overheated’ in summer
School buildings need a lot of love. Will the Chancellor oblige in her spring statement?
Union anger as spring statement snubs schools
Sadly, even though the Chancellor mentioned crumbling roofs (or rooves, take your pick), there was in fact no more money for schools in the spring statement
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/union-anger-as-spring-statement-snubs-schools/
Pensions
MATs told to seek DfEDepartment for Education - a ministerial department responsible for children’s services and education in England approval for ‘contentious transactions’
New guidance to MATs seeks to clarify to Union Learning (and everyone else) what counts as ‘novel, contentious and repercussive’ transactions. Turns out their pension scheme is.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/mats-told-seek-dfe-approval-contentious-transactions
MATMulti-academy trust - a group of schools working in collaboration, governed by a single set of members and directors rejects DfE intervention over teacher pension plan
Confrontation over United Learning’s plan to offer teachers an alternative pension scheme that provides them with more take-home pay.
Teachers in divorce ‘limbo’ take pension legal action
Teachers unable to get divorced because of delays getting their pensions valued are taking legal action against the government.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y08v0n2jyo
Ofsted
Report cards will fuel workload problems, heads warn 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
School leaders say report cards will lead to more pointless work
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/ofsted-inspection-changes-will-increase-teacher-workload
Two in three parents support Ofsted’s proposed report cards for schools – poll
Parents think colour codingIn qualitative research, coding involves breaking down data into component parts, which are given names. In quantitative research, codes are numbers that are assigned to data that are not inherently numerical (e.g. in a questionnaire the answer 'strongly agree' is assigned a 5) so that information can be statistically processed. will make it easier to understand what’s going on at school
Ofsted parents’ survey on report cards ‘misses the point’
But heads say simplifying the reporting is no good if the reporting is flawed
‘Join the PTA not the pile-on’, Oliver tells complaining parents
Ofsted says more transparency could defuse the increase in parent complaints – and report cards are the way to do this
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-join-the-pta-not-the-pile-on-oliver-tells-complaining-parents/
Equalities
The Guardian view on gender gaps in education: girls and boys both need attention
Boys have started to do better than girls in science again. Girls are more likely to go to university. Mothers are paid less in their lifetime than fathers. This gender stuff is complex.
‘I was raped at the age of 10’: sexual abuse and harassment reported at 1,664 UK primary schools
The website ‘Everyone’s Invited’ reports on some awful stories from primary school children of harassment, groping, inappropriate touching and rape
Boys as young as 11 ‘are idolising Andrew Tate’: Primary school teachers tell of their concern ‘misogynistic ideology’ surging in classrooms
Teachers say misogyny starts early
‘Really concerning’ rise in sexual violence among teens, minister tells Sky News
Jess Phillips says children need to learn about misogyny and healthy relationships
Behaviour
Some children vaping in class, say teachers
NASUWT poll shows pupils are ‘gathering in the toilets’ to get their nicotine fix
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y21210g1wo
Exclusion
Teenagers excluded from school ‘twice as likely’ to commit serious violence
Large-scale analysis of UK police and education records reveals link between expulsion and violence within year.
Curriculum & qualifications
Harry Styles and Stormzy back Ed Sheeran’s call or UK to put £250m into music education
Ed Sheeran says we need more money for music education. Other famous people support that too.
https://www.itv.com/news/2025-03-23/ed-sheeran-calls-for-uk-to-put-250m-into-music-education
Department for EducationThe ministerial department responsible for children’s services and education in England confirms launch of natural history GCSE
Campaigners have been calling for the qualification for years
Tech
Badenoch urges PM to ‘U-turn’ and ensure all schools enforce mobile phone ban
Most secondary schools already ban phones in some way or another. Starmer says we should be looking at content, which pupils can access anywhere, rather than policing schools
Banning us from social media is ‘neither practical nor effective’, UK teenagers say
UK youth parliament says tech firms need to step up to the plate, and protect social media users from violent and inappropriate content.
Politics
Nigel Farage will ‘go to war’ with union after teachers were told to ‘educate pupils who vote for racist Reform’ – as he clashes with GB News over its coverage of feud with his own MP
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has pledged the party will ‘go to war against the teachers’ unions’ after the country’s largest education union branded it ‘far-Right and racist’.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14526947/Nigel-Farage-teachers-union-racist-Reform.html
Reform UK will go to war with teaching unions, says Nigel Farage
Outburst comes after anti-racism campaigners disrupt event in South Yorkshire and are escorted out.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/25/reform-uk-war-teaching-unions-nigel-farage
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21 March
Teacher retention and recruitment
Schools can afford less than half of proposed 2.8% pay rise, admits DfE
Schools will be forced to make more cuts if they’re to afford to give teachers the promised pay rise
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-can-afford-less-than-half-of-proposed-2-8-pay-rise-admits-dfe/
Why some schools will be hit harder by planned QTS change
Teachers without QTS are more likely to work in Special Schools than in mainstream, meaning government proposals will hit them harder
Ofsted
Why we fear Ofsted is not really listening
Two former HMIs continue to want Ofsted to listen to the profession – more info on the Alternative Big Consultation here too.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/why-we-fear-ofsted-not-really-listening
Ofsted mulls asking schools to rate inspectors
Should Ofsted ask the profession what it thinks of Ofsted? Er, yes – though it shouldn’t be surprised by what it hears
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-mulls-asking-schools-to-rate-inspectors/
Can Ofsted listen its way out of its political bind?
Will Ofsted actually hear the concerns of educators and think again about its report card proposals?
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/can-ofsted-listen-its-way-out-of-its-political-bind/
Ofsted gets ‘first religious school leader in its history’ as education watchdog announces its new chairman
The Daily Mail’s take on Sir Hamid Patel’s appointment as interim Chair of Ofsted draws its readers attention to his faith rather than his career
Ofsted inspection toolkits ‘lack coherence’ on SEND
Proposed Ofsted toolkits might not work in Special Schools.
Behaviour
Stephen Morgan: DfE still ‘thinking through’ behaviour strategy
Still no clues as to what will replace behaviour hubs, or any broader strategy
Labour to scrutinise school smartphone bans as pressure grows over impact on teenagers
DfE will monitor smartphone bans in schools to see what’s working
Disadvantage
Poorer pupils’ higher absences ‘entirely explain’ growth in attainment gap
We need to tackle attendance if we’re going to close the attainment gap. And that needs a systemic focus
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/poorer-pupils-higher-absences-entirely-explain-growth-in-attainment-gap/
Disadvantage gap: why the impact of absence is now clear
The strategy to manage school absence needs to focus on root causes, including SEND and mental health
https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/disadvantage-gap-why-impact-absence-now-clear
Five years on: Have we learned the lessons of lockdown?
The impacts of Covid were felt most by the most disadvantaged, and they continue to be most affected. How should we mitigate?
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/five-years-on-have-we-learned-the-lessons-of-lockdown/
Exclusion
‘The system just doesn’t work’: More children than ever are not in school, report finds, with more than 11 million lost days
IPPR and The Difference report on pupil absence looks at ‘invisible’ moves including off-rolling and managed moves
Pupil absence
Severe absence reaches record high
Absence figures continue to fall, but more pupils are missing 50% of lessons (severe absence) than ever before
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/severe-absence-reaches-record-high
Inclusion
How to solve SEND? 13 sector solutions…
What did people tell the Education Select Committee about SEND and how to solve the crisis?
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/how-to-solve-send-13-sector-solutions/
Bridget Phillipson: parents must ‘think differently’ on Send support for children
Education secretary tells ASCL conference that we need to step back from the current SEND system and understand what we’re trying to achieve for children and young people
Be ‘boy positive’ to tackle underachievement, schools told
Boys fall behind girls at every stage of education from nursery to doctorates. Would more male teachers help?
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/be-boy-positive-tackle-underachievement-schools-told
Group of Labour MPs seeking to steer young men away from ‘toxic influencers’
In the wake of the HEPI report on boys in education, an alliance of Labour MPs is looking to tackle toxic stereotypes of masculinity
Curriculum & assessment
The Francis review can already claim a major achievement
Becky Francis’ review built on that led by Tim Oates. That’s a very good thing, according to Tim Oates
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/the-francis-review-can-already-claim-a-major-achievement/
Exams volume, EBacc and ‘improving’ SATs: 14 curriculum review reforms
The interim curriculum review report has landed – here’s the 14 key things school leaders need to know …
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/exams-volume-ebacc-and-improving-sats-14-curriculum-review-reform
T-levels are a disaster – and young people are suffering because ministers won’t admit it
What should we do about T levels? Drop out rates are high and they’re not serving the pupils they’re intended for
DfE plans ‘National Centre for Arts and Music Education’
DfE has many plans: a new music centre, lots on enrichment, and a ‘task and finish group’ on digital, AI and technology. Many plans, no detail.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-plans-national-centre-for-arts-and-music-education/
GCSEs harm our young people. Ministers should have the guts to abolish them – and start again
Simon Jenkins is disappointed that the Francis review isn’t abolishing GCSEs
Tech
How to stop the edtech dream from becoming a safeguarding nightmare
The problems of security and safeguarding are even more complex than you might think
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/how-to-stop-the-edtech-dream-from-becoming-a-safeguarding-nightmare/
Teaching unions gear up for fight with Number 10 over AI job-loss fears
The NEU is concerned that AI policy is being developed without consultation with teachers
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14 March
Teacher retention and recruitment
Teacher pay should rise by more than 3%, say experts
Recruitment pain will continue, pay increases could help: NFER report
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/teacher-pay-should-rise-over-three-per-cent-say-experts
Time to fulfil 6,500 teacher pledge ‘now or never’ as unfilled vacancies reach record high
There are more vacancies, bigger class sizes, more unqualified teachers, more teachers out of subject, and more teachers leaving. Something must be done
‘Now or never’ for 6,500 teacher pledge, Labour warned, as vacancies reach new high
Private school teachers taking second jobs to make ends meet
NEU’s independent schools survey shows teacher redundancies and an increase in cost-of-living pressures
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/private-school-teachers-taking-second-jobs-make-ends-meet-neu-survey
Headteachers’ gender pay gap ‘has widened to a chasm’
NAHT data shows the pay gap between female and male headteachers is the widest for 13 years
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/gender-pay-gap-for-headteachers-widens
Emma Hollis, CEO of NASBTT, talks ITTInitial teacher training - the period of academic study and time in school leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
‘Nobody should take on debt to train to be a teacher’
Inclusion
Councils spent more than £10m fighting tribunals over child special needs support
SEND tribunals cost a lot of money – but cost parents, children and the system much more than just money
https://www.itv.com/news/2025-03-13/councils-spent-more-than-10m-fighting-tribunals-over-special-needs-support
‘Devastating and dangerous’: Schools hit by £82m budget raid for SEND
DfE says councils can take money from school budgets to pay for the SEND crisis. So how will schools make up the shortfall?
‘Devastating and dangerous’: Schools hit by £82m budget raid for SEND
DfE told to come clean on its SEND reforms plan
Education committee chair tells DfE off for not mentioning a possible White Paper when it gave evidence to their SEND review
‘Draconian’ school policies unfairly impact ethnic minority children, MPs told
Labour MP Kim Johnson called for a public inquiry into a ‘miscarriage of justice’ in the 1970s, where many minority ethnic children were classed as educationally subnormal
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/mps-labour-britain-government-caribbean-b2714064.html
Schools Bill
The schools bill will allow LAs to ensure all children can thrive
Contrary to criticism, Labour’s bill will make it possible to take the first steps towards more inclusive local responses to rising need.
The schools bill will allow LAs to ensure all children can thrive
School places
No exodus to state sector after VAT added to private school fees, say English councils
Turns out there’s been very little impact on secondary school places from the VAT on fees – despite what many predicted. (And look out for a rare use of the word ululation by a government source!)
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/10/no-exodus-to-state-sector-after-vat-added-to-private-school-fees-say-english-councils
Pupil absence
Phillipson: Schools need ‘old-fashioned graft’ to stop absence ‘damage’
Some schools aren’t doing enough to tackle pupil absence, says the Secretary of State
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/phillipson-schools-need-old-fashioned-graft-stop-absence-damageOfsted
Ofsted appoints Mark Vickers as external adviser for inclusionAn approach where a school aims to ensure that all children are educated together, with support for those who require it to access the full curriculum and contribute to and participate in all aspects of school life
Ofsted says it wants its new framework to be focused on inclusion, and to improve its inspector training
Ofsted appoints Mark Vickers as external adviser for inclusion
Sir Martyn: Inclusion must be ‘ingrained’ in school culture
Can the new Ofsted framework make schools more inclusive? HMCI thinks so
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/sir-martyn-oliver-ofsted-inclusion-ingrained-school-cultureTech
Technology ‘being weaponised’ against schools and teachers – union leader
ASCL’s president warns of the ways parents and pupils are using social media. Nearly half of teachers say students have recorded teachers or pupils without permission. 10% say that ‘deepfake’ videos have been used against teachers. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/association-of-school-and-college-leaders-technology-bridget-phillipson-schools-liverpool-b2714891.html
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7 March
Teacher retention and recruitment
Teachers top the list for unpaid overtime once again
3 March was the day this year when the average person working unpaid overtime in the UK effectively stopped working for free. Teachers top the list. The TUC estimates that 38% of those working education work unpaid hours. I assume this includes people other than teachers, since pretty much every teacher ever works unpaid hours.
https://www.headteacher-update.com/content/news/teachers-top-list-for-unpaid-overtime-once-again
Teacher shortage limiting school subjects on offer
Wales’ chief inspector points to recruitment and retention problems in Wales, which weaken teaching and reduce choice for pupils.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c234g343r5jo
Special school leaders fear QTS plan could worsen recruitment crisis
There are many reasons why Special Schools have more unqualified teachers. Government needs to understand their needs.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/special-school-leaders-fear-qts-plan-could-worsen-recruitment-crisis/
Teachers consulted on 2.8% pay rise and potential strike action
NEU launches an indicative ballot on pay to judge members’ attitude to possible strike action, in the run up to Easter conference
English academy chain to improve conditions for Jamaican teachers after strike threat
Changes at Harris Federation ensure that teachers ‘feel valued as an addition to the British workforce’
Ofsted
Ofsted: Inspections could have shifted focus away from maths
Ofsted’s evaluation of its current framework might have shifted the focus in schools towards reading, and other interesting findings on the way inspection impacts on teachers’ actions
More than a thousand complaints made after Ofsted school visits
More than 1000 complaints were made after inspections over the last 3 years. Only 17 have been upheld (and 216 partially upheld). Do we need an independent complaints process? Er, yes!
Behaviour
Behaviour overtakes workload as a top concern for primary teachers
The top three concerns for primary teachers (from Teacher Tapp) are funding, behaviour, workload. And Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs are a big part of the behaviour worry.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/primary/behaviour-overtakes-workload-top-concern-primary-teachers
Concern as behaviour hubs ‘disband’ with no replacement
How should the government support schools to manage difficult behaviour? And does ‘behaviour tsar’ Tom Bennett’s contract end this month?
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/concern-behaviour-hubs-disband-no-replacement
Tech
Gen-Z vows to ban their children from using social media as half of 16 to 24-year-olds admit they are annoyed with their usage when they were younger
The organisations ‘More in Common’ and The New Britain Project find that young people regret the time they spent on their devices
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14471321/Gen-Z-vows-ban-children-using-social-media.html
Children report ‘growing sense of unease’ online
In a survey of 1,054 9-16 year olds, 67% report having experienced harm online. While this hasn’t changed since last year, children and their parents say their experiences are more upsetting and frightening this year.
https://www.headteacher-update.com/content/news/children-report-growing-sense-of-unease-online
Humanities teaching will have to adapt to AI
From the letters page: AI, like pocket calculators before it, will always suffer from ‘Garbage in garbage out’. Humans will always be more, well, human.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/04/humanities-teaching-will-have-to-adapt-to-ai
How are school leaders navigating the AI revolution?
School leaders ‘cautiously embrace’ AI, but there’s much to learn
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/how-are-school-leaders-navigating-the-ai-revolution/
Safer phones bill aimed at young teens watered down after minister opposition
MPs are likely to agree to new proposals calling for research into addictive social media, rather than bolder moves to exclude teenagers from algorithms or even banning the sale of smartphones to those under 16. Not everyone is happy. But it’s a step in the right direction.
Inclusion
Investigation: How EHCPs are failing our most vulnerable children
England’s £11bn budget for high needs is being spent (in part) on fidget spinners, learning stylesTheories relating to the idea that individuals learn best in different ways and teaching should be tailored to their learning styles – these have been widely debunked by research and other ineffective interventions
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/investigation-how-ehcps-are-failing-our-most-vulnerable-children/
Feature: The case for a SEND evidence ‘custodian’
Influential people call for a ‘NICE-style’ body to consider the best ways to fund SEND provision
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/feature-the-case-for-a-send-evidence-custodian/
Ministers plan major changes to Send education in England
Government is preparing a White Paper on SEND to address the crisis – available ‘in late spring’
Special schools recruit fewer teachers from training – report
More could be done to improve the flow of qualified teachers from ITT to special schools
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/special-schools-recruit-fewer-teachers-from-training-report/
Career-limiting sterotypes start young. We must start younger
How Ark schools are tackling gender stereoptyping in careers for primary school pupils
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/career-limiting-sterotypes-start-young-we-must-start-younger/
Pupil absence
DfE attendance tsar urges schools to focus on occasional absentees
Rob Tarn tells school leaders they can improve attendance by focusing on those who attend ‘nearly all of the time’
Disadvantage
Migrants and refugee families in the UK denied childcare funding, report finds
Having ‘No recourse to public funds’ means that children of migrant and refugee families can’t access free early years education, and pushes them ‘deeper into poverty’.
Early years: Teachers to be trained to supervise toothbrushing
As £11m is set aside to train early years teachers in deprived areas to supervise toothbrushing, DfE is warned not to keep expecting schools to solve all society’s problems. Perhaps we should invest in NHS dentistry…
Free school meals data now ‘less useful for research’, warns EPI
Free School Meal data doesn’t reliably identify disadvantaged pupils, meaning policies based on it aren’t targeted well enough to make a difference. We need a rethink.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/free-school-meals-data-now-less-useful-for-research-warns-epi /
Snap, crackle and flop? Breakfast clubs have rocky launch
Six in seven early adopter schools already have some form of breakfast club, and worry that the new scheme will lose them money
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/snap-crackle-and-flop-breakfast-clubs-have-rocky-launch/
Curriculum & qualifications
Lower school leaving age below 16, say Scottish Tories
Should children be allowed to leave school at 14? Why aren’t schools able to cater for their needs? Or do the Tories ‘want to see working-class children leave school at 14, and leave academic pursuits to middle and upper classes’?
‘Worse than the Tories’: cultural figures question Labour plans for arts in schools
Some say Labour has ‘lost the plot’, and will sideline the arts because ‘they don’t understand them’
Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty launch numeracy charity
The Richmond Project aims to tackle numeracy problems and will help children struggling at school as well as adults who never mastered basic maths.
Covid
Lots of research shows that schools’ efforts to halt transmission of Covid (including those delightful covid ‘bubbles’) were effective.
Parents
Doctors back total ban on smacking children in England
Should the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill include a ban on smacking in England? Leading doctors say so, saying there is no evidence it has any positive effect on children’s wellbeing.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9q4x9d9xgpo
Bog standard? Study seeks most effective toilet training methods
The age at which children in the West are toilet trained is rising. UCL is looking to find the best methods.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/04/most-effective-toilet-training-methods-study
More than 4 in 5 heads suffer abuse from parents
Abuse from parents is increasing says NAHT, including online, verbal and physical abuse
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/school-leaders-headteachers-suffer-abuse-from-parents
The dogma of ‘Britain’s Strictest Headmistress’ is a con as old as time – gentle parenting produces happier kids
‘Children are , it turns out, frustratingly individual. In this sense, one might almost compare them to human beings.’
People
Matt Wrack tipped for NASUWT general secretary
The Union’s Executive has nominated the ex-Fire Brigade Union General Secretary as its preferred candidate, even though he has no education expertise. He’s a close mate of Daniel Kebede (NEU). This isn’t the end of the story though – expect disquiet.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/matt-wrack-tipped-for-nasuwt-general-secretary/
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28 February
Disadvantage
Number of young people not in work or education hits 11-year high
More young people were not in work, education or training at the end of 2024 than at any point in the past 11 years, new data suggests.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ymvnrn0deo
Claiming EMA harmed earnings, says IFS report
Weekly payments ‘enticed’ disadvantaged students away from more lucrative work based training, researchers find.
https://feweek.co.uk/claiming-ema-harmed-earnings-says-ifs-report/
Research on EMA support has defied common sense
Blunkett says his Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) helped disadvantaged students stay in education and hits back at IfS research.
https://feweek.co.uk/research-on-ema-support-has-defied-common-sense/
Medical schools accepting students with low grades to boost ‘diversity’ among doctors, report reveals
Research by the Sutton Trust found some courses are taking students with BBC grades, rather than the standard AAA or above.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14440401/Medical-schools-accepting-students-low-grades.html
Only 5% of students in medical schools from lowest socio-economic group – study
Medical schools should make more ambitious use of contextual offers to widen access, a charity has urged.
Auto-enrol eligible pupils for free school meals, say MPs
Children from poor households should be enrolled for free school meals automatically to prevent thousands going hungry, a report by MPs has found.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2344p7nz05o
Attainment gap widens in Scottish schools
The attainment gap between Scotland’s richest and poorest school pupils increased last year, according to new figures.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy05880r55ko
Schools should be held to account for pupil movements
Proposals to better monitor pupil movements are welcome, but we must identify schools who abuse the practice and hold them to account.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/the-schools-bill-must-do-more-on-pupil-movement-oversight/
Breakfast clubs
Free breakfast clubs announced for 750 schools in England – see the full list
The schools are expected to offer a free breakfast to all pupils and at least 30 minutes of childcare before school.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/schools-free-breakfast-clubs-england-b2703362.html
School breakfast clubs in England ‘will be used to justify keeping the two-child benefits cap’
As the education secretary announces the first primary schools to offer free breakfasts, Labour MPs question the commitment to fighting poverty.
Pupil absence
Nearly 1 in 3 children ‘refused to go to school in past year’
Top reasons for absence were children not enjoying school, having a mental health problem or a special educational need, and being bullied, finds parent poll.
‘Crisis of school absenteeism’ affecting poorer pupils the most, new data suggests
Secondary school students still dealing with the impacts of the pandemic, charities warn.
Exclusion
Schools told to do more to keep pupils out of youth justice system
Children’s commissioner says schools should be required to outline how sanctions like suspensions will trigger additional support.
Excluded children: Councils failing in duty to find places
Councils across the country are routinely failing in their legal duty to provide full-time education for excluded pupils within six days.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/councils-failing-duty-places-excluded-children-pupils-exclusions/
Curriculum & qualifications
Ministers urged to ensure climate change is taught across curriculum
Experts say teachers want more professional development support to teach climate change and sustainability.
Oxbridge academics lead campaign to embed climate change into all school subjects as part of Labour’s curriculum review
Oxbridge academics are leading a campaign to embed climate change into all school subjects as part of Labour’s curriculum review.
Primary school PE training ‘woefully inadequate’, MPs told
The chief executive of Youth Sport Trust calls for PE to become a core subject to ‘drive up standards’ and improve fitness.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/primary-school-pe-training-woefully-inadequate-mps-told
Podcasts in class could tackle reading ‘crisis’
Children’s enjoyment of listening to audio has now surpassed that of reading, finds survey.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/podcasts-could-tackle-reading-crisis
1,500 schools sought for EEF maths and writing trials
11 research projects will test approaches aimed at boosting maths, writing, communication and language.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/1500-schools-sought-for-eef-maths-and-writing-trials/
OCR pauses geography GCSE changes amid ‘unanswered questions’ about future of exams
Exam board believes it is ‘wise to wait’ for the outcome of the curriculum and assessment review.
Play
Don’t withdraw breaktime to punish poor behaviour, schools told
Interim report from Raising the Nation Play Commission proposes that Ofsted assesses schools on playtime length, which would ‘reward schools that value play highly’.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/primary/dont-withdraw-breaktime-punish-poor-behaviour-schools-told
SEND
SEND: £740m funding won’t tackle main challenges, MPs told
The Commons Education Committee held a session today on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Here are six things MPs were told.
Call to ‘reset’ SEND funding so schools can meet local needs
Confederation of School Trusts sets out 10 priorities for a new special educational needs and disabilities system.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/cst-call-reset-send-funding-schools-can-meet-local-needs
Audit Scotland publishes ‘damning’ report on support for ASN pupils
There’s an ‘urgent need for improvement’, says the watchdog – as it questions whether schools can cope with the almost eight-fold increase in additional support needs pupils.
Funding
Almost half of England’s councils ‘could face bankruptcy over £4.6bn deficit’
Damning National Audit Office report says action is needed to address deficit accumulated under Tory-era policy.
Teacher retention and recruitment
DfE opens re-accreditation round for teacher training providers
Move comes after over a quarter of ITT providers lost their accreditation in the government’s bruising market review.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-opens-re-accreditation-round-for-former-teacher-training-providers/
DfE data under-states teacher vacancies in alternative provision
Government urged to separate data for special schools and AP in official statistics, amid warning it masks ‘differences’ between sectors.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-data-under-states-teacher-vacancies-in-alternative-provision/
Special schools employ more teachers without QTS
Special schools face worse teacher shortages, particularly in alternative provision, research shows.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/specialist-sector/special-schools-employ-more-teachers-without-qts
Teachers strike over schools’ plans for classes of 30
Four council-maintained secondary schools in London closed classes this week when teachers walked out on strike over plans to increase class sizes up to 30.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/haringey-teachers-strike-over-schools-plans-for-classes-of-30/
Ofsted
Ofsted to trial inspection proposals with 240 ‘visits’
Watchdog sets out plans to test its proposed approach to inspection.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-to-trial-inspection-proposals-with-240-visits/
What way to better inspections? Consult our A to Z
Our alternative consultation on school inspection reform aims to map out a better route to a better destination than Ofsted offers.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/what-way-to-better-inspections-consult-our-a-to-z/
__________
21 February
ITT
Do we need a new word to define teacher training?
Language matters, which is why we are launching a working party to define what is unique about the teaching of teachers, writes Teacher Development Trust CEO Gareth Conyard.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/do-we-need-a-new-word-to-define-teacher-training
Curriculum and assessment
What do we mean when we say we want ‘high standards for all’?
Only an informed debate using shared language will help us deliver the inclusive education system we all want.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/what-do-we-mean-when-we-say-we-want-high-standards-for-all/
Curriculum review urged to look at employment skills
The development of essential employment skills, starting from the early years, is key to meeting future workforce needs, says research report.
DfE warned about ‘negative’ impact of Oak National Academy
The British Educational Suppliers Association raises concerns with a DfE review about the creation of Oak National Academy as a government resources quango.
Charity warns music education facing ‘tragic’ decline
A charity is warning music education is declining at such a rate it is at risk of “disappearing” entirely.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0r137j9n6o
Phillipson to defy unions and keep primary phonics and maths tests
The education secretary is expected to say that tests for children as young as five provide crucial information about their progress to schools and parents.
AI
Schools lack expertise in AI, leaders warn
Less than 10 per cent of school leaders have an agreed strategy for use of artificial intelligence, research shows.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/schools-lack-knowledge-about-AI
Ofsted
Ofsted bonus gender pay gap widens ‘significantly’
Watchdog report highlights impact of ‘affordability pressures’ on number of bonuses paid last year.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/ofsted-bonus-gender-pay-gap-widens-significantly
How we’ll help the sector deliver its ambition of inclusion
Our proposals put inclusion for disadvantaged and vulnerable young people and those with SEND at the heart of Ofsted’s framework.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/how-well-help-the-sector-deliver-its-ambition-of-inclusion/
Heads’ leaders defend organised opposition to Ofsted plans
In response to a school leaders’ union producing a template response to the Ofsted consultation, the watchdog says it wants to hear the views of individuals instead.
SEND
Half of councils face insolvency over £5bn SEND deficit ticking timebomb
Survey of councils suggests over half will fail to break even if a measure keeping deficits off their books ends as planned.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/half-of-councils-face-insolvency-over-5bn-send-deficit-ticking-timebomb/
Unaccredited online schools cost more than £400k
Children with complex needs are being sent to unaccredited online schools at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clye4396wdxo
Pupil attendance
Post-Covid we need to say why school matters
It’s no wonder attendance is down after children were told that lessons by Zoom would do.
https://www.thetimes.com/article/43249d74-5ed9-4b0f-a0e7-6823e20f6be0
9 out of 10 areas with highest absence are in the North
A coalition of northern-based charities and organisations calls on the government to tackle the root causes of pupil absence.
Ofsted head says parents working from home ‘makes children feel school is optional’
Attendance rates are suffering because children whose parents work from home feel going to school is optional, the head of Ofsted has reportedly claimed.
Behaviour
‘We must stop mollycoddling kids’ says Saturday detentions head teacher
Head teacher Alun Ebenezer is no stranger to headlines about his hard-line approach to discipline.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gxdkq51ywo
University
Wales: Less than a third of 18-year-olds apply for uni
Wales will be at an “economic disadvantage” to other UK nations if it doesn’t increase the number of students going to university, according to the sector.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjr8ewdy9n4o
Private school VAT
‘Growing trend’ of private school parents seeking to move abroad
Perception of ‘uncertainty and instability’ is fuelling interest in education outside the UK, suggests a survey report from international schools group GEMS Education.
People
Oak National Academy names interim CEO
Oak co-founder John Roberts set to replace Matt Hood as interim CEO.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/oak-national-academy-names-interim-ceo/
Chess
Schools call on ministers to extend chess funding
Scheme to encourage pupils in disadvantaged areas to take up chess has been a great success, schools say.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/primary/schools-urge-dfe-to-extend-funding-for-chess
__________
14 February
Schools Bill
Academy freedom reforms won’t affect us, say 60% of CEOs
Findings from a survey of 120 trust bosses, running around 1,000 schools, seem to challenge the narrative around Labour’s reforms.
Holiday activities and food programme funding extended
However, further funding will be decided in the upcoming Spending Review, education minister Stephen Morgan has confirmed.
Bill could stop good schools expanding, ministers warned
Tory MPs raise concerns about plans to allow the Office of the Schools Adjudicator to set a school’s pupil admission number after a complaint is upheld.
Lord Ashcroft asks: Why is Labour on a mission to destroy schools with its ‘soft bigotry of low expectations’?
Labour’s education reforms could put 16,000 teaching jobs at risk, the Conservatives have warned.
More students are set to miss out on their first choice school under Labour’s new education reforms, the government has admitted.
Ofsted
Ofsted framework will lead to ‘army of expensive consultants’
The Headteachers’ Roundtable has also expressed concerns that inclusion and SEND are ‘afterthoughts’ in Ofsted’s proposed inspection framework.
‘Ofsted has shown an institutional disinterest in inclusion’
Ofsted’s proposed reforms fall woefully short of the sea change needed when it comes to inclusion, argue Baroness Longfield and Jonny Uttley.
Leaders give new Ofsted inspection toolkits the red card
‘The draft grade descriptors look as though they have been cobbled together with insufficient consideration of how they will play out during inspections’.
School holidays
Oliver: Time to rethink length of summer holidays
Chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver warns pupils can be ‘dysregulated’ after long summer break.
School improvement
RISE teams target 32 schools in ‘urgent’ need
The new regional school improvement programme will grow in April with the appointment of 50 new advisers, says DfE.
Who are the ‘RISE’ improvement advisers and what will they do?
The DfE gives us the low-down on its new regional improvement teams.
Who are the ‘stuck’ schools in line for £100k support?
Most are already academies, and a third won’t be eligible because of recent ‘structural change’.
Teacher retention
Harden rules on violence against teachers, ministers told
Schools should have to report violence against staff to police, say Tories in bill debate – but Labour says they can already do this.
Cash-strapped schools plan to lay off teachers in blow to Labour’s promise
Despite government pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers, headteachers are under renewed pressure to avoid going into deficit.
AI to be used in schools to reduce teaching workload
The Government is funding the creation of a tool that can help test six and seven year-olds’ reading skills.
Curriculum
Ministers have been warned against taking ‘risks’ with their controversial curriculum review after new research found the current system serves most pupils well.
Nearly three in five students want more education on budgeting at school – poll
A think tank report has called for pupils to be given more education on financial planning at school or college.
Arts teacher shortages hit deprived schools twice as hard
Nearly half of schools in the most disadvantaged areas are unable to offer one of the arts subjects owing to teacher shortages, poll finds.
Exams
Ofqual ‘ready to take action’ over extra exam time gap
Sir Ian Bauckham, speaking to Tes after being confirmed as Ofqual’s permanent chief regulator, highlights possible unfairness in students being awarded extra time in exams.
Exclusions
Rate of suspensions and exclusions may have peaked, data finds
Data published by FFT Datalab found that the number of suspensions and exclusions so far this academic year may be beginning to slow.
Behaviour
Behaviour improving says Ofsted, but teachers beg to differ
Number of schools being marked down on behaviour by Ofsted has plunged by more than half since Covid.
SEND
‘Markedly’ fewer EHCPs in highly academised areas
Under-recognition of SEND is also more likely for girls with emotional disorders and persistent absentees, research finds.
Absent and excluded kids ‘should be assessed for SEND’
EPI report sets out 7 policy recommendations to tackle special needs ‘postcode lottery’.
Successful special educational needs complaints in England quadruple in four years
Rising demand and ballooning council deficits have left a threadbare service – and children and parents in crisis.
Knife crime
The survey also shows that despite recent high-profile knife attacks in UK secondary schools, only 15% of the teachers in England we polled said they had received any formal training or guidance on how to deal with pupils with knives.
Schools must not become battleground – child envoy
Schools should not be turned into a “battleground” around potential safety measures, the key figure overseeing child rights in Wales has said.
Safeguarding
Raise age limits for social media, say primary teachers
Teachers want social media platforms to make safety controls easier to use and children’s access to be linked to parent or carer accounts.
Concerns raised about Northern Ireland classroom assistants working without security checks
Concerns have been raised about the number of classroom assistants in Northern Ireland who have been working without the appropriate background checks.
Conspiracy theories
3 ways to tackle conspiracy theories in the classroom
We need to give teachers the knowledge and confidence to counter the growing rise in conspiracy theory beliefs among young people, a new report says.
Mental health
Some mental health schemes actually ‘increased emotional difficulties’, finds landmark trial
Four out of five interventions tested in government-funded trial led to ‘adverse’ or ‘negative’ effects on some pupils.
People
‘Lower your tone’: The DfE’s account of THAT Birbalsingh meeting
Government’s minutes claim education secretary had to ask head to ‘allow me to finish my sentences’, amid repeated interruptions.
__________
7 February
Ofsted
Ofsted school report cards: The 11 key proposals
From ‘exemplary’ to ditched deep dives: everything schools need to know about Ofsted’s big inspection shake-up.
Interview: Sir Martyn Oliver defends report card plan
In an interview with Tes, Ofsted’s chief inspector says the watchdog’s plans will provide a fairer approach to school inspections.
Report card reforms run critical reliability risks
Introducing a new school grading system also brings new risks that outcomes won’t reliably measure school quality.
More than 9 in 10 heads reject Ofsted’s report card plan
The NAHT urges Ofsted to rethink its plans after its snap poll shows an overwhelming rejection from school leaders.
Just 6% of teachers ‘positive’ about Ofsted proposals, shows poll
Ofsted has launched a consultation on plans to reform its inspection framework and to assess schools using new ‘report cards’.
Ofsted’s school report cards could be ‘harder’ for parents to use, MPs told
Sam Freedman, who worked as a policy adviser to former education secretary Michael Gove, said he had ‘a lot of worries’ about the proposals.
Education Secretary says she’s ‘delighted’ about furious ‘debate’ over Labour’s schools upheaval – amid fresh anger at new ‘Nandos-style’ Ofsted ratings
The Education Secretary said she is ‘delighted’ Labour’s major school upheaval has got everyone worked up – as she faced fresh criticism over a new ‘Nandos-style’ Ofsted rating system.
‘No evidence’ that Ofsted reforms will improve current system – Tories
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott said the proposed report cards system will be ‘slower and weaker’.
Phillipson: Ofsted ratings are too vague; I’m making them more demanding
Education Secretary announces reforms to grading scheme that currently rates 90pc of schools in England as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.
New Ofsted report cards met by fierce backlash as it scraps single-word judgments
Headteacher Ruth Perry’s sister said the proposals are a ‘rehash’ of the ‘dangerous’ system currently in place.
One teacher’s suicide should not lead to a loss of standards in education
We should not cover up for a poorly-performing school in case one or more school leaders cannot cope.
School accountability &/or improvement
New accountability regime: RISE, ‘stuck’ schools and profiles explained
The 8 key new policies school leaders need to know about from the government’s proposed accountability reforms.
Bridget Phillipson’s standards ‘vision’ speech in full
Education secretary pledges a ‘new era on school standards’ as government launches accountability reform consultation.
Stuck school intervention plan ‘complete nonsense’, say leaders
Headteachers’ leaders warn DfE plans could see schools academised or rebrokered despite showing improvement across multiple areas.
DfE reveals first RISE advisers
The Department for Education has released the names of 20 advisers working in new Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams.
Schools Bill
‘The schools bill is silent on the right for a safe place to work’
Shadow minister for education Neil O’Brien explains why the Conservatives believe several changes are needed to legislation to truly help teachers.
Campaigners warn of schools bill’s ‘huge new powers’
So-called ‘Henry VIII powers’ will grant education secretary to amend or repeat other legislation with ‘minimal scrutiny’.
Inclusion
Revealed: the scale of the SEND crisis in numbers
The huge shortfall in funding for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is clear. But how many children now need support – and how has this figure increased in recent years? Tes analyses the latest DfE data.
Schools need more help with rise in EAL pupils, say experts
Report says government should bring back national statutory tests for English proficiency, to help teachers and pupils.
Delay in start of sign language GCSE is a ‘disgrace’
The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), which has been campaigning for the GCSE for over a decade, says “there’s no reason” why the qualification should not be available now.
Scotland: Decade of PEF impact to be revealed in the spring
The Pupil Equity Fund – designed to help close the ‘poverty-related attainment gap’ – should continue beyond 2026 elections, says education secretary, but she suggests changes will be needed.
Mental health
Pupil absence
Bridget Phillipson warns parents against ‘casual attitude’ to school attendance
Education secretary launches ‘new era of school standards’ in England while defending Ofsted inspection changes.
February 4 marked last day of school for severely absent students
Tuesday, February 4, was the last day of the school year for 158,000 children and young people who are classified as severely absent.
Mobile phones
Landmark study reveals the effect of school phone bans
The study maps students’ grades, sleep and exercise habits – and how they differ with phone use.
Knife crime
Call for security guards at school gates after stabbing
The onus to do a daily check for knives in the bag of a 14-year-old girl convicted of attempted murder should not have been put on her father, Plaid Cymru’s education spokesperson has said.
Exclusion for knives ‘too simple’, says Estyn chief
Understanding why children bring knives into school is better than a blanket exclusion policy, the chief inspector of Welsh education inspectorate Estyn has said.
Reading & writing
Northern Ireland reviews controversial teaching method after failings in Wales and Scotland
Last year ITV News revealed ‘cueing’ is not only commonplace in schools in Wales, but is regularly praised by school inspectors.
DfE to set out ‘common approach’ to teaching writing
Half of a £2m DfE funding pot is set aside for secondaries to buy resources for struggling readers.
Labour vision
Phillipson ‘concerned’ about volume of parent complaints
Education secretary voices worries about parent complaints in response to questions from school leaders and teachers during a live webinar this afternoon.
Labour’s standards tightrope: Can they fix schools without results slipping?
England may have risen up the international rankings, but pupils are less happy, behaviour is worse and more children skip school. Can government improve wellbeing without torpedoing standards?
Britain’s strictest headteacher accuses Labour education secretary Bridget Phillipson of being a ‘Marxist’ who ‘hates academies’
The woman nicknamed Britain’s strictest headteacher has accused Bridget Phillipson of being a ‘Marxist’ who ‘hates academies’.
Defamation
Cease and desist: Trust supports staff to sue online trolls
Provision for staff sickness cover will be broadened to cover defamation.
Deficits
Nearly three in five academy trusts now have in-year deficits, report suggests
Academy leaders said rising staff costs and growing demand for Send provision are financial challenges.
Pay
NI teachers reject pay offer of 5.5%
The majority of teachers in Northern Ireland have rejected a 5.5% pay offer for 2024/25 and are set to take action short of strike.
People
Labour reformer among four appointed to DfE board
Naomi Eisenstadt, Steve Crocker, Rebecca George and Margaret Casely-Hayford will each earn £15,000 for around 24 days’ work per year.
__________
31 January
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
Fact check: Does the schools bill criticism really add up?
Government is under fire for the academy elements of its schools bill. But does the evidence back up those concerns?
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/fact-check-does-the-schools-bill-criticism-really-add-up/
Revealed: The true impact of the schools bill
DfE admits reforms could limit ability of popular schools to grow and even land trustees in court.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/revealed-the-true-impact-of-the-schools-bill/
DfE sets out how it will scrap teacher pay ‘ceiling’
The government has published its tabled amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/dfe-sets-out-how-it-will-scrap-teacher-pay-ceiling
Who is criticising Labour’s new education bill and why
Labour’s new education bill has faced criticism from various stakeholders, including educational charities and policy experts, who argue that it may inadvertently stifle innovation in schools.
Conservative law to ban phones in schools is ‘gimmick’, Education Secretary says
Bridget Phillipson said a Tory amendment to the schools Bill is unnecessary as she defended removing automatic academisation of failing schools.
Ofsted
Ofsted report cards ‘rushed and botched’, say insiders
Watchdog whistleblowers say planned consultation is a ‘sham’ and reforms have been ‘cobbled together at ridiculous speed’.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-report-cards-rushed-and-botched-say-insiders/
Attendance
Pupil absence: Parent fines for term-time holidays increase
Heads’ leaders call on the government to tackle ‘exorbitant prices’ charged by the travel industry during school holidays.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/pupil-absence-parent-fines-term-time-holidays-increase
Two thirds of primary school headteachers say Labour’s free breakfast clubs will have no impact on attendance
Nearly two out of three primary school heads say the Government’s free breakfast clubs will have no impact on attendance, a new poll has found.
Exclusions
Ethnicity not key factor in England school exclusions, study finds
Exclusive: Researchers say poverty and special educational needs are main reason – but equality campaigners urge caution.
Racism
The shocking rise of racism in primary schools
Data on suspensions in primary reveals a huge increase in those issued for racist abuse – a problem that sector leaders fear is only getting worse.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/primary/shocking-rise-racism-primary-schools
Poverty
More children will come to school hungry, warns poverty report
The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on pupils’ ability to learn is highlighted in a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/child-poverty-report-warns-of-more-hungry-pupils-at-school
Mental health
What’s really going on with teenage girls?
There is a gender divide when it comes to students’ mental health, with girls more likely to experience challenges.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/teaching-learning/secondary/teenage-girls-mental-health
Disaffection
Children joined riots for the ‘thrill’, report says
Children who took part in riots last summer were primarily driven by curiosity and the “thrill of the moment”, rather than far-right ideology and social media misinformation, the children’s commissioner for England has said.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cge72gxryqpo
Early years
Some children starting school unable to climb staircase, finds England and Wales teacher survey
A survey of teachers in England and Wales has revealed that some children are beginning school without the physical ability to climb stairs.
DfE announces new early years training routes
Ministers unveil a three-year early years teacher degree apprenticeship and a new experience-based training route.
Funding
Per-pupil funding set to rise
Experts have repeatedly warned schools will be forced to make cuts next year as cost rises outstrip funding.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/per-pupil-funding-set-to-rise
Curriculum & qualifications
Launch natural history GCSE in England now, campaigners urge Labour
Environmentalists say new course could be delayed until 2030 because it is viewed as Conservative party initiative.
Colleges
MPs to investigate ‘new way of doing FE’
New inquiry will cover staff pay, student mental health support, apprenticeships and funding.
https://feweek.co.uk/mps-to-investigate-new-way-of-doing-fe/
Profile
Sarah Smith, Labour MP and opportunity mission champion
‘Our priority is happier children’.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/sarah-smith-labour-mp-and-opportunity-mission-champion/
__________
24 January
AI revolution
AI ‘biggest thing to hit education in 100 years’, historian says
Phillipson’s AI ‘revolution’: What schools need to know
Mandatory assistive tech training for all new teachers from 2025
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
Labour’s school reforms ‘setting back a generation’ of children and erasing gains made over 20 years warns ex-education secretary Michael Gove
Britain’s strictest headteacher says Labour education secretary Bridget Phillipson is showing ‘her Marxist outlook in every decision she’s making’
Where is Starmer’s school improvement ‘vision’?
Catherine McKinnell: Why we propose to amend the schools bill
Headteachers voice support for ‘imperfect’ schools bill
Kemi Badenoch warns Labour’s curbs on academy schools is ‘a tragedy in the making’
Government’s education reforms could be ‘significant backward step’ for pupils
Government will amend schools bill over academy teacher pay
SEND
DfE names 19 inclusion advisers
Gibb: ‘We have let down thousands of SEND children’
‘Umbrella’ SEND label is ‘misleading’, says inclusion tsar
Mental health
‘Significant rise’ in children admitted to acute wards for mental health issues
Prevent
School Prevent referrals rise – but fewer get support
Accountability
Ofsted head: Inspectors did nothing wrong in Ruth Perry suicide case
Could this be the model for MAT inspection?
Measure pupil wellbeing, DfE told
Exams
End the Ed Psych swizz and let kids have all the exam time they need
Curriculum
Schools teaching English and maths for 12 hours a week, leaving 8.5 hours for everything else
School ‘choice’
More than one in four parents admit to ‘lying’ and using underhand tactics to get their children into their preferred school, poll reveals
Pupil absence
Higher fines fail to stem high pupil absence rates
Breakfast clubs won’t improve attendance, say most heads
Thought-leadership
Have we got the right people in charge of education reviews?
Why the ‘human capital theory’ era of education is over
Children
Revealed: The favourite slang word of UK children – and it may leave many parents baffled
__________
13-17 January
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
Phillipson: ‘Floor but no ceiling’ on teacher pay
Amend schools bill to guarantee no ceiling on pay, Phillipson told
Children’s wellbeing and schools bill: Committee calls for evidence
Labour policy
Phillipson’s first education committee: 8 things we learned
The key figures behind Bridget Phillipson’s education plans
Labour is treating the white working class with contempt
Retention and recruitment
I’m still unqualified after ten years. Here’s why
‘I earn a fraction of my headteacher’s salary but I don’t miss the 11-hour days and bureaucracy’
CPD
Labour cost-cutting spree now hits STEM
The 5 key priorities for the NPQ and ECF reviews
This year is make or break for the CPD golden thread
SEND
Revealed: Ministers’ ‘staggering’ absence from SEND schools
‘No urgency’ in DfE to tackle SEND ‘emergency’, MPs warn
Ofsted to meet parents of Send children to understand why they are not in school
MPs say fix Send system or face ‘lost generation’
Can 2025 bring a radical rethink of how we consider SEND?
What do school leaders think will solve the SEND crisis?
Ofsted
Heads urge Ofsted to delay new inspections until 2026
Lack of trust in Ofsted ‘almost irreversible’
Ofsted system glitch wiped evidence during almost 200 inspections
Concern as Ofsted fails to name schools trialling report cards
Behaviour
£10m behaviour hubs to end – but what next?
Disadvantage
Disadvantage gap: 9 things DfE told MPs
AI
Government invests £1m in AI tools to support teacher feedback and marking
AI skills: Building a workforce for the future
People
Baroness Anne Longfield: ‘I felt a responsibility to be brave’
Sir Kevan Collins to lead DfE board
__________
10 January
Bills
Top minister tells Tories ‘put up or shut up’ ahead of grooming gang vote
Schools bill ‘won’t cut pay’, but will restore academies’ ‘core purpose’
Labour’s ‘act of vandalism’ bill risks pay cuts for 20k teachers, claim Tories
Bid to halt safeguarding bill sickening, says Phillipson
Schools bill is ‘educational vandalism’, say Tories
‘Labour has no clear vision for improving education’
Failure to report child sex abuse to be made a crime
Curriculum
Labour scraps computing hubs, with languages scheme scaled back
‘Less vital’ curriculum areas to be ‘combed back’, says Francis
Only 1 in 4 young adults got financial education at school, study shows
Music education
Banging the drum for music education: the UK school run with an orchestra
Skills and qualifications
Warning of ‘skills chasm’ amid huge UK regional divide in qualifications
Accountability & Ofsted
Tell schools how they’re being judged on progress, DfE warned
Martyn Oliver on Ofsted reform: 8 things we learned
Poverty
UK charity steps up campaign against child hygiene poverty
Covid
Children ‘dropped down the agenda’ during pandemic
Mental Health
Child mental health crisis: Better resilience is the solution, say experts
Absence
Small drop in absence ‘but still a long way to go’
Safeguarding
‘An invidious position’: the safeguarding disconnect affecting children and teachers
Funding
Rising SEND costs will ‘wipe out’ school savings, IFS warns
‘We can’t go on like this’: Costs will outstrip school funding rises (again), says IFS
Final round of trust growth funding falls £18m short of requests
School buildings
Ninety per cent of schools hit by crumbling concrete scandal have not had RAAC removed
Pay
NEU to launch indicative ballot over 2.8% pay rise recommendation
Sixth form college teachers to stage three more days of strikes in pay dispute
Early years
Therapy dogs
__________
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