Education news
4 April
Teacher retention and recruitment
Why we need a mandatory safeguarding qualification
Safeguarding can be, literally, about life and death. But training is inconsistent.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/why-we-need-a-mandatory-safeguarding-qualification
Adolescence is powerful TV – but why the tired teacher tropes?
Spoiler alert. The portrayal of teachers in Adolescence is unnecessarily negative once again.
https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/why-does-adolescence-tv-show-negative-about-teachers
Teacher union reports ‘surge’ in concerns about redundancies
In the run-up to Union conference season, NASUWT warns of increasing redundancies as funding squeezes get tighter.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/teacher-union-reports-surge-in-concerns-about-redundancies/
Pupil numbers: The regional forecasts schools need to know
Pupil numbers will decline. But who’d have thought the national data might hide very different regional forecasts…
https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/pupil-numbers-regional-forecasts-schools-need-to-know
Equalities
Scottish schools ‘can’t tackle violence against women and girls alone’
Schools should be teaching students about misogyny – but they need more help to address the problem, MSPs are told.
‘Boys feel increasingly isolated’: teenagers on Netflix’s Adolescence
There’s not much to like about being a boy these days, according to this group of sixth-formers. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/31/boys-feel-increasingly-isolated-teenagers-on-netflix-adolescence
Phillipson: More male teachers needed to combat ‘toxic’ influences
The Children’s Commissioner’s Festival of Childhood hears about the crisis in childhood, that’s about even more than misogyny
Education Secretary: More men needed in classrooms to be positive role models
Boys need positive role models. We need more men in teaching.
Girls in England feel less safe at school than they did pre-Covid, survey finds
13-14 year old girls feel less safe in school than they did before, and also less safe than girls in other countries. The other side of the toxic masculinity coin?
Tech
We need action to protect children from social media’s inevitable harm
In the discussion provoked by the series ‘Adolescence’, ASCL remind us that tech billionaires have huge power but no responsibility. Something must be done.
Struggling readers spotted by eye-tracking software trial
Schools are amazed by the results, but is it safe?
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/struggling-readers-spotted-by-eye-tracking-software-trial/
Bridget Phillipson eyes AI’s potential to free up teachers’ time
The Secretary of State is pinning her hopes for reducing teacher workload on AI tools. Is it really the magic bullet? Our Annual Lecture suggests not.
Using AI to judge writing could ‘revolutionise’ assessment – trial
No More Marking trials AI to mark writing through comparative judgementAn approach to marking where teachers compare two students’ responses to a task and choose which is better, then repeat this process with other pieces of work, and suggest it could be a game-changer
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/using-ai-to-judge-writing-could-revolutionise-assessment-trial/
Inclusion
Parents’ views sought on integrated education
Parents in Northern Ireland are being asked if they want more schools where Catholic and Protestant children are educated together
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4yekg11n8o
Is a formal dyslexia diagnosis valuable?
As Jamie Oliver turns his attention to dyslexia, is it true that it’s the system that’s at fault?
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/is-a-formal-dyslexia-diagnosis-valuable
Scottish children’s commissioner: Too many children let down by education system
Meanwhile, in Scotland, children – particularly those with Additional Learning Needs – are let down by a system glacially slow to reform
Nearly 20 councils in England ‘at risk of insolvency’ due to Send costs
Costs of support for pupils with SEND could push local authorities over the funding cliff
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/30/councils-england-insolvency-risk-send-costs
Curriculum & qualifications
T-level qualifications still less popular and more expensive than BTecs, watchdog finds
Who would have thought that T-levels would struggle to replace the more popular BTecs? Oh, everyone except the previous government, it turns out
Matt Hood: Oak has its critics, but the achievements are many
As he moves on from Oak, the CEO reminisces about the glory days of the curriculum body in the pandemic, and extols its future possibilities
https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/matt-hood-oak-critics-achievements-are-many
Oracy chair reassured it ‘will be woven’ into curriculum review final report
Geoff Barton reminds us that oracy is vital, even if it’s not mentioned in the interim report
School curriculum resources to teach children about risks of in-game purchases
Oak Academy has released lessons on financial education (notwithstanding that financial education is part of (statutory in secondary school) Citizenship)
Ofsted
‘What we see are wasted lives’
A rare story of 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 as ‘the good guys’ as they inspect illegal schools
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/what-we-see-are-wasted-lives-meet-the-ofsted-illegal-schools-team/
Giving ex-Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman seat in Lords is an insult, says dead teacher’s sister
And now, Amanda Spielman – who declared that Ofsted did no wrong after the inquiry into Ruth Perry’s post-inspection death – will join the House of Lords
Ofsted chief rejects call for fewer inspection grades
Sir Martyn Oliver says it’s not good enough to be good enough
Ofsted looks at renaming new ‘secure’ grade
Will changing the word ‘secure’ make judgements any less vague?
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-looks-at-renaming-new-secure-grade/
Disadvantage
The schools working hard for the ‘forgotten third’
How are schools supporting the third of GCSE pupils in England who don’t achieve a grade 4 in English and maths?
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/the-schools-working-hard-for-the-forgotten-third/
Government can and should deliver state-funded tutoring
According to the tutoring agencies, tutoring is key to closing the attainment gap. They state their evidence here
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/government-can-and-should-deliver-state-funded-tutoring/
Behaviour
Help us find the missing pieces of the engagement puzzle
Pupil engagement in secondary schools underpins attainment, attendance, happiness and self-worth. How do we build it?
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/help-us-find-the-missing-pieces-of-the-engagement-puzzle/
Teenagers’ socioemotional skills ‘significantly worse’ in England
Socio-emotional skills support self-control, empathy, co-operation, and are important for learning and social justice, according to NFER report
Funding
Schools warn of staff cuts as Reeves snubs sector
No more money for schools in the spring statement, means schools will struggle
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-warn-of-staff-cuts-as-reeves-snubs-sector/
Cost-cutters’ savings ‘won’t compensate’ for inadequate funding
Schools keep cutting costs, but there’s still not enough money
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/cost-cutters-savings-wont-compensate-for-inadequate-funding/
Funding for school-based nurseries doubles
The DfEDepartment for Education - a ministerial department responsible for children’s services and education in England has approved bids for 300 in-school nurseries, with double the original funding. But is it enough to provide high quality education – and where are the staff? https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/early-years/dfe-increases-funding-for-school-based-nurseries-eyfs
Revealed: The first 300 schools splitting £37m nursery cash
Schools Week lists the schools that will be setting up (or extending) nurseries with the new money
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/revealed-the-first-300-schools-splitting-37m-nursery-cash/
Politics
CfE review success depends on ‘broader ecosystem’
Scotland warns of the difficulty of doing the right things, in the right order, at the right time – we could probably learn some lessons in England
https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/cfe-curriculum-review-success-broader-ecosystem
Oli de Botton appointed ‘expert adviser’ to Starmer on education
Former head of Schools 21, Teach-firster, CEO of the Careers and Enterprise Company, Voice 21 founder, to advise the PM on education and skills
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/oli-de-botton-appointed-expert-adviser-to-starmer-on-education/
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