Education news, articles and events of the week: archive
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 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 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
DfEDepartment for Education - a ministerial department responsible for children’s services and education in England opens re-accreditation round for teacher training providers
Move comes after over a quarter of ITTInitial teacher training - the period of academic study and time in school leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) 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/
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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 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
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
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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 EducationThe ministerial department responsible for children’s services and education in England 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/
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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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