News

44 planned free schools in doubt as review launched

Phillipson signals end of Tory free schools as centrally-delivered projects face ‘value for money’ reviews

Schools Week Reporter
Schools Week Reporter
Teacher pay

Pay scales for teachers and leaders in England from September 2024

DfE confirms pay scales following offer of 5.5 per cent to teachers and leaders

Lucas Cumiskey
Lucas Cumiskey
Recruitment and retention

Cash-strapped councils ditch gifts for long-serving teachers

Vouchers and commemorative glassware to recognise long-serving school staff among education services axed by councils

Schools Week Reporter
Schools Week Reporter
School buildings

‘Build up’ school scheme shelved (but £180k spent)

Ambitious project earmarked for London school on hiatus due to planning requirements and market conditions

Jack Dyson
Jack Dyson
SEND

SEND spend spotlight: the data keeping Labour up at night

Ahead of an important report on SEND due next week, Schools Week looks at four of the most pressing…

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth
Support staff

New law mustn’t rule CEOs are ‘support staff’, DfE told

The organisation representing academies in England wants central teams to be excluded from the bill’s definition of support staff

Lucas Cumiskey
Lucas Cumiskey


Solutions

School trials free creche for teachers in latest flexibility push

Charles Dickens provides free breakfast and after-school club provision for the children of staff and a discounted on-site nursey

Lucas Cumiskey
Lucas Cumiskey
School buildings

Repeated review of new special school buildings irks councils

DfE official says new government is ‘working through urgent decisions and taking time to understand those’

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Schools

Schools must be reimbursed for any national insurance hike, say unions

Reports suggested the government could increase national insurance contributions

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth and Jack Dyson
School buildings

‘High bar’ for new estates improvement notices, says official

Senior civil servant issues clarification amid fears over new grounds for a notice to improve

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Teacher Regulation Agency

‘Worst-performing year 11s needed off roll’, leader told staff

Senior leader at Harrop Fold wanted kids removed before January census, misconduct hearing told

Lucas Cumiskey
Lucas Cumiskey
News

Employment rights bill: Schools face zero-hour contract changes

Exam invigilators and some supply teachers may need to be given fixed-term contracts and entitled to pension schemes, lawyers…

Lucas Cumiskey
Lucas Cumiskey