SEND

Kent council’s controversial special school inclusion plans shelved

Proposals to redesignate special schools amid accusations some ‘turned away most complex pupils’ faced legal threats

Jack Dyson
Jack Dyson
Schools Bill

Council chief: ‘We’re not interested in making life difficult for academies’

But new Association of Directors of Children’s Services president says schools need to be ‘where the children are’

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
NEU Conference

Strikes, maternity pay and SATs boycott: NEU conference preview

Eight interesting motions that will set the agenda at the education union’s conference next week

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Politics

7 key facts about Oli de Botton, Labour’s new education adviser

The careers education and oracy enthusiast has been appointed to advise Sir Keir Starmer – so here’s what you…

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Lydia Chantler-Hicks
News

MAT mulls ‘action short of merger’ with other trusts

Astrea Academy Trust CEO says ‘there are models for doing things differently’ that would allow trusts to collaborate without…

Jack Dyson
Jack Dyson
Academies

Fears Catholic school heads ‘coerced’ into mega-MATs

Union raises concerns leaders ‘met with hostility’ amid rows over archdiocese plans for ‘universal academisation’

Jack Dyson
Jack Dyson


Schools

Parents to get more of their money back from sQuid

Company said it had ‘reviewed its refund policy’ after Schools Week revealed parents’ concerns

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
Movers and Shakers

Russell Hobby to be CEO of The Kemnal Academies Trust

Ex-NAHT general secretary and Teach First leader announced plans to leave the teacher training charity last year

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
School budgets

Outsourced contract rises hit school catering budgets

Schools forced to shell out more for contractors as they face triple whammy of food, wage and NI rises

Rhi Storer
Rhi Storer
Schools

DfE bans former head of ‘holistic’ AP school after Ofsted safety concerns

Ofsted inspectors found pupils at the Devon school could access nearby train tracks and industrial units

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Funding

Schools’ repair bill ‘much higher’ than £13.8bn estimate

High-ranking Whitehall official warns cost to fix crumbling estate ‘almost certain’ to be more than thought

Jack Dyson
Jack Dyson
SEND

Councils splurge £18m on private special schools with repeated failures

Millions funnelled in just one year to settings that have failed independent school standards

Rosa Furneaux
Rosa Furneaux