Alix Robertson | Schools Week

RSCs have ‘escalated’ 21 decisions about schools to ministers

Regional schools commissioners have had to “escalate” 21 decisions concerning schools or trusts to different government ministers since 2016, but the method behind who deals with which issue remains unclear. The schools commissioners have powers devolved from the education secretary to make important decisions such as ordering schools to convert to academies, taking action when […]

Reach South takes on a troubled free school and a struggling UTC

The Reach South Academy Trust has taken on troubled Bournemouth free school Parkfield School, which has been waiting for a sponsor since 2016, alongside acquiring a struggling university technical college. The trust adopted Parkfield, now an all-through academy, on September 1, and UTC Plymouth (pictured) on October 1. Schools Week has followed the progress of […]

Pupils aren’t being told about lucrative university scholarships and grants

Youngsters are missing out on applying for around £85,000 in scholarships to support them at university because of a “lack of information” – with grants available for vegetarians, sewing enthusiasts and designers of zombie-destroying weapons. A new app, called GrantFairy, has been created to find scholarships that students are eligible to apply for based on […]

Chartered College of Teaching elects first president and council

The Chartered College of Teaching has elected Stephen Munday, principal of Comberton Village College and chief executive of The Cam Academy Trust, as its first president. The college, which launched last year as the profession body for teaching, held elections for the president and 21 other council members at its first annual general meeting at Westminster […]

New data on young people’s mental health now not ready until November

Schools will have to wait until the end of November to see brand new government data on the mental health of young people – information which hasn’t been updated for 14 years. The last research into the prevalence of mental health problems in children and young people in the UK was carried out in 2004 by […]

Stats watchdog launches investigations into ministers’ ‘disingenuous’ use of data

The statistics watchdog has launched two investigations into the government’s “disingenuous” use of education data, with ministers accused of using “smoke and mirrors” to deflect criticism from shrinking budgets. The UK Statistics Authority is investigating the Department for Education’s use of an OECD finding that the UK is the “third highest spender on education” to […]

Adventure Learning Academies Trust gives up its 5 schools

The Advernture Learning Academies Trust, the sister trust of the beleaguered Bright Tribe chain, is giving up all five of its schools. The trust annouced that its trustees had voted for its four primaries and one secondary school in Cornwall to all be rebrokered to other sponsors. If follows Bright Tribe confirming officially last week that it […]

Ofsted signals changes to academy trust inspections

Academy bosses will get a seat at the table with Ofsted inspectors as the watchdog moves forward on plans to beef up its inspection of trusts. The watchdog has completed a series of trials visiting a “small number” of trusts to test a more open approach to inspecting groups of schools in academy chains. Schools […]

Investigation: Supersized academy trusts are on the rise

A surge in brand-new academy trusts that open with at least five schools is propping up the number of academy conversions, despite the government backing off its academisation drive. Schools Week analysis of Department for Education data on open academies has revealed more trusts are supersizing. A total of 31 trusts took on five or […]