Billy Camden | Schools Week

UTCs want ‘best fit’ pupils

The organisation that oversees the ailing university technical college (UTC) programme has called on school leaders to “assess” which pupils best fit the vocational schools before sending unsuitable learners on to them. The Baker Dearing Trust (BDT) also wants more funding than mainstream schools, as well as altered performance measures to align with their curriculum. […]

New GCSEs force curriculum trade-off

An Essex school’s plans to restructure its timetable to meet the demands of the new “big fat” GCSEs has coincided with the announcement from Ofsted’s chief inspector of a crackdown on schools that are narrowing the curriculum to focus on exams. Clacton County High has told parents that from September it will increase traditional hour-long […]

School improvement ‘failing’ at Academy Trust of Melksham, says Ofsted

A multi-academy trust in the south west has been criticised by Ofsted for failing to sustain a “good quality of education” after nearly all its schools dropped from a ‘good’ rating. The education watchdog also criticised leaders at the Academy Trust of Melksham (ATOM) for not making it clear who holds responsibility for “making key […]

Academies Enterprise Trust stripped of two more schools

The country’s largest academy chain has been stripped of two schools – and is in talks about rebrokering more – despite recently hinting at expansion following a government ban on taking over new schools. Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) will rebroker Everest Community Academy, in Basingstoke, and Cordeaux Academy, in Lincolnshire, in September at the request […]

DfE orders fire safety checks to identify schools ‘at risk’ after Grenfell blaze

The government has instructed councils and academy trusts to carry out fire safety checks on school buildings to identify any that may need further investigation in light of the Grenfell Tower blaze. It comes after a Schools Week investigation on Monday found the proportion of new schools being built with fire-preventing sprinklers has halved to […]

Trust’s shorter summer holiday policy causes rise in term-time absence

An academy trust has abandoned the experimental holiday calendar it introduced to alleviate cost pressures and reduce term-time absences, after it actually caused a rise in pupils taking days off. Tall Oaks Academy Trust in Gainsborough introduced a pilot plan to cut the traditional six-week summer holiday break short by one week, in favour of […]

EEF: New trials launched to test school careers programmes

Two new Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) trials will test how different careers education programmes can boost teenagers’ motivation at school, including one that links-up pupils with business mentors to deliver community projects. The other trial will test the impact of supporting pupils to apply and participate in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM)-related work experience. […]

Public confused on grammars, research suggests

The public appears to be split about whether government plans to expand grammar schools should go ahead or not, after a survey found over half would support the policy but six in ten opposed the idea of selection. New research published today by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) reveals 53 per cent of […]

Unions demand ‘urgent reassurances’ on school fire safety after Grenfell blaze

Two education unions have joined with fire officers to demand “urgent reassurances” from Justine Greening about fire safety in schools after the Grenfell Tower blaze. The Fire brigades Union (FBU), National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) have written to the education secretary urging her to ditch proposals they […]