Billy Camden | Schools Week

Half of UTCs now rated ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’

More than half of university technical colleges (UTC) visited by Ofsted have been rated “inadequate” or “requires improvement” compared with 10 per cent of schools overall. UTC Swindon, the 20th UTC to be inspected by the education watchdog, received a damning grade four in its report published last week. Only eight have received a “good” […]

Rye Studio School to convert to sixth form

A one-time ‘Outstanding’ studio school for 14 to 19 year olds has announced it will convert to become a sixth form centre after its performance slumped. Rye Studio School wrote to parents informing them of the change last week. It will become the 16th institution of its kind to either close outright or stop delivering […]

Teacher trainers blast DfE for hiding allocation data

The government is under fire for its “unprecedented” refusal to reveal the full allocations for next year’s initial teacher training (ITT), even though officials have had the information for nearly six months. Teacher training providers including universities and schools were told last September how many students they could take onto their programmes for the academic […]

Councils slash school crossing budgets – despite rising injuries

Councils across the country are slashing their school crossing patrol budgets despite growing pupil numbers and increasing child pedestrian injuries. About £2.5 million less was spent in the past academic year compared with 2013-14. An exclusive investigation by Schools Week has found that more than two thirds of councils have cut their budget for crossings […]

Football club’s free school to close with £500,000 debt

A free school set up by Bolton Wanderers Football Club will close later this year owing the government £500,000 – much of which is likely to be written off. Bolton Wanderers Free School (BWFS), which opened in September 2014 and shares the club’s Macron stadium, is to close at the end of this academic year, […]

Bolton Wanderers Free School to close

A free school set up by Bolton Wanderers Football Club will close at the end of this academic year, less than three years after it opened. Trustees of the Bolton Wanderers Free School (BWFS), which opened in September 2014, announced plans for its closure in a statement on the school’s website today. It comes after the school […]

Hundreds of schools use Uber-style apps to hire supply teachers

Hundreds of schools are using apps to employ supply teachers in a bid to cut out crippling recruitment agency fees. But they should be “cautious” about using the online technology as its lack of face-to-face verification could lead to fake teachers heading into the classroom, say some union leaders. A Schools Week investigation has found […]

National College no longer approves teacher training providers

The government has stripped more powers from the National College for Teaching and Leadership, telling schools to submit requests to become a teacher training provider directly to the Department for Education. The move is a “significant” step towards the government’s absorption of the college, say experts. Originally opened to provide a standalone teacher training agency, […]

Hereford sixth form college first to become academy

Hereford Sixth Form College has become the first institute of its kind to convert to academy status, with plans to invest some its VAT savings into supporting partner schools. The college, rated “outstanding” by Ofsted in 2008, completed the process to become a standalone academy today. It comes almost 16 months after former chancellor George […]