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20 April 2026

Author: Freddie Whittaker

Long-read: The evidence behind the government’s Covid classroom ‘gamble’

A raft of Covid protective measures look set to be removed in schools on “freedom day” later this month. Schools Week takes a look at the evidence behind the government’s “gamble”. From July 19, when the country will likely move to Step 4 of the roadmap out of lockdown, keeping pupils in bubbles and rules […]

Fair funding reforms won’t be fully rolled out for at least 3 years

Government reforms to make school funding fairer will now not be fully implemented for at least another three years. The Department for Education today launched another consultation over its national funding formula, asking schools how and when it should complete plans to end a “postcode lottery” between council areas. Steve Edmonds, director of advice and […]

Long-serving DfE adviser Chris Paterson leaves to join EEF

A long-serving policy adviser at the Department for Education is to join the Education Endowment Foundation. The charity has announced that Chris Paterson is to become its director of impact, overseeing its “knowledge mobilisation and regional delivery partnerships, communications, policy and evidence synthesis functions”. Paterson is currently a senior policy adviser to education secretary Gavin […]

Bubbles and masks go at step 4, but isolation rules in place to end of term

Schools will no longer be told to keep pupils in consistent “bubbles” from step four of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown, but isolation rules for close contacts will remain in place until the end of term. Updated guidance issued by the Department for Education states that at step four, “we will no longer recommend […]

More than 600,000 pupils off school due to Covid

More than 600,000 pupils were absent last week because of Covid, with around one in ten secondary pupils missing school. New Department for Education attendance survey data estimates 640,100 pupils, or 8.5 per cent of the total pupil population, were off school for Covid-related reasons last Thursday. This a 66 per cent rise from around […]

Government to remove school bubbles on July 19, says Javid

The government plans to remove bubbles and end routine contact tracing in schools on July 19, the health secretary has said today. On July 19 it is our plan to remove bubbles and to end the requirement for early years settings, schools and colleges to routinely carry out contact tracing Education secretary Gavin Williamson is […]

ITT review: DfE proposes re-accreditation for all providers

All initial teacher training providers would have to be re-accredited under proposals from a major government review that anticipates a “significant market reconfiguration”. The Department for Education is consulting on sweeping changes to ITT, including a new accreditation scheme, following the release of its ITT market review report. The government said it anticipated “significant market […]

DfE pulls plug on new voluntary-aided secondary over ‘lack of need’

One of only three proposed new voluntary-aided schools approved for government set-up cash has been cancelled because of a lack of basic need and an available site. Avanti Schools Trust applied to open a new Hindu secondary school in the London Borough of Redbridge in 2018 after the government reopened the process for new VA […]