Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Williamson working to ‘relax Covid measures in schools’

The education secretary has said he is working with colleagues to “relax Covid measures in schools”, after new figures showed another steep rise in absences related to the virus. Gavin Williamson said he would be “looking closely” at the issues “around the need for ongoing isolation of bubbles”, and the outcomes of a trial of […]

‘Permissive’ national curriculum gives schools too much freedom, says Ofsted director

The national curriculum has become too “permissive”, and making more subjects compulsory at key stage 4 could help “lever change and improvement”, a senior Ofsted official has said. Sean Harford told the House of Lords youth unemployment committee yesterday that schools had responded “in a way that has been unhelpful” to decisions to stop requiring […]

Attendance: 1 in 20 pupils absent due to Covid as isolations soar

More than one in 20 pupils were off school last week due to Covid, with more than a quarter of a million children isolating due to potential contact in school, new data shows. The latest attendance survey data from the Department for Education shows an estimated 384,500 pupils, or 5.1 per cent of pupils, were […]

DfE behaviour consultation seeks views on mobile phone bans

Schools will be asked for information about their behaviour strategies, their use of so-called “managed moves”, and how they deal with mobile phones as part of a six-week consultation launching today. This is an operational decision for schools, not something that can be micromanaged from Westminster The call for evidence was pledged by education secretary […]

Green: Extended school day could be used to teach more ‘life skills’

An extended school day could be used to fit more “life skills” into the curriculum, the shadow education secretary has suggested. Kate Green told the Festival of Education this morning that “proper time” was needed in the curriculum for skills like managing money, understanding our political system and cooking. Green announced earlier this year that […]

Independence questions as Williamson ally put forward for Ofqual job

Gavin Williamson has put forward his own policy adviser to be the next chief regulator of Ofqual, prompting warnings over the body’s supposed independence. The Department for Education announced last week that Dr Jo Saxton, who founded and ran the Turner Schools academy trust before moving to her current job, was the education secretary’s preferred […]

Don’t cancel sports days on our account, DfE tells schools

School sports days can still go ahead with parents in attendance, the Department for Education has insisted, following reports that some settings have called off the events. The DfE said today it was aware of cancellations citing Covid guidance, but said this “needn’t be the case in most circumstances”. School leaders were advised earlier this […]

Bumper year as 102 winners scoop silver Pearson Teaching Awards for 2021

Inspirational teachers, leaders, support staff and schools from across the country have been honoured today for their outstanding commitment to changing the lives of their students. A total of 102 winners have scooped silver awards in the annual Pearson National Teaching Awards. The names have been announced to coincide with national Thank a Teacher day. […]

Williamson dodges calls to publish winter Covid schools plan

Gavin Williamson has confirmed he has a plan for responding to a potential winter wave of Covid or a flu outbreak, but dodged calls to publish it in advance. I’m desperately hoping never to have to touch it The education secretary also insisted the government’s understanding of how to run schools safely while providing “high-quality” […]