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19 April 2026

Author: Freddie Whittaker

PM announces £18m opportunity areas expansion, and £10m to boost quality of teaching

An £18 million extension of the opportunity areas programme and £10 million to improve teaching quality in four other areas will form part of the government’s “levelling up” agenda, the prime minister has announced. But leaders this week spoke of their frustration with “piecemeal announcements being portrayed as though they are a grand vision”. Boris […]

Edtech demonstrator programme phase 2: What schools need to know

The Department for Education has confirmed plans for the second phase of its edtech demonstrator programme. Guidance published today gives more details of the scheme, including a list of 43 “demonstrator” schools and colleges, and how funding will be allocated and spent. It comes after Schools Week revealed that academy trust United Learning had been […]

NAHT: Leaders have spent 7 extra school days ‘propping up’ test and trace

The government faces calls to release leaders from the “burden” of running test and trace in their schools, after union figures showed they have spent on average seven extra school days on the task since September. The National Association of Head Teachers said a survey of 401 of its members had revealed the average leader […]

Institute of Teaching won’t take first trainees until 2023 after pilot year dropped

The government’s new Institute of Teaching won’t take on its first trainee teachers until 2023 after plans for a limited pilot next year were dropped. The Department for Education had originally stated in tender documents for the £121 million, six-year contract that the IoT would be expected to deliver a “pilot” initial teacher training (ITT) […]

Peter Kyle appointed as shadow schools minister

Peter Kyle has been appointed as the new shadow schools minister, Labour has announced. Kyle has been MP for Hove since 2015, and has served as shadow minister for victims and youth justice since last year. He replaces Wes Streeting, who was promoted over the weekend to a new shadow cabinet-level role covering child poverty. […]

Outbreak fears cause cautious schools to continue with mask rules

Mask rules for pupils will remain in place at some schools across England next week amid fears about localised outbreaks and a highly transmissible new variant of Covid. Several schools told Schools Week that they would continue to require masks in classrooms and communal areas even after the official government recommendation lifts on Monday. Prime […]

Covid outbreaks in schools double in a week

The number of Covid outbreaks in schools and other education settings doubled last week, new government data shows. Public Health England’s latest flu and Covid-19 report shows there were 48 new acute respiratory infection (ARI) “incidents” involving Covid reported by education settings in the week to May 9, up from 23 the week before and […]

Home education among pupils with EHC plans up by a quarter in one year

The number of children with education, health and care plans being educated at home has risen by almost a quarter in just one year. Data published by the Department for Education today shows that 3,660 pupils with EHC plans were in elective home education as of January this year, up from 2,983 in January 2020. […]