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11 May 2026

Author: Freddie Whittaker

Former RSC Rebecca Boomer-Clark is new Academies Enterprise Trust CEO

Former regional schools commissioner Rebecca Boomer-Clark has been appointed to lead the Academies Enterprise Trust, one of England’s largest academy chains. Boomer-Clark, currently national director of secondary education at Ark Schools, will take over at AET after the summer half term break. Current CEO Julian Drinkall is leaving to head up the international Aga Khan […]

DfE lifts Ampleforth College pupil recruitment ban despite continuing safeguarding concerns

A ban on recruiting new pupils at the prestigious Ampleforth College has been lifted, despite Ofsted inspectors flagging continuing safeguarding concerns. The Department for Education today withdrew an enforcement notice issued in November, which ordered the private school in North Yorkshire to “cease to admit any new students” from the end of December. The notice […]

Exclusion ‘must still be available’ to keep pupils and staff safe, say NEU leaders

The sanction of exclusion “must still be available” to keep victims of sexual abuse, violence and bullying safe, the leaders of the National Education Union have said. Joint general secretaries Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney addressed the NEU’s virtual annual conference today. We believe that the sanction of exclusion must still be available if […]

DfE to target £20m SEND capital funding at councils with ‘safety valve’ bailout deals

Up to £20 million from a £300 million capital fund to provide more school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will be targeted at councils that have agreed to cost-cutting measures in exchange for deficit bailouts. The Department for Education has today re-announced a capital funding injection announced at last year’s […]

Attendance data shows stark divides in Covid disruption across England

Some areas of England had more than one in ten secondary pupils absent because of potential contact with Covid in school towards the end of last term, new attendance data shows. The Department for Education has published attendance data by local authority area for the second half of the spring term. It comes after national […]

Ofsted to visit ‘sample’ of schools where sexual abuse has been reported

Ofsted’s review of sexual abuse in schools will see the watchdog visit a “sample of schools and colleges” where abuse and violence cases have been highlighted. The review itself will “not report on individual schools or cases”, but identification of “serious and widespread” failures in safeguarding arrangements will lead to an immediate full inspection. Ofsted […]

NEU conference votes to survey members on teacher pay strike action

The country’s largest education union will survey its members to “build towards a ballot for national strike action” if its pay demands are not met. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced last year that school staff earning over £24,000 a year won’t receive a pay rise in 2021, while those earning below the threshold will receive a […]

Profile: Dr Robin Bevan, NEU president and grammar school head

Given newspaper headlines about militant union bosses plotting against ministers’ plans over the past year, it is perhaps surprising that the president of the generally anti-selection National Education Union is the headteacher of a boys’ grammar school. But Dr Robin Bevan, who has found himself having to help lead the country’s largest education union at […]