Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

DfE names 21 free schools approved in wave 14

Twenty-one more free schools have been approved under wave 14 of the programme, which is again dominated by multi-academy trusts. Ministers have announced the first successful free school projects since June 2019. It follows substantial delays to the application process launched two years ago. Wave 14 was first launched in January 2019 by former education […]

Revealed: The 50 school rebuilding projects selected to split £1bn capital cash

The government has named the first 50 school rebuilding projects that will benefit from £1 billion in capital cash in the coming years. The Department for Education has named the schools that will form the first tranche of its new 10-year school rebuilding programme. Money spent will average £20 million per school. The rebuilding projects […]

Covid testing: DfE confirms arrangements for extra school funding

The Department for Education has set out how it will allocate funding to schools to pay for Covid testing of pupils and staff. A £78 million funding pot was pledged in December, but further details about how funding would be allocated were scarce. The DfE was also forced to pledge to reimburse schools that stood […]

Ventilation moved up the priority list, and 5 more updates to DfE Covid-19 guidance

An important Covid-19 guidance document for schools has been updated today to place more importance on ventilation and strengthen language around self-isolation. Here’s what you need to know about the update to Restricting attendance during the national lockdown: schools document. 1. Ventilation moved up the priority list The DfE has updated its system of […]

School attendance rises to 15%, highest level recorded this term

School attendance rose to 15 per cent last week, the highest level recorded so far this term, new data shows. Attendance survey data published by the Department for Education shows that 1.211 million pupils, 14.9 per cent of the total pupil population, attended school last Thursday. This is up from 1.147 million, or 14.1 per […]

DfE confirms schools can reclaim lost cash after Covid testing funding change

Schools that could lose thousands of pounds because of a change in the way funding for Covid testing is allocated will be able to claim the cash back, the Department for Education has said. The clarification comes after a Schools Week investigation found a shift by the DfE to only fund testing costs based on […]

DfE knew about new strain before issuing Greenwich direction, admits top civil servant

The Department for Education knew about the highly infectious new Covid-19 variant before ordering Greenwich council to rescind its request for schools to close early for Christmas, its most senior civil servant has admitted. Susan Acland-Hood, the DfE’s permanent secretary, has written to Robert Halfon, the chair of the education select committee, to apologise for […]

Ministers favour priority for exam year groups if full March 8 school reopening not possible

The government wants to see exam year groups prioritised for return if a full school reopening on March 8 is not possible, Schools Week understands. Ministers are hoping that scientific advice will support the return of all year groups, sources familiar with discussions have said. However, if there are still concerns, the government is understood […]

CfEY think tank chief Loic Menzies to stand down

The founder and chief executive of the Centre for Education and Youth think tank Loic Menzies is to stand down after almost 12 years. Menzies, who established the organisation as LKMCo in 2009, said it was “time for a new chief executive to decide what CfEY’s next chapter will look like”. Since its launch, the […]