Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Schools scramble to sort inset days after 11th-hour Christmas edict

Schools are scrambling to reorganise their end of term plans after a last-ditch announcement by the government to ensure contract tracing can stop before Christmas Eve. Childcare concerns have also been raised after the Department for Education gave schools less than two weeks’ notice about running inset days on December 18. Although not statutory, I […]

Covid-19: Mass testing planned in London, Kent and Essex secondaries

The government is rolling out mass coronavirus testing in secondary schools in the worst-affected areas of London, Kent and Essex, the health secretary has announced. Matt Hancock told the Downing Street press briefing today that the government had “decided to put in place an immediate plan for testing all secondary school age children in the […]

Court of Appeal throws out Durand’s compensation claim for leisure centre land

A charity ordered to surrender land on the site of a south London primary school has had its legal bid for compensation thrown out by the Court of Appeal. Lords Justice McCombe, Flaux and Newey have dismissed a judicial review from the Durand Education Trust in relation to land occupied by leisure facilities and accommodation […]

Nick Gibb grilled by education committee over exams: 7 things we learned

The schools minister Nick Gibb faced questions about exams in 2020 and 2021 when he appeared in front of the Parliamentary education committee this week. The hearing followed the announcement last week of a package of measures that are meant to make exams in 2021 fairer. Here’s what we learned. 1. Lack of transparency […]

Dame Rachel de Souza is government’s pick for new children’s commissioner

Prominent academy trust boss Dame Rachel de Souza is to be put forward by the government as their preferred candidate to be the next children’s commissioner, Schools Week has learned. If the appointment is approved, the chief executive of the Inspiration Trust will take over when current commissioner Anne Longfield’s six-year term ends next February. […]

DfE finally reveals Christmas contact-tracing rules

Schools will be asked to remain “on call” for the first six days of the Christmas holidays to help with contact tracing, but it will be up to them to decide the hours they’ll be contactable. The Department for Education has confirmed arrangements for the end of term after schools minister Nick Gibb said today […]

Schools can take inset day on Dec 18 so contact tracing stops by Christmas Eve

Schools will be allowed to designate December 18 as an inset day to enable staff involved in track and trace to have a “proper break” from Christmas Eve, the schools minister has said. Nick Gibb told the Parliamentary education committee this morning that the Department for Education wanted there to be a “clear six days” […]

TIMSS 2019: Year 9 science performance drops, but England still doing well overall

The performance of year 9 pupils in science has “dropped considerably”, an international study has found. According to the latest trends in international mathematics and science study, performance in year 9 science dropped to a score “significantly lower” than in any iteration of the study going back to 1995. The reasons for this change are […]

Susan Acland-Hood made permanent boss at DfE

The Department for Education’s current acting boss will step up to the role on a permanent basis, it has been announced. Susan Acland-Hood will become the DfE’s full permanent secretary with immediate effect, having covered the role since September. Acland-Hood took over from Jonathan Slater, who stepped down on September 1 amid the fallout of […]