Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

DfE to reboot ITT market review to slim down sector

The government will reboot its review of the initial teacher training market, which aims to tackle the “overly complex” nature of the sector, Schools Week has learned. Originally launched last year as part of the teacher recruitment and retention strategy, the review was to be tasked with reducing duplication, weeding out poor-quality providers and creating […]

DfE pledges staff absence funding to keep schools open, but only after reserves are raided

The government has said it will help cover the costs of staff absences to keep schools open this term, but leaders will have to deplete their reserves before becoming eligible. The Department for Education has today announced the creation of a short-term “Covid workforce fund”, which will be backdated to November 1 and will cover […]

Christmas closure chaos as schools allowed to extend holidays

The government’s approach to schools closing early for Christmas was mired in confusion this week after two academy trusts were given the green light to shut a week early, just days after another trust was blocked from doing so. Schools Week revealed this week that Focus Trust cancelled plans to close its 15 schools across […]

DfE won’t say if NTP second-year cash is new

The government’s flagship National Tutoring Programme will be funded for an extra year, but the Department for Education has been unable to confirm whether the cash is new. Schools Week revealed on Wednesday that the scheme was heading for a second year, and the DfE belatedly confirmed the move yesterday. Gavin Williamson said the spending […]

Exams 2020: ‘No evidence’ poorer pupils disadvantaged, concludes Ofqual

There is “no evidence” that the system for awarding GCSEs and A-levels this year systematically disadvantaged poorer pupils or those with protected characteristics, an analysis by Ofqual has found. But 6,300 GCSE entries, most of them from private schools, may have received “disproportionately overestimated grades”, the exams regulator said. Ofqual has published a technical report […]

Spending review: Treasury now says £30k starting salary pledge pushed back a year

The government has abandoned its pledge to raise teacher starting salaries to £30,000 by 2022-23, saying the target will now be reached by 2024 instead. The Treasury initially confirmed yesterday that it still planned to deliver the commitment made in the Conservatives’ election manifesto last year, despite enacting a pay freeze for teachers in the […]

Private schools got biggest top A-levels boost after grade U-turn

Private schools still saw the biggest boost in top grades at A-level following this year’s exams fiasco, despite the decision to issue centre-assessment grades. The Department for Education has published analysis of A-level grades issued this summer, following the decision to let school-provided grades stand if they were higher than calculated grades issued by exam […]

£30k starting salary pledge remains, and 5 other things we learned from the spending review

The chancellor Rishi Sunak has launched his spending review, which sets out how public services will be funded in the 2021-22 financial year. Most notably for schools, the spending review includes a pay freeze for public sector workers earning over the median salary. Here’s what we learned. 1. £30k starting salaries still the plan, […]

Spending review: National Tutoring Programme wins funding for a second year

The government’s flagship National Tutoring Programme has been awarded funding to continue for a second year, Schools Week understands. Documents from today’s spending review show a £400 million pot of cash has been allocated for education in 2021-22. This is listed as Covid education spending “including schools catch-up and supplementary support for free school meals”. […]