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11 May 2026

Author: Freddie Whittaker

Schools told they will be ‘on call’ until Christmas eve for track and trace

Schools will “effectively be on call” until Christmas eve to help with coronavirus contact tracing, a council has warned headteachers. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council has written to headteachers in its area, claiming to have received new guidance from the Department for Education. It comes after schools were ordered not to close early for the […]

Spielman ‘not expecting’ graded inspections from January

Ofsted is not expecting to resume graded inspections in January, the chief inspector of schools has said. Speaking at the launch of the watchdog’s latest annual report, Amanda Spielman said Ofsted needed to “take account of the national situation, and we’ve always said that the timing and form of our return was under review”. I’m […]

Ofsted annual report 2019-20: 8 things we learned

Ofsted has published its latest annual report following a “year of two halves” which saw inspections halted around six months after the launch of its new inspection framework. The report highlights that the judgment profile for schools remains “broadly stable” following the introduction of the new framework, with 86 per cent rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. […]

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 […]

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 […]