Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Covid-19: MATs should use resources to help ‘vulnerable’ schools recover, says Herrington

Multi-academy trusts should use their “considerable” capacity and resources to help vulnerable schools recover from Covid-19, the national schools commissioner has said. Dominic Herrington told the Schools and Academies Show today that relationships between trusts and schools had improved during the pandemic as leaders locally have pulled together to keep educating pupils, and that he […]

‘We’ll help kids rise to the challenge’ – heads contradict Ofsted chief on exams

Cancelling exams in 2021 will not result in pupils becoming disengaged, headteachers have told MPs, as they vowed to work with “whatever system” they are presented with. Six school leaders appeared in front of the Parliamentary education committee this morning to give evidence on left-behind white disadvantaged pupils. Whatever system you give us, we will […]

Government to ‘examine possibility’ of collecting data on bubbles and ventilation

The government could soon provide data on the use of bubbles and ventilation of school buildings and will run a new “outbreak investigation” study to check the role of schools in transmission of the virus. Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and UK Statistics Authority chief Professor Sir Ian Diamond have pledged to “examine the […]

Child infection rate rise began when schools reopened, but direct link ‘unproven’, says SAGE

Increases in infection levels among children and young adults began around the same time schools reopened, but a direct link between the two is “unproven and difficult to establish”, government scientists have said. A report endorsed by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, published today, found that although infection levels among young people started to […]

Universities back post-qualification admissions but shoot down move to January start

A major review into university admissions is calling for places to be offered after students have been awarded grades – but it shot down proposals to shift start dates back to January. Universities UK (UUK), the university umbrella body, suggests switching to a post-qualifications admission model from 2023, subject to full consultation, as part of […]

Rapid Covid tests a ‘game-changer’ for schools

Headteachers piloting rapid Covid-19 antigen tests under the government’s Operation Moonshot have described them as a “game-changer” to keep pupils in the classroom and help squash outbreaks. Sedgehill Academy in south east London, Poole Grammar School and South Wiltshire Grammar School in Salisbury have now done two rounds of testing using lateral flow tests, which […]

DfE warning over early GCSE entries as research shows some pupils do worse

Early entry to GCSEs “does not always benefit pupils”, the Department for Education has warned, as new research showed pupils in some subjects do worse if they take them in year 10. A new “ad hoc” research paper published by the DfE today shows that pupils who take English literature and religious studies a year […]

Restricting exams to core subjects ‘under consideration’, suggests Spielman

Ofqual is considering whether to only have exams in core subjects next year, with centre-assessment grades used for the remainder, Amanda Spielman has suggested. The Ofsted chief inspector, who is chairing Ofqual’s new “recovery committee” formed to oversee the fallout from this year’s exams fiasco, said holding exams only in core subjects was “the kind […]

Rashford nets another U-turn as ministers pledge ‘winter grants’ and extend holiday hunger scheme

A programme that provides free activities and food during the summer holidays will be extended nationwide and cover both Christmas and Easter next year, the government has announced, in another major victory for footballer Marcus Rashford. The Department for Work and Pensions announced today that a £220 million extension of the holiday activities and food […]