Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

NAHT: 4 in 5 schools have pupils isolating because of lack of tests

Headteachers have reported that pupils at more than four in five schools are isolating because they can’t get access to a Covid test. A survey of 736 school leaders by the leadership union NAHT found that 82 per cent of schools have children currently not attending because they cannot access a test to rule out […]

£50m for expansion, but some grammars get less inclusive

The government’s £50 million grammar schools expansion scheme to improve access for poorer pupils has instead created “more places for the middle classes”. We should be directing precious government resource elsewhere to really improve excellence and equity in the education system Analysis of admissions data from 14 of the 16 schools that split the selective […]

Anger as government admits test and trace website coding error

A coding glitch caused by the government’s “failure” to carry out proper software testing is preventing people from booking Covid tests. There have been widespread reports of people – including school staff and pupils – not being able to book tests via the government’s website, despite claims that local centres still have appointments available. In […]

Ofsted will check school ‘readiness’ to teach relationships and sex education from January

Schools will have their “readiness” to teach the new relationships and sex education curriculum assessed by Ofsted from January, the watchdog has said. And schools failing to teach about LGBT relationships from the summer term in 2021 risk a ‘requires improvement’ judgment for their leadership and management. New guidance issued by Ofsted this morning confirms […]

76 winners scoop silver Pearson Teaching Awards for 2020

Inspirational teachers from across the country have been honoured today for their outstanding commitment to changing the lives of children. A total of 76 winners have scooped silver awards in the annual Pearson National Teaching Awards. The winners (full list below) will now be shortlisted to win just one of 14 gold awards at the […]

Not enough Covid testing capacity, admits Johnson

The government does not have enough testing capacity to keep up with current demand, the prime minister admitted. Boris Johnson told the Parliamentary liaison committee that demand for tests had “massively accelerated” in recent weeks. Schools Week revealed last week how schools had been forced to break into their limited supplies of emergency home testing […]

SEND review won’t be out until 2021, says Williamson

A landmark review into provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities won’t be published until next year, Gavin Williamson has said. The education secretary admitted in April that work on the review has stalled because of the coronavirus outbreak, and confirmed today that the report will now not be published until “the early […]

Williamson’s education committee exams hearing: 5 things we learned

The education secretary faced questions about this year’s exams fiasco and the reopening of schools when he appeared in front of the Parliamentary education committee this morning. Gavin Williamson’s appearance in front of MPs follows a hearing last week with leaders from exams regulator Ofqual. Here’s what we learned from him. 1. DfE looking […]

Attendance: 8% of schools not ‘fully open’ last week, says DfE

Around 92 per cent of state-funded schools were “fully open” as of last Thursday, the Department for Education has said. Analysis of attendance figures by the DfE shows that although almost all state schools (99.1 per cent) were open on September 10, around 8 per cent were not “fully open” – meaning they did not […]