Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Government to U-turn on masks in schools

Staff and older pupils will be expected to wear face coverings in schools in England from September following a government U-turn, Schools Week understands. Ministers are expected to announce the change later today following growing pressure in the wake of a similar decision in Scotland and changes to World Health Organisation guidelines. It means staff […]

DfE confirms U-turn over masks in schools

Pupils and staff in secondary schools in high-transmission areas will be required to wear face coverings following a U-turn by the government. The Department for Education has tonight confirmed that it will revise its guidance on the use of face coverings in schools to state that in areas of national government intervention, face coverings “should be […]

Sally Collier to be replaced by Dame Glenys Stacey as Ofqual chief regulator

The chief regulator of Ofqual Sally Collier is to leave following the exams fiasco that has engulfed England in recent weeks and be replaced by her predecessor, Schools Week has learned. Dame Glenys Stacey, who served in the role from 2011 to 2016, will take up the role again in an acting capacity until December, […]

Pressure mounts on government over face coverings in schools

The government is under growing pressure to review its guidance on the use of face coverings in schools, as one of England’s largest academy trusts announced it had ordered visors and masks for staff and some pupils. Oasis Community Learning, which runs 52 academies across England, will provide face coverings for all staff and visitors […]

Staff safety questions remain as PM urges parents to send children back to school

Schools must have “very clear Covid-secure measures” for all staff, England’s largest education union has warned, as the prime minister appealed directly to parents to send their children back to school next month. The National Education Union has also called on the government to employ more teachers and secure extra teaching spaces “to allow education […]

PHE school Covid outbreaks analysis: 8 things we learned

There were 30 outbreaks of Covid-19 in schools and other educational settings in June 2020, a new study by Public Health England has found. The research, published yesterday, is based on “enhanced national surveillance” amid the wider reopening of schools from June 1. However, PHE has warned there are “important limitations” to its findings, given […]

Ofsted director seconded to help government plan for reopening of schools

A senior Ofsted director has been seconded to a government team planning for the return of pupils to schools. Sean Harford, the watchdog’s national director of education, moved temporarily to the Cabinet Office this week to work on the government’s response to the pandemic. He will be there until the end of the year. Schools […]

Government will pay exam appeal fees, says Williamson

The government will cover fees for failed appeals against exam grades following a huge backlash over A-level results. The Department for Education, in a press release published today, said that state-funded schools and colleges will be able to claim back unsuccessful appeals at the same time as claiming back fees for autumn exams. Successful appeals […]

Legal action threat over A-level results fiasco

The government may face legal action on behalf of pupils affected by this year’s A-levels debacle. At least two legal challenges are in the early stages of being mounted, following upset across England in response to grades issued yesterday. It comes after the Equalities and Human Rights Commission warned it may intervene following a day […]