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21 April 2026

Author: Freddie Whittaker

Government to consult on delaying 2021 exam season

The government is considering delaying the 2021 exam series until later in the summer, Gavin Williamson has revealed. The education secretary told MPs this afternoon that the government would be “consulting with Ofqual about how we can move those exams back” to maximise teaching time. It comes amid growing pressure on ministers to reveal their […]

Ofsted will check how schools are spending £650m catch-up cash, says Williamson

Ofsted inspectors will be asked to check how schools are helping pupils catch up on missed teaching, the education secretary has said. The government announced last Friday that schools will split £650 million in additional funding to aid pupils who have fallen behind as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The funding is part of […]

Williamson wants whole-class ‘bubbles’ from September

The government will look into expanding “bubbles” in schools to include whole classes so all pupils can return in September. Gavin Williamson delivered today’s Downing Street press briefing, and fielded a number of questions about the government’s plans for the reopening of schools in the next academic year. Boris Johnson, the prime minister, said earlier […]

Schools advised to spend £650m catch-up cash on summer activities, longer days and extra books

Schools are being advised to spend their £650 million coronavirus catch-up cash on summer programmes and longer school days, as well as tuition under the new national tutoring programme. New government-backed guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation has set out the interventions schools could spend their additional catch-up funding on. It follows an announcement that […]

£1bn schools coronavirus ‘catch-up’ package revealed

The government will spend £1 billion on an education “catch-up plan”, with a large chunk of the cash going directly to schools. Under proposals outlined today, state primary and secondary schools will split £650 million in additional funding for the 2020-21 academic year to help their pupils catch up on education missed as a result […]

Tributes paid to ‘distinguished’ trade unionist Fred Jarvis

Fred Jarvis, a pillar of the trade union movement who served as general secretary of the National Union of Teachers and president of the National Union of Students, has died at the age of 95. Jarvis, also a former president of the Trades Union Congress, served as NUT general secretary from 1975 to 1989, and […]

Coronavirus: Teach First drops 120 trainees as schools halt recruitment

Teach First has dropped 120 of its trainees after failing to match all of this year’s cohort with schools. Trainees said they had been told in a “generic email” to either defer their places or leave the programme, despite some having already quit jobs in preparation. We are hugely sorry that we’re not able to […]

Government sets up £120m ‘Covid summer food fund’ after free meal vouchers U-turn

The government has said it will provide free school meal vouchers over the summer holidays in a significant U-turn, following mounting pressure led by footballer Marcus Rashford. Until today, ministers had been adamant that the scheme, which has replaced school lunches for many disadvantaged children during partial closures, would end when schools break up in […]