Skip to content
12 May 2026

Author: Freddie Whittaker

Who is Kate Green? 8 facts about the shadow education secretary

Kate Green has been appointed as the new shadow education secretary. The news was announced yesterday by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s office, and comes after Rebecca Long-Bailey was sacked on Thursday. Here is what we know about her.   She was born in Edinburgh in 1960. She is the first shadow education secretary to […]

‘Don’t go back’ advice for shielders will be updated next week

School staff who are shielding because they are clinically extremely vulnerable are still being advised not to go to work – but new guidance on whether they should return to the classroom is due next week. The government recently announced a relaxation of its shielding guidance, stating that from August 1, those who cannot work […]

Some assessment could be moved to earlier in 2021, suggests heads’ union

Some assessment in 2021 should be moved to earlier in the year rather than delay exams, a leadership union has said. Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said he had asked the government to consider whether pupils could get some elements of assessment “under the belt” before the […]

Catholic schools demand government support as transport costs soar

The national body representing Catholic schools is lobbying the government for help with school transport, warning that charges could rise by more than £20 a day. Social distancing rules have forced school buses to reduce capacity, with some only able to carry a fifth of the usual number of pupils. If we suddenly became exclusive […]

Admissions review won’t look at long-promised changes for summer-borns, says DfE

A consultation on changes to school admissions will not propose changes for summer-born children, the Department for Education has said. Launching a review of how in-year admissions cater for vulnerable pupils today, the DfE said it had not included changes for summer-borns, but remains “committed to making these changes in due course”. We remain committed […]

Shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey sacked

The shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey has been sacked by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. A spokesperson for Starmer said she had been “asked to step down” after sharing an article that “contained an antisemitic conspiracy theory”. Earlier today, Long-Bailey shared an interview with actor Maxine Peake in the Independent, in which Peake claimed that […]

DfE finally reveals details of Covid summer food fund

Details of the government’s Covid summer food fund have finally been released, over a week after the scheme was unveiled. The fund will allow schools to order free school meals vouchers for eligible children to cover the summer holidays following a government U-turn. Guidance on the fund has now been published, setting out how the […]

Reception baseline assessment introduction delayed to 2021

Schools will not have to set the new reception baseline assessment this autumn, after the government delayed its statutory introduction as a result of the coronavirus. The Department for Education said today that “due to the challenging circumstances faced by schools in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, statutory introduction of the RBA has been […]