Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Coronavirus: School staff who live with at-risk people should stay home ‘where possible’

School staff who live with people most at-risk from coronavirus should work from home “where possible”, the Department for Education has said. Updated guidance published last night gives schools more information about which staff should come into school, and which should stay home. In keeping with guidance for other workers, school staff with the most […]

Coronavirus: Pupils won’t get free school meal vouchers during Easter holidays

A national voucher scheme aimed at keeping the poorest children fed during school closures will not run throughout the Easter holidays, the Department for Education has confirmed. The government confirmed today that it was pressing ahead with its plans to issue £15 weekly supermarket vouchers to families for pupils who would normally qualify for means-tested […]

Coronavirus: DfE confirms plans for £15-a-week free school meal vouchers

Six national supermarket chains have signed up to the government’s new national voucher scheme for free school meals. However the government has confirmed that vouchers will not be available during the Easter holidays – despite many schools staying open. The Department for Education has today confirmed plans, as revealed by Schools Week, to issue £15 […]

Coronavirus: Don’t monitor staff performance, and 6 other points from joint union guidance

The National Education Union, National Association of Head Teachers and Association of School and College leaders have teamed up to provide their members with joint guidance on the coronavirus crisis. The joint nature of the guidance means that leaders, classroom teachers and support staff in the three unions are getting the same advice. Here are […]

Coronavirus: Don’t seek further work to support GCSE and A-level grades, union tells leaders

Teachers and leaders “should not be seeking further work” from pupils to support their GCSE and A-level grades this year, the ASCL leadership union has said. In guidance issued to headteachers, which seeks to pre-empt an expected government announcement on plans for assessments this year, the union said priorities for pupils in years 11 and […]

Coronavirus: AET to spend £2m on laptops as others call for tech donations

One of England’s largest academy trusts has said it will spend £2 million on laptops to help poorer pupils access digital learning. However, the plan by the Academies Enterprise Trust, which will involve live-streamed lessons for some pupils, could set the chain at-odds with unions, which have warned that their members cannot be expected to […]

Coronavirus: Schools step up to support their suppliers

Schools across England are stepping up to save small businesses in their supply chains by speeding up payments – with one trust asking some suppliers to invoice early for next year’s services. But although there is broad support for the move – following instructions from the government for schools to help keep their suppliers going […]

The programme making all the difference to behaviour and exclusions

As education charity The Difference prepares to expand its inclusive leadership training programme, Schools Week met members of this year’s cohort to find out how new ways of looking at inclusion are helping their schools – and reducing exclusions. “I think classrooms are calmer,” says Neelam Maru, who has worked at Morpeth School in east […]

Coronavirus: Schools told to review child protection policies

Schools have been told to review their child protection policies and warned they may have to rely on other schools’ safeguarding leads in response to the coronavirus outbreak. New guidance on safeguarding during COVID-19 has been issued by the Department for Education. It comes as schools are grappling with a new way of working, providing […]