Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Coronavirus: Exams regulator to set out details of process and timetable ‘next week’

Detailed information about how pupils will be assessed for this summer’s GCSEs and A-levels won’t be published until next week, the exams regulator has said. But schools will have to wait longer for details of how moderation and appeals will work. Ofqual said it was “rapidly working up plans” to implement the arrangements announced by […]

Coronavirus: Help poorer children access online learning, charity begs tech firms

Tech firms and internet providers have been asked to help poorer children get online after a survey revealed just two per cent of teachers working in the poorest communities believe all their pupils can access the internet at home. A survey of more than 6,000 teachers by Teacher Tapp found the vast majority in the […]

‘Requires improvement’ schools less likely to improve under new framework

Schools rated ‘requires improvement’ are less likely to improve under Ofsted’s new inspection framework, new data shows. The watchdog has published statistics this morning which show that just 56 per cent of ‘requires improvement’ schools inspected in the first term of the new framework improved to ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, down from 64 per cent in […]

Coronavirus: Trainees to qualify based on progress made towards teachers’ standards

Trainee teachers due to qualify this year will be judged on their completed assessments and progress towards the teachers’ standards if they cannot complete their courses due to coronavirus disruption. In a policy statement sent to initial teacher training partnerships, seen by Schools Week, the Department for Education advised providers to continue to deliver courses […]

Coronavirus: School governors told to meet over Skype

School governors should adopt “alternative arrangements” for their meetings now that non-essential gatherings are banned, the government has said. The Department for Education has issued new guidance for governors, which states that governing bodies and boards of trustees should “adopt alternative arrangements, for example by using video or teleconferencing applications”. “These may include but are […]

Coronavirus: Committee of MPs to probe DfE’s response to disease

The response of the Department for Education to the coronavirus outbreak and the impact of the disease on schools will be investigated by an influential committee of MPs. The parliamentary education committee has launched an inquiry into the impact of COVID-19 on education and children’s services. It follows criticism of the government’s support for schools […]

Coronavirus: Heads expect ‘better’ safety guidance

The NAHT headteachers’ union has said it expects the government to publish “better” safety guidance for schools after vague advice was circulated last night. The new guidance on implementing social distancing in education and childcare settings, published by the Department for Education and Public Health England, has been criticised for telling leaders little that they […]

Coronavirus: Pay suppliers ‘as normal’, government tells schools

Schools should continue to pay their suppliers “as normal” even if their service delivery is disrupted or suspended by coronavirus, the government has said. New guidance for public bodies sets out how organisations like schools, local authorities and academy trusts can continue to keep the supply chain moving and protect jobs outside their gates. The […]

Coronavirus: Universities warned over rush to unconditional offers

The universities regulator has said it will use “any powers available” to prevent institutions from switching pupils’ offers to unconditional in the wake of the government’s cancellation of this summer’s exam series. It would be quite wrong for any university or college to respond to the coronavirus crisis by making unconditional offers Following the announcement last […]