Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Ten things we learned from Ofsted’s school funding study

Ofsted has finally published its long-awaited research into the impact of funding pressures on schools. The study was not supposed to be released until a few weeks’ time. But the watchdog accidentally published a blog by chief inspector Amanda Spielman about it earlier this week, leading to widespread media coverage and criticism of her comments […]

DfE dismisses ‘unrepresentative’ Ofsted school funding study

The Department for Education has dismissed the findings of a damning Ofsted report on school funding, claiming it is “based on a very small and unrepresentative sample”. The watchdog’s study, which was published this morning, is based on a survey of 201 headteachers, telephone interviews with 18 other school leaders, focus groups of inspectors and […]

Ofqual consults on new ‘clearer’ malpractice and maladministration guidance

The exams regulator Ofqual wants to replace its current guidance on how exam boards should tackle malpractice and maladministration, amid fears it is currently too simplistic. Current guidance is made up of a list of “dos and don’ts” to help exam boards meet “condition A8” – one of eight “general conditions of recognition” they must […]

School staff should look after ‘every penny like their own’, says academy trust CEO

School staff should treat “every penny” of funding as if it was their own and apply the same “discipline” to financial management as they do to improving educational performance, an academy trust CEO has said. Tes reported earlier this week that the David Ross Education Trust has asked its schools to consider using cover supervisors […]

How much impact does CPD really have? Here’s the evidence

In a profession as complex as teaching, it seems obvious that we should provide educators with access to professional development that helps them keep improving their practice. But there’s also an obvious challenge, write James Zuccollo and Harry Fletcher-Wood. Teachers’ time is limited, and so are school budgets: is professional development valuable enough to prioritise? […]

Coronavirus: What do schools need to know?

Public Health England has published guidance for schools and other educational settings about how they should respond to COVID-19, or “coronavirus”. According to the agency, the guidance is not new, and is likely to be made up of things schools already know, but it brings together all of their advice in one place for the […]

Unions warn the DfE: Don’t short-change experienced teachers

The government’s proposals to reform teacher pay risk “short-changing” more experienced teachers and exacerbating retention problems, education unions have warned. Leadership unions NAHT and ASCL, along with the National Education Union and Voice, have made a joint submission to the School Teachers’ Review Body, which makes recommendations to ministers on teacher pay. We have to […]

Baroness Berridge confirmed as new academies minister

New education minister Baroness Berridge has taken on the school system brief previously held by Lord Agnew, the Department for Education has confirmed. Berridge was promoted last week. She was previously a whip who sometimes spoke for the government on education issues in the House of Lords. Her promotion follows that of Agnew, who is […]

Lord Agnew’s DfE career in Schools Week front pages

Lord Agnew, the former academies minister, has departed the Department for Education. The academy trust founder has got a new job at the Treasury after a controversial stink in Sanctuary Buildings, where his dogged pursuit of savings in schools annoyed a lot of headteachers. His exploits also earned him a fair few headlines, and he has […]