Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Should inspections be ‘no-notice’ for inspectors as well as schools?

Following the Conservatives’ election victory, no-notice inspections of schools are likely to be trialed in England. Colin Richards believes this lack of notice should apply to inspectors as well as schools. In a recent blog, Ofsted’s national director for education admitted that under the recently-introduced framework, “schools with more pupils from deprived backgrounds are still less […]

Cuts and overbearing accountability have driven me out of headship

Andy Mellor, the past president of the NAHT, has left his role at St Nicholas Church of England primary school in Blackpool. Here, he explains why he believes he can do more for children from outside the profession than from within. The other evening as I drove down the M55 from Blackpool, I pondered the […]

Small schools could miss out on ‘top-up’ funding, DfE warned

The Department for Education has pledged to consider changes to its national funding formula after it was warned that some of the smallest schools could miss out on top-up funding next year. The government has today confirmed that its plans to force councils to implement minimum per-pupil funding rates of £5,000 for secondary schools and […]

Halfon to seek re-election as education committee chair

Robert Halfon, the former education minister who chaired the Parliamentary education committee for the past two-and-a-half years, will seek re-election to the role. The Harlow MP confirmed to Schools Week that he will run “on a platform of the education ladder of opportunity, with rungs on skills, social justice, standards and support for the profession”. […]

Queen’s Speech 2: Nothing new for schools as government focuses on funding

There were no new policies for schools in today’s Queen’s speech, with ministers focusing instead on existing pledges on school funding and efforts to tackle serious violence. To ensure every child has access to a high-quality education, my ministers will increase levels of funding per-pupil in every school The monarch’s address to the state opening […]

New ‘orphan schools’ trust takes on first school

An academy trust set up by the government to run so-called “orphan schools” has been approved to take on its first academy. Falcon Education Academies Trust will become the new sponsor of Thornaby Academy in Stockton-on-Tees peding due diligence and legal agreements, the Department for Education has confirmed. The new trust was set up earlier […]

Ofsted must do more to acknowledge staff who go the extra mile

Schools with more pupils from deprived backgrounds are still less likely to be judged ‘good’. Ofsted must do more to understand the challenges they face, argues Stephen Tierney. Last night on a dark, wet and windy night in Blackpool, a hardy group of staff from Christ the King, St. Cuthbert’s and Westminster Academies shifted six […]

University participation: Disadvantage gap widens to largest in a decade

Better-off pupils are now more likely than their poorer peers to progress to university than at any point since 2006-07, after the progression rate of disadvantaged pupils practically flatlined. According to government statistics, 26.3 per cent of pupils who received free school meals aged 15 in 2013-14 went on to university aged 19 in 2017-18, […]

Williamson stays on as education secretary, but must replace his two top advisers

Gavin Williamson has returned to work at the Department for Education after his party won a majority at last week’s election. The education secretary is expected to continue in the role until at least next February, when a wider cabinet reshuffle is anticipated. As before the election, Williamson has overall responsibility for early years, teacher […]