Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

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 […]

‘Conditional unconditional’ offers up, but fewer pupils accept

The use of so-called “strings attached” offers by universities shows no sign of abating, but pupils are now less likely to accept them. Despite high-profile interventions from the government, just over a quarter of school leavers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received a “conditional unconditional” offer this year, up from just 20.9 per cent […]

‘I’m not blaming the parents’ – Michaela head defends smartphone criticism

An outspoken free school head has insisted she doesn’t blame parents who won’t make children give up their smartphones, after warning in a memo to governors that “too many parents do not take GCSEs seriously”. Documents from minutes of the Michaela Community School governing board, obtained by Schools Week, show Katharine Birbalsingh warned earlier this […]

Conservative majority: What does it mean for schools?

The Conservatives have won a majority after yesterday’s general election, propelling Boris Johnson back into Downing Street with a mandate for his education policies. As of around 5am today, the Tories had won enough seats to govern with a majority, though the full result will not be known until later in the day. Leading education […]

Patrick Roach elected unopposed as NASUWT general secretary

Dr Patrick Roach will be the next general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union. The current deputy general secretary, who was the union executive’s candidate for the role, will succeed his current boss Chris Keates. Paul Nesbitt, Roach’s sole challenger, failed to get enough nominations to stand against him. Schools Week revealed in October that […]

Use of schools as polling stations falls 10%

The number of schools used as polling stations has fallen by almost 10 per cent since the last election, but more than one in six will still be disrupted by voters. However, a Schools Week investigation has also found just three councils nationally (less than two per cent) have taken up the government’s promise of […]