Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Twofold rise in secondaries losing ‘outstanding’ rating under Ofsted clampdown

The proportion of secondary schools that lost their ‘outstanding’ rating almost doubled last year amid a clampdown on underperforming schools that are exempt from inspection. Ofsted analysis of inspection data, seen by Schools Week, shows 75 per cent of previously ‘outstanding’ secondary schools inspected during the 2018-19 academic year were downgraded, compared with just 38 […]

Education becomes third most important election issue for parents

Education has become the third most important issue to parents in the current election campaign, according to new polling. Deltapoll polled 1,000 parents of school-age pupils on behalf of the National Education Union, and found education came third on a list of priorities, after the NHS and Brexit. The importance of education is growing in […]

More small private schools receive top Ofsted grades, but 1 in 10 still ‘inadequate’

Ofsted has reported a 9 per cent rise in the proportion of small private schools rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, but one in ten remains inadequate. Analysis published by the watchdog this morning shows that as of August, 75 per cent of so-called “non-association independent schools” received one of the two top grades at their most […]

Schools with lower Ofsted ratings have to provide performance data more often

Teachers in schools rated ‘requires improvement’ and ‘inadequate’ have to report more frequently on pupil performance, according to new research. A survey by Teacher Tapp for Education Datalab found that although almost all teachers are required to provide leaders with data on how pupils are progressing “at least every term”, the frequency of reporting varied […]

Labour pledges review of BAME representation among teachers

Labour will launch a “wide-ranging review” into the under-representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic teachers in England’s schools if it wins power. Jeremy Corbyn has launched his party’s race and faith manifesto, alongside shadow home secretary Diane Abbott and shadow women and equalities secretary Dawn Butler. The manifesto confirms the review will take place […]

Teachers taking on unpaid extra duties to satisfy ‘brutal’ new inspections, warns NEU

Teachers are having to take on additional responsibilities without extra pay under Ofsted’s new inspection regime, the National Education Union has warned. Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, the NEU’s joint general secretaries, said they had received a “significant upsurge” in complaints from members about “excessive workload, stress and pressure” placed on them during and […]

‘Galling’ £111m arts premium plan is ‘too little too late’ – Barton

The Conservatives’ promise to fund an arts premium is “slightly galling” and “too little too late”, a union boss has warned. In their election manifesto, the Tories pledged up to £111 million-a-year to fund “enriching activities for all pupils” at secondary schools across England. This smacks of a belated and inadequate effort to repair this […]

Julia Skinner’s top edu-blogs of the week, 18 November 2019

Governing our schools: 10 years on @NGAEmmaK You would expect changes in most things over ten years, and this post identifies some of those experienced by governors. The report at the heart of this piece identifies ten key issues for the sector, and although the conclusion that governance in schools is strengthening, some issues still […]

Labour to raise school spending by £10.5bn and give teachers a 5% pay rise

Labour has vowed to increase the schools budget by £10.5 billion by 2022-23 and hand school staff a 5 per cent pay rise next year if it wins power. The party’s manifesto, launched today, pledges to raise school spending by £6 billion in 2020-21, and then a further £2.3 billion in 2021-22 and £2.2 billion […]