Author: Freddie Whittaker

The government must release reports by its school cost-cutting consultants to MPs and provide evidence of the value for money of their recommendations, the parliamentary education committee has said. In a damning report on school and college funding published today, the cross-party committee warned of “significant financial strain” on schools, and chastised ministers for their […]

The Department for Education has published new guidance on changes to the school day and week, further toughening its stance on institutions that close early to save money. Schools Week reported last month that the government had strengthened its tone in response to news that more and more schools are shortening the school week to […]

The NASUWT teaching union will face a hearing to determine whether it broke the law by allowing Chris Keates to overstay her term as general secretary, Schools Week can reveal. The Certification Officer, which oversees unions in England, has ruled the union’s case should be listed for a formal hearing after receiving allegations that the […]

Schools in some parts of the country will be contacted by inspectors and asked to explain how they support pupils with mental ill health under plans for one-off “joint inspections” of local services. Ofsted, along with inspectorates covering the healthcare, police, fire and probation services, will launch joint targeted area inspections in six areas in […]

The parliamentary education committee has questioned the effectiveness of the government’s social mobility “opportunity areas” programme, highlighting concerns over its independence, value for money and a lack of joined-up working. Robert Halfon, the Conservative chair of the committee, has written to Damian Hinds, the education secretary, following a number of hearings looking at the policy. […]

Another expert panel has been formed by the government, this time to help design new national professional qualifications for teachers. The panel is the eighth set up since Damian Hinds became education secretary in January 2018. Plans for five new NPQs – aimed at opening up career opportunities outside the traditional school leadership route – […]

Ministers say more schools are tackling teacher workload, despite less than half of leaders having made use of new government guidance on the issue. A Department for Education survey found 94 per cent of school leaders are taking steps to reduce workload relating to marking, up from 88 per cent last year. However, just 46 […]