Author: Freddie Whittaker

The government’s flagship opportunity areas policy was “slow getting going” because of last year’s snap election, according to an ex-civil servant who now steers the programme in one of England’s most deprived districts. Tim Coulson, a former regional schools commissioner who now chairs the partnership board for the Norwich opportunity area, told Schools Week the […]

The government has cancelled a key strand of its social mobility action plan, withdrawing £18 million of funding that would have helped secondary schools improve the performance of the brightest poor pupils. The future talent fund was unveiled by former education secretary Justine Greening last December. It was one of the most significant new proposals […]

The government has quietly scrapped a £20 million scheme to provide free transport to grammar schools. Nick Gibb, the schools minister, confirmed in a written answer to a question from the shadow education secretary Angela Rayner last week that the scheme, which could have cost up to £5,000 per pupil in taxi fares, would not […]

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) pupils are being let down in their education because of funding cuts, the lack of an inclusive curriculum and a failure to tackle racist bullying, MPs heard today. Witnesses at a hearing of the parliamentary women and equalities committee, which is conducting an inquiry into inequalities faced by GRT communities, […]

Labour has demanded an “urgent and independent inquiry” into how multi-academy trusts are regulated after an investigation called into question the legitimacy of government funding claims by the under-fire Bright Tribe Trust. An investigation by BBC Panorama, which aired last night, alleged that Bright Tribe received public money for building work, lighting upgrades and fire […]

The national reference test will take place in 350 schools between February 25 and March 8 next year, Ofqual has announced. The National Foundation for Educational Research, which administers the English and maths test for year 11 pupils, is in the process of contacting the schools selected to take part next year. Ofqual introduced the […]

Ministers from the Department for Education faced a grilling in the House of Commons this afternoon. Damian Hinds took questions from MPs, alongside ministers Nick Gibb and Nadhim Zahawi. Here are the six most interesting things we learned.   1. Hinds doesn’t think Ofsted needs ‘root and branch’ reform Challenged by Mike Kane, the shadow […]

The head of the Joint Council for Qualifications, the representative body for UK exam boards, is leaving his role to take up a position at AQA. Michael Turner, who has served as the JCQ’s director general for six years, is joining AQA as director of corporate affairs. He will be replaced on an interim basis […]

Hundreds of education professionals gathered in London today as ResearchED held its national conference at Harris Academy St John’s Wood. Here are five interesting things our reporters learned at the event. 1. Ofsted is publishing a major piece of curriculum research this month Daniel Muijs, Ofsted’s head of research, told delegates that the publication of […]