Author: Freddie Whittaker

A charity fundraising dinner run by a Department for Education director and academy trust founder has been rocked by allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour by guests, following an undercover investigation by journalists. A story by the Financial Times, published earlier today, revealed allegations of “groping, sexual harassment and propositioning” of women hired as “hostesses” for […]

The government faces questions over links between a regional schools commissioner and a school criticised by Ofsted for safeguarding failures. Labour is calling for reassurances over a potential conflict of interest relating to a role held by Martin Post at Verulam School in St Alban’s, which has recently been rated ‘inadequate’. Post, the RSC for north-west […]

The names of dozens of schools, academy trusts and local authorities that will split a £25 million handout from the government for school improvement have been revealed by the Department for Education. The department has published the names of 73 successful applicants for the second round of the strategic school improvement fund, two fewer than […]

The government will not support a draft law to force councils to provide free meals and activities for poor pupils in school holidays, but will carry out research into whether or not government intervention to prevent “holiday hunger” is needed, a minister has announced. Nadhim Zahawi, the children’s minister, told MPs today that research to […]

A new research school will be founded in Ipswich, the education secretary will announce today. In his first major policy announcement since taking the role last week, Damian Hinds handed £200,000 to Highfield Nursery School to found a research hub with the  Kesgrave and Farlingaye teaching school alliance, and the Springfield teaching school alliance The […]

Almost all university technical colleges missed their recruitment targets and were overpaid by the government last year, leaving them with a combined debt of over £11 million, Schools Week can reveal. In fact the Education and Skills Funding Agency is attempting to claw cash back from 39 of 44 UTCs still open in 2016-17. Alarmingly, […]

A coalition of teaching unions has called for an urgent review of teachers and leaders’ pay, demanding a “cost of living” pay increase for all school staff. The National Education Union and Voice have teamed up with leadership bodies ASCL and NAHT to make a joint submission to the School Teachers Review Body, which makes […]

The government should publish “scorecards” for academy trusts and base decisions on whether they are allowed to grow both on educational and financial performance, an influential group of MPs has said. The parliamentary education committee has warned of a “lack of joined-up accountability in the school system”, particularly over failed trusts like the doomed Wakefield […]