Author: Freddie Whittaker

Nick Gibb will continue to serve as schools minister following Theresa May’s front bench reshuffle. The MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton has been in the role since May 2015, having previously held it between 2010 and 2012. He also served as minister for school reform from 2014 to 2015. It follows the appointment of […]

Toby Young, the journalist and free schools advocate, has resigned from his new role on the board of the new universities regulator, following a backlash over comments made in his past. Young announced this morning that he has left the board of the Office for Students, claiming the reaction to his appointment had become a […]

The children and families minister Robert Goodwill has been sacked after just six months in the role. Goodwill was appointed last June to replace Edward Timpson, who lost his seat at the election. He was responsible for policy on safeguarding, school disadvantage funding, special educational needs and disabilities and free school meals funding. He also […]

Damian Hinds has been named as the new education secretary. He replaces Justine Greening, who resigned from the government earlier tonight after turning down another role in the cabinet. Hinds was previously the government’s employment minister, serving in the role since July 2016. Prior to that he was exchequer secretary to the Treasury. He sat […]

The education secretary Justine Greening has resigned from the government, it has been confirmed. The MP for Putney has served as education secretary since July 2016, when she was drafted in by newly-appointed PM Theresa May. But Greening is now out of the cabinet for the first since since 2011. It is understood she offered […]

A new Centre of Excellence for Literacy Teaching will be given £26 million in government funding to open 35 English hubs across the country, Justine Greening is to announce today. The government will also set up a £7.7 million curriculum fund, which will be used to pay “cultural and scientific institutions” to develop new teaching resources. […]

The leaders of the National Education Union have written to the education secretary Justine Greening over “sexist and homophobic” comments made by New Schools Network boss Toby Young. Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, the union’s joint general secretaries, have warned in a letter sent today that Young’s appointment to the board of the new universities […]

Schools have a “bigger role” to play in preparing younger pupils for the “emotional demands” of social media, and must improve teachers’ knowledge of the impact of apps like Instagram and Snapchat on pupils’ wellbeing, the children’s commissioner for England has said. A new piece of research commissioned by Anne Longfield looked into the effects […]

Blackpool and Walsall have been identified as the two areas of the country most in need of new free schools, as the government prepares to restrict where the controversial institutions can be opened. The New Schools Network has launched a “map of need” tool, to help proposers of new free schools schools with their bids. […]