Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Meet the teachers elected as MPs

A new generation of teachers-turned-MPs have vowed to fight school funding cuts after an election which saw education issues rise up the agenda. At least half a dozen former teachers and teaching assistants, many of whom campaigned specifically on education issues including school funding cuts, were elected to parliament for the first time in Thursday’s […]

Former DfE boss knighted and school leaders recognised in Queen’s birthday honours

Chris Wormald, the former Department for Education boss once criticised for letting his staff play with party hats in a meeting about funding cuts, has been knighted Wormald, now the permanent secretary at the Department of Health, has been made a knight commander of the Order of the Bath, a high honour reserved for civil […]

Purdah is over, but it has paralysed DfE for 6 months in 2 years

The government has been affected by pre-election rules preventing civil servants from talking to the press for more than 25 weeks in just over two years, Schools Week analysis shows. The so-called purdah period which covered this year’s general election campaign is now over, lifting restrictions on government press releases and the signing of school […]

Minister expected to oversee relationships education reform opposed same-sex marriage

The new minister expected to be in charge of reforms to sex and relationships education opposes same-sex marriage and voted against its legalisation, it has emerged. Robert Goodwill, who has been appointed as children and families minister at the Department for Education, was one of 136 Conservative MPs who voted against the government’s same-sex marriage legislation […]

Ofsted reveals plan to give schools up to 15 days’ notice of inspections

Schools could be given up to 15 days to prepare for follow-up Ofsted visits under proposed changes to new short inspections. The watchdog has launched a consultation on proposals to shake-up the short inspection model, which was launched in September 2015 and involves one to two-day-long inspections for schools previously rated as good. It follows […]

Pupils less likely to get first choice secondary place as ‘baby bulge’ moves upwards

The proportion of children getting their first choice of secondary school place has dropped as the demographic boom hits secondary schools. This year, 83.5 per cent of pupils got their first choice, compared to 84.1 per cent in 2016 – a fall of o.6 percentage points. However, the decrease comes at the same time as the […]

Two new education ministers in May reshuffle

Anne Milton and Robert Goodwill have been appointed as new ministers at the Department for Education in the ongoing reshuffle. Milton, MP for Guildford and a former health minister, will take the skills and apprenticeships brief previously held by Robert Halfon, who was sacked by Theresa May yesterday. Goodwill, who represents Scarborough and Whitby and […]

Nick Gibb stays as schools minister in May reshuffle

Nick Gibb will continue as the minister for school standards after a minor reshuffle of the Department for Education team. Justine Greening, the education secretary Gibb has served under for the past year, was also re-appointed as education secretary over the weekend. Gibb was first appointed as school minister for the coalition government in 2010, having […]

Grammars advocate resigns as PM’s adviser

Nick Timothy, a key adviser to the prime minister and former director of the New Schools Network, has resigned from his role in Downing Street. Writing for the Conservative Home website, Timothy calls the election result a “huge disappointment” and says he takes responsibility for his part in it, which included oversight of the party’s policy […]