Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Six more schools unveiled as research hubs – taking total to 11

Schools in Southport, Suffolk, London, County Durham, Hertfordshire and West Sussex will receive a share of £1.2 million to become new research hubs. The announcement today from the Education Endowment Foundation, which funds the scheme, takes the total number of regional research hubs unveiled so far to 11. Meols Cop High School, Samuel Ward Academy […]

Union boss backs Corbyn’s free meals policy, but demands more school funding

The leader of England’s largest teachers’ union has backed plans by the Labour Party to give free school meals to all primary pupils, but has demanded an additional cash injection for schools. Kevin Courtney, the general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, says the proposal to charge VAT on private school fees to fund […]

Corbyn: I’ll tax private school fees to fund free meals for primary pupils

Jeremy Corbyn will announce tomorrow that a Labour government would extend universal free school meals to all primary school pupils, and charge parents VAT on private school fees to pay for it. Labour says the extension of free school meals to juniors would cost between £700 and £900 million a year and will improve pupil […]

UTC that ‘knocked pupils’ aspirations’ put in special measures

A university technical college (UTC) that knocked the confidence and aspirations of pupils after putting them on the wrong courses has been placed in special measures. Ofsted rated Bolton UTC inadequate in all areas following an inspection in February, prompted by concerns over the effectiveness of safeguarding, and quality of leadership and management. The college, […]

Union leaders spurn NEU’s merger call

Education unions are not queuing up to join the National Education Union, the new teacher union created by a merger of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL). None has any plans to join the union or wants to discuss the matter, Schools Week has learned. The news […]

Greening heralds £2.4bn school capital funding, but money isn’t new

The Department for Education has outlined how it will spend £2.4 billion in school capital funding in the coming years, but has confirmed that none of the investment is new money. Justine Greening, the education secretary, says councils will get almost £1 billion in 2020-21 to create 60,000 of the 600,000 school places needed by […]

Pupils to book lessons via app at new studio school

An unconventional 14 to 19 school with an eight-hour day, no homework and a system that allows pupils to use their laptops to book extra lessons will open in Cheshire this September. Christleton International Studio will open on the site of Queen’s Park High School in Handbridge, near Chester, and is planning new systems to […]

Ofqual omits ‘strong’ grade from new GCSE guidance

The exams regulator Ofqual has written to schools about proposed changes to new GCSE grades, but has left details of the government’s new “standard” and “strong” passes off its new aide-memoire. Sally Collier, the watchdog’s chief regulator, says in a letter sent today that she wants to inform schools that her organisation has “added to […]

‘Financial challenges’ at David Ross Education Trust prompt staff cuts

The David Ross Education Trust (DRET) has admitted facing “financial challenges” as it consults on plans to cut up to 40 support staff jobs across its schools. DRET, one of England’s largest academy trusts, has launched a consultation in a bid to save £1 million across its 32 primary and secondary schools, but says it […]