Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

PM pledges free mental health training for secondary school teachers

Every secondary school in England will get free mental health training and improved support from local health services, the prime minister has announced today. In a speech at the Charity Commission this morning, Theresa May said a new approach to tackling mental health problems would start with ensuring that children and young people “get the help and […]

Government ‘looking at’ demand for mental health counsellor in every school

A demand for mental health counsellors in every secondary school in England is being considered by the government, the public health minister Nicola Blackwood has said. Blackwood, pictured, says the government is “looking at” whether more counsellors in schools is the best option as ministers seek to address fears about the prevalence of mental health problems among young people. […]

Greening: New grammar schools are ‘shared society’ example

The government’s plan to open new grammar schools is a key policy of Theresa May’s new “shared society”, the education secretary has said. Justine Greening told the Andrew Marr show this morning that her department’s approach to expanding selection in England was an example of the government’s efforts to realise the prime minister’s new vision. […]

Religious studies allocation scuppers plans for Jewish free school

The government has rejected a bid to open a Jewish free school in London after criticising its plans to dedicate 20 per cent of learning time to faith-based education. The application from Barkai college to open a new five-form entry secondary in north-west London was thrown out by the Department for Education (DfE) after officials […]

Most council-maintained schools shouldn’t pay apprenticeship levy, ministers claim

Ministers have slapped down the Local Government Association (LGA) over calls for small schools to be “exempt” from the apprenticeship levy, claiming most should not have to pay it. The LGA, which represents local authorities across England, says small council-maintained schools should be given the “same treatment” as small academies and faith schools, which do […]

School places left out of plans for garden villages

Tens of thousands of homes are to be built in new self-sufficient “garden villages” and towns across England, but the announcement has prompted questions about school places. The government has given its backing to 17 projects for almost 100,000 new homes and associated infrastructure in areas of need throughout the country. Under the proposals, developers […]

School improvement ‘failing’ at University of Chester Academies Trust, says Ofsted

A university-backed academy trust has been criticised by Ofsted for failing in its school improvement strategies and “below average” standards in some of its schools. Ofsted has warned that pupil progress is “not good enough”, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, and is also “weak” among the most able after inspecting three schools run by The University […]

Schools should teach all pupils ‘digital citizenship’, says children’s commissioner

Schools should teach ‘digital citizenship’ to all pupils aged four to 14 to help keep them safe online, the children’s commissioner Anne Longfield has said. In a report from her Growing up Digital taskforce, Longfield warns that children are “left to learn about the internet on their own”, and that the time they spend online […]

Schools warned over cold-calling ‘ransomware’ scam

Fraudsters posing as government officials are contacting schools in attempts to hold important computer files to ransom, police have said. Action Fraud has issued an alert following “numerous reports” of attempts to inflict ‘ransomware’ – which encrypts important files until a ransom is paid – on school computer systems using cold calling and confidence trickery. […]