Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Wilshaw: Return to grammar schools a ‘profoundly retrograde step’

Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw has taken aim at government plans to lift the ban on new grammar schools as he enters his final term as chief inspector, claiming a return to selection would be a “profoundly retrograde step”. During a speech to the London Councils education conference this morning, Wilshaw said the notion that […]

NUT ‘can envisage’ strikes this term

The new leader of the National Union of Teachers has said he “can envisage” further walk-outs by teachers this term as he warned school budget pressures could exceed the 8 per cent cuts predicted by financial experts. Kevin Courtney, who was recently elected to replace Christine Blower as general secretary of the 300,000-member union, said teachers […]

Independent schools ‘uneasy’ as employers urged to ask job applicants for education background

Independent schools have challenged a leading government commission after it called on employers to collect data on the educational background of job applicants. The Independent Schools Council told Schools Week it was “uneasy” about what it described as attempts to “deselect job applicants on the basis of background”, and said companies should select the “right […]

Education ‘super-union’ talks move to final stages as NUT and ATL plan special conferences

Talks about the formation of a new education super-union with members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers and the National Union of Teachers will move into their final stages in November after both organisations voted to hold special conferences to debate the move. Delegates from both the NUT and ATL will now meet separately […]

Meet Nick Gibb’s new ‘teacher in residence’

If you’ve heard the schools minister Nick Gibb deliver a speech in the past few years, there’s a strong chance it was written by one of his “teachers in residence”. The scheme, which sees serving teachers employed as civil servants by the Department for Education (DfE) for periods of between eight and 12 months, has […]

Gibb becomes ‘school standards’ minister in DfE reshuffle

A shake-up of ministerial roles at the Department for Education has been announced, with some interesting changes following the appointment of new education secretary Justine Greening. Nick Gibb, the former schools minister, is getting an expanded brief under a new “school standards” remit, while many key responsibilities have been passed to Lord Nash, one of […]

Scottish MPs ‘not ruling out’ attempt to block Theresa May’s grammar schools plan

Scottish MPs have not ruled out breaking with convention to block Theresa May’s bid to scrap the ban on new grammar schools in parliament, Schools Week can reveal. Carol Monaghan, the Scottish National Party’s education spokesperson in Westminster, said her party was “not ruling anything out” when it comes to the prime minister’s plan, which […]

Education committee chair joins growing opposition to May’s grammar schools plan

Education select committee chair Neil Carmichael has joined the growing ranks of politicians, policy experts and academics opposing Theresa May’s reported plan to lift the ban on grammar schools. The backlash against the proposal, revealed by the Sunday Telegraph over the weekend, has been fierce, and has crossed party political and ideological lines. There is […]

Just 30 refugee children resettled in UK before start of term

Schools have been urged to develop a “different approach” to teaching refugee children after it emerged hundreds are still yet to enter the school system just weeks before the new academic year. The government has been under pressure to let at least 300 unaccompanied young people into the UK from camps in Europe before the […]