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13 May 2026

Author: Freddie Whittaker

Free school bid changes pave way for more studio schools – despite spate of closures

New rules governing the opening of free schools could pave the way for more studio schools, it has been claimed, despite question marks over their viability after scores of failed projects had to close. The new guidelines for would-be sponsors of free schools have already prompted fears that it could spark a “free-for-all” as the government […]

MP relaunches compulsory PSHE bid as police boss calls for education to tackle child abuse

A new bid to force the government to make personal, social and health education (PSHE) compulsory in schools has been launched amid claims by a senior police commissioner that sex education is the only way to tackle child abuse. Caroline Lucas (pictured), the Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, has re-tabled her PSHE bill, which demands formal lessons on […]

New online portal will offer schools free access to thousands of marked exams

Schools will be able to download all marked Edexcel GCSE and A-level exam scripts for free from next year in a move to make decisions on whether to challenge grades easier for teachers and exams officers, Schools Week can exclusively reveal. The education company Pearson, which took complete control over Edexcel in 2005 and currently administers […]

Fears of ‘free-for-all’ as government opens up free school bid criteria

New free schools will be allowed to open if their proposers can demonstrate a “social need” or “significant demand” from parents under new changes announced by the government which have sparked fears of a “free-for-all”. The Department for Education has released updated guidance on the application criteria for bids from sponsors, marking a significant departure […]

Isolation of pupils with lunch debt ‘inappropriate’ but ‘rare’ say school leaders

A London free school’s controversial policy of isolating pupils whose parents or guardians fail to pay their lunch bills has been branded “inappropriate” but “fairly rare” by education leaders, who described the “frustrating” dilemma headteacers face with parents who don’t fulfil their responsibilities. Michaela Community School, in Wembley, has been criticised over a letter sent to parents who owed […]

Ministers set out hurdles for expanding academy trusts under new ‘health checks’

Academy trusts will be judged on their schools’ Ofsted ratings, published performance measures on progress and attainment and their improvement over time before being allowed to expand as part of new “health checks”, the government has said. Nicky Morgan, the former education secretary, has previously said that trusts without a record of school improvement will not […]

Doomed spelling and grammar test cost government £1 million

The government spent almost £1 million developing this year’s doomed key stage 1 spelling and grammar test, Schools Week can exclusively reveal. Information released under the freedom of information act shows the Department for Education spent at least £952,602 on developing the spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPAG) test for seven-year-olds, only to have to abandon […]

Design and technology: 87 MPs demand inclusion of subject in EBacc

Pupils should be able to choose between computer science and design and technology as part of the EBacc, almost 90 MPs have said in a letter to the government. Conservative MP Michelle Donelan has secured the support of 87 MPs for a change which would allow schools to offer GCSE design and technology as a […]

Fact-check: Do the arguments for new grammar schools stack up?

More than 100 Conservative MPs have pledged to campaign for a wave of new grammar schools, reigniting the decades-long debate on the issue of selection. The opening of new grammar schools, which require pupils to pass the 11+ test to gain admittance, was banned by Tony Blair’s government in 1998. But following the appointment of Theresa […]