James Carr | Schools Week

DfE threatened with legal action over ‘unlawful’ Covid attendance rules

The government is being threatened with legal action if it fails to update attendance guidance for vulnerable children and families during the pandemic. The Good Law Project has written to education secretary Gavin Williamson asking him to issue guidance that protects vulnerable children and families, arguing the current rules are unlawful Previous safety measures – […]

Long read: Schools let down by government’s hot air on ventilation

Has England been left flapping in the wind as other countries race ahead with ventilation policies for schools? Schools Week investigates… The government’s “minimal” and “negligent” approach to ventilation in England’s classrooms is failing to protect pupils, say scientists and campaigners, including a leading epidemiologist. Instead, they say, it should immediately provide air filters. The […]

Covid: Government ‘allowing mass infection of children’, scientists warn

Scientists have warned the government’s back to school plans are “reckless” and allow the “mass infection of children”. An open letter, published by the British Medical Journal today, accuses education secretary Gavin Williamson of endangering the health of hundreds of thousands of pupils and not following medical advice. The letter, signed by scientists, parents and […]

Harford: ‘Longer Ofsted inspections could reduce anxiety for schools’

In his final interview as Ofsted’s national director of education, Sean Harford talks to Schools Week about the future of inspections, his proudest moments and plans for the future. After 18 years, six chief inspectors and countless hours of commuting, Sean Harford has retired from Ofsted. He had intended to remain in post as national […]

Pupils might not have been taught parts of autumn exams, says Ofqual

Ofqual opted to make no adaptations to the majority of exams in the autumn series despite flagging it would mean “some students could be examined on aspects that they have not been taught”. Board minutes from a March 17 meeting, published today, show that student preparedness was a “key concern” for the regulators following the […]

Ofsted: Councils won’t get heads-up on ‘inadequate’ judgements

Ofsted will no longer notify local authorities of provisional inadequate judgements of their maintained schools and academies. But the decision has been met with opposition from the Local Government Association (LGA), which warns schools need immediate support. The schools watchdog released updated guidance for schools and early education today. Ofsted provides early notification of provisional […]

Teachers not at increased risk of severe Covid, study finds

Teachers and their households were not at an increased risk of experiencing severe Covid or being hospitalised from the virus during the last academic year, a new study has found. Researchers say findings from a Wellcome Trust study published by the British Medical Journal today should “reassure those who are engaged in face-to-face teaching”. They […]

Ofsted orders action plan from council over SEND pupils’ ‘spiral of decline’

SEND pupils have fallen into a “spiral of decline” and are being excluded too often because a region’s authorities have failed to work together, a damning report has found. Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found “significant areas of weakness” in the services provided by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council and Dorset Clinical […]

Ofsted tells inspectors to explicitly state when off-rolling is found to quash school denials

Ofsted has told its inspectors to explicitly state in their reports when evidence of off-rolling is found after schools falsely denied it had taken place. Previously, inspectors were simply told to “address” evidence of off-rolling in reports. But the documents did not always use the phrase “off-rolling”, even when the practice was identified. But in […]