Skip to content
25 April 2026

Author: James Carr

Speed read: Teachers’ working hours fell during first lockdown, and 3 other NFER findings

Teachers’ working hours dropped to “more manageable levels” during last year’s lockdown, but returned to pre-pandemic levels when schools reopened fully, a new report has found. The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) today released its teacher labour market in England annual report. The report, which is funded by the Nuffield Foundation, also found Covid-19 […]

Ofsted announces return of area SEND inspections

Ofsted will begin revisiting areas where “significant concerns about SEND provision” have been identified from next month, ahead of a return to full inspections of local areas from June. Area SEND inspections have been paused since March 2020 due the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. However the inspections, which are carried out jointly by Ofsted […]

Fact check: Is Ofsted more likely to praise poorer schools’ leaders?

Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector, caused a stir last week after claiming that lower grades for schools in deprived areas was offset by praise for leaders. Spielman said that Ofsted recognised the “relative strength” of schools in poorer areas by rating their leadership more highly – after admitting schools in more affluent areas were awarded […]

‘Flimsy’ medical evidence for Greenwich schools Covid legal threat revealed

The medical advice received by Gavin Williamson before he used emergency Covid powers to order a London council to keep its schools open has been branded “astonishing” for its lack of evidence. The education secretary issued a “temporary continuation order” on December 14, ordering the London borough of Greenwich to rescind its request for schools […]

Ministers ‘abandoning’ poorest children as £180m pupil premium loss revealed

Primary schools across England face losing £180 million to help support their most vulnerable pupils after the government changed its method of calculating pupil premium cash, a new survey suggests. School leaders’ union NAHT is today warning most primary schools’ Covid-19 recovery funding will be ‘wiped out’ by the gap left in their budget following […]

Full Ofsted inspections won’t return until September

Full graded Ofsted inspections will not return until the new academic year, with the watchdog instead looking at bringing in a “sensible and proportionate next step” as part of its phased return in the summer term. Department for Education guidance states routine, graded Ofsted inspections “will resume in the summer term”, with the inspectorate “discussing […]

DfE laptop firm profits soar by nearly 50% to £207m

The firm handed a major government contract to supply laptops for schools has hailed a record year after pre-tax profits soared by nearly 50 per cent to £206.6 million. Computacenter, founded by Conservative party donor Sir Philip Hulme (pictured below), has so far been awarded £198 million worth of contracts to deliver devices under the […]