James Carr | Schools Week

Pupils in children’s homes less likely to attend best schools, warns Ofsted

Pupils who live in children’s homes are less likely to attend the best schools, Ofsted research has found. They are also more likely to attend alternative provision and special schools than their peers. The watchdog has published research and analysis on the range and quality of education of those living in children’s homes. The research was […]

DfE passes one million laptops milestone (but 250k still to go)

The government has now dispatched over one million laptops and tablets to disadvantaged pupils, leaving around 250,000 promised devices to be delivered. Data released by the Department for Education (DfE) today shows it dispatched just under 69,000 laptops to schools between February 7 and 14, taking the total so far to 1,055,745. It is the […]

DfE tight-lipped over attendance league tables proposal

Ministers have been urged to clarify whether an “absurd” plan to base league tables on school attendance this year is going ahead despite classrooms being closed again. In December, the Department for Education announced that exams results would not be included in league tables. Instead, performance tables would include information for parents such as subjects […]

Safeguarding failures exposed at free school where staff had ‘too many responsibilities’

Vulnerable children were put at serious risk because stretched staff had “too many responsibilities” to carry out safeguarding duties, Ofsted found, at a school where the head had resigned over “indefensible” funding cuts. Inspectors discovered “serious failings in safeguarding arrangements” at Northampton International Academy (NIA), part of the East Midlands Academy Trust (EMAT). Ofsted visited […]

Covid testing: More than 3m tests carried out by schools, and 4 other things we learned

Schools and colleges in England have reported the results of over three million tests since the start of the mass asymptomatic Covid testing programme. The Department for Education has today released the first set of data on the programme which has been rolled out to schools since the beginning of the year. However, although it […]

Length of Ofsted’s remote inspections reduced to one day

Ofsted’s remote monitoring inspections will be reduced to one day after February half-term, it has been announced. The schools watchdog updated its guidance this morning to state the length of its current inspections will be reduced going forward. Updated guidance from the inspectorate stated: “Before February 2021 half term, remote monitoring inspections will usually last […]

Online tutoring during school closures ‘feasible’, but digital divide a key barrier

Delivering online tutoring to disadvantaged pupils during partial school closures was feasible, but access to equipment presented a key barrier, the Education Endowment Foundation has found. A new report from the EEF evaluating the effectiveness of last year’s National Online Tutoring Pilot was released today. It found that delivering online tuition was feasible and the […]

£31m pledged to avoid using schools as polling stations during May elections

The government has pledged an extra £31 million in funding so councils can avoid using schools as polling sites in the upcoming May elections. Council, mayoral and police and crime commissioner elections, alongside a number of local by-elections, and referendums in some areas will all be held on May 6. Normally, thousands of schools are […]

DfE launches national buying service to help schools deliver ‘value for money’

The government is set to launch a new ‘Get Help Buying’ service this autumn to ensure schools are “efficiently delivering value for money” when buying goods and services. The Department for Education (DfE) has today launched a consultation for the proposed Get Help Buying for Schools service. The service offers DfE-recommended deals in areas such […]