James Carr | Schools Week

Schools looking to use video lessons in teacher shortage subjects after pandemic, Ofsted study finds

School leaders believe video lessons they have created for online learning during the pandemic could be used in future to help educate pupils in subjects with recruitment problems. A remote education study published by Ofsted today also found video lessons from “subject experts” could be used to provide teacher cover when staff are absent. Another […]

ONS: Covid death rate among secondary teachers above average, but ‘not statistically significant’

Secondary school teachers have higher rates of Covid-related deaths than the general working age population, but the differences are not “statistically significant”, the Office for National Statistics has said. The ONS has today published its analysis of Covid-related deaths by occupation. It found that 139 teachers, senior education professionals, education advisers and school inspectors died between […]

Remote education: Laptops roll-out vital, but pupils need pens and paper too

Schools are turning minibuses into mobile stationery vans to deliver basic equipment such as pens and paper to poorer pupils during lockdown. Hundreds of families have accessed the services as school leaders move to extend their pandemic provision and “replicate normal school at home”. Research from The Sutton Trust into learning during lockdown found 31 […]

Regulator: ONS should have ‘elaborated on limitations’ of controversial teacher Covid analysis

The UK’s statistics regulator has advised the Office for National Statistics (ONS) it should have been clearer about the “strengths and limitations” of controversial analysis which suggested teachers were not more at risk of catching Covid than other key workers. Ed Humpherson, director general for regulation at the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) has written to […]

AET chief executive Julian Drinkall to step down

The chief executive of one of the country’s largest academy trusts is set to step down at the end of the academic year. Julian Drinkall, of Academies Enterprise Trust (AET), will join Aga Khan Schools (AKS) as general manager after four years in charge of the trust. AKS is the educational arm of the Aga […]

Covid disruption leaves over half of £5.8m free sanitary products budget unclaimed

Disruption brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has been blamed for more than half of the £5.8 million budget available to schools for free sanitary products going unclaimed. New data from the Department for Education revealed the total value of orders placed during the first year of the scheme totalled around £2.8 million – 48 […]

‘Compressed’ exams and early results day: Post-qualification admissions proposals revealed

Exam dates could be brought forward or ‘compressed’ to allow for extra time to process university applications under new proposals for post-qualification admissions (PQA). The Department for Education opened its consultation into the proposed changes for a PQA system into higher education today. One model would see pupils apply to university after receiving their A-level […]

Ofsted receives 13,000 emails praising schools (but just 260 complaints)

Ofsted received fifty times more reports from parents praising schools’ remote education offer than those complaining about it after Gavin Williamson urged parents to flag concerns to the watchdog. Figures obtained by Schools Week show that since Williamson’s statement two weeks ago, Ofsted has received 13,000 emails praising schools – and around 260 complaints. The […]

‘The benefit-risk balance is unclear’: Government pauses daily Covid contact testing in schools

The rollout of daily Covid contact testing in schools has been paused amid fears over higher rates of transmission from the new variant of the disease and following widespread concern over the accuracy of tests. However, the weekly testing of staff will continue – with testing increased to twice weekly in secondary schools. Primary schools […]