James Carr | Schools Week

Oak National Academy users double to 250k as schools return

Almost a quarter of a million pupils have logged on to Oak National Academy as the number of pupils learning from home doubled in the first weeks of full school reopenings. Schools Week can reveal the online classroom, which was set up in response to Covid-19, saw unique users jump from 121,000 to 249,000 between […]

Coronavirus: Schools ‘have legal duty’ to provide remote education

A new legal duty on schools to provide remote education to pupils unable to attend school due to Covid-19 has been described as a “slap in the face”. The Department for Education (DfE) has published a temporary continuity direction under the coronavirus act 2020, which states all state-funded school age children must be provided “immediate […]

20k autumn A-level ‘resit’ entries – with maths and science most popular

There are more than 20,000 entries for the A-level ‘resits’ this autumn following the government’s summer grading debacle, new data has revealed. Exams regulator Ofqual revealed today the upcoming exams have 20,100 entries, representing three per cent of the total entries in the summer exam series. The autumn resits follow on from the disastrous summer […]

Boosting finances a main driver for half of trusts that expand

Around half of academy trusts say boosting their finances is one of the main drivers to take on more schools, amid concerns chains feel “under pressure” to grow in size. The National Governance Association has today released the results of its annual school governance survey of multi-academy trusts. The survey, which included around 1,800 school […]

Government suggests schools relax phone bans to allow use of NHS Covid app

The government has suggested that schools with bans on mobile phones relax their policies in order to allow pupils to use the NHS Covid-19 app. New guidance issued by the government even talks of the benefits of the use of smartphones by pupils during the school day, despite recent support from ministers for schools that […]

Financial warning for academy trust over ‘incorrect use’ of revenue funds

An academy trust has been ordered to reduce the number of bank accounts it holds, after it incorrectly used revenue funding for a capital project and displayed a “lack of discipline in financial management”. Herts and Essex Multi Academy Trust, which runs two schools, has been issued with a financial notice to improve by the […]

No mandatory face masks, and 7 other things you need to know about autumn exams

The government has released further guidance on how schools must prepare for autumn exams to best protect public health. This is what you need to know: 1. Keep pupils apart in safe spaces before exams … Schools are being told to “identify a location where candidates will wait before the exam that can support […]

Coronavirus: Majority of teachers’ mental health declines

More than half of teachers say their mental health has declined during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the lack of timely government guidance cited as their biggest challenge. A new report from Education Support assessing the impact of coronavirus on education professionals’ mental health found 52 per cent of teachers felt their mental health and wellbeing […]

Schools break into emergency Covid test supplies amid delays

Schools are breaking into their supply of emergency Covid tests in a desperate bid to get children back in the classroom. Last month the government sent schools ten coronavirus home-testing kits each, to be used “only in exceptional circumstances”. However, delays in accessing the government’s Covid testing is already forcing schools to break into their […]