Jess Staufenberg | Schools Week

iGCSE loophole allows schools to teach one religion

Increasing numbers of pupils are being entered for an international religious studies qualification which allows them to learn just one religion – in spite of government rules that require GCSEs always to include two religions. The reformed religious studies GCSE has been taught since 2016, and is required to include the systematic study of at […]

No-frills private school delayed AGAIN

England’s first “low-cost” private school has apologised for delaying its opening date a second time, after the government told it to improve the site proposed for its location. The Independent Grammar School: Durham was due to open in September, offering parents a “traditional private education” without the “frills” for just £52 a week. However, with […]

Island school reachable only by aeroplane finds academy sponsor

The only school on the remote Isles of Scilly in the south-west is joining a multi-academy trust with a standalone academy school 28 miles away on the mainland, after it was put into special measures. Five Islands School (pictured), an all-through boarding school, made the front page of Schools Week last year after its ‘inadequate’ […]

Government pledges £45 million to ‘fully embed’ SEND reforms

The government has announced a £45 million pot to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with the lion’s share of the funding going to helping councils. Following the introduction of Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) in 2014, councils have struggled to convert old statements into the new plans, as well as deal […]

Teachers ‘should have to pass assessment test’ to qualify

Every teacher should be given a test on how to assess pupils before being awarded qualified teacher status, according to a new report from the think-tank LKMCO. A majority of teachers claim they did not learn how to assess pupils during their initial teacher training and many suffer a lack of confidence in the areas, […]

Experts demand ‘national strategy’ for tech procurement as school spending drops

Tech experts want a “proper national strategy” to help schools buy the right IT equipment, as research shows a drop in schools’ spending on technology for the first time in a decade. Speaking at a Westminster Education Forum this morning, a number of specialists, including an academic and the top boss at the British Educational […]

Revealed: The free school ‘advisors’ worth £100 million

The government has spent almost £100 million on advice for free school projects over the past three years, according to documents obtained by Schools Week which reveal for the first time the huge, hidden costs of the programme. The figures, provided by the Department for Education in response to our Freedom of Information requests, show […]

Ofsted: Small private schools in ‘stark decline’ – but special schools buck the trend

Inspection outcomes for small private schools are in “stark” decline, Ofsted has warned, although private special schools are bucking the trend. Ofsted is responsible for checking standards in 983 non-associated private schools in England, including private special schools, boarding schools and Montessori schools. The non-associated status means they do not belong to the Independent Schools’ […]

Late entry to GCSEs continues falling – but not for OCR

Ofqual has this morning published figures on the number of late GCSE and AS/A-level entries for this summer’s exam series. Schools and colleges are given deadlines by which exam entries need to be made. Those made after that date are classed as “late” and are subject to extra charges. Last year, just over half a […]