Jess Staufenberg | Schools Week

Don’t make schools collect ‘character’ data, insists Morgan

Former education secretary Nicky Morgan has said teachers should not be measured on how they improve their pupils’ character, but experts have warned that regulation is needed if pupil development is to be taken seriously. Speaking to teachers at a wellbeing conference last Friday, Morgan said her department had debated “endlessly” about whether to set […]

Ofsted wins school gender segregation appeal

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a faith school’s policy of segregating boys and girls is “unlawful” sex discrimination, backing Ofsted inspectors who criticised it. The watchdog has won its appeal against a High Court ruling last November, which said the Al-Hijrah school in Birmingham had not broken the law by separating boys and […]

A-level and 16-19 results 2017: UTCs get lowest average score

The government has released provisional A-level data, and other 16-to-18 results, which reveals how schools have fared in accountability measures. The data includes figures on performance in tech certificates and other level two vocational qualifications for the first time. Here we round up the key findings from the data. 1. Pupils get slightly higher scores […]

EBacc results 2017: Entries drop as academies perform strongest

The government has released provisional key stage 4 data this morning that reveals how schools have fared in headline accountability measures. The data includes figures on the new Progress and Attainment 8 measures (our analysis so far here) and also provides an update on EBacc figures. Here we round up the key findings from the […]

Sutton Trust: 2 in 5 pupils do no extracurricular activity

Almost two in five secondary school pupils don’t take part in any extracurricular activities, revealing a “big mismatch” between the skills that schools say they are offering and the reality for pupils, according to a new report. Thirty-seven per cent of secondary pupils do nothing except their formal academic studies in school, taking part in […]

Gibb blasted for ‘lack of action’ on sexual harassment in schools

Guidance for schools on dealing with sexual harassment is to be reviewed again, Nick Gibb has said, after he came under heavy fire for a “lack of action” since the problem was raised by MPs a year ago. The schools minister told a meeting of the Commons women and equalities committee this morning that interim […]

Headteacher outcry after £7m SEND pot assigned to academy expansion

A group of headteachers have written to their council, challenging its proposal to spend almost £30 million on expanding two schools, claiming it’s an “unjustifiable” amount to take from special needs funding. Twelve headteachers in Newham, a borough in east London, are dismayed that they were not consulted on council proposals to expand two academies […]

DfE to review ‘disproportionate’ exclusions of certain ethnicities

The Department for Education is to launch an external review into the links between pupil ethnicity and exclusions, focusing on “disproportionate” exclusion rates among some ethnic groups. It’s part of an audit by the office of prime minister Theresa May of how people from different ethnic backgrounds are treated across all public services. According to […]

Excluded pupils twice as likely to have unqualified teachers, report finds

Excluded pupils are twice as likely to be taught by an unqualified or supply teacher when they reach their alternative school, a new report has shown. The analysis, published by the Institute for Public Policy Research, found the proportion of unqualified teachers at alternative providers has risen by nearly four percentage points over the past […]