Jess Staufenberg | Schools Week

School ‘terrifically proud’ of pupil who designed new £1 coin two years ago

A pupil encouraged by a teacher to enter a competition to design the new pound coin says he will be keeping his achievement “as quiet as possible” when he heads to university. Two years ago David Pearce, now 17, submitted an entry to design the new coin. On Tuesday his entry became a reality when […]

Disastrous’ change in teaching training causes 7% drop in numbers

The government’s “disastrous” changes to how universities and other teacher training providers offer places led to a 7 per cent drop last year in the number of applicants starting their courses. Recruitment controls prevented many initial teacher training (ITT) providers offering places – even though fewer graduates applied last year than the year before – […]

Parents ‘must pay’ for sports teams at Kent school

A Kent headteacher has told parents they will need to pay for their child to be part of the school’s sports team due to budget cuts. Lee Hunter, head at Sir Roger Manwood’s School in Sandwich (pictured), wrote to parents to say the school had lost almost £700 funding per pupil over the past five […]

12-minute lessons best for pupil memories, study finds

Pupils who are taught in 12-minute lessons that are repeated 24 hours later remember material much better, new research suggests. A trial of “spaced learning” showed pupils seemed to benefit from a short physics lesson, followed by a 10-minute break of another activity, then a short chemistry lesson, then another break, then a final, short, […]

Nearly half of schools fail to offer work experience to SEND pupils

One in three schools is not offering pupils with special educational needs (SEND) work experience, sidelining “precisely” the young people who need the most employment help. New government figures show that 42 per cent of schools and sixth forms are not offering their SEND pupils any kind of “work-related activity”, let alone ensuring they get […]

Burgers and weddings: how schools are making money in tight times

Some schools are generating tens of thousands of pounds a year by renting out wedding spaces, hiring out food vans and opening shops. In an effort to make up funding shortfalls, ventures such as revamping a van to sell burgers and gaining a licence to host weddings have raked in up to £40,000 extra a […]

Council intervenes over failing academy – but told by Ofsted it isn’t responsible

A local authority has taken the unusual step of pleading with a regional schools commissioner for an inadequate academy to get a new sponsor. Wolverhampton council wrote to Christine Quinn, the RSC for the West Midlands, to voice concerns about Wednesfield High Specialist Engineering Academy after the school was rated inadequate by Ofsted last month. […]

One in 3 pupils on university access scheme privately educated

A university access scheme has been blasted by MPs after a third of the pupils benefiting from the programme were found to be privately educated. Bristol University Scholars scheme, through which pupils can gain an undergraduate place at the university, has been accused of making a “mockery” of its own outreach scheme after 33 per […]

Pupils moved in GCSE year from maintained schools as much as MATs

In some schools, 10 per cent of pupils leave before their GCSEs. Headteachers blame transient populations; academy critics say it is to boost exam results. Schools Week looks at the figures More than one in ten pupils are leaving some maintained schools during their final GCSE year, calling into question claims that academies are the […]