Jess Staufenberg | Schools Week

Majority of pupils with EHCPs left without health or social care support in lockdown, says report

Health and social care support was not provided to more than half of pupils with special needs who were entitled to it during the first lockdown, leaving schools to “plug the gaps”, according to new research. The non-educational services that are meant to be provided to pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) “need […]

Introducing… Rachel Hornsey

The collapse of Carillion left Rachel Hornsey’s primary pupils bewildered amid the rubble of a building site. She explains how the experience prepared her for Covid Rachel Hornsey, headteacher at Sutton Courtenay Church of England primary school, knows all too well what it’s like to wait until the eleventh hour to find out if she can open […]

Why the government’s £400m laptops roll-out is crashing

An “amazing achievement”. That’s how Nick Gibb, the long-time schools minister, describes the progress of his department’s £400 million scheme to deliver laptops to disadvantaged children. He told MPs the delivery of 876,000 laptops, since the scheme launched in April last year, was an “amazing logistical exercise” amid a “demanding global market”. But headteachers say […]

Disadvantaged primary pupils seven months behind peers due to Covid, study suggests

Disadvantaged primary school pupils are seven months behind their peers, according to the initial findings of a new study which warns the learning gap due to Covid is “wider than earlier estimates”. Year 2 pupils overall are also two months behind in reading and maths compared with previous cohorts, an Education Endowment Foundation report has […]

Covid closure savings help boost trust surpluses by £25k, study finds

Multi-academy trusts have posted additional savings of £25,000 on average due to Covid closures – although experts are warning any “Covid bounce” cash will be swallowed up this year. A survey of about 300 academy trusts shows their average surpluses improved from £196,000 in the 2018-19 academic year, to £221,000 last year, according to the […]

Two-thirds of leaders ‘sourcing IT equipment’ for poorest pupils themselves, study finds

Two thirds of senior leaders in state schools are having to “source IT equipment for disadvantaged pupils themselves” while waiting for government help with laptops, according to a new report. Despite the government’s programme to gradually distribute 1.3 million laptops, the digital divide between the wealthiest and least affluent schools is wider in this lockdown […]

Introducing…Mark Wilson

Meet the philosopher CEO determined to prove that academy trusts can – and should – come up with 100-year visionary plans for their schools “I was driving to work with the radio on and they were talking about Disney’s acquisition of the Star Wars franchise, for billions of pounds. And that just inspired me,” says […]

Ministers urged to rule on governance board conflict issue as trustees resign in protest

Governance experts have warned against a “fundamental conflict of interest” of school leaders also being trustees after all the non-staff members of an academy board resigned over the issue. Trustees at Denmark Road High School, a grammar school in Gloucester, quit in protest before Christmas after the headteacher refused to step down from the board. […]

Children’s minister vows ‘urgent’ action on pitiful food parcels

The children’s minister has promised to “look urgently” into images posted by parents on social media revealing inadequate free school meal parcels sent to families by food companies. The inadequate parcels – some appearing to include half a pepper wrapped in cling film, half a tomato, a carrot stub – have been sent out to […]