John Dickens | Schools Week

Snap General Election 2017: 5 key things schools need to know

Theresa May has called a snap election on June 8th this year, stating it was required to “guarantee certainty and security for years ahead”. She previously said a snap general election was not something she wanted, but said this morning that division in Westminster “will risk our ability to make a success of Brexit”. So […]

Government consults on definition of ‘ordinary working families’

The Department for Education has launched a consultation on proposals to officially label some pupils as coming from “ordinary working families”. The consultation, published today, proposes to collect and analyse data on families earning below the median income level, but whose children don’t qualify for free school meals. Initial analysis by the government suggests that […]

Thousands of examiners’ personal details stolen in AQA cyber-attack

Tens of thousands of examiners have had their personal details hacked after the exam board AQA was victim to a cyber-attack. Data relating to 64,000 current and former examiners stored on some of AQA’s online systems has been stolen by attackers, including examiners’ name, address, personal phone numbers, and passwords. However the board stressed the […]

REAch2’s spin-off academy trust renamed Astrea

A spin-off academy trust of one of the country’s largest chains has changed its name and appointed new members under a rebrand that cuts off any remaining ties to its founders. Reach4, which according to its website runs 15 primaries in Yorkshire, will now be known as the Astrea Academy Trust. The trust was set […]

Former university leader appointed new Ofsted chair

A former university vice-chancellor has been appointed as the new chair of education watchdog Ofsted. Professor Julius Weinberg will replace the current interim chair James Kempton, education secretary Justine Greening announced today. She said Weinberg, who will now step down from his current role as Ofqual’s deputy chair, brings a “wide range of experience from […]

New redundancy tactics for schools faced with tough decisions

Staff are going through interviews and graded assessments to decide who to make redundant, Schools Week has learnt. James Lynas, a partner at law firm Winckworth Sherwood, said a handful of schools are taking the new redundancy route to ensure that they keep the best-performing teachers. Teaching unions, however, say schools could be using the […]

Teachers trained via school-led routes more likely to go into classroom

School-based teacher training routes are getting teachers into classrooms at higher rates than university providers, a new analysis has found. The Good Teacher Training Guide 2017, published today, has revealed the top ten providers based on the entry qualifications of trainees, the course quality (its Ofsted grade), and how many trainees achieved qualified teacher status […]

Police launch fraud inquiry at Baverstock Academy

Police are investigating an alleged fraud at a Birmingham school set to close later this year after falling into financial ruin, it has emerged. A 48-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of fraud, with another man and woman interviewed, in connection with the police inquiry at Baverstock Academy. News of the investigation, reported by […]

Schools invited to express interest in new £140m improvement fund

Schools can now register an expression of interest in getting some of a new £140 million improvement funding pot – but the government is keeping quiet on further details. The education secretary Justine Greening announced the new funding in November under a package of measures to ensure improvement support was “targeted at the schools most […]