John Dickens | Schools Week

Investigation: How have poorer pupils performed in GCSEs at flagship schools?

Flagship school types promoted by the government are falling behind in boosting the progress of poorer pupils, a Schools Week investigation can reveal. For the first time the government has published data showing the progress of pupils during their secondary schooling. Although the measures are still new, and there are some quirks, it allows rough […]

Progress 8 results 2016: Gibb hails schools for narrowing attainment gap

Schools minister Nick Gibb has praised schools for closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, as the first set of Progress 8 scores are released. Gibb, the minister for school standards, said today’s figures show that the number of pupils taking core academic subjects is on the up. He also praised schools […]

Greening’s £3.5m research hub fund open to ‘opportunity area’ schools

Schools in England’s 12 new opportunity areas will be able to bid to become ‘research schools’ and split a £3.5 million funding pot to help other institutions use evidence-based practice. Education secretary Justine Greening announced earlier today she was extending the £72 million ‘opportunity areas’ programme into another six areas, following on from the six […]

Schools put in special measures at ‘top-performing’ WCAT

A “top-performing” trust handed extra government cash to takeover failing schools must now focus on transforming two of its own academies after they were put in special measures. The Wakefield City Academies Trust (WCAT) was handed some of a £5 million government fund to set up academy hubs in underperforming northern regions in 2015. However […]

Ormiston chief Toby Salt takes top role at exam board AQA

An academy trust chief executive will resign from the role to take up the top job at exam board AQA. Professor Toby Salt, the chief executive of Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT), will take over from Andrew Hall, who retires as chief executive of AQA later this year. Salt, chief executive of OAT since 2012, has […]

Greening warned tinkering could cause funding formula to “come crashing down”

Justine Greening has been warned that tinkering with the proposed national funding formula to appease senior politicians pressing for a more radical plan could cause it all to “come crashing down”. A handful of Conservative MPs, largely from rural areas, have called for a review of the funding overhaul that will dish out more cash […]

Notices to failing private schools to be made public by government

Damning improvement notices for dozens of failing private schools will now be published online by the government, a year after Schools Week first requested and revealed the figures. The disclosure comes as new figures show the number of independent schools rapped for poor performance is increasing. The government said publishing statutory improvement notices issued to […]

Flagship academy re-named after sponsors despite slipping into special measures

An academy has been renamed in recognition of its millionaire sponsor, just months after it was put in special measures and is possibly facing rebrokerage. The Business Academy Bexley has changed its name to the Garrard academy to recognise the support of sponsor Sir David Garrard, a retired property tycoon and former Labour donor. Garrard […]

Government toughens up financial oversight demands in new governance framework

The government has toughened up the level of competency it expects from governors over financial oversight following a string of high-profile finance scandals. The Department for Education has today published an updated governance handbook, alongside a new competency framework that lays out what is expected of governors. Governance experts told Schools Week one of the […]