John Dickens | Schools Week

Charity Commission finally publishes Durand investigation

The contract between a firm owned by Sir Greg Martin and the leisure centre linked to the school he used to run was “too generous”, the charity watchdog has ruled. The Charity Commission has today published the findings of its 20-month investigation into the Durand Education Trust (DET), which holds land belonging to the Durand […]

More pupils achieve ‘good development’, and 6 other findings from reception assessment data

The percentage of five-year-olds reaching a “good level of development” at the end of reception has increased, according to new figures. National Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFS) result data was published by the government today. The report found that results for all three key measures used in the assessment increased this year. Teachers carry […]

Sir David Carter: Claim that trusts failed because they grew too quickly is a “myth”

The national schools commissioner has claimed the idea early academy sponsors failed because they grew too quickly is “a myth”, instead stating it was because they gave too much autonomy to their failing schools and did not have a trust-wide improvement plan. It had been widely established across the education community that trusts such as […]

Government u-turns on year 7 resit manifesto pledge

The government has u-turned on a manifesto pledge that all children who do not achieve a level 4 in reading and maths must resit their exams at secondary school. Education secretary Justine Greening announced today that she will abandon statutory resits in year 7 on arrival, and instead “focus on the steps needed to ensure […]

Primary increases cost of school meals citing ‘post Brexit’ inflation

A primary has upped the price of its school meals, telling parents it follows an inflation of wholesale costs on food “post Brexit”. Avanti Court Primary School, in north east London, sent a letter to parents outlining the price increase, which means parents will have to pay roughly £20 extra per year. The letter, seen […]

Durand chief makes blistering attack on senior government officials

An under-fire academy chief has launched a blistering attack on the government, previously unpublished letters have revealed. The Durand Academy Trust last night published a series of letters on its website that its chair of governors Sir Greg Martin sent to the government, including former prime minister David Cameron, as part of a long-running funding […]

Academy pension review will look at funding gap

A review launched into academy pension deficits will recommend ways to address the enormous funding gap in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Schools Week revealed last week that poor investment returns on pensions for support staff have left many multi-academy trusts with deficits amounting to tens of millions of pounds. Now accountancy company PricewaterhouseCoopers […]

Don’t think before you speak, all-male panel told at WomenEd

Male education leaders have been encouraged to stop worrying about “saying the wrong thing” and to join a growing number of men promoting gender equality in the sector. WomenEd, a campaign group set up to tackle the disproportionate number of women headteachers, hosted its first all-male panel at its second annual conference on Saturday. The […]

Alternative provision free school handed financial notice to improve

An alternative provision free school trust has been handed a financial notice to improve after a government investigation found it had “weak financial control” just two years after opening. The CUL Academy Trust was warned over its finances in a notice published today by the Education Funding Agency. It follows an investigation into the trust, […]