John Dickens | Schools Week

Trust ‘ready and able’ to take over ‘orphan’ school in limbo for TEN years

A regional schools commissioner is “hopeful” she has found an academy trust that is “ready and able” to take over an orphan school left in academy conversion limbo for ten years. Since being put in special measures and issued an academy order in April 2011, Hanson School in Bradford has been shunned by three potential […]

Ministers call in Ofsted to investigate school safeguarding amid ‘rape culture’ claims

Ofsted has been ordered to undertake an “immediate review” of the safeguarding policies in state and independent schools amid the Everyone’s Invited abuse allegations. The Department for Education said today that the review will “look at the extent and the severity of the issue and ensure schools have appropriate processes in place to allow pupils […]

GCSEs and A-levels 2021: Key dates revealed

Exam boards have today published guidance for how schools are expected to award grades this summer. The guidance includes key dates setting out the process. Here’s what you need to know: 22 March to 22 April: Entry amendments window open for centres 31 March: Additional assessment materials (sets of questions, mark schemes and […]

Consultation launched to ensure high needs funding awarded ‘fairly’ as councils struggle

The government has launched a consultation to ensure high needs cash is dished out as “fairly as possible” as councils struggle with funding black holes. The consultation, which runs until March 24, will initially look at changes for just the 2022-23 year, but views are sought from councils and schools on longer-term changes that will […]

£500 bill for orange juice: Trust rapped for spend at ‘luxury’ spa hotel and ‘high fashion’ mag

An academy trust that opened from scratch with 10 schools has been rapped for spending thousands of pounds on adverts in a lifestyle magazine and on staff events, including one at a five-star “luxury” spa hotel. Galileo Multi-Academy Trust also spent £1,000 on a “grand marquee” and £476 to provide a “glass of orange juice […]

Sir Kevan Collins appointed ‘education recovery’ tsar

Sir Kevan Collins has been appointed as the government’s “education recovery commissioner”. Downing Street said in a press release this evening that Collins would “oversee a comprehensive programme of catch-up aimed at young people who have lost out on learning due to the pandemic”. However apart from repeating a commitment to provide £300 million more […]

PM warns reopening schools faster could force Covid recovery ‘into reverse’

Boris Johnson has said it is “much better” to stick to the “prudent and cautious” approach to reopening schools so the plan to beat the pandemic is not “forced into reverse”. The prime minister was challenged during today’s Downing Street briefing on his plans to wait to reopen schools until March 8 at the earliest. […]

Externally-set papers aren’t ‘exams by the back door’, says Ofqual chief

Proposals for externally-set papers to help inform teacher grades this year are not “exams by the back door”, Ofqual’s chief regulator has said after students flagged concerns. Ofqual is proposing that papers, providing by exams boards, can help teachers award GCSE and A-level grades to their pupils this year after exams were scrapped. But the […]

Schools to fully close for February half-term, but staff needed for contact tracing

Schools will fully close over the February half term, the government has confirmed today, but staff will be on call for contact tracing. In an email to schools today, seen by Schools Week, the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed schools will “close as usual” during next month’s half-term. Where schools can, staff assuming responsibility for […]