John Dickens | Schools Week

New teacher employment rate drops, but trainee application surge continues

The proportion of teachers not employed in state schools 16 months after qualifying has risen above one in five, new provisional figures show. Department for Education Initial Teacher Training Profile statistics estimate that 79 per cent of postgraduate trainees awarded qualified teacher status will be employed in a state-funded school in England within 16 months. […]

Rate of pupils being suspended from school hits 13-year high

The rate of pupils given fixed-term exclusions from school has risen for a fifth year running – with youngsters being handed repeat suspensions said to be driving the increase. Government figures published today show the number of fixed-period exclusions, also called suspensions, has risen from 410,800 in 2017-18, up to 438,300 last year (a seven […]

5 reasons to be cautious about estimates of lockdown learning loss

Research estimating lockdown learning loss, published during the crisis, paints a grim picture of widening attainment gaps and long-term effects. But how robust are the findings? There are reasons to treat with care the reports put into the public domain so far. 1. Much of the research remains speculative Covid-19 and the school shutdowns it […]

Extra tests under consideration so DfE can measure lost lockdown learning

Pupils may have to sit additional tests next year so researchers can measure the full extent of lockdown learning losses. The Department for Education plans to research the impact covid-19 disruption had on the academic development of youngsters, including how pupils are progressing next year to recover lost learning. Government plans are for all pupils […]

Coronavirus: Calls for virtual ITT placements and forcing schools to open their doors to trainees

Teacher training providers want to explore forcing schools to offer opportunities to trainees and are in talks about running virtual placements as they adapt to life amid coronavirus. A new policy paper by three initial teacher training providers published today has called on the government to set up an expert group that can put together […]

A results day guide to help schools navigate this year’s uncharted waters

Understandably, students and their parents may be unsure about how their grades are arrived at this year and what that means for them. Some of them may have questions for their teachers, schools and colleges on results day. The prospect of offering advice may seem a little daunting, given the very different systems in place […]

5 tips for school leaders with reluctant returners

If you are in the world of teaching, it’s likely you were once a child who couldn’t wait to return to school after the summer holidays: new pencil case, new classroom teachers, a chance to catch up with friends and the excitement of a new school year. While I hope you still feel that sense […]

Ofqual wants admissions ‘flexibility’ for pupils with ‘one or two lower grades’

Post-16 providers have been urged to “offer greater flexibility” in admission decisions to ensure pupils who get “one or two lower grades” still get the courses they’ve been offered. Sally Collier, Ofqual’s chief regulator, said providers could focus less on this year’s calculated results and instead place more weight on other evidence, such as speaking […]

Coronavirus: £2.7m cost of shredding cancelled SATs papers revealed

The government has shredded exam papers for this year’s cancelled SATs and phonics tests – writing off the £2.7m they cost to produce. The Standards and Testing Agency said they were concerned about the potential degradation of the papers and the costs of storing them for later use after exams were cancelled because of the […]