John Dickens | Schools Week

Roll-out of ‘hard’ national funding formula delayed … again

The roll-out of a “hard” national funding formula has been delayed for at least another year – meaning schools aren’t guaranteed to get the full increases promised by government. The Department for Education has today announced per-pupil funding details for the 2021-22 year, with a four per cent increase in total school funding. The government […]

‘Badly targeted’ £80 per-pupil catch-up cash ‘unlikely’ to stop learning gap widening

The government’s £650m catch-up cash is “badly targeted” and “unlikely to prevent a widening” of the learning gap between poorer pupils and their peers, a think tank has said. Schools will be allocated money from the DfE’s Covid “catch-up fund” on the basis of £80 per pupil, the government confirmed today. It means schools will […]

Grading system risks ‘inaccuracy and bias’ against disadvantaged pupils, MPs warn

Pupils are at risk of missing out on the results they deserve because of “inaccuracy and bias” in this year’s new grading system, MPs have warned. The education select committee has called on Ofqual reveal details of how it will standardise grades immediately, so schools know how the regulator has ensured “fairness”. It follows a […]

5 ways MPs believe this year’s grading system can be made fairer for pupils

The education select committee has published a new report on this year’s grading system, titled ‘Getting the grades they’ve earned: Covid-19’. It warns that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds risk missing out on the results they deserve because of inaccuracy and bias in Ofqual’s grading system (check out our news story here). Here’s what the […]

Grading system ‘flies in the face’ of promises pupils won’t lose out

The government has promised that no pupil will be disadvantaged by the cancellation of exams. But a new study shows that thousands of youngsters in turnaround schools will indeed be penalised. Schools Week investigates. “Kids have given up their weekends, we’ve had holiday interventions, 7.30am revision sessions, teachers teaching until 7pm,” says Elroy Cahill, headteacher […]

Cabinet Office blocked T-level ads during lockdown

The Cabinet Office blocked the Department for Education from promoting T-levels during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite first delivery of the new qualifications being just months away. The decision to “turn off” advertising, which one communications expert said “doesn’t make sense”, was revealed in an updated “major projects portfolio” published today by the DfE. The document […]

ESFA’s director of funding poached by Cabinet Office – and will be replaced by an RSC

The Education and Skills Funding Agency’s first overall director of funding – appointed just last year to oversee a new “centre of excellence” – has been poached by the Cabinet Office. Kate Josephs will leave the ESFA to take up a director general role in the Cabinet Office to deal with the government’s Covid-19 response. […]

Extra £101 million for school and college leavers to return for a third year

The government has pledged £101 million to give all 18 to 19 year olds who are struggling to find work in England the “opportunity” to study “targeted high value level 2 and 3 courses”. And the Treasury has confirmed that it will expect the courses “to be taken at both colleges and schools”. Chancellor Rishi […]

Ofsted visits: ‘Serious issues’ may lead to ‘immediate action’

“Serious issues” identified during lighter-touch Ofsted visits in the autumn could result in “immediate action”, the watchdog has said. The inspectorate promised its new programme of visits, which will start in September and target mostly ‘inadequate’ schools, will be collaborative, and not about “passing judgment”. A letter setting out the outcome of discussions over back-to-school […]