Author: John Dickens

Take-up of bursaries that support young parents while they study has tumbled by over three-fifths in five years – a drop which one union has blamed on a “complex” claiming process. According to Education and Skills Funding Agency data published yesterday, 64 per cent fewer people are using Care to Learn, which is intended to […]

The heads of two of the country’s most successful academy trusts have slammed Ofsted’s new regime – claiming “it is a middle-class framework for middle-class kids”. Speaking in the Times, Harris chief executive Sir Dan Moynihan and Outwood Grange Academies Trust boss Martyn Oliver claimed the new curriculum focus will “damage outcomes for disadvantaged children”. […]

The “antagonistic voice” of unions is stalling improvement of “stuck” schools, an Ofsted study has claimed. The inspectorate published a report today revealing there are 415 schools, serving 210,000 pupils, that haven’t been judged ‘good’ or better since 2006. The study claimed one of the blockages on improvement was because of an “antagonistic union voice” […]

Ofsted wants to run “non-judgmental” and longer inspections to support “stuck” schools to improve – claiming the current “carousel of consultants” and government initiatives aren’t working. New research by the inspectorate published today found 415 schools, serving 210,000 pupils, that haven’t been judged ‘good’ or better since 2006. The study, titled ‘Fight or Flight‘, found […]

The government has committed £5 million to extend cultural education schemes aimed at getting school pupils to play instruments, learn about film making and visit museums. The majority of this, £4 million, will fund programmes focused on getting pupils involved in film, dance, theatre and design for the 2020-21 year. The remaining £1 million will […]

From secret government money-saving reports, pupils being sent to the back of the queue for lunch if they have poor attendance, and lots of leaks – here’s our most read stories of 2019. Enjoy!   Starting with our news stories, in reverse order: (Nerd note: we’ve taken out explainers – which tend to be super-well […]

Boris Johnson has been urged to “shelve the election rhetoric” and deliver on his promise to invest in schools after delivering a Conservative majority. Boris Johnson this morning secured the biggest Conservative party election win since 1987, propelling him back into Downing Street with a mandate for his education priorities. The Conservatives’ manifesto mostly signalled […]

The Education Policy Institute has delved into each party’s election commitments to see if they will boost outcomes, particularly for vulnerable children. Here’s what they found for the three biggest parties. 1. Conservative policies risk widening the disadvantage gap… The Education Policy Institute (EPI) identified areas where the proposed policy agenda was “unlikely” to support […]