John Dickens | Schools Week

Teacher retention rates are worsening, and 7 other school workforce findings

The Department for Education has today published the latest school workforce census (November 2018). Schools Week has the key findings: 1. Teacher numbers are up, but it’s outstripped by the rise in pupils The number of teachers working in the profession (453,400 full-time equivalents) has increased a teeny bit – up 0.3 per cent […]

We’ve got £200m to help solve youth crime – here’s how schools can apply

Schools across the country are doing their best to respond to issues outside their gates, as we see more teenagers being drawn in to crime and violence. According to the latest government figures, the number of convictions among 10-17 year olds has gone up by over 50 percent between 2014 and 2018. Understandably, schools are […]

Ofsted’s worrying reliability findings won’t comfort heads who get ‘the call’ in a couple of months

In a report on the future of Ofsted that accompanied the launch of our new think tank called EDSK (short for ‘education and skills’), we delved into the research on whether people agreed with each other when observing schools and teachers. It transpired that when two observers, however experienced, walked into a classroom and started […]

DfE tops ‘departments of concern’ list in watchdog’s end-of-year report

The Department for Education tops a “departments of concern” list in the end-of-year report by the chair of the government’s powerful public accounts committee. Meg Hillier, chair of the government’s spending watchdog, highlighted the continuing financial strain on the sector, which she suggested both the DfE and Ofsted had neglected, a “lack of grip” over […]

Government warns academies as email ‘phishing’ scams inflict financial losses

Academies and other educational institutions are being warned about new cyber-attacks which have already claimed some victims and resulted in financial losses. The latest Education and Skills Funding Agency update, published today, contains information about a “phishing” scam – where a fraudster disguises as a trustworthy source in an electronic communication to trick people into […]

8 things the government wants schools to teach about online safety

Schools have been urged to teach pupils about social media influencers, the dangers of online challenges, and how to spot fake news in new guidance for teaching online safety. The Department for Education advice urges schools to consider what they are already delivering through the curriculum, and build in additional teaching as required to ensure […]

DfE sticks with LGBT guidance, but gets unions onside with tougher talk

Ministers have stuck by their guidance on LGBT lessons in schools despite concerns it was putting head in the firing line, but have won union support by strengthening their expectations around the issue. Schools Week reported earlier this year how headteachers were concerned about the draft guidance for teaching relationships, sex and health education. The […]

Private schools need phasing out – and here’s how it can be done

A packed event held in the House of Commons entitled ‘Phasing Out Private Schools’ sought to kick-start a long overdue debate. Despite shadow schools minister Mike Kane attending, this received barely a whiff in the media – though it was the subject of sarcasm in a sketch by Jonathan Simons, formerly of right-leaning thinktank Policy […]

Two people arrested over alleged leak of Edexcel maths paper

Two people have been arrested after an Edexcel A-level maths paper was allegedly leaked online, Pearson has said. Police were called to investigate after questions from the A-level maths 3 paper were allegedly posted on social media before the exam was sat on June 13. Pearson, which owns Edexcel, said its strengthened security processes had […]