John Dickens | Schools Week

Put down your mobile phones and learn poetry

At a time when so many youngsters are glued to their Xboxes and mobile phones, communicating by grunts, emojis and abbreviations (LOL), it’s time we rose ‘Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more’ and shouted about the benefits of learning the words by heart of the Bard, Michael Rosen or whoever their favourite […]

DfE wants 3-year pupil premium plans, but yearly funding stays

Schools have been urged to draw up three-year strategies on how they will spend their pupil premium, despite the cash only being guaranteed year on year. Updated guidance this week from the Department for Education called for schools to adopt a “longer-term strategy”. From September they will be “encouraged” to move away from “time-consuming” full […]

Agnew: ‘No point putting extra money in schools if it’s not being spent properly’

The academies minister Lord Agnew has said there’s no point putting extra cash into schools if “the current money isn’t being used properly”. Speaking at the Wellington College Festival of Education today, Agnew said he believes there are four areas where extra funding is needed: high needs, post 16, rural primary schools, and covering the […]

Teachers to strike over private school pension withdrawal

Teachers will go on strike at a private school on Friday in what has been described as a “test case” for other institutions looking to withdraw from the teacher pension scheme. More than 80 teachers were balloted with the majority set to strike at St Edward’s School, in Oxford. The school plans to exit the […]

68 winners scoop silver Pearson Teaching Awards for 2019

Inspirational teachers from across the country have been honoured today for their outstanding commitment to changing the lives of children. A total of 68 winners have scooped silver awards in the annual Pearson National Teaching Awards. The winners (full list below), announced to coincide with ‘Thank a Teacher Day’ today, will now be shortlisted to […]

Government efforts to reduce teacher workload have failed – it’s getting worse!

Today’s release of the OECD’s five-yearly TALIS survey of teachers and leaders is a chance to confront reality. The dire situation facing English secondary schools is no secret: it’s been the subject of innumerable reports, advisory groups, and columns. There are too few teachers, too few new recruits, and too many quitting the profession early. […]

Children in need review: What the government has promised

The Department for Education has published its response to the children in need review today. Here are the key things schools need to know. 1. Speeding up admissions (but there’s no details on how) There’s a pledge to improve the “clarity, timeliness and transparency” of in-year admissions processes, and strengthen fair access protocols “ensuring this […]

Mental health training for new teachers

New teachers will be trained in how to spot the signs of mental health, it will be announced tomorrow. Prime minister Theresa May is set to make the pledge as part of a new package of measures to ensure people have the “confidence and skills they need to identify mental health issues before they become […]

NFER: 1 in 6 teachers want to reduce their hours

School leaders need to tackle the barriers stopping middle and senior staff from flexible working, researchers have said, as figures show that about one in six secondary school teachers would like to reduce their hours. The National Foundation for Educational Research’s (NFER) Part-time Teaching and Flexible Working in Secondary Schools report, released today, found that […]