John Dickens | Schools Week

Heads told school pension contributions to rise by over 40% from 2019

Headteachers have been told contributions schools pay towards teachers’ pensions are set to rise by more than 40 per cent. An email sent to headteachers states the estimated contribution rate for schools under the Teachers’ Pension Scheme will rise to 23.6 per cent from September next year. The current employer contribution rate is 16.48 per […]

Teachers shell out hundreds of pounds to park at their schools

Teachers face paying hundreds of pounds to park at their own schools as councils consider introducing new charges. Nottingham City Council is currently the only local authority in England running a workplace parking levy with employers paying £400 for each space. More than 100 schools in Nottingham fall within the scheme, but the tax has […]

Curriculum will be ‘central focus’ in new Ofsted framework

Ofsted has promised to give the curriculum “greater coverage” in its new framework after admitting inspectors have placed “too much weight on test and exam results”. Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector of schools, said today that a renewed focus on curriculum from Ofsted should reverse the current incentives that come from “inspection being too focused […]

DfE reveals how it will dish out teacher pay rise cash

The government has revealed how it will dish out extra cash to fund teacher pay rises this year, with schools set to be paid the grant later this autumn, new documents show. It was announced in July that teachers would get a rise of up to 3.5 per cent this year, after the 1 per […]

Private school head says sorry for ‘misguided’ Volvo vs. Jaguar advert

A private school headteacher has apologised over a “misguided” advert for its open day, following allegations of classism. The advert for Vinehall School, in East Sussex, envisages a son jealously eyeing up the headmaster’s car while visiting an open day in his dad’s old Volvo estate. However, after joining the school and becoming successful in […]

School pension contributions could rise from next year

The employer contributions schools pay towards teachers’ pensions look set to rise from 2019, the Treasury has said. A valuation of teachers’ pensions, which takes place every four years, has suggested public sector workers will get improved benefits from April next year. However new draft directions for the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme, published on Thursday, states […]

Grammar school ordered to tweak admissions policy following second home row

A heavily oversubscribed grammar school has been ordered to amend its admission arrangements after a parent complained that it discriminated against wealthy individuals with second homes. The objection was lodged after Dr Challoner’s Grammar School, in Buckinghamshire, rejected an application from a child who lived three miles from the school – well within its catchment […]

A handy guide to the DfE’s new cost-saving toolkit

The Department for Education has today published lots of information, all related to its new drive to help schools ‘get the best value for every pound spent’ and save money on the sector’s current £10 billion non-staffing costs. The main document is guidance titled ‘Supporting excellent school resource management’, which is a pretty neat toolkit […]

iGCSE results will not be published this year

iGCSE results data will not be published this year as it is fully removed from league tables and students are pushed back towards regular GCSE courses. Pupils are receiving their iGCSE results today, but the exam board has informed Schools Week that it will not be putting out pass rates or statistics for the course […]