John Dickens | Schools Week

Inspiration Trust to change turnaround approach with ‘knowledge-led’ curriculum

Inspiration Trust, the academy chain run by Dame Rachel de Souza, is planning to develop its own “knowledge-led” curriculum after admitting it has focused too much on “unsustainable” intervention approaches for turning round schools. The East Anglia-based trust has revealed plans to open a curriculum centre, based on the site of Hewett Academy in Norwich, […]

Government to step in over supply teacher costs

The government is planning to step in and establish a national pool of ‘trusted’ supply teacher agencies in a bid to help schools cut down on spiralling agency bills. The government’s buying arm, the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), is developing the pool alongside the Department for Education (DfE) to get a better deal for schools […]

Russell Hobby appointed Teach First chief executive

Russell Hobby has been appointed as chief executive of the teacher training charity Teach First. Hobby, currently general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, will take on the new role in September. He replaces Brett Wigdortz, who helped found Teach First – now the country’s largest graduate recruiter – 15 years ago, and […]

Surge in unauthorised term-time holidays after Platt court ruling

The number of children taken out of school without permission for a family holiday rose by a fifth after the High Court backed a father’s rights last year. Absence figures published this morning show the number of pupils taken on unauthorised family holidays rose from 270,220 in autumn 2015, to 328,555 in autumn last year […]

Governor ‘strike’ over school funding set to go ahead

School governors at more than 20 schools in West Sussex have announced they will go on “strike” this Friday in protest over funding cuts. The BBC has reported the governors will “withdraw their labour” as part of the action, believed to be the first of its kind in England. But strike organisers told Schools Week […]

Labour manifesto: Plans to let councils ‘run schools’ dropped

The Labour party has dropped official plans to let councils “open schools”, instead stating it will “oppose any attempt to force schools to become academies” if the party should take power. Schools Week previously revealed how Labour’s draft manifesto included a pledge to allow local authorities to open schools. It backed up a previous promise […]

Teacher drop-out rates highest in EBacc subjects, study finds

Drop-out rates for new teachers in key EBacc subjects is “particularly high”, a new analysis has claimed. A National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) study, published today, finds that teachers in maths, science and languages are most likely to leave the profession, particularly in their first five years. Researchers claim the drop-out rate in key subjects could […]

Investigation: Flagship 16-19 free schools under threat

Financial cracks are emerging in the government’s flagship 16-19 free schools as heads face stalling recruitment and “chronic” underfunding. Analysis by Schools Week reveals that half of the 18 sixth-form free schools have fewer than 200 pupils, which the government says is the minimum roll for a viable school. Most have been open since 2014. […]

Gibb fails to resolve summer-born admissions despite promises

Schools minister Nick Gibb is under fire for “failing to act” nearly two years after promising to stop the “postcode lottery” of unfair admissions for summer-born children. Gibb (pictured) launched a review in July 2015 to investigate the admission rules for summer-born children, which he said was an issue “repeatedly raised on the doorstep” during […]