Laura McInerney | Schools Week

Greening: ‘Coasting’ schools will only change leadership in ‘rare cases’

Justine Greening has announced that schools labelled “coasting” will be given a package of support rather than an enforced change in leadership, as part of her new series of initiatives published today. In the action plan, Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential, Greening wants to ensure that schools are given support at the right time “rather than […]

9 Interesting Things You Might Have Missed In Ofsted’s Annual Report

At 10am today Amanda Spielman, the Chief Inspector, launched Ofsted’s Annual Report. As ever, there were pre-arranged soundbites and heavily emphasised points on the radio and television. But if you dig down into the report there are always a few extra nuggets that you may have missed, which are worth watching. 1. 8% of […]

Nick Gibb responds to MPs on grammar schools

Nick Gibb has written the government’s response to a parliamentary committee of MPs who investigated the plans for grammar school expansion earlier this year. In the 986 word response, the schools minister only briefly mentions selective schools and does not commit the government to any position on their future. The investigation followed a consultation by […]

Speed-read: Nick Gibb’s ‘Grammar School’ response to MPs

The government response to the education committee’s grammar schools report is out – editor Laura McInerney gives it the speed-read treatment. Over the 2016/17 academic year, the schools community was subject to a consultation on bringing back new grammar schools. In response, the parliamentary education committee investigated and published a series of recommendations. Today, the […]

Ofsted statistics shake-up will drop ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ rate by 2%

Ofsted wants to change the way it presents statistics about school inspections, including re-adding the past grades of turnaround academies, which Schools Week recently highlighted were being scrapped from the record. A consultation published this morning states that Ofsted wants to make the changes to its statistics in order to make its data more comprehensive and accessible. […]

MP escorted out of failing Bright Tribe academy

An MP who is calling for a controversial academy trust to withdraw from a failing school has been physically escorted off the school’s premises during a visit to check on flood damage. Trudy Harrison, MP for Copeland and a member of the education select committee, has called for Bright Tribe to step aside from the […]

Cautious schools can join academy trusts as ‘associate members’

The national schools commissioner is offering schools the option to join academy trusts as “associate members” so they do not relinquish their legal independence. Sir David Carter said that he would be making the point more widely in future, as a response to hurdles some schools face in joining academy trusts, at a training event […]

Free Schools in England: What EPI’s report is actually telling us…

The Education Policy Institute has published a new report, Free Schools in England, but what does it tell us that we don’t already know? Editor Laura McInerney takes a look at the details. It is now seven and a half years since the Coalition swept to power with Michael Gove at the helm as education […]

What was supposed to be said about Ofsted

* Working out what Ofsted is up to involves dividing woods from trees. Unfortunately, as our editor Laura McInerney learned this week, sometimes that causes splinters… Oh to be one of those witty social commentators who is always correct. I envy those people. This week, in a bid to deal with a shortage in […]