Laura McInerney | Schools Week

6 Things We Learned In Today’s Education Question Time

At today’s Education Question Time the education ministerial line-up took questions on several topics, including the benefit of private schools, teacher recruitment and what to do about early years provision. Labour also stuck to lines of attack on careers education, with a secondary focus on private schools. The coalition stuck to talking up what […]

More areas with ‘struggling schools’ given access to leadership scheme

Struggling schools in 10 areas of England are to be given the chance to recruit “talented leaders” to help them improve. The Futures Leaders Trust, a charity aimed at establishing a network of “exceptional” school leaders, announced today that further areas were to join the ‘Talented Leaders’ scheme first launched in September. The charity analysed […]

One in four trainee teachers not prepared for poor student behaviour, survey reveals

A quarter of teachers say their initial teacher training (ITT) failed to prepare them for the management of poorly behaved students. A YouGov survey, commissioned by education charity ‘Teacher Support Network Group’, revealed that 24 per cent of teachers say their ITT prepared them ‘not very well’ or ‘not at all well’ for real life […]

Ofsted deny media influence as council chiefs call for independent review

Ofsted is becoming too “media-driven” it has been warned, as local government leaders call for an independent review of the inspectorate. The Local Government Association (LGA) said the review would help parents have confidence in the “independence and credibility” of school inspections. The LGA used the Trojan Horse incident in Birmingham as an example of […]

Schools funding boss Lauener to also become Skills Funding Agency chief

The boss of the schools funding agency is set to add adult education to his list of responsibilities with appointment to the post of Skills Funding Agency chief executive. Peter Lauener takes up the post — while continuing as chief executive of the Education Funding Agency (EFA) — from Monday, November 3. A government statement said […]

Parents struggle with cost of school, say Children’s Commission

More than two thirds of parents have struggled with the cost of school, with half cutting back spending on clothing, food or heating, according to a new report. The research – led by a panel of children – also found that a quarter of parents had borrowed money in order to afford the cost […]

Is a new model of school collaboration emerging?

Collaboration is a new buzzword in education, but there are many ways it can happen. Expert Alison Talbot describes how one option in particular may be coming to the fore. At the beginning of the school term, a number of exciting collaborations and partnerships coming to fruition, with many free schools, university technical colleges and […]

Should sex education be compulsory? – Education Select Committee to hear evidence

MPs will tomorrow hear evidence about making sex and relationships education (SRE) compulsory in schools – ahead of a bill due before Parliament on Friday. The education select committee is set to hear evidence from eight witnesses in the first session inquiring into the bill’s proposal that personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) be […]

Three days of stalking David Laws: Lib Dem Conference round-up

In politics there’s a thin line between ‘boring’ and ‘professional’. Over the four days of Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow, however, the Schools Minister – David Laws – somehow managed to be both. I knew entering his final session – a Ministerial Q&A – that there would likely be little of note for teachers. A […]