Nick Linford | Schools Week

White Paper: Academy status ‘not a magic wand’, admits Nicky Morgan

Academy status is not a “magic wand”, Nicky Morgan will admit as she spells out plans to turn convert every school in England. The education secretary will claim in a speech at Lambeth’s King’s Maths School this afternoon that the government is not “abdicating its responsibilities” as it hands more power to multi-academy trusts. Her […]

‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’ White Paper: What are the actual policies?

The first education white paper since 2010 has been released by the government today. But what does it actually say? I spent this morning picking through the 128 pages of ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’ to find what the government is saying it will do. Small projects that were already announced have not been included. Likewise anything […]

Budget 2016: Sir Adrian Smith to review feasibility of maths to 18

A study into the feasibility of compulsory maths study for all pupils to 18 will be undertaken by statistician and former civil servant Professor Sir Adrian Smith. Announced in the Budget, Sir Adrian will review maths teaching for 16 to 18-year-olds, with a focus on skilling a future teaching workforce. But any recommendations confirming that […]

I worked on the last DfE white paper – and couldn’t resolve this academy mess

A new DfE white paper? Let’s hope it solves the academy mess, writes Matt Hood Tony Blair came to power in 1997 on a promise of standards and not structures. Ten years’ experience of transforming the public realm changed his mind. He left office reflecting that when it comes to raising standards it turns […]

Academy conversion is an unnecessary distraction – here’s how to survive it

Schools must become academies by 2022. Prolific education tweeter (@SchoolDuggery), and governor, Rachel Gooch advises what to do. Budget Day for the Chancellor coincided with budget day for the large secondary school where I am a governor. Like Osborne, the financial outlook was rather worse than we had expected a year ago. Unlike the […]

Budget 2016: The 5 things schools need to know

Education was identified as a key priority area for George Osborne in his budget today. Here are his five main announcements… Every school to become an academy Every state primary and secondary school will be expected to have either become an academy by 2020, or to have an academy order in place to convert by […]

What Is An Academy? (And other questions about converting schools)

The government has announced it wants all schools to become academies by 2022. But what are they? Editor Laura McInerney looks at questions about the policy, and tries to answer them straightforwardly. 1. Aren’t academies run by private companies? Is this just privatisation of schools? Not quite. We have to be careful with language […]

Budget 2016: Longer day for quarter of secondary schools, says George Osborne

At least a quarter of secondary schools will be given funds to run a longer day, Chancellor George Osborne will announce today. The Chancellor will also use his eighth budget to pledge that every school will become an academy by 2020, as revealed yesterday. A funding package of £1.5 billion has been put aside to support academy conversion […]

Legislation to convert all schools to academies could be published within days

Legislation to enable the conversion of every school in England into an academy could be published within days, Schools Week understands. Education secretary Nicky Morgan is expected to address the House of Commons on Thursday, just one day after the budget, which is expected to include an announcement about converting thousands of schools. The Guardian is reporting the academies legislation […]