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29 April 2026

Author: Nick Linford

Increase pay for new teachers but extend probation to 3 years, social mobility commission demands

Teachers’ pay should be overhauled and their probation periods extended to three years, the government’s social mobility commission has said. The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s state of the nation report has called for “drastic action” to tackle recruitment problems, which it said were being “exacerbated” by emerging gaps between teacher pay and that […]

Sir David Carter to lead charge on coasting schools in national commissioner role

Sir David Carter has vowed to “challenge all schools to perform better” after being appointed as the next national schools commissioner today. The Department for Education has this afternoon confirmed that the current regional schools commissioner for the south west will step up to the role, held by Frank Green since February 2014, at the end of […]

Regional schools commissioners will no longer be judged by proportion of schools and academies

Regional schools commissioners (RSCs) will no longer be judged by the proportion of academies in their areas, the government has revealed. Natalie Evans, the former head of the New Schools Network and a leading government peer, told the House of Lords tonight that the key performance indicators used to judge the quality of RSCs would be amended following a review. […]

Automatic registration for free school meals gets cross-party backing

A bid to automatically register eligible children for free school meals will get cross-party support in Parliament today. Labour MP Frank Field has garnered support from a significant number of opposition and government MPs to change rules about the free meals system in schools. Currently, parents of children eligible for means-tested meals are encouraged to […]

School supply teacher spending rockets by 27 per cent in two years

The amount schools are spending on supply teachers rose by 27 per cent in two years, analysis of government statistics has revealed. According to school spending data, the total amount spent by schools on supply staff rose from £1.07bn in 2012/13 to £1.29bn in 2013/14, an increase of more than £276m. The Labour Party has […]

Illegal schools stayed open for weeks after ‘confusing’ government advice, Ofsted claims

“Confusing” government advice led to illegal schools in Birmingham staying open for several weeks after they were identified, Ofsted has claimed. Inspectors from the watchdog identified a “narrow Islamic-focused curriculum” and use of “misogynistic, homophobic and anti-Semitic material” at three unregistered schools in Birmingham in early November, along with “serious fire hazards”, “unhygienic and filthy conditions” and staff without […]

Schools could get right to see marked GCSE papers as Ofqual consults on appeals process

Schools could get the right to request copies of marked GCSE exam papers as they consider appealing against marks, Ofqual has announced. The watchdog also wants to make exam boards use specially-trained reviewers, rather than ordinary examiners, to check marking when results are queried as part of proposals for a new review and appeals process. […]