Nick Linford | Schools Week

GCSE and A-level grade challenges soar as schools deal with ‘anxiety’ over accountability pressures

Schools submitted 121,000 more enquiries about GCSE and A-level grades this year than in 2014, a rise of 27 per cent. Statistics released by Ofqual this morning show that the number of individual enquiries rose from 451,000 last summer to 572,350 this summer, resulting in changes to 90,650 grades, up from 77,400 last year. During a briefing this […]

There will be 1 million more pupils by 2024 – but here’s why we won’t have enough teachers

As pupil numbers rise, schools say they are perilously short of teachers – Kevin Courtney explains why. Much is made, quite rightly about maintaining a world class education system in this country. Essential to achieving this is a motivated well-paid teaching profession. Yet teacher recruitment and retention are both at dangerously low levels with many […]

Report reveals four in five school leaders face recruitment ‘problem’ as committee begins teacher supply inquiry

Almost four in five school leaders have reported a problem with recruitment, a survey by the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) has found. The survey of 2,135 school leaders has also revealed some schools are spending up to £10,000 per vacancy on agency fees to plug shortages. The release of the report comes as the House […]

Government could challenge High Court ruling over religious GCSE row

The government could appeal against a High Court ruling that it made “false and misleading” claims about the new religious studies GCSE, it has been announced. The Department for Education (DfE) has said it disagrees with “some aspects” of the court’s decision last month to rule against education secretary Nicky Morgan in a judicial review brought by six […]

Academies to be brought under ‘coasting schools’ legislation

Academies will be brought under new “coasting schools” legislation, the government has announced. Prime minister David Cameron has confirmed an expansion of the education and adoption bill to measure academies and free schools by the new “coasting” definition. But the government has yet to explain how the bill – which is currently making its way […]

Labour MP Clive Lewis ‘misled Parliament’ over Hewett school uniform, Inspiration Trust claims

The Labour MP Clive Lewis has been accused of misleading Parliament over claims Norwich’s Hewett Academy forced parents to buy new uniforms at short notice. Hewett’s sponsor, the Inspiration Trust, has claimed the Norwich South MP was wrong when he told the House of Commons on Monday that parents had been told “at short notice” […]

255 schools to get mental health ‘point of contact’ in £3.2m NHS England joint initiative

Hundreds of schools will be given a single point of contact for help with pupils with mental health problems in a £3.2m pilot scheme announced by the government. A partnership between education secretary Nicky Morgan and NHS England will test a named single point of contact in 255 schools to promote “better joined-up working” between […]

Midland Studio College schools in Hinckley and Nuneaton to close due to low pupil numbers

Two studio schools in the midlands will close next summer after their sponsor declared them “economically unviable” due to low pupil numbers. The Midland Academies Trust has announced plans to close the Midland Studio Colleges in Hinckley and Nuneaton, and has begun the process of finding places at other institutions for their combined 157 pupils. […]

Regional schools commissioners: 5 things we learned from Lord Nash’s grilling

Lord Nash, parliamentary under secretary of state for schools, appeared in front of the House of Commons education committee today to talk about regional schools commissioners. MPs only detained him for just over an hour of questions, but we still learned a few useful things… 1. We won’t be seeing extra regional schools commissioners any […]