Nick Linford | Schools Week

National teaching service should deliver dedicated teachers, not ‘superheroes’

Things have turned upside down. Too often, teachers and school leaders roll their eyes as ministers announce their latest idea. ‘Patronising’ is often the adjective of choice. But not this week. This week it’s some of the teachers (none of whom work in a rural or coastal schools – how would one get their soy […]

Four things we learned from MPs’ grilling of Regional Schools Commissioners

The education select committee has just finished a hearing with Regional Schools Commissioners Dr Tim Coulson, Dominic Herrington and Martin Post and London’s deputy mayor for education Munira Mirza. Here’s what we learned. 1. More outstanding council-maintained schools want to run multi-academy trusts RSC for the east of England and east London Dr Coulson […]

What to expect from Nicky Morgan’s big Policy Exchange speech

Nicky Morgan will make a series of policy announcements during a speech to the Policy Exchange think tank tomorrow. We have the list (and more detail on each one via the headline links)… The creation of a National Teacher Service A pilot is being launched tomorrow in the north west of England to […]

Government to review exams for 7-year-olds to establish ‘firm basis’ for calculating progress

The government will use a review of testing for 7-year-olds to make it easier to calculate progress to key stage 2, Nicky Morgan will announce tomorrow. The education secretary will set out plans to shake-up testing at primary school level, hinting at the re-introduction of external testing for 7-year-olds. She will also re-affirm the government’s commitment to […]

90 per cent EBacc enrolment pledge not a climb-down, government claims

The government’s new pledge that 90 per cent of pupils will study the full slate of EBacc subjects is not a climb-down on previous aims, it has been claimed. Education secretary Nicky Morgan will announce tomorrow that the government’s aim is to see 9 in 10 pupils complete the EBacc at GCSE, which is made […]

Talented Leaders operator kept in dark about National Teacher Service plans

Plans to create a national teacher service to help under-performing schools struggling with recruitment have not been discussed with the organisation currently placing senior leaders in similar schools, Schools Week can reveal. Nicky Morgan will use her Policy Exchange speech tomorrow morning to outline plans for a National Teacher Service (NTS), launching with a pilot […]

Primary school tests ‘review’ – what we know so far

Education secretary Nicky Morgan has a big speech planned for tomorrow. Testing at primary level is definitely on the agenda, but a briefing to national and Sunday papers has resulted in some differing reports. Here’s what we know so far… 1. Primary school testing will be a key subject in the speech… Regardless of […]

Complaint about ‘misleading’ £65k salary claim in teacher recruitment advert received, watchdog confirms

A ‘misleading’ claim that teachers can earn up to £65,000 a year in a government recruitment advert has prompted a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The watchdog has confirmed it is processing at least one complaint about the Department for Education’s advert, which was launched online yesterday and will air during prime time programmes such as The […]

‘Hysterical’ headteachers regard students as ‘mobile revenue units’, studio schools boss claims

Schools are ‘hysterically’ regarding students as mobile revenue units when new institutions open nearby, the head of the Studio Schools Trust has claimed. Giving evidence to the House of Lords social mobility committee today, Trust chief executive David Nicoll (pictured) said recruitment at 14 was “undoubtedly a huge challenge” because parents were “passive about their child’s […]