Author: Nick Linford

Exam board OCR will not face action over events which almost led to it failing to issue A level results last summer, Ofqual has confirmed. The qualifications watchdog has released its investigation into a series of issues at OCR last year which put at risk the delivery of the 2014 GCSE and A level results. A […]

In his manifesto, Labour leadership contender and shadow health secretary Andy Burnham has pledged “a future with hope for all young people”, but what are his actual policies for schools? Freddie Whittaker investigates… What does the manifesto say? Not a huge amount. Most of the section on education is about apprenticeships, technical education and universities, which […]

Cuckoo Hall Academies Trust has been cleared over allegations of inaccuracies in its SATs results, but remains under review for “serious breaches” in its funding agreement. The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) has announced it found “no ground (sic) for further investigation” of allegations regarding the accuracy and correctness of pupils’ key stage two test […]

The Liberal Democrats have appointed Southport MP John Pugh as their new education spokesperson. Former religious studies teacher Mr Pugh, who went to Prescot Grammar School and Maidstone Grammar School before studying philosophy at Durham University, will provide the party’s opposition to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan. He was one of just eight Lib Dem MPs, out of 56, to […]

Education secretary Nicky Morgan today announced three working groups to tackle concerns around teachers’ workload. Speaking at the Teach First Impact Conference this morning, at Leeds’ First Direct Arena, she launched the plans to an audience of 3,500 teachers.  Ms Morgan said more details would be announced in the autumn term, but the three groups […]

Almost half of all academies could fall within the government’s new “coasting” definition and three in four academy chains have “coasting” schools within them, a study by leading academics has revealed. Analysis of 2014 data for 273 academies in 34 chains by London Metropolitan University Professor Merryn Hutchings, King’s College Professor Becky Francis and Sutton […]

The government’s flagship teacher training centre in Nottingham is to be closed and sold off. The National College for Teaching and Leadership’s (NCTL) state-of-the-art learning and conference centre at the Jubilee Campus of the University of Nottingham is earmarked for closure as part of a drive to save money, it is believed. It is not […]

Philip Davies, the MP for Shipley and infamous Conservative rebel, spoke out against proposals by Green MP Caroline Lucas to make PSHE compulsory in schools. Here’s what we learned from him… 1. We’re getting parenting wrong… “The message we should give to parents is that being a parent is a position of great responsibility and that […]

Chancellor George Osborne will use the autumn spending review to “improve productivity” in schools as back-office services are targeted in a bid to save money. In its spending review document, which sets out plans for a further £20m of departmental savings, the Treasury has re-affirmed the government’s commitment to protecting per-pupil funding for schools, but said there […]