Nick Linford | Schools Week

Children as young as seven should learn about careers, says report launched by Boris Johnson

Children as young as seven should start learning about careers and gather a minimum of 100 hours experience of the world of work while still at school, says a new report. The report, due to be launched today by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, reveals findings from an Institute of Education research study showing that […]

Labour to ‘reshape’ education bill with pro-devolution amendments

The Labour Party wants to shake up the new education and adoption bill by tabling a series of pro-devolution amendments. Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt told Parliament on Monday that his party would “seek to reshape the bill” with amendments tabled at the committee stage, adding: “It is called parent choice, something that the Conservative party […]

Inspiring Leadership Conference 2015

‘Move into the state sector, you’ll enjoy it more’, Wilshaw urges private school teachers

Private school teachers should “move into the state sector as quickly as they can” because they’ll “enjoy it a lot more there”, Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has said. Sir Michael also urged deputy headteachers reluctant to step up to headship to “have some courage” during a Q&A with the audience following his speech […]

“Schools should glamourise oral sex”

Teachers have been told they should consider “glamourising” oral sex and mutual masturbation as ways of cutting teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infection rates among pupils. Political campaigner and Green Party activist Peter Tatchell told the Education Festival today: “In this age of high concern about sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancies and abortions, it might […]

Reading is first UTC to get coveted ‘outstanding’ grade

Reading’s University Technical College (UTC) has become the first in the country to be graded “outstanding” by Ofsted as the debate about the success of the programme rages on. In a report which will be released by the watchdog on Monday, the science and engineering specialist 14 to 19 college has been praised by Ofsted and […]

Nicky Morgan announces Tom Bennett as new ‘behaviour expert’

Nicky Morgan will today reveal plans to tackle pupil misbehaviour through the appointment of a new behaviour expert, Tom Bennett. As a current teacher, and leader of the ResearchEd conference network, Mr Bennett already advises the government on teacher training and was mentioned in several speeches by previous education secretary, Michael Gove. It is expected […]

New Ofsted schools inspection headings confirmed as common inspection framework is launched

Plans to judge schools on the effectiveness of leadership and management, the quality of learning and assessment and pupils’ “personal development, behaviour and welfare” have been outlined by Ofsted as part of a raft of reforms. The watchdog has published inspection handbooks for its new “common inspection framework” (CIF), which from September will apply to […]

Ofsted plan for ‘exceptional leader’ letters receives nervous reaction from heads

In a series of changes to Ofsted practices set out by Michael Wilshaw today, headteachers who are doing an “exceptional turnaround job” will now be recognised with a letter. In his speech, he said: “We need great leaders in our education system from the early years upwards. Indeed, we need more mavericks, not fewer. And […]