Nick Linford | Schools Week

Conservative Education Pledges: the complete list

The Conservative Party launched their manifesto this morning. Here is the complete list of education pledges. In a section labelled ‘our plan of action’, the Conservatives say: They will drive up standards in your child’s school This will be done by: – Requiring every 11 year old to know times tables by heart, perform long […]

Black Country UTC to shut as student numbers fail to increase and Ofsted sees lack of improvement

Student numbers, financial challenges, staffing capacity and a second consecutive Ofsted inspection blow were said to be behind plans to shut the Black Country University Technical College (UTC) — one of the first UTCs to open. Governors of the University of Wolverhampton and Walsall College-sponsored UTC, which opened in 2011, tonight announced their decision to […]

Labour childcare guarantee will rely on volunteers and parental payment, says Tristram Hunt

Facing a torrent of questions on last night’s BBC Newsnight, Labour’s Tristram Hunt said that the pledged ‘wraparound’ childcare for primary children would be manned by volunteers and paid for by parents. First announced in 2013, a pledge to provide parents of primary school children with a “legal guarantee” of childcare between 8am and 6pm, […]

Labour manifesto ‘guarantees’ primary school childcare until 6pm

A Labour plan to bring back guaranteed childcare from 8am to 6pm in all primary schools has made it into the party’s manifesto. First mooted in September 2013 the policy has since been sidelined as the party focused on criticising unqualified teachers and opposing the government’s free schools programme. But “wraparound childcare” is back on […]

OCR IMEDIA

Tories propose compulsory year 7 re-sits for pupils without a “good pass” at KS2

Secondary schools will have to put every pupil who starts year seven without a “good pass” in key stage two English and maths tests through re-sits if the Conservatives form a government again in May. The plan forces secondary schools to put all year seven pupils who did not receive a level 4 at SATs […]

Teacher Union Conference Round-up: What happened at ATL2015?

ATL held their conference on Monday, March 30, to Wednesday, April 1 in Liverpool. Here’s what happened. What were the main issues? 1. Teacher workload: Workload was a main issue on the conference agenda. General secretary Dr Mary Bousted used her keynote speech to raise concerns about the workload challenges which are […]

Teacher Union Conference Round-Up: What happened at NUT 2015?

NUT Conference took place between Friday, April 3, and Tuesday, April 7 in Harrogate. Here’s what happened. What Were the Main Issues? 1. Funding Crisis: The big austerity squeeze and a struggle to balance the books amid looming pay and pension hikes were top of the NUT’s agenda. Christine Blower, general secretary, […]

Retired teacher who was exposed to asbestos received £210,000 after mesothelioma diagnosis

A retired teacher who spent 11 years working in classrooms containing asbestos secured a personal injury claim for £210,000 after she was diagnosed with mesothelioma, the NASUWT union has revealed. The union, which is at conference in Cardiff this weekend, revealed details on Friday (April 3) of the successful claim that it helped secure last […]