Nick Linford | Schools Week

Hobby hails ‘great deal we can do together’ as NAHT joins the TUC

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has become the latest education union to affiliate with the Trades Union Congress (TUC). The news that the NAHT will join the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), National Union of Teachers (NUT), University and College Union (UCU) and National Union of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers […]

Morgan calls on Hunt to stop criticising Free Schools as applications hit record high

Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, has told Tristram Hunt, to stop “running down” the success of free schools in response to a Labour party dossier criticising the programme. She said Labour’s shadow education secretary should “come up with his own plans” rather than attacking the policy. It comes hours before Ms Morgan is due to give evidence […]

EXCLUSIVE: Tories fight back after Clegg’s office claim teacher Workload Challenge was ‘his idea’

A row has broken out between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats about whose idea it was to launch an initiative which invites teachers to help “stop that runaway train of bureaucracy”, Schools Week can reveal. This morning deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, is speaking at Belleville Primary school in Clapham to launch the teacher Workload Challenge (click […]

Clegg challenges teachers to identify ‘pointless processes and paperwork’

A new policy development initiative to reduce bureaucracy across the public sector is to be piloted first with teachers, Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, is expected to say. The Liberal Democrat leader is giving a speech at Belleville Primary in Clapham this morning, in which he will invite teachers to help “stop that runaway train of […]

School led nurseries to be at “heart” of government education plans

Childcare Minister Sam Gyimah has said today he wants more schools to offer nursery provision. In a speech at a Policy Exchange event in London this morning called ‘More pre-schools in schools’, Gyimah said: “We want more schools to step up to the plate and offer nursery provision. We want them to be innovative, curious and rise […]

GCSE and A level exam enquiries have exceeded 450,000 say Ofqual

Exams regulator Ofqual has today published provisional data showing the number of Enquiries about Results (EARs) and Appeals against results “has increased noticeably this year.” The new information follows this summer’s exams, and shows GCSE enquiries increased by 56 per cent and A Level enquires increased by 34 per cent (see below). However, grade changes following a challenge only […]

Cameron plans rescue squad of 1,500 top teachers

A rescue team of teachers in the shape of a National Teaching Service (NTS) were proposed this week by Prime Minister David Cameron. The new centrally funded body would be made up of high-quality teachers who could be deployed where they were most needed. The teachers would be employed by the service, rather than individual […]

Truth behind the ‘funny oath’

Teachers will not have to swear “some funny oath”, Tristram Hunt has said after comments he made led to speculation that a “Hippocratic oath” for teachers could become Labour policy. But he still thought a voluntary oath could help in raising teachers’ status. Mr Hunt made the clarification after receiving a stream of criticism when […]

Ofsted obstruct the sharing of teacher observation notes

A data protection expert has said Ofsted is being obstructive by using copyright law to prevent teachers publishing their own lesson observation notes. Under the Data Protection Act, teachers are allowed to request lesson observation notes written by Ofsted during their inspection. One teacher, writing on his blog earlier in the week, outlined how he […]