Nicky Phillips | Schools Week

What is going on with deputy RSCs?

Each regional schools commissioner (RSC) will now have two deputy directors – paid up to £95,000 each – to help with increased workload as the government gears up for mass academisation. The Department for Education (DfE) has created 19 new senior leadership roles to support RSC offices. Eight senior leaders will be recruited from education […]

Success down on the farm

A new farm-based project that aims to teach life skills to students who are “on the brink of exclusion” has been launched in north Shropshire. Fordhall Farm has joined the Plunkett Foundation, Shropshire Wildlife Trust and the Field Studies Council to create Growing Confidence, a campaign to encourage pupils aged between 13 and 16 in disadvantaged […]

Here’s one we made earlier. . .

Children from a school in Liverpool have put their own touch on the famous Anfield football stadium by designing and building a model of its new roof truss. Pupils at Dovedale primary school used the latest 3D printing technology with engineers from the University of Liverpool to create the model of the truss, a giant […]

Going for gold at the palace

More than 1,000 young people were recently presented with their gold Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) awards at Buckingham Palace. The ceremony, which marked the award’s diamond anniversary, celebrated this year’s challengers who had to raise at least £60 for the charity. More than 50 presenters, including adventurer Ray Mears and singer Ronan Keating, were on […]

James Townsend, Tessa Mason and Jenny Williams

James Townsend has been appointed director of the Church of England foundation for educational leadership. He was education research and policy officer with the church and says he is “incredibly excited” to set up a new foundation that will “offer leadership development opportunities for school, system and diocesan leaders through networks, programmes and research”. Townsend […]

Where did Osborne’s £50m school cadet forces grant go?

The impact of a £50 million grant to boost the number of school cadet forces cannot be scrutinised because the government will not release details – although there are few signs of the 100 units a year needed to meet the ambitious target. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said, despite not being able to tell […]

Ofqual promises new guidance on pupils’ right to challenge grades

Ofqual has promised new guidance on the rights of pupils to challenge their grades after exam boards rejected plans to let individuals appeal directly. The exam regulator’s announcement last week that it would lift the restriction on pupils requesting re-marks directly from exam boards was rejected by the four boards that set and mark GCSEs […]

Featured: Party plan wins pupils £1,000 start-up fund

A plan for toddlers’ parties has won innovative pupils from Tyne and Wear £1,000 in seed funding to get their idea off the ground. The group from Hebburn comprehensive, who call themselves Chapter Gangsters, pitched their idea of hosting parties for nursery children from their local area to a panel of business professionals. The task was […]

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Wilshaw AND David Carter summoned to answer MP questions together

Two of education’s most prominent figures, Sir David Carter and Sir Michael Wilshaw, will appear side-by-side in front of MPs next week to face a grilling over multi-academy trusts. The House of Commons education committee decided to call the national schools commissioner and chief inspector to appear together on Wednesday, in a move that could […]