Nicky Phillips | Schools Week

The proposals will have a tangential impact on attainment in the state sector

When it comes to education policy it is generally true that the efficacy of a particular policy has an inversely proportional relationship with media attention. Unsurprisingly, headline-grabbing gimmicks rarely achieve substantive improvements. Headline-grabbing gimmickry is precisely what Tristram Hunt has engaged in. From a public policy perspective, his private school proposals are almost universally bad. […]

Special school drafts in former soldiers

A special school is reaping the rewards of being put through their paces by former soldiers. Ernest Cookson School in West Derby, which provides education for boys aged 7-14 with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, has gone from good to outstanding in its latest Ofsted inspection after drafting in the UK Military School (UKMS) to […]

FEATURED: The initial teacher training landscape in England

Teacher training is changing. After the release last week of figures giving numbers for those starting initial teacher training (ITT) this year, Schools Week takes a look at the different training routes, and the changes occurring in the training landscape. In September of this year, about 32,500 people started on one of the main initial […]

Rower benefits from trust scholarship

Talented young people across the David Ross Education Trust (DRET), including rowers, pianists and kick-boxers, have been awarded more than £5,000 as part of a scholarship scheme. Ten students were given an Odey scholarship, a scheme set up by supporters of the trust and millionaire, Crispin Odey, to help pupils to nurture their skills, talents […]

Pyjama day raises funds for Ebola fight

Pupils at a primary school in Cheltenham swapped their uniforms for pyjamas to raise £356 to help to fight Ebola. The students at St Gregory’s Primary School wore their pyjamas for a day of lessons about the deadly disease. The money will go to Don Bosco Missions, which supports medical teams in western Africa. Headteacher […]

The private system would still be idealised as something to aspire to

At the heart of the education debate are questions about values, what we mean by a “good” education. I was educated in the private sector, but I have chosen a community education for my own children. Why? Education should be inclusive and equip everyone to participate fully in society and lead a fulfilled life. We should […]

‘Whole cohort’ KS2 annulments rise

Key stage 2 results in 37 schools were annulled in at least one subject last year, six times as many as in 2012. The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) published its annual “maladministration” report of key stage 1 and 2 tests last week. It said: “More decisions were made to annul rather than to amend […]

MPs accuse Morgan of not listening

Nicky Morgan is determined to continue with plans to decouple AS and A-levels, despite education select committee members telling her that she is not listening to the sector. The secretary of state was giving evidence to the committee on Wednesday about exams for 15 to 19-year-olds. She was questioned and challenged by both Alex Cunningham […]

EFA prepares for Clegg’s post-16 register

A new register of post-16 courses is to be created and made available to school sixth forms from September next year. The new database will help young people “make informed decisions about their options”, said a Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson. However, it was still working out how the information would be gathered. Schools Week […]