Nicky Phillips | Schools Week

Teacher banning orders double for abuse of social media

The number of teachers banned for inappropriate use of social media has more than doubled in the past year, with a number of cases involving sexual relationships, Schools Week can exclusively reveal. Analysis of National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) hearings since January last year show a ten percentage point rise in teachers using […]

Hodge oversees spat between Tory MP and EFA chief

MPs were stunned in a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday, when Peter Lauener, chair of the Education Funding Agency, was unable to state how many academies were currently managed by “paused” academy trusts. Department for Education (DfE) permanent secretary Chris Wormald and Mr Lauener sat as witnesses during a three-hour PAC session on school […]

Skills Show attracts more than 500 schools

More than 500 schools and 74,000 pupils, teachers and parents visited this year’s three-day Skills Show held at the NEC Birmingham last week. Events at the show’s third year included a wide range of hands-on experiences and skills competitions. The “Have a Go” concept made up of “bite-sized” skills experiences proved popular, with 49 stations […]

John Howson, director, DataForEducation

John Howson’s 40-year career seems to cover everything: teacher, teacher trainer, academia, data expert. So to sum up his life in a way that does not exclude any of his achievements is tricky. But one thing is certain. It doesn’t seem there will be any let-up as he approaches his 68th year. Born in Haringey, […]

FEATURED: the new regional schools commissioners

Teaching schools are being encouraged to tackle underperformance at academies in the east Midlands and Humber, says Jenny Bexon-Smith, the area’s regional schools commissioner (RSC). She says that her board is “in the process of trying to work with the teaching schools, in terms of . . . providing support to help move some of […]

Clegg’s lunch date in north London

The Deputy Prime Minster led celebrations last week to highlight how far school meals have come since the days of lumpy banana custard. As part of National School Meals Week (November 3-7), celebrity chefs joined school cooks to promote the great school lunch. Nick Clegg and a groups of pupils visited restaurant Brasserie Blanc in […]

Author opens doors to learning

The reopening of a learning and resource centre as “The Library” has put books and reading centre stage for students at an academy in Bristol. The project at Oasis Academy Brightstowe includes a wide range of new books that have been arranged to make students feel as if they are walking into a leading bookseller. […]

Fry joins the party at Norfolk academy

Special guest Stephen Fry has helped to celebrate a year of academic success at the Nicholas Hamond Academy in Norfolk. At its annual prize giving and certificates evening, students were awarded for a range of successes including community contribution, attendance and peer mentoring, as well as AS-level and GCSE achievements. Each department also nominated one […]

Primary pupils swipe and learn

Sixty new iPads are helping pupils at a primary academy in Plymouth to become responsible digital citizens. Teachers at St George’s Church of England Primary have had specialised training on integrating technology-led learning into the classroom alongside traditional teaching methods. The upgrade aims to encourage pupils to become responsible digital citizens, to build independent, creative learners and […]