Nicky Phillips | Schools Week

De Souza ‘relief’ after Ofsted investigation clears schools of tipping-off claims

The chief executive of a trust embroiled in allegations of tipping-off over the date of Ofsted inspections has spoken of her relief that the schools involved have been cleared. Speaking exclusively to Schools Week, Dame Rachel de Souza (pictured), chief executive of the Inspiration Trust, said: “The trustees and I are relieved the investigation has […]

“Whole class interaction” is key to China maths success

Teaching techniques boost the maths results of Chinese primary school pupils compared with their peers in England, a study has concluded. The report, presented at The British Educational Research Association’s (BERA) annual conference this week, suggests that “whole class interactive” work, is more effective than children working through exercises with teacher support. The research included […]

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Queen of trucks’ appointed to new headteacher board

A businesswoman known as the “The Queen of Trucks” has been appointed to one of the new headteacher boards despite never having worked as a teacher, Schools Week can reveal. Nikki King OBE has joined the headteacher board (HTB) for south-east England and south London after being appointed by regional school commissioner Dominic Herrington. Ms […]

Funding agency employees on the rise

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) has significantly increased the size of its workforce in the past year, newly released figures show. The news comes as the EFA scales up to handle a growing number of free school projects – and follows criticism that the current system for finding new school sites is “creaking”. Figures for […]

National director at Ofsted to leave for multi-academy trust

Ofsted’s national director of inspection reform is to take the helm at a Cheshire multi-academy trust at the beginning of 2015. Michael Cladingbowl (pictured) will step down from his post at Ofsted at the end of December and is to become the executive principal of Knutsford Multi-Academy Trust. The trust is responsible for Knutsford Academy, […]

The new regional schools commissioners

The lessons of London’s educational success over the past decade can be exported to other parts of the country, Martin Post, the regional schools commissioner for north west London and south central England has said. Speaking to Schools Week, Mr Post said it would be “daft” not to replicate elsewhere the collaborative approach that had […]

Ofsted investigation clears schools over ‘tipping-off’ claims

Three schools at the centre of allegations of tipping-off over the date of Ofsted inspections have been cleared in an internal investigation by the inspectorate. The review, carried out by Sir Robin Bosher, Ofsted’s director of quality and training, concluded that there was no evidence that the three schools named in news report – Ormiston […]

Andrew Adonis, Labour peer and former schools minister

Andrew Adonis looks into the distance and chews carefully. He’s pondering a question about his childhood, a topic that inevitably begins profiles about most any person. But especially him. He takes his time. Waiters clatter around us. He chews, brings his gaze back, raises his eyebrows and shrugs. “I never talked about it until the […]

Force all schools to become academies by 2020, demands Policy Exchange

All schools in England should be forced to become academies in the next five years, the right-leaning thinktank Policy Exchange has claimed. The next stage of improvement for primary schools in England report, published today, calls on the government to introduce legislation to convert the 89 per cent of primary schools and 44 per cent of […]