Nicky Phillips | Schools Week

More teachers set to desert pension scheme as living costs soar

The number of teachers opting out of the teachers’ pension scheme has “plateaued” after a recent tumble in contributions – but experts warn that more could opt out following pension changes announced in last week’s Budget. Union policy advisers said teachers have ‘”calmed down”, shown by recent Department for Education figures that 2,910 teachers left […]

Relaxed admissions code could create ‘grammar-style’ sixth-forms

Plans to relax the admissions code for school sixth forms could boost grammar-style streams at 16, say legal and policy experts. The government said in its white paper it intended to remove school-based post-16 provision from most aspects of the code, bringing them into line with sixth-form colleges and other 16 to 19 providers. But […]

Churches get special relationship with regional schools commissioners

An agreement will set out the relationship between churches and the government as all schools get set to become academies. The Department for Education (DfE) said in last week’s white paper that it is agreeing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with churches. About 50 dioceses are currently designated as academy sponsors, with up to 1,000 […]

Alfie takes home top award

Computer whizz-kid Alfie Fuller-Burgess picked up the Einstein award at Ormiston Academies Trust’s recent annual awards. The year 10 pupil from Ormiston Park Academy in Essex joined more than 170 businessmen and education sector leaders at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London. He was handed his award by comedian Hugh Dennis, the night’s presenter, to recognise […]

Lining up in a blaze of glory

A team of sixth-formers from Devon have been crowned champions of Peter Jones’ Tycoon in Schools 2015 competition. The Tavistock College students, who set up Tyre Fires of Tavistock, were presented with £1,000 by the Dragons’ Den star and The Duke of York at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace. The team impressed Mr Jones by […]

Sir Michael Barber, John Jackson and Debbie Leonard

Sir Michael Barber has been appointed chair of the Foundation for Leadership in Education, a new body for aspiring school leaders. Sir Michael, currently the chief education adviser of Pearson, says he wants to put in place “seamless school leadership development for the future” in a way that differed from the approach of the government-funded […]

Featured: Museum visit that lasts a term

Three groups of primary and nursery pupils have moved into local museums to test whether education in a museum setting results in better learning, social and cultural outcomes. Pupils from two primary schools and a nursery in Tyne & Wear, Swansea and Liverpool will learn full-time in the museums for up to a term, as […]

Failing Grindon Hall free school still waiting for Bright Tribe takeover

Education secretary Nicky Morgan this week said the ability to remove schools quickly from under-performing providers was a key benefit of an academised school system – but delays over the takeover of a failed free school show the process is not always speedy. Grindon Hall Christian School in Sunderland, an independent school that converted to […]

‘Teachers are being treated like crash test dummies’

Levels created a misleading set of criteria from which teachers taught in limiting ways. But people were too optimistic as a landscape with “standards” looks anything but rosy These are the worst times I have known in education. Too many people stirring the education pot have made for a turbulent few years, full of disorientation […]