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18 April 2026

Author: Nicky Phillips

Warnings over scarlet fever outbreaks in schools

Teachers are being reminded to be vigilant in the wake of a rise in outbreaks of scarlet fever. Schools should keep infected pupils and staff away for the first 24 hours of treatment, health bosses have said. There are between 3,000 and 4,000 cases of the bacterial disease each year, but Public Health England (PHE) […]

Glenys Stacey, chief regulator, Ofqual

It is five years since Glenys Stacey, lawyer-turned-serial-regulator, took the helm as England’s first ‘chief exams regulator’ and she is about to step down. Invited for her last interview before disappearing to become Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation, editor Laura McInerney grilled her on life as a regulator. Off an anonymous roundabout in Coventry, […]

How my school helped Traveller children

There are simple, practical methods for integrating Traveller children into the education system, as my school has shown, yet local and national government has yet to pick up on them Travellers are one of the most marginalised and vulnerable ethnic minorities in Britain and far too often their needs – in particular for their education […]

300 schools sit national reference tests

More than 14,000 year 11 pupils will sit pilot tests for the national reference tests (NRTs) from Monday. Ofqual confirmed that more than 300 schools had agreed to take part in the trials, and up to 24 pupils would take the maths tests, with the same amount taking English. The NRTs will formally start next […]

DfE fails to clawback cash from academy chains with zero schools

Only a handful of the academy trusts paid at least £850,000 to take over new schools paid back any of the cash, despite not opening a single school, Schools Week has found The Department for Education (DfE) hands out one-off payments of up to £100,000 under the Sponsor Capacity Funds grants to help organisations establish […]

Huge sixth form classes will affect A level results, heads warn

A “significant funding dip” is forcing schools to increase sixth form class sizes, with one school reporting 38 pupils in one class, according to the Grammar School Heads Association. Jim Skinner, the association’s chief executive said: “We are facing a situation where high quality A-level provision will become the preserve of the independent sector.” Three […]

Saskia O’Sullivan, Steve Warburton, Greg Williams and Amanda Spielman

Saskia O’Sullivan, head of science at Rendcomb College, an independent day and boarding school for children aged 3 to 18 in Gloucestershire, has been appointed to the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Science, Education and Industry Board (SEIB). One of just 17 members, Ms O’Sullivan’s peers on board include 10 professors, 11 fellows of the RSC […]

Teachers get chance to Shine with disadvantaged kids

Teachers across the country are being invited to submit their ideas for raising the achievement of disadvantaged children for this year’s Let Teachers SHINE competition. Ten grants of up to £15,000 will be given to help successful applicants develop their individual projects. Entries deemed to have the most impact on pupils will also have the […]