Nicky Phillips | Schools Week

Have your say in college’s future

Teachers can help to shape the future membership of the College of Teaching by taking part in a “Big Staff Meeting”. The initiative asks teachers to put aside half an hour to help consult on key college membership questions that will be determined on January 6. Following the meeting, teachers will be asked to take […]

Academy on song for festive slot

An academy in Hull is aiming to raise £1 million this Christmas to aid refugees — and to take this year’s No 1 slot for a festive hit. The Archbishop Sentamu Academy teamed up with not-for-profit record label Nu Skool Music to compose Move as One, a song about how people can support refugees through […]

Barnsley teaching assistant wins top award

Jill Birch has been named outstanding higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) of the year. Ms Birch, who has been at Birkwood Primary School in Barnsley for 11 years, works mainly with year 6 children and is responsible for art and design technology across the school. Her additional expertise in reading, writing, maths and practical science […]

Whose knowledge is it anyway

We are entering an era of knowledge-porn. But while children need certain knowledge to take part in the “cultural conversation”, they also must be handed a way in to culture, and the ability to challenge it. This cannot be done with draconian authority, under-skilled teachers and cookie-cutter curriculums The introduction of a core knowledge curriculum […]

Questions over £1m ‘tutor-proof’ 11-plus tests

Durham University has earned at least £1 million for 11-plus tests brought in by local authorities to diversify grammar school intakes – despite accusations that there is no evidence to back up claims that they minimise the impact of tutoring and promote fairer access for pupils. Documents released last week reveal the Centre for Evaluation […]

Plans for global teacher QTS skills test centres shelved

Plans to open worldwide test centres for would-be teachers have been halted — while candidate numbers have dwindled in those already open in Europe, Schools Week can reveal. Prospective teachers are required to sit professional skills tests in numeracy and literacy before starting an initial teacher training course. At present prospective trainees can sit the […]

Schools cancel trips to France – but may struggle to recoup costs

Headteachers are facing an anxious wait as they start discussions with travel operators to recoup the costs of abandoned school trips in wake of the Paris terrorist attacks. Scores of schools cancelled planned trips to France after mass shooting and bombing attacks killed at least 129 people. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) recommended […]

Baseline assessments ‘good enough for what we need’, says CEM provider

The reliability and accuracy of two reception baseline providers, whose tests will hold schools to account for pupil progress, has been questioned. Concern about the two tests follows the exposure of a series of “anomalies” found in the Early Excellence assessment, revealed last week by Schools Week. More than 12,000 primary schools have chosen Early […]

DfE ditches controversial academy brokers for ‘education advisors’

The controversial reign of academy brokers, paid up to £1,000 a day by the government to convince headteachers to convert their schools into academies, appears to have come to an end. The Department for Education has dropped the model of using dedicated academy brokers in favour of a pool of educational experts. Each regional schools […]