Author: Pippa Allen-Kinross

A chunk of the new 22 free schools approved today will open in academy trusts that have expanded rapidly in recent years – despite previous government cautions over quick growth. The Department for Education received 124 applications for the 13th wave of its free school programme, but less than 18 per cent of these were […]

International teachers struggled to settle in English schools because of poor pupil behaviour and heavy workloads, a new government report has found. Research commissioned by the Department for Education, published today, has attempted to evaluate the success of teacher recruitment programmes for modern foreign languages (MFL) and science, technology, engineering and maths subjects (STEM). Two […]

The proportion of pupils getting their first choice offers for both primary and secondary schools fell this year, as the number of applications for a secondary school soared to their highest level for 12 years. According to government figures, published today, just 80.9 per cent of parents received an offer for their first preference secondary […]

Spending on speech and language therapy (SLT) has been slashed in half of areas, according to a report which reveals the extent of cuts at a local level for the first time. The report from Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner for England has found “enormous variation” in the investment in SLT services across the country, […]

A free app aims to lessen teacher workload by helping to stamp out the “playground politics” of parent chat groups – while making schools money in the process. Classlist is designed to boost parental engagement in schools, but comes with strict guidelines to limit negativity in its forums and a “social contract” to financially benefit […]

Drivers who speed near primary schools could find themselves scolded by pupils as part of a new police initiative in London. The Junior Roadwatch scheme involves drivers who are caught speeding and pulled over by police officers being given the option of receiving a fixed penalty fine and points on their license, attending a speeding […]

Ofsted ruled that a school with “exceptional levels of pupil movement” should remain “outstanding”, accepting the headteacher’s claim that youngsters left because they couldn’t hack the high standards. Inspection notes from the watchdog’s December visit to Magna Academy in Poole, seen by Schools Week, reveal dozens of pupils leave each year. No school should be […]

A new £200,000 fund will be announced today to help state schools, private schools and universities create or expand partnerships – but recipients will have to stump up some of their own cash. Schools and universities can bid for up to £20,000 to build partnerships, but the Department for Education said any bid of over […]