Samantha Booth | Schools Week

School mental health lead training slated to begin this autumn

Training for a designated senior mental health lead in every school by 2025 could begin in the autumn, with the funding handed directly to schools. Government officials were this week pressed to answer why the training was yet to get up and running, more than 18 months since a procurement exercise was launched. The Department […]

Ofqual drops requirement for heads to declare pupils have learned enough to ‘progress’

Ofqual has dropped a proposed requirement for heads to declare that GCSE and A-level students have been taught enough to allow them to progress to the next stage in their education when submitting grades this year. In its response to the assessments consultation last month, Ofqual said heads would have to sign a declaration stating, […]

GCSEs and A-levels 2021: 8 things you need to know from grades guidance

The Joint Council for Qualifications has finally confirmed what schools need to do to award GCSE and A-level grades this summer. Exams have been cancelled due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with teachers deciding students’ grade. For key dates, see our story here. We take a look at what you need to […]

Everyone’s Invited: Rape culture website stops naming schools amid fears they take ‘disproportionate’ blame

The Everyone’s Invited campaign, which urges young sexual abuse survivors to share their stories on its website has stopped publishing the names of schools over fears they are taking a “disproportionate amount of blame”. As a school, we want to be part of this conversation and empower all young people to be able to come […]

GCSEs and A-levels 2021: Exam board grading guidance published

The Joint Council for Qualifications has published its guidance for schools on grading for this summer’s GCSEs and A-levels. It provides information about the creation of the centre policy that needs to be submitted to exam boards, and how to determine grades. It also details the requirements for internal quality assurance procedures and how to […]

MPs demand answers from ministers over ‘Wild West’ grading fears

Ministers have been warned over a “Wild West” grading system this summer with MPs demanding concessions to ensure a “level playing field” for pupils. The education select committee has warned Gavin Williamson his exams replacement plan risks being “too inconsistent”. Robert Halfon, the committee’s chair, said this was down to a lack of standardised assessments […]

Keep records of parent pressure over exam grades, Ofqual tells heads

Headteachers should keep records if their teachers come under pressure from students and parents to boost exam grades because it may amount to malpractice, Ofqual has said. The exams regulator is trying to clamp down on external pressure on teachers to influence the grades they award students this summer, after exams were cancelled due to […]

Former Ofsted head to lead new charity set up by EEF to run flagship tutoring scheme

A former Ofsted chief inspector will head a new charity that is hoping to takeover running the government’s flagship National Tutoring Programme. The new National Tutoring Foundation has been set up by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), which is currently one of five charities running the NTP. Professor Becky Francis, EEF’s chief executive, will serve […]

£22m from recovery premium to ‘accelerate’ numeracy and literacy progress

The government is planning to set up a National Tutoring Programme-style subsidised scheme to “accelerate” pupils’ progress in numeracy and literacy, Schools Week can reveal. Ministers are using £22 million of the £302 million recovery premium cash to “scale up” evidence-based interventions identified by the Education Endowment Foundation as having the strongest potential to boost […]