Samantha Booth | Schools Week

Councils seize initiative to give Covid-19 vaccine to special school staff

Thousands of special school staff are being offered the Covid-19 vaccine as councils include them in the priority roll-out or offer them leftover supplies, a Schools Week investigation has found. While most teachers and school staff are not prioritised for jabs, more than 65 local authorities across England are believed to be including special school […]

Action taken into alleged SATs maladministration drops after heads given right to challenge

Enforcement action taken by the government into alleged maladministration in primary school tests fell in 2019 after the investigation process was changed to allow headteachers to make representations on the findings. The Standards and Testing Agency investigated 743 cases of maladministration in key stage 1 and 2 in 2019, down from 793 the previous year. […]

7 school policies to solve the Covid children mental health crisis

Aspiring school leaders should be encouraged to work in alternative provision settings before stepping up so they are better prepared to support children with mental and emotional health needs, a new report has said. The Education Policy Institute has published a new study into the mental health and wellbeing of young people, including how it […]

Extra uni or college year could ‘solve lost learning’ says social mobility commissioner

An extra year at university or college could solve pupils’ lost learning, a social mobility champion has suggested. Sammy Wright, the social mobility commissioner for schools and higher education, said calculating grades under this year’s plans to replace exams without looking at learning loss and catch-up “leaves young people at risk of catastrophic unfairness”. Writing […]

DfE’s Covid catch-up scheme set for expansion

The government is aiming to nearly double the number of children who will next year receive tuition under its flagship catch-up scheme. In a presentation to organisations interested in running the scheme’s £130 million second phase, the Department for Education said it was aiming to provide 15 hours subsidised tutoring to about 450,000 disadvantaged pupils, […]

Exams price row: AQA says schools can now pay just half of fees upfront

One of the country’s largest exam boards has said schools can pay half of their fees now and the rest later after coming under pressure for increasing their prices. As Schools Week revealed today, AQA has increased fees for some of its subjects across GCSE and A-level by about five per cent. It meant an […]

A new fiasco in the making? The flaws with Ofqual’s 2021 exams plan

The government has finally published its consultation revealing the plan to replace exams this year. In some quarters it has done little to quell the fear that we’re heading for another fiasco – but this time, with teachers left to cop the blame. Schools Week investigates … Move over mutant algorithm, we have a […]

‘Ridiculous’: Boards slammed for raising exam fees at a time of crisis

Schools will pay millions of pounds more in exam fees this year after prices were increased – despite exams not going ahead and teachers being expected to mark any assessments that might be set. However, boards have said fees had to be published now so that schools could set budgets. They pledged to return any […]

Ofqual boss admits teachers face ‘heavier responsibility’ in exams replacement plan

Ofqual’s chief regulator has acknowledged teachers have been given a “heavier responsibility” under the proposals to replace exams this summer. But Simon Lebus, who started his interim role on the day that exams were cancelled, denied that the proposals put teachers in the firing line. In an interview with Schools Week, Lebus also warned over […]