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19 April 2026

Author: Schools Week Reporter

EPI: Suspend Ofsted inspections until 2021 and launch retired teacher volunteer scheme

Suspending Ofsted inspections until next year and asking retired teachers to volunteer would help disadvantaged pupils “catch up” when schools reopen, a think tank has suggested. Education Policy Institute researchers warn poorer children could fall “seriously” and further behind as a result of school closures and disruption to the economy, wiping out over a “decade’s […]

Ofsted refuses to release full post-inspection survey findings under new framework

Ofsted has refused to release the full findings of post-inspection surveys under its new framework, claiming they would be “potentially misleading”. This is despite its own publication of some of the findings last month that showed nine in ten school staff were “satisfied” with their inspection. Publication of the positive figures followed growing criticism of […]

Get creative to thank school stars, says campaign

A national campaign is urging pupils and their families to get creative and thank the school stars who are “working tirelessly in incredibly difficult circumstances”. Thank a Teacher, launched this week, aims to celebrate staff who go above and beyond. Using the hashtags #HowWillYouSayThankYou and #ThankATeacher, pupils are asked to come up with creative messages […]

Unpaid school fees should not hinder grades, says education secretary

No one should be “held over a barrel” by private schools refusing to issue grades to pupils whose parents do not pay their fees, says the education secretary. Gavin Williamson was questioned by Robert Halfon about the alleged refusal at the education select committee on Wednesday. The Conservative MP appeared to be referring to a […]

Controversial academy conversion halted due to coronavirus outbreak

A controversial academy conversion has been halted because of the coronavirus outbreak. But the government says the “temporary pause” at Moulsecoomb primary school in Brighton is not part of a wider stoppage. Baroness Berridge, the academies minister, said this was to “give both the school and the council the space to focus on immediate Covid-19 […]

Exam board furloughs some examiners and offers £250 goodwill payment to others

An exam board is furloughing some of its examiners, but offering others a £250 one-off “goodwill” payment instead. Cambridge Assessment, which owns exam boards OCR and Cambridge International, is the first organisation to tell examiners of its pay arrangements in light of exam cancellations this summer. Whether the boards can use government help to pay […]

Private candidates allowed to transfer exam centres amid concerns of missing out on grades

Private candidates such as youngsters who are permanently home-schooled will now be allowed to transfer to another exam centre amid concerns they may miss out on getting grades this summer. Under Ofqual’s plans to award calculated grades this summer after exams were cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak, exam boards can only issue results for […]

Coronavirus: DfE cancels academies’ May budget forecast

Academies will no longer have to submit next month’s budget forecast return, after the government cancelled the collection because of the coronavirus outbreak. Normally, academies have to submit a budget forecast return outturn (BFRO) in May each year. The form was due to be made available to schools to fill in from next week. But in […]