Sophie Scott | Schools Week

Jeremy Corbyn Labour leader: What does this mean for schools?

Jeremy Corbyn has been elected leader of the Labour Party after a landslide victory this morning. But what does this mean for schools? First of all, Labour will be getting a new shadow education secretary. Tristam Hunt has already ruled himself out of serving in Corbyn’s shadow cabinet because of “substantial political differences”. Mr Corbyn had previously questioned Labour’s education […]

Let’s agree a standardised year-by-year curriculum for all schools

In my role as Director of Academies for a large multi academy trust, I know how important it is to recognise the local context of the schools that I work with. Yet if there is one area where all schools would benefit from central direction it’s in the field of curriculum and assessment. It’s difficult […]

OCR exam board chief Mark Dawe resigns

The chief executive of one of the country’s leading exam boards has resigned, it has been announced today. Mark Dawe, chief executive of OCR, will leave the company at the end of this month after successfully overseeing the completion of marking in this year’s summer exams. Mr Dawe, a former principal and chief executive at […]

Ofqual launches public consultation on 15 GCSE and A level subjects

Ofqual has launched a public consultation on the design and assessment of six GCSE and nine A level subjects to be taught from September 2017. The exams’ regulator wants to hear views, by November 5, on the assessment arrangements and objectives for each of the subjects, and whether they should be tiered. Specifications for the […]

Seven key points from Ofsted’s report into the effectiveness of Key Stage 3

Ofsted today released a report entitled “Key Stage 3 – the wasted years?“ looking at the effectiveness of secondary teaching for years 7 to 9. It is a critical look at the “transition years”, and calls on school leaders to give KS3 higher priority in schools. The inspectorate analysed inspection reports from more than 1,900 […]

The Wasted Years: Ofsted’s KS3 concern

Ofsted has raised “serious” concerns about the teaching of key English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects in years 7 to 9, claiming they are the “poor relation” in secondary education. Chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw commissioned a survey to look at the effectiveness of key stage 3 (KS3) after last year’s annual report highlighted the poor transition […]

Oxfordshire school to get dedicated health professional as part of Nuffield Health pilot scheme

An Oxfordshire secondary school is to get a dedicated health professional in a bid to improve the wellbeing of pupils and staff. As part of a pilot scheme by not-for-profit health organisation Nuffield Health, Wood Green School in Witney will have a Head of Wellbeing for the next two years. Nuffield Health put out a […]

Education charity Teach First hands out £60,000 to projects aiming to narrow disadvantage gap

A “university” for teachers has been given a cash boost towards opening, as part of an award scheme run by education charity Teach First. The Graduate School of Education, aiming to open in two years’ time, was one of four projects given £15,000 each at the Teach First Innovation Award ceremony at Credit Suisse’s headquarters […]

Schools warned over donation ‘requests’ after parents are pressured to hand over money

Schools have been reminded they must make it clear parents are under no obligation to pay voluntary donations after a charity found scores of schools were potentially breaking rules. Research by the British Humanist Association (BHA) found 100 schools that could have been unlawfully demanding and pressuring parents to contribute toward school funds. One primary […]