Sophie Scott | Schools Week

Regional schools commissioner says more information will be shared about academy conversion decisions

Academy conversion decisions made behind closed doors by regional schools commissioners (RSCs) and their headteacher boards could be set for a transparency boost. The Department for Education (DfE) is reviewing the process around what information is published for public consumption in the minutes of RSC-led headteacher board meetings. The only information currently recorded is the […]

My school put in an email curfew and has reaped the benefits

Education secretary Nicky Morgan has suggested teachers should not respond to work emails after 5pm in a bid to cut down on their workload. Unions have already hit back at the suggestion, claiming Ms Morgan is “delusional”. Here, Mark Steed, principal of independent Berkhamsted School explains how an email curfew has changed the culture at […]

Leaked report claims schools are trying to recreate levels for new national curriculum

Schools are trying to recreate levels assessment systems based on the new national curriculum, a leaked version of a delayed report set up to help teachers plan for life after levels has found. Schools Week revealed earlier this month that the government had pushed back publication of the findings from an independent commission set up […]

OPEN: How we’ll work, live and learn in the future

In his book Open, David Price explains how we’ll work, live and learn in the future. It’s a bold premise – and it’s all because of the internet. The web has transformed our social lives, shopping and communication. The internet connects; it allows co-operation; it provides access to stuff which would have been difficult, if […]

‘Sponsorship is not a cure all for improving coasting schools’

Professor Becky Francis gives us her view on academies and the new “coasting schools” definition, in light of the report she co-authored for the Sutton Trust. Since its inception in 2000, the size of the academies programme has increased dramatically. Five years ago there were about 200 academies, today there are well over 4,000. With […]

Inspiration Trust forced to defend its suitability for school takeover after consultation finds majority of parents opposed

An academy chain has reiterated its intent to take over a school despite an independent consultation finding the “great majority” of parents are opposed. The Hewett School, in Norwich, has been at the centre of parent protests after education secretary Nicky Morgan signed an academy order in March. The school has financial difficulties and is […]

Targets off the table for pupil premium funding

The Department for Education’s (DfE) top civil servant has reassured teachers they will not have to meet targets over their pupil premium spending. Chris Wormald, permanent secretary at the DfE, was forced to defend his department’s “fuzzy” measurements for how schools spend their pupil premium cash in front of the public accounts committee on Tuesday. […]

Nick Gibb: We will save community languages from scrap heap

Schools minister Nick Gibb has today pledged to take action to save community language qualifications from the axe. Exam boards AQA and OCR announced in March they were going to scrap foreign language subjects at GCSE and A level including Polish, Punjabi and Turkish. The decision came amid concerns over recruitment and too few students […]

The key points from the Department for Education’s pupil projection figures

This morning the Department for Education (DfE) released the latest pupil projection figures – taking us up to 2024. Here, we breakdown the key points. 1. Primary schools can expect a drop in pressure in four years’ time, with the rate of increase in pupil numbers slowing from 2019 2. However, it won’t […]