Sophie Scott | Schools Week

Ambition for next five years is to ‘spread excellence’ in schools

Education secretary Nicky Morgan says her ambition for the next five years is “spreading the excellence in schools we’ve unlocked over the last five years everywhere in the country”. She told an audience at the Sunday Times Festival of Education that the reforms in the last five years had “seen the unleasing of some truly […]

Former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan calls for state education to be ‘constantly improved’

Former Daily Mirror editor and one-time Britain’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan has said it’s “imperative that standards of state education in this country are constantly improved”. He made the call in an interview ahead of the Sunday Times Festival of Education where he is appearing this week. Asked what changes he would like to […]

Independent Academies Association goes into liquidation

The Independent Academies Association (IAA) has gone into liquidation citing changes in the academies’ landscape as one of the causes. The IAA board said it is now in discussions with another, unnamed, membership organisation, to continue services during any remaining period of membership. Tightened school budgets and the growing number of multi-academy trusts meant schools […]

Majority of school leaders would risk lower Ofsted ratings by not offering EBacc to all pupils

A survey of school leaders and teachers has shown they would not make the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) compulsory for all pupils and sacrifice an outstanding Ofsted rating. Education secretary Nicky Morgan confirmed yesterday all pupils will be required to study English, maths, science, a language, and history or geography to GCSE level for the EBacc. […]

Regional School Commissioners handed power to choose sponsors for “failing” schools

Regional School Commissioners are to be given formal powers to find sponsors to take over “failing” maintained schools, it has been announced today. Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools, outlined the changes which represent the “next step to creating a more regionalised system” in a letter to councils. The ever-growing responsibilities of RSCs will now […]

Ofsted Reforms: Is this the right way to inspect, or respect, schools ?

Earlier this year Ofsted claimed “the reforms we will introduce in September 2015 are intended to enable us to inspect the right things in the right way”. That was a rash claim – based on two highly contestable assumptions. First, that there is one right way to inspect and, second, that after almost yearly revisions […]

Bonnie Greer

Playwright, novelist and critic. She was born in the United States but now lives in the UK 1. What did you like about school? I love learning. My late father, a man who had limited education, encouraged all of us to learn. So it still gives me great pleasure. I read something every night before […]

Boy charged with attempted murder of Bradford teacher

A 14-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after a teacher was stabbed at Dixons Kings Academy in Bradford yesterday. The teenager was also charged with possession of cannabis. He is due to appear at Bradford Youth Remand Court tomorrow.

Education leaders recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours

The boss of a charity that aims to boost the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils has been given one of the top honours in the country. Kevan Collins, (pictured) chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, will be recognised for services to education with a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Nick Weller, the executive […]