Sophie Scott | Schools Week

Vision 2040 group launches 25-year plan for education

A group of teachers and leaders have today launched a 25-year manifesto for education – saying it will give “long-term consistent vision”. Vision 2040 said it produced the document out of frustration at the “short-termism” of policy cycles, and said this had a damaging impact on schools. It lists 10 “starter points”, which include reconsidering “all […]

Fore! Golf lessons added to primary school’s curriculum

Golf lessons are to be added to the curriculum for the next four years at one Cumbrian primary school. Windermere Golf Club chairman Cliff Heath has been coaching year 3 and 4 Grasmere Primary School pupils since November and headteacher Johanna Goode has confirmed the sport will continue for the next four years. Mr Heath […]

Judge backs school’s decision to stop paying Mayor of Liverpool for providing “no benefit” to pupils

A judge has said a school was entitled to dismiss the city’s mayor from its payroll because he was being paid £4,500-a-year despite “doing nothing for the school but giving it kudos”. Joe Anderson, the Mayor of Liverpool, was paid the sum under rules allowing local authority staff to hold public office after he became […]

OSA came to ‘flawed’ conclusion that London Oratory School admissions system was socially selective, says judge

The Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) applied too stringent a test when it concluded that the London Oratory School failed to follow diocesan guidance when setting its faith-based oversubscription criteria, according to the High Court. The judgment handed down today followed the school’s move to request a judicial review of an OSA decision finding […]

Multi-academy trust hands over leadership of its four schools after Ofsted puts them all in special measures

A new sponsor has stepped in to provide leadership for a multi-academy trust after its four schools were put into special measures this week. The Community Academies Trust (CAT) has taken over the board of trustees of the Telford Co-operative Multi-Academy Trust (TCMAT). It followed TCMAT’s four Telford academies – three of which were rated good by Ofsted before […]

First-choice primary school places increase in many areas despite ‘places crisis’

More families have got offers for their preferred primary school in many areas across the country, despite warnings of a places “crisis”. More than half a million youngsters found out today which primary schools they will be attending. Government figures suggest 200,000 more primary spaces are needed by 2020, and have led to concerns the country is […]

Conservatives pledge more free childcare but funding shortfall looms

Concerns over a funding shortfall for early years providers have been raised after the Conservatives announced today they would extend free childcare to 30 hours a week. David Cameron promised to double the free childcare for working families with three and four-year-olds at the Conservative manifesto launch today. But the pledge has been questioned by […]

EFA lifts The Education Fellowship’s Financial Notice to Improve

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) has lifted a financial notice to improve (FNTi) from academy sponsor The Education Fellowship. Johnson Kane, chief executive of the fellowship, said “We are all very pleased to have confirmation that the financial notice to improve has been lifted.” The FNTi was imposed in April 2014 because of significant weaknesses […]

Blogger father creates internet storm over Conservatives’ “mediocre failures” SATs resit proposals

A blogpost shooting down the Conservatives over claims children who do not achieve a level 4 in their SATs are “mediocre failures” has gone viral – evoking a tide of united support from teachers. David Cameron announced on Tuesday proposals for primary school children to retake their SATs in the first year of secondary school if they […]