Author: Sophie Scott

A free school threatened with closure has asked education secretary Nicky Morgan to remove herself from the decision-making process and threatened a judicial review if she remains involved. Lawyers working on behalf of Durham Free School have penned an 18-page letter to Ms Morgan outlining its reasons for believing she is “biased”. The letter said: […]

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed the decisions by Ofsted and the Department for Education (DfE) in relation to Durham Free School and Grindon Hall Christian School. The national charity said it had raised concerns with the DfE about governors and the curriculum at the schools when they applied to open in 2012. Both […]

Eight people have been selected to judge applications for the Department for Education’s (DfE) Character Awards which will see schools being able to win up to £35,000. This month, the DfE launched the awards to celebrate “the excellence and diversity of provision existing within schools who use extra-curricular clubs, community service and other projects to […]

The acting headteacher of Durham Free School is concerned about “aggressive” letters sent to parents last week, which he says “pre-empt” a final decision to close the school. The Christian school, rated inadequate in all areas by Ofsted last Monday, is facing having its funding withdrawn by the Education Funding Agency and education secretary Nicky […]

Al-Madinah School – a free school which had to change sponsor after a previous inadequate Ofsted rating – has now been told it requires improvement by the inspectorate. Inspectors visited the school in December and its report, released this morning, said pupils in Key Stage 1 are “significantly below” what is expected in reading and […]

Governors at Durham Free School have claimed Ofsted inspectors were “prejudiced” when they visited the school, in a damning statement issued this afternoon. The school was given an inadequate rating on Monday morning and later that day education secretary Nicky Morgan told MPs she intended to terminate its funding with the Education Funding Agency (EFA). Ofsted’s […]

Early years initial teaching training is to be inspected for the first time by Ofsted from April. Organisations that provide training for those working with children up to five years of age will come under scrutiny in a bid to help raise standards in nurseries and early years settings. Ofsted already inspects initial teacher training […]

A pilot scheme allowing students to study for GCSE and A Level courses through satellite teaching is to be rolled out nationally at United Learning schools. The United Classroom initiative, believed to be the first programme of its kind in the country, by United Learning was trialled at two of its schools – Lambeth Academy […]

More than 120 schools have been granted government cash to further deliver the Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) policy. Last October the Department for Education (DfE) announced a £20m pot was to be made available to schools for capital projects. It came after the roll out of UIFSM in September which meant every pupils in […]