Author: Sophie Scott

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has this afternoon confirmed the Education Funding Agency (EFA) is to terminate its funding agreement with Durham Free School after its inadequate Ofsted rating. Ms Morgan announced the decision to close the school in the House of Commons when asked about this morning’s Ofsted report, in which it was rated inadequate across […]

Durham Free School – which was praised by former education secretary Michael Gove – has been branded inadequate in all areas. Ofsted’s report, published today, said “some students hold discriminatory views of other people who have different faiths, values or beliefs from themselves” and that achievement and assessment is “weak”. The inspection took place in […]

Russell Group universities are beginning to play catch up with their modern counterparts in recognising the importance of extra-curricular activities in students’ applications, a report has said. The findings by World Challenge – which provides student-led expeditions – show this split between the elite and more modern universities is starting to close. The report, which […]

A conman who sold fake certificates for qualifications online and illegally used Ofqual’s and exam boards’ branding to make them seem more likely to be genuine was sentenced to 80 hours unpaid work. Martin Bowman of Collingwood Mews, Gosforth, was sentenced on January 14 to 80 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £567.97, including a […]

The National Governors’ Association (NGA) today launches its Framework for Governance. The NGA announced plans for the guidance at its annual conference in November last year, and was reported by Schools Week at the time. The framework has been developed with the medical research charity, Wellcome Trust, and was piloted in 21 primary, secondary and […]

Two of Birmingham’s ‘Trojan Horse’ schools have been told by Ofsted they are on their way to coming out of special measures. Monitoring visits were carried out at Saltley School & Specialist Science College and Nansen Primary School last month. Ofsted inspectors said in the reports, published today, that both are making “reasonable progress” towards […]

Four A Levels and one GCSE subject are to be axed by Ofqual from next September. The qualifications body announced today to withdraw AS and A Levels in applied art and design, applied business, human biology and economics and business and the GCSE in digital communication. The subjects were chosen because of their overlap with […]

One of Birmingham’s ‘Trojan Horse’ schools is set to join the Ark multi-academy trust next September. Trustees at Oldknow Academy, who took control of the school in August after the resignation of previous governors and trustees, have unanimously approved the junior school’s joining the academy chain Ark, which has more than 30 schools across the […]

Changes to the AS and A levels in mathematics and further mathematics are to be put back for a year. In a letter to Ofqual’s chief regulator Glenys Stacey, school reform minister Nick Gibb has today confirmed the new specifications will be first taught in 2017, rather than 2016 as initially planned. Ofqual and the […]