academy | Schools Week

DfE will ‘prioritise’ parts of shelved schools bill

Schools bill axed in current form with most academy legislation shelved, but ‘priority’ proposals like out-of-school register still on table

GMB union ballots school support staff over £1,925 pay rise

Members polled over a pay deal worth 10.5% for the lowest-paid school staff and 4% for some higher earners

White paper: DfE reveals the ‘coasting’ schools facing intervention

Ministers will prioritise schools in investment areas and with ‘long-term underperformance’

Let schools quit trusts and create super-regulator to complete academisation, ministers told

Ex-adviser also calls for ‘range of new powers’ for councils under fully-academised system

‘Not a race’ for all schools to join MATs, says Herrington

Dominic Herrington’s comments come amid predictions all schools will convert by 2030, and warnings of resistance from maintained and standalone schools

Nominations open for RSC adviser elections

The DfE wants more academy chiefs from under-represented backgrounds to run for election as advisers to regional schools commissioners

Standalone trust could be stripped of school over ‘culture’ of sexism

An academy trust could be stripped of its only school after Ofsted found a “pervading culture” of sexist and other discrimination had created a “hostile environment”. Colchester Royal Grammar School is awaiting its fate after receiving a termination warning notice, following Ofsted’s “inadequate” judgement and warning some pupils felt “unsafe” in July. The inspectorate visited […]

Leading academy CEOs demand £5.8bn catch-up cash for poorer pupils

A group of leading academy trust bosses have set out proposals for a £5.8 billion Covid recovery plan, as Gavin Williamson confirmed he was lobbying within government for extra school funding. In an unusual intervention, the chief executives of five large multi-academy trusts have co-signed a letter to the education secretary warning failure to adopt […]

RSC adviser roles thrown open to CEOs, with elections set for September

Academy trust chief executives without headship experience can now serve as advisors to regional schools commissioners, the government has confirmed as it prepares for fresh elections for the posts. Official documents seen by Schools Week show the board elections will begin in September, after planned polls last year were shelved because of Covid. The government wants […]