coasting schools | Schools Week

2,833 or 1,179 – how many schools will fall under the new coasting definition?

Yesterday, Schools Week reported on analysis by Education Datalab which showed almost 1,200 schools would be defined as “coasting”, as a definition for the term was finally put forward by education secretary Nicky Morgan. Henry Stewart, co-founder of Local Schools Network, believes that figure would be more than double. Here he puts forward his case. […]

How many schools should we be trying to help?

The question may not be how many coasting or failing schools need help, but how many we have the resources to help Since the Conservative return to power in May, the papers have been full of Nicky Morgan’s promise to get tough on “coasting” schools. Attracting fewer headlines, but still important, was the government’s commitment […]

There aren’t enough academy sponsors for ‘coasting schools’ – so why not let for-profit providers try?

James Croft gives his take on plans to force “coasting” schools to become academies as revealed in today’s Queen’s Speech. A shortage of high quality academy sponsors and an inefficient brokering system threaten successful delivery of government’s plans for improvement of coasting schools. It has been evident for some time that there is a shortage of high […]

Government to rewrite academy rules after staff member halts school conversion

The Government has been forced to stop the academy conversion of a school after opposition from a single staff member. It will now rewrite government regulations to close the loophole that halted the process. In March, The Department for Education (DfE) issued academy orders for three schools in Lewisham, following applications by the Leathersellers’ Federation which runs the schools. But Schools Week […]

‘Coasting schools’ are not defined by their Ofsted grade, and 6 other things we learned from Nicky Morgan

In the first ever Schools Week webinar, education secretary Nicky Morgan told us more about her future plans. Anyone who ever took over a class or headship half-way through a school year will tell you that picking up where someone else unexpectedly left off is rubbish. Sanity is only maintained by dreaming of ways […]

Nicky Morgan: Academies are a ‘better kind’ of school than local authority ones

Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show this morning, education secretary Nicky Morgan agreed that academies are a ‘better kind’ of school than those overseen by local authorities. Ms Morgan appeared on the show to reval planned government powers for firing headteachers and forcing ‘coasting’ schools – described as those with poor levels of progress – […]

Why Morgan’s plan to fire heads of ‘coasting schools’ relies on imaginary people

So, what does the government’s new ‘coasting schools’ plan actually involve? Things we know: – As soon as a school is identified as ‘failing’ the Regional School Commissioner will intervene immediately. – If the school does not have a ‘credible plan or capacity’ for turnaround then the government will make more moves. – Headteachers, and […]

The system could be given the freedoms to be great

It looks like a busy five years for Nicky Morgan: 500 new free schools, an extra 17,500 maths and physics teachers needed, new headteachers for schools “requiring improvement”, and the academisation of failing and coasting secondary schools. The education secretary has a lot to do after wielding her “stick” during the election campaign: primary heads […]