coronavirus | Schools Week

Government promised transparency, but school leaders have been left in the dark

The response within Government to Covid-19 has been highly centralised, where decisions are conveyed but not necessarily explained. This has resulted in a ‘confidence gap’ for parents and the profession that will be hard to overcome. It could also result in schools making key decisions whilst completely in the dark about vital information. In the […]

Coronavirus: Largest heads’ union says it wasn’t consulted over June 1 return plan

The country’s largest headteachers’ union was not consulted on the government’s proposal to allow certain year groups to return to school on June 1, its general secretary has revealed. Paul Whiteman, the leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, which mostly represents primary school leaders, told the Parliamentary education committee this morning that conversations […]

Coronavirus: Heads can refuse to reopen schools if they don’t think it’s safe, say leadership unions

Headteachers can refuse to reopen their schools to more pupils if they don’t believe they can do so safely, leadership unions have warned. The National Association of Head Teachers and the Association of School and College Leaders, which between them represent tens of thousands of senior and middle leaders, said the final decision on whether […]

Coronavirus: We believe primaries could reopen to some pupils on June 1, says Johnson

The government believes it “may be in a position” to begin the phased reopening of schools on June 1, the prime minister has said. In a televised address tonight, Boris Johnson said he hoped pupils in reception, year 1 and year 6 would be able to return to schools on June 1, which would have […]

‘Confusing’, ‘frustrating’ and ‘unfair’ – heads respond to Boris Johnson’s schools announcement

The prime minister’s announcement that schools may begin to reopen on June 1 has been labelled as “confusing”, “frustrating” and “unfair” by headteachers. Boris Johnson announced last night that he hoped pupils in reception, year 1 and year 6 would be able to return to schools on June 1, and set out an “ambition” to […]

What does an inspectorate do when it can’t inspect?

Six weeks after lockdown and the sudden end of inspections, and five weeks after Ofsted mooted a mass redeployment of staff, JL Dutaut finds out what the inspectors have been up to It’s now six weeks since “business as usual” came to an abrupt end for Ofsted. Yet just last week, chief inspector Amanda Spielman […]

Adonis updates register of interests after he blasts schools over remote learning

A Labour peer who accused schools of failing to provide online learning has updated his register of interests after questions over links to a global education company that boasts of an extensive remote learning programme. House of Lords files were updated this week to state that Lord Adonis (pictured), a former schools minister in Tony […]

Charities in talks with ministers over tuition pilot

Four charities are in talks with ministers about a pilot scheme that could see one-to-one tuition delivered to thousands of pupils across England in an attempt to close the disadvantage gap. The Education Endowment Foundation, Nesta, Impetus and the Sutton Trust have confirmed they are “exploring ways to get high-quality tuition – including through online […]

Long read: Are schools ready for the return of pupils?

Prime minister Boris Johnson is set to reveal his “comprehensive” plan for how schools will reopen. What do we know? What are schools doing? And how has it worked in other countries? Schools Week investigates. This Sunday Boris Johnson is expected to announce details of his plan to allow children to return to schools, while […]