department for education | Schools Week

Admissions shake-up in September to end struggle for in-year school places

The Department for Education has confirmed a shake-up of in-year admissions to stop schools turning away “challenging” pupils will come into force in September. It also set out multiple changes to the reforms first proposed last June after analysing consultation feedback from councils, academy trusts and parents. Previous investigations by Schools Week have revealed how vulnerable […]

£17m school mental health support boost: what you need to know

The Department for Education has set out how it will spend over £17 million for mental health initiatives in schools and colleges today. But over half of the cash has already been announced, it has emerged. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said he was providing new funding so every young person “knows who and where to […]

Ofsted to review framework’s impact on staff wellbeing, new charter pledges

Ofsted will review the impact its inspection framework has on staff wellbeing and the government has promised not to publish guidance outside of working hours as part of a new charter unveiled today. The Department for Education and Ofsted have made 12 commitments as part of the new education staff wellbeing charter. From the autumn, […]

Editor asks: Baroness Berridge, academies minister

Conservative peer Baroness Berridge was appointed academies minister in February last year, a month before Covid-19 forced nationwide school closures. She spoke to Schools Week editor John Dickens in her first interview. What are your top three priorities? The first one is achieving every child in a good school. I talk about a triple […]

Statutory school uniform guidance due in autumn after bill gets royal assent

Schools will have a legal duty to follow new guidance on the cost of school uniforms after a new law was passed today. The education (guidance about costs of school uniforms) bill has received royal assent from the Queen after passing both Houses of Parliament. The law requires the education secretary Gavin Williamson to publish […]

Study to track Covid’s long-term impact on pupils’ life chances

A new study will track Covid’s long-term impact on the life chances of thousands of year 11 pupils. The £4.6 million Covid social mobility and opportunities (COSMO) study will look at the pandemic’s long-term consequences for 12,000 participants’ education, careers and wellbeing. Researchers at the Sutton Trust think tank and University College London plan to […]

DfE still short of 1.3 million laptop target despite Gibb promise

The Department for Education had still not fulfilled its pledge to deliver 1.3 million free laptops to disadvantaged pupils a month after schools fully re-opened, figures show. The latest official data on the provision of devices shows the DfE fell just short of schools minister Nick Gibb’s pledge that all laptops and tablets would be […]

UCAS teacher training applications data: 7 things we learned

Applications for teacher training have surged as the pandemic fuels interest in the profession, with new figures showing applicant numbers have reached their highest in at least six years. UCAS data shows a 16.7 per cent annual increase in applicants during the 2020 recruitment cycle for courses in England and Wales. Experts said the figures […]

Ministers accused of dragging feet over school sex abuse

Ministers have been accused of ignoring repeated warnings over sex abuse in schools before being “shamed” into action this week. The Department for Education has ordered Ofsted to investigate safeguarding in state and independent schools after thousands of sexual abuse and harassment allegations were posted on a ‘rape culture’ website. But ministers now stand accused […]