Gavin Williamson | Schools Week

‘There’s still challenges’ – Williamson grilled over FSM voucher scheme

The government still faces “some challenges” over its national free school meals voucher system, the education secretary has admitted, despite the scheme now entering its fourth week of operation. Gavin Williamson appeared in front of the Parliamentary education committee today. Here’s what we learned. 1. ‘Big challenges’ of FSM voucher scheme MPs grilled Williamson […]

Coronavirus: Williamson pledges to ‘work with the sector’ on school reopenings

Gavin Williamson has promised he will “work with the sector” to decide how schools should reopen, but only “when the time is right”. The education secretary also promised the “difficulties that social distancing present” in schools will be “taken into account”. But he reiterated “no timetable has been set” for reopening. Schools have been closed […]

Coronavirus: Williamson seeks to reassure heads over free laptops scheme

The government hopes its first batch of free laptops and tablets will reach pupils “within weeks”, despite an initial delay to the application process. We hope to get the first of those devices to children who need them within weeks Gavin Williamson told Schools Week the Department for Education was in the process of ordering […]

Coronavirus: How schools have dealt with day one of mass closures

Schools saw a “manageable” number of pupils arrive at their doors today as they begin to adjust to a new way of working, as parents “heeded calls” to keep their children at home unless they had no other option. But things did not go as smoothly elsewhere – with leaders reporting the requirement to submit […]

Coronavirus: Schools won’t be penalised for absences, says Williamson

Schools will not be penalised for issues “that are completely outside their control”, Gavin Williamson has said, amid concerns about pupil absences caused by coronavirus. The education secretary told journalists at the ASCL conference in Birmingham this afternoon that the Department for Education would be taking a “sensible and pragmatic approach” to things like absences […]

Ministers reject nine in 10 council bids to prop up high needs budget

Councils have warned of soaring deficits and diminishing support for vulnerable pupils after ministers rejected nine in 10 bids to shore up high needs budgets with general school funds. The local councils of both education secretary Gavin Williamson and schools minister Nick Gibb are among 22 local authorities denied permission by Williamson to move cash […]

Williamson and Gibb re-appointed in post-Brexit reshuffle

Gavin Williamson will continue in the role of education secretary following a reshuffle that saw a number of his colleagues return to the backbenches. The MP for South Staffordshire, who has been in post since last July, said he was “delighted” to have been re-appointed by Boris Johnson in a long-awaited reshuffle held to mark […]

Williamson backs ‘Rolls Royce-level’ degree apprenticeships for teachers

Gavin Williamson has backed the idea of a teaching apprenticeship for non-graduates, saying that the government should not limit talent. The new education secretary told Schools Week he believes that there are opportunities within the teaching profession to replicate the success of degree apprenticeship schemes run by firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Rolls Royce. I […]

Ministers to consider post-results university admissions

The government will consider whether pupils should apply to university after receiving their A-level results, after the education secretary backed a review of university admissions. Gavin Williamson has today expressed his support for a review by the Office for Students, which seeks to clamp down on hard-sell tactics used by some institutions, as well as […]