Support staff could strike as unions plan ballots over pay deal Unison and GMB are urging members to reject employers’ ‘final’ pay offer, threatening walkouts in maintained schools and academies
Agnew’s crusade uncovers financial mishaps in maintained schools A crackdown begun by ex-minister Lord Agnew reveals the extent of financial mismanagement, deficits and fraud among maintained schools
Jump in reserves leaves maintained schools sitting on £2.2 billion Covid savings and project delays shored up reserves before the current cost-of-living squeeze
Devon council appoints academy chiefs to run education services Experts say academisation is increasingly hollowing out council expertise in education
DfE goes shy on ‘try before you buy’ academy deals The government has quietly slashed funding for trust partnerships, unveiled only last year to revive its multi-academy trust drive
DfE wants schools to find £1bn savings to cover rising bills The DfE also vowed to help schools cut energy and water use, fund more finance training and improve flood and crime defences
Academy reserves surge to £3.9 billion after Covid savings The average academy trust saw their reserves jump 29%, boosted by unlikely Covid windfalls
White paper: What academy shakeup means for trusts, councils and schools Trusts should have 10+ schools, councils will run academies and good schools may exit trusts in shakeup of ‘messy’ system
Academy avoids rebrokering threat until third ‘inadequate’ rating The leeway given to Nuneaton Academy raised eyebrows, with other academies and maintained schools facing swifter intervention