politics | Schools Week

Scottish MPs ‘not ruling out’ attempt to block Theresa May’s grammar schools plan

Scottish MPs have not ruled out breaking with convention to block Theresa May’s bid to scrap the ban on new grammar schools in parliament, Schools Week can reveal. Carol Monaghan, the Scottish National Party’s education spokesperson in Westminster, said her party was “not ruling anything out” when it comes to the prime minister’s plan, which […]

Education committee chair joins growing opposition to May’s grammar schools plan

Education select committee chair Neil Carmichael has joined the growing ranks of politicians, policy experts and academics opposing Theresa May’s reported plan to lift the ban on grammar schools. The backlash against the proposal, revealed by the Sunday Telegraph over the weekend, has been fierce, and has crossed party political and ideological lines. There is […]

Just 30 refugee children resettled in UK before start of term

Schools have been urged to develop a “different approach” to teaching refugee children after it emerged hundreds are still yet to enter the school system just weeks before the new academic year. The government has been under pressure to let at least 300 unaccompanied young people into the UK from camps in Europe before the […]

Council considers ditching polling station role for school in deprived town

A council will review its use of an infant school in one of the country’s most deprived areas as a polling station after governors complained vulnerable pupils were losing a “precious day of learning”. Glodwick infant and nursery school, in Oldham, had to shut twice this year so its nursery school could became a makeshift polling station […]

Isolation of pupils with lunch debt ‘inappropriate’ but ‘rare’ say school leaders

A London free school’s controversial policy of isolating pupils whose parents or guardians fail to pay their lunch bills has been branded “inappropriate” but “fairly rare” by education leaders, who described the “frustrating” dilemma headteacers face with parents who don’t fulfil their responsibilities. Michaela Community School, in Wembley, has been criticised over a letter sent to parents who owed […]

Delayed free school cancelled over site issues

A free school plagued by delays has now been scrapped without teaching a single pupil after problems finding a site – raising questions about the feasibility of delivering David Cameron’s pledge to open 500 new schools by 2020. Gladstone School was due to open in September 2014, but was forced to delay its opening two years running after the Department […]

Design and technology: 87 MPs demand inclusion of subject in EBacc

Pupils should be able to choose between computer science and design and technology as part of the EBacc, almost 90 MPs have said in a letter to the government. Conservative MP Michelle Donelan has secured the support of 87 MPs for a change which would allow schools to offer GCSE design and technology as a […]