politics | Schools Week

Department for Education reshuffle: Meet the ministers

You would be forgiven for thinking the new ministerial line-up at the Department for Education looks familiar. Justine Greening, who replaced Nicky Morgan as education secretary last week, will proceed with most of her predecessor’s team intact, but confirmation of who is doing what is likely to come later this week. Here’s what we know… Nick Gibb […]

High court backs government in landmark free school site ruling

A high court judge has ruled in favour of the government in a landmark planning battle over a free school site, fuelling claims that councils can now be “ignored” over where new schools are located. Greg Clark (pictured above), the former secretary of state for communities and local government, earlier this year granted Khalsa Secondary […]

Justine Greening has the best job in government – she must address Morgan’s toxic legacy, quickly

As Nicky Morgan leaves office, her one-time opposite number Lucy Powell glances over her legacy Teachers everywhere will rejoice that both Michael Gove and Nicky Morgan are no longer part of the government. If Nick Gibb is the hat-trick many will be jubilant. That may sound brutal but after 6 years it’s fair to say […]

Is Justine Greening the first education secretary to attend a comprehensive school? Yes, sort of

Justine Greening is the new education secretary and is said to be the first to have attended a comprehensive school. This is mostly true, but there are a few important caveats as editor Laura McInerney explains. Congratulations to Justine Greening who has been crowned as education secretary by Theresa May. Many people, myself included, […]

‘Disaster’ SATs results will have ‘serious consequences’ for schools, warns Labour

The government will use the results of controversial new key stage 2 SATs tests to identify underperforming schools, Labour has warned. Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said there would be “serious consequences” for thousands of schools after this year’s primary tests, in a parliamentary debate yesterday, branding them an “unmitigated disaster” and a “nightmare” for children. But […]

Nick Timothy leaves New Schools Network for Number 10 role

Theresa May’s leadership campaign manager Nick Timothy has been released from his director role at the New Schools Network to take up a post at Number 10, it has been announced today. Trustees of the government-funded charity, which promotes and helps set up free schools, have released Timothy from his post with immediate effect. Timothy […]

Cameron unveils 31 new free schools on last visit as PM – but details are thin

David Cameron has unveiled the latest wave of approved free school applications, in one of his final acts as prime minister. Of the 31 new projects, which were officially unveiled by Cameron in his last official visit as prime minister at Reach Academy in Feltham this afternoon, 24 are being set up by existing schools or […]

Prime minister Theresa May: What does this mean for schools?

Theresa May could soon become our new prime minister after her only opponent in the Conservative leadership race Andrea Leadsom pulled out. Here’s what it could mean for schools… 1. No more Nicky? May is likely to reshuffle most of the cabinet’s posts once she takes over at Number 10. Nicky Morgan, who backed Michael […]

Lack passion? Bloody difficult? – Women leaders know this language all too well

Back in December 2014 I first wrote a blog entitled “What I am learning about sexism” and was surprised at how many hits it received. I talked about how draining sexism is, and how it had taken me 50 years to see its patterns, particularly in the way women are talked about, and realise just […]