schools | Schools Week

Reduce teachers’ timetabled hours in most disadvantaged schools, says Teach First

The government should fund a £30 million-a-year pilot to reduce teachers’ timetabled hours in some of the most disadvantaged schools, Teach First has said, after more than half of teachers backed the idea. The recommendation is one of several in a manifesto published by the charity, which also wants to see overall school funding increased […]

Vaccines for teens will take place in schools if approved, says minister

Vaccines for 12 to 15-year-olds will be administered in schools if their use for that age group is given the go-ahead, Nick Gibb has confirmed. But the government believes schools will not need additional resources should vaccinations of younger teenagers go ahead, though NHS capacity would be needed. The schools minister confirmed today that government […]

Williamson looking at law change to put defibrillators in ‘all schools’

The government is looking at changing the law to ensure “all schools” have defibrillators, Gavin Williamson has said, following a meeting with campaigners. The education secretary told the House of Commons today it was “incredibly” moving to meet with Mark King, whose 12-year-old son Oliver died during a school swimming lesson in 2011. He said […]

£45 million for schools to prevent violence ‘nowhere near’ amount needed

Experts have warned £45 million package of school funding is “nowhere near” enough to tackle youth violence, highlighting a decade of cutbacks to public services and the need for more wide-ranging reforms. The government announced the funding on Monday as part of a wider “beating crime plan”, promising to launch schools-based taskforces in “serious violence […]

DfE seeks public ownership of Oak as budget set to halve next term

The Department for Education wants to take Oak National Academy into public ownership, according to the group behind the project, and its budget will be halved next term. The Reach Foundation has announced Oak will “stay open and free to use for at least the next two terms” after the DfE approved another grant worth […]

Vulnerable teenagers to be offered Covid vaccine, but routine jabs ruled out for now

The NHS is to offer a Covid vaccine to vulnerable teenagers at “greatest risk” from the virus, but the government has ruled out routine vaccinations of all children for now. Health secretary Sajid Javid said today he had accepted the recommendation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine be offered […]

Secondary school league tables to return in 2021-22

Secondary school league tables will be brought back next academic year after being suspended for two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has said. But primary schools will not see their test results published in national league tables for another year. The Department for Education has today confirmed school and college accountability arrangements […]

School rebuilding programme: Second set of 50 schools named

The government has named 50 schools chosen in the second round of its school rebuilding programme. Ministers pledged last year to rebuild 500 schools over the next decade, and in February announced the names of the first 50 schools which will share £1 billion in capital funding. Now the second set of 50 schools have […]

Ofsted’s 2020-21 annual report and accounts: 8 things we learned

Ofsted has published its corporate annual report and accounts, laying bare how the watchdog’s work has changed in an unprecedented year in which most of its functions were scaled back. The document focuses on the inspectorate’s performance, and is not the same as the official annual report to Parliament each year, which focuses on inspection […]