Schools

Council cost pressures threaten SEND ‘safety valve’ reforms

Local authorities handed bailout cash warn they may fail to meet conditions as inflation and other issues bite

Tom Belger
Tom Belger
Schools

Devon council appoints academy chiefs to run education services

Experts say academisation is increasingly hollowing out council expertise in education

Tom Belger
Tom Belger
SEND

DfE to collect special school capacity data after places crisis exposed

Ministers move to get a grip on special school places shortage after Schools Week investigation

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth
Academies

AET risks losing academy over AP failures and discrimination

Ofsted said prominent trust's school failed to do necessary checks on AP settings or whether pupils attended, risking harm

Tom Belger
Tom Belger
Ofsted

Seven things we learned from Ofsted’s latest education recovery research

The watchdog found learning loss during Covid lockdowns made it more difficult to identify pupils with SEND

Amy Walker
Amy Walker
SEND

SEND complaints soar in the past five years

'Lack of transparency' from councils during lockdowns

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth
Schools

Government withholds SEND bailouts as councils told to fill £269m hole

Some DfE bailout payments were delayed as councils failed to hit agreed targets, while all councils are being told...

Tom Belger
Tom Belger
SEND

All heads should have a SENCo qualification, says minister

Will Quince also hints at possible row-back on controversial EHCP mandatory mediation proposal

Samantha Booth
Samantha Booth
Schools

Six in 10 councils face DfE intervention to cut SEND deficits

All councils also face new guidance on making spending on pupils with special educational needs and disabilities 'sustainable'

Tom Belger
Tom Belger