In a week when calls for his resignation left Boris Johnson in no mood to party, the education secretary revealed his future plans exclusively to Tes, schools were told that face masks would no longer be required in classrooms and new research challenged the government’s policy on phonics.

It’s been a big seven days for the education sector - catch up on your must-read news and features articles right here: 

News

• Exclusive: Nadhim Zahawi on what he is going to do next
  In his first major interview on his plans, the education secretary explains why he is in a ‘hurry’ to make changes
   
• Boris Johnson: No more masks in classrooms
  As of last Thursday (20 January), face coverings are no longer required in secondary school classrooms
   
• ‘Outstanding’ primaries more likely to be downgraded by Ofsted
  Primary schools previously graded as “outstanding” were “more likely” to be downgraded than secondaries under the new Ofsted inspection regime, analysis shows
   
• Catch-up tutors run lessons for ‘ghost pupils’
  Why National Tutoring Programme tutors are continuing to run sessions for students who don’t turn up
   
• Safeguarding: the key proposed changes
  Tes reveals the main changes in the updated Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance now out for consultation

Features

• The rise of SEND ‘magnet’ schools
  Revealed: the pressures faced by schools that are attracting more SEND pupils than others
   
• Why early reading lessons need to go beyond phonics
  Synthetic phonics approaches underpin much early reading teaching - but changes are desperately needed, warn researchers
   
• Time management: is this approach the silver bullet?
  A new approach to reduce teacher stress and improve your work-life balance
   
• GCSEs 2022: Exam dates, timetables and key information
  All you need to know about the plans for GCSE exams this summer
   
• Can vocabulary games boost literacy in schools?
  Teachers have fallen in love with the online word game Wordle, but could it be a hit with students, too?