Yesterday
Andrew O’Neill seconded for another year as DfE policy adviser
Headteacher of All Saints Catholic College in London was first seconded to the Department for Education last summer to bring ‘frontline expertise’ to policymaking
How teaching unions fell out of love with Labour
After a promising start to relations between the Labour government and the education unions, tensions have started to rise. Will an unfunded pay award be the tipping point for another series of strikes?
Nearly 1 in 5 primary leaders tell parents to stop vaping
Heads’ unions hope plans to make vaping illegal anywhere on site will help settings to reinforce existing school rules
Thursday
PE and sport premium for primary schools scrapped
Replacement of the PE and sport premium with a new school sports ‘partnerships network’ has been described as ‘deeply concerning’ by heads’ leaders
Why governments are tightening control of international schools
South Korea’s move to clamp down on schools it deems to be operating without domestic oversight points to a wider trend of host countries bringing international schools under tighter regulation
The power of international school relationships - for staff and students
How a connection between schools in Devon and the Ukraine has had a big impact – and underlines the value of school partnerships across borders
Schools could face more legal disputes, SEND experts warn
Lawyers, charities and school leaders voice fears about the impact of planned SEND reforms on schools’ relationships with parents and the volume of complaints
Statutory social media ban for under-16s demanded by MPs
Schools should not be able to adopt the ‘not seen or heard’ policy on mobile phones, education committee argues
DfE set to fall ‘significantly short’ on school nurseries target
Most primary schools without a nursery do not intend to open one and many lack suitable space, research finds
Wednesday
Teach First to be awarded flagship teacher training contract
The High Potential Initial Teacher Training programme will be a key part of the government’s plans to recruit 6,500 more teachers by the end of the current Parliament
Ofsted will update toolkits to ‘clarify’ approach to disadvantage
Watchdog director insists that achievement grades from inspections are ‘fair’ – despite fears that schools with more disadvantaged pupils are being penalised
Why uneven school SEND provision is not sustainable
Schools with a reputation for inclusion are becoming overstretched because they are supporting a disproportionate number of pupils with SEND, writes the lead researcher for a new NFER study
