ºìÌÒÓ°ÊÓ

Skip to content

Ofsted proposes new ‘quality of education and training’ judgment for ITE

Ofsted wants to introduce a new “quality of education and training” judgment for its inspections of initial teacher education partnerships, according to a consultation launched today. The watchdog also wants to switch from a two-stage to one-stage model of inspection, meaning partnerships will only be visited once for a four-day, on-site inspection, and only during […]

MP wants ban on ‘cruel and demeaning’ isolation booths

Schools should be banned from using “cruel and demeaning” isolation booths, an MP has said. Alex Sobel, the Labour MP for Leeds North West, told the Lose the Booths conference today that he supported demands for a “blanket ban” on the use of the controversial punishment, which he described as a human rights issue. I […]

Free school paid £900 for chair’s stay in swanky Chicago hotel

A free school in Bolton paid more than £900 for its chair to stay at a swanky Chicago hotel favoured by Hollywood stars while attending an Apple event, a government investigation has revealed. The Olive Tree Primary School Bolton Limited, a single-academy trust, also allowed Abdul Chohan – who worked as a consultant for the […]

AP trust blames late payments for financial woes

An alternative provision trust has disclosed fears about “ongoing financial sustainability” – blaming late payments from cash-strapped local authorities. New accounts for TBAP Trust show it needed a long-term cash loan from the government this year, which increased its borrowing to £1.9million, up from £950,000 the year before. Government trouble-shooter Angela Barry has joined the […]

Ofsted should shout louder against 3-year GCSEs, says boss of largest academy trust

Ofsted should be more vocal in challenging schools that narrow the curriculum with three-year GCSEs, the head of England’s largest academy trust has said. Writing in Schools Week, Sir Jon Coles, chief executive of United Learning, said Ofsted was “doing the right thing” and should do so “more full-throatedly”. Ofsted is now finally doing the […]

Play games to boost early maths skills, says EEF

Schools and nurseries should explore mathematics through games, storybooks, puzzles and songs, according to new guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation. The document, Improving mathematics in the early years and key stage 1, sets out ways school leaders can help children develop a sound understanding of maths at a young age. It recommends that leaders […]

DfE gender pay gap closing – but men get bigger bonuses

Bonuses paid to men working at the Department for Education were on average 3.8 per cent larger than those paid to women last year. Although the overall gender pay gap at the department continues to decrease, new figures show that in 2019, men received larger bonuses than women for the first time since records began. […]

EPI study highlights ‘lack of evidence’ on university outreach schemes

More evidence is needed to measure the impact of efforts by universities to widen participation, a new review has found. The Education Policy Institute concluded that there was “still a lack of available evidence on the impact of outreach interventions on actual enrolment rates”. Although disadvantaged pupils are now 61 per cent more likely to […]

Schools failing in legal duty to implement ‘accessibility plans’

Schools are falling foul of a legal duty to improve provision for disabled pupils, new research has warned. Disabled learners and their parents are “largely uninformed” about the existence of accessibility plans, despite a legal requirement for schools to create, regularly review and implement them, the study claimed. The Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) and […]