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School funding is ‘tight’, admits Damian Hinds

The new education secretary has admitted that school funding is “tight” and said it is “vital” for the education system to be “properly resourced”. During an on-stage conversation with Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman and ASCL general secretary Geoff Barton this morning, Damian Hinds said he understood why funding was a major issue for headteachers. […]

Hinds to ‘clarify’ roles of RSCs and Ofsted to ease schools’ confusion

The government will attempt to “clarify” the roles of its schools commissioners, funding agency and Ofsted in order to address confusion among school leaders, the education secretary will announce today. In his first major speech to the schools community since taking office, Damian Hinds will tell delegates at the Association of School and College Leaders […]

Hinds: ‘We must strip away workload that doesn’t add value’

The government will help schools to “strip away” workload that “doesn’t add value” and threatens the retention of teachers, Damian Hinds will tell heads today. Faced with a worsening teacher supply crisis, the new education secretary will make a desperate plea for help from teaching unions in a speech to the ASCL annual conference. He […]

ASCL: Funding pressures force grammar schools to consider expansion

Funding pressures are forcing grammar school headteachers to consider increasing their pupil numbers to reach “economies of scale”, the Association of School and College Leaders has warned. The union’s leaders told a press conference on the first day of their annual conference that although they had not felt a “huge appetite” from members who lead […]

Labour MPs launch school accountability inquiry

Labour MPs will hold an inquiry into school improvement and accountability in an attempt to “flesh out” the party’s education policies, Schools Week can exclusively reveal. Lucy Powell, the former shadow education secretary, will tell delegates at the Association of School and College Leaders annual conference tomorrow that the “unchecked explosion” in academies has led […]

Amanda Spielman at education committee: 5 things we learned

The chief inspector of schools faced questions from MPs this morning. Amanda Spielman appeared at a hearing of the parliamentary education committee. Here’s what we learned… 1. Inspectors can’t link extremism in schools and terrorism A lack of investigative powers is preventing Ofsted inspectors from identifying links between extremism in unregistered schools and terrorism. Spielman […]

Ofsted’s illegal schools taskforce to get another £1m

Ofsted is to receive a further £1 million for its “illegal schools taskforce”, as it comes under increasing pressure to root out extremism in unregistered schools. The watchdog told Schools Week it expects “the same level of funding” as previous years will be “confirmed again shortly” for the next financial year. It had £1 million […]

Ombudsman: Transfers of SEND pupils to EHCPs delayed by up to 90 weeks

Pupils with special educational needs are waiting up to 90 weeks, or almost two years, to be transferred from the old statements system to new education and health care plans (EHCPs), according to an investigation which found “worrying patterns of delay”. All SEND pupils are supposed to be moved on to new EHCPs – the […]

Progress 8 ‘is forcing schools to ask for more PRU places’

Schools are asking for more places in pupil referral units for excluded pupils as a result of new accountability measures, a senior council official has claimed. MPs on the parliamentary education committee have heard evidence from headteachers and local authority officers, who warned that vulnerable pupils are being forced out of mainstream schools due to […]