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Schools to get £215m funding for SEND adaptations

Schools in England will split a new £215 million funding pot to adapt their premises for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, the government has announced. The Department for Education says each council will get at least £500,000 in funding for specialised classrooms, lifts and other modifications in schools over the next three years as […]

Muslim Council defends church schools in admissions row

The Muslim Council of Britain has defended church schools’ record on the admission of Muslim pupils amid claims the schools are “not as inclusive as is claimed”. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has released analysis claiming that only a third of Church of England and Catholic schools in areas where most young people identify as Muslims […]

Council launches investigation into benefits of private schools

A council is reviewing the community benefit of local private schools to decide if they deserve generous discounts in business rates. It is thought to be the first time a council has taken this step and while the rates cannot currently be changed for charitable organisations, experts believe pressure could be exerted on the government […]

Pupils could get right to opt out of sex education

The “blanket right” of parents to withdraw their children from sex education lessons is being reviewed by the government as it is no longer consistent with English or international law. Ministers say they will consult on whether pupils above a specific age should instead be allowed to choose for themselves whether or not to take part in sex […]

Lord Baker: Colleges should visit schools ‘once a year’

Colleges should visit schools once a year to promote vocational options for pupils under a new scheme designed to force schools to open their doors to other providers, according to Lord Baker. The former education secretary told Schools Week he envisaged such visits happening “once a year during the key times in September, October and November”, and […]

Sex education to be compulsory in all secondary schools

The government will extend compulsory sex education to all secondary schools and introduce relationships education for all pupils from age four. Justine Greening, the education secretary, told Parliament today that she plans to put sex and relationships education “on a statutory footing”, stating the current curriculum has become “outdated”. Pupils will be taught about safe and healthy […]

‘Far from clear’ if DfE can cope with academies expansion, warn MPs

MPs have questioned the government’s capacity to cope with the growth of the academies programme, amid predictions of “further pressures” for its departments and agencies. The commons education committee says it is “far from clear” if the Department for Education and Education Funding Agency can cope with the expansion of multi-academy trusts over the next five […]

Councils paid £100k to write to parents about UTCs

The government has handed out more than £100,000 in funding to councils to enable them to write to parents promoting post-14 education options like University Technical Colleges. A new rule requiring councils to make parents aware of schools with ‘atypical points of admission’ came into effect on February 14, and councils have now received funding […]

Bid to force ‘hostile’ schools to promote technical education succeeds

A cross-party bid to force “hostile” schools to give colleges and apprenticeship providers access to their pupils to promote vocational courses has been approved in the House of Lords. A move to amend the government’s technical and further education bill by former education secretaries Lord Baker and Baroness Morris succeeded last night. Baker, who served […]