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The special academy trust set up by government to take over “orphan” schools has refused to explain why its chief executive has left the role. Questions surround the departure of Gareth Mason (pictured second from the right above) as chief executive of the Falcon Education Academies Trust. The trust was set up last year with […]

The government has moved a step closer to removing funding for applied general qualifications, such as BTECs, that compete with T Levels and A-levels by autumn 2023. The Department for Education will today launch the second stage of its consultation on the future of vocational and technical qualifications at level 3 and below, which will […]

Exams regulator Ofqual has today confirmed that pupils resitting qualifications this Autumn will be handed the same “generosity” in their grades as was awarded this summer. Pupils who were unhappy with their grade this summer, or those not issued a grade, have been able to take exams in an Autumn series starting from late October. […]

The government this week announced its new local lockdown system. The rolling out of a new triple tier system across England means regions will impose different rules depending on whether they are deemed to have a “medium”, “high” or “very high risk”. However, the government has confirmed that current rules for schools – which include […]

The exams regulator’s interim boss has suggested “greater optionality” in next year’s exams is still a possibility – signalling that further tinkering to assessments is still on the table. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 this morning, interim chief regulator Dame Glenys Stacey said further exam changes could include more multiple choice questions and exam boards […]

Ministers have “missed an opportunity” to end the stranglehold of academy “oligarchs” by ignoring warnings in a government-commissioned study. A £220,000 “investigative” report commissioned by the Department for Education, published this week, found academy governance was at risk of being “too insular”. A lack of separation in roles was “common practice” with more than half […]

Ofsted has published its first snapshot of the pilot “visits” it ran in September. The report covers the findings of 121 pilot visits to schools that volunteered to take part. Here’s what they found:   1. Remote learning ‘not aligned’ to curriculum Ofsted explained how leaders reported that in some subjects their remote education was […]

Ofsted has admitted its Autumn visits “fall within the broad concept of inspections” after an education union took the rare step of launching a legal challenge against the watchdog. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said it launched a judicial review after Ofsted told it via a letter to “provide assistance in telling schools […]