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Back to School Guide: Supporting student wellbeing

30 June 2020

SecEd has published the first of four free Back to School guides offering advice ahead of September and the wider opening of schools. In this 12-page guide, we consider how the lockdown will have affected young people’s wellbeing and mental health, what challenges we expect to see as more students ...

Full school re-opening? One-metre rule change makes little difference, DfE told

24 June 2020

School leaders and teachers have warned that the move to a social distancing standard of one metre will make little difference to the capacity of schools to re-open fully in September.

Funded support for NQTs hit by coronavirus lockdown

24 June 2020

Schools eligible for the one-year funded offer of support for early career teachers whose training has been interrupted by the coronavirus lockdown are to be contacted by providers in due course.

Covid trauma: Flexible and agile approach needed to avoid exclusions

24 June 2020

A “heightened risk” of school exclusions has been created by the Covid-19 lockdown and must be countered with flexible approaches based on collaboration and communication, a research report has concluded.

Behaviour policies must become trauma-aware post-lockdown

23 June 2020

School behaviour policies post-lockdown must take into account the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic and “reflect how behaviour could relate to trauma or emotional distress”.

Frustration at lack of consultation over DfE's £1bn catch-up programme

19 June 2020

School leaders have expressed their frustration at being kept in the dark over the government’s plans for a £1 billion catch-up tutoring programme.

Looming recession will boost teacher recruitment (and retention)

18 June 2020

Teacher recruitment is likely to experience a welcome boost caused by the inevitable recession that has been brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

Two million still face holiday hunger risk despite FSM summer extension

17 June 2020

As many as two million children who are not eligible for free school meals (FSM) still face the threat of going hungry this summer.

Study reveals most effective remote learning approaches

16 June 2020

The use of virtual learning environments (VLE), phone calls, online conversations and retrieval practice can improve pupils’ engagement in remote learning, a study has found.

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Children's harrowing accounts of domestic violence during lockdown

10 June 2020

"We should be allowed back to school now so my step-dad stops hitting mummy.”

Triple whammy: 'Significant' recruitment and retention challenges continue

10 June 2020

The retention rates of NQTs and second-year teachers have continued to fall despite overall teacher retention having improved slightly.

Fears of autumn spike behind June 29 re-opening in Wales

10 June 2020

Schools in Wales are preparing to bring back pupils from June 29 amid safety concerns from teaching unions. School leaders, meanwhile, are seeking clarification from the Welsh Assembly on ‘flexibilities and practicalities’ in the plans. Greg Lewis reports

Coronavirus: Williamson faces MPs' questions over extending FSM vouchers and free laptops

9 June 2020

The education secretary has refused to be drawn on calls for free devices and internet access for all pupils who need them, increased Pupil Premium allocations for schools, a continuation of FSM vouchers this summer, or holiday schemes to support disadvantaged pupils.

Children's fruit and veg intake plummets during lockdown

9 June 2020

There are concerns about a sharp fall in disadvantaged children’s intake of fruit and vegetables during the coronavirus lockdown.

September curriculum must not focus solely on "catch-up"

3 June 2020

Schools are being urged to avoid focusing solely on pupils “catching up” as they plan their curriculum and timetabling for September.

Secondary school leaders identify key challenges ahead of June 15

3 June 2020

The risks while travelling to and from school, managing pupil movement around the school, and ensuring social distancing are key challenges according to secondary schools preparing for June 15.

Majority of secondary parents have enjoyed home education

3 June 2020

Many parents of secondary school students say they are enjoying this period of home education, reporting that children are under less stress and can learn at their own pace.

Call for dedicated mental health professionals in schools post-lockdown

2 June 2020

There have been further calls for a focus on wellbeing and mental health as schools re-open to more students – including a proposal to place dedicated mental health professionals in schools.

The 'trauma gap': Schools must not return to 'business as usual' post-lockdown

27 May 2020

The government cannot expect schools to return to “business as usual”, focusing purely on academic performance and the attainment gap – we must prioritise the “trauma gap” as well.

Schools given flexibility over year 10 and 12 'face-to-face' plans

26 May 2020

Secondary schools have had to readjust their plans for year 10 and 12 provision after the government pushed back the June 1 date and told schools to avoid splitting days between different groups of children.

Safeguarding: Social workers in schools project to expand trials

26 May 2020

Placing social workers in schools could reduce the number of children being referred for child protection and child in need enquiries, pilot studies have shown.

Online and offline options on the table for year 10 & 12 face-to-face support

20 May 2020

Secondary schools are considering both online and offline options for how they will provide “face-to-face contact” for year 10 and 12 students from June 1.

Poorest families least likely to send children back to school

20 May 2020

Fewer than one-third of the poorest families say they would send their children back to school should they re-open from June 1 – this compares to around half of the richest families.

Some clarity over what 'face-to-face' support in years 10 and 12 might look like

13 May 2020

Some clarity is emerging over just what expectations the government has of secondary schools when and if plans to re-open schools roll-out from June 1.

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Scottish schools shut until at least August; Wales and Northern Ireland taking similar paths

13 May 2020

The Scottish government and teachers do not expect schools to re-open before the start of the new academic year in August, while concerns also mount over the way exams will be graded during the coronavirus shutdown.