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Secondary school re-opening: Good attendance and mask-wearing amid testing confusion

10 March 2021

Despite confusion over the government’s contradictory Covid testing policy and continuing ambiguity over the face masks in classrooms, the full re-opening of England’s secondaries has gone smoothly with good attendance in the majority of schools.

Almost one million children learning in classes of 31 or more pupils

10 March 2021

The number of pupils being taught in class sizes of more than 31 has increased by 150,000 during the past five years, analysis shows.

Mental Health Support Teams: Expansion welcomed but will it be too little, too late?

9 March 2021

The acceleration of the Mental Health Support Teams initiative has been welcomed – but it is still not enough as current plans will reach only a third of children by April 2023.

No new money for Covid recovery: Disappointment as Rishi Sunak's Budget snubs schools

3 March 2021

There is bitter disappointment among school leaders and teachers after the "short-sighted" Budget included no new money to support longer term post-Covid recovery work during this Parliament.

Covid: Prioritise attendance, assessment and recovery over time, schools urged

3 March 2021

Effective diagnostic assessment and a focus on “recovery over time” should be priorities for schools – rather than an obsession with “catch-up” – the Education Recovery Commissioner has told MPs.

Orwell? Brontë? Dickens? Steinbeck? Lee? Top 10 favourite school books revealed

3 March 2021

Animal Farm, Great Expectations and Lord of the Flies are among the most popular books read at school.

Education recovery: What approaches do young people want to see?

24 February 2021

A reduced curriculum, small group tutoring, more resources, a focus on mental health, and one-to-one support for students who need it – but no summer schools!

Review offers SEN-specific teaching tips for remote education

24 February 2021

With two-thirds of SEN students having not engaged effectively with remote education, a research review has sought to offer practical ideas and tips for teaching staff.

Covid: Frustration at ringfenced recovery funding amid March 8 fears

24 February 2021

Boris Johnson’s insistence that all students will return to school on March 8 and the ‘salami-slicing’ of the latest £702m funding for learning recovery have left school leaders and teachers anxious and frustrated in equal measure. Pete Henshaw reports

This is how children fall through the gaps: Anne Longfield's final, exasperated warning to Whitehall

17 February 2021

Known for speaking truth to power, children’s commissioner Anne Longfield has held true to form in her final address. Her stark views on how many in Whitehall view children and why the vulnerable continue to slip through the net will not make comfortable reading for policy-makers. Pete Henshaw ...

Thousands of children are meeting up with people they have only spoken to online

17 February 2021

One in six children have exchanged online messages with people they do not know in the past year, according to new official statistics.

Clear communication – despite chaotic DfE guidance – is secret to schools' success during Covid-19

17 February 2021

Clear communication from school leaders was one of the biggest factors in both staff and parents feeling confident in handling the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lost learning recovery: Evidence does not support extending the school day or year

9 February 2021

Some of the ‘superficially attractive’ ideas being considered for how we can help pupils’ to recover lost learning are simply not supported by the evidence of what works, despairing school leaders have said. Pete Henshaw reports

Reducing school exclusions key to tackling youth violence and criminal gang exploitation

9 February 2021

Children as young as 10 are being dragged into criminal exploitation, county lines and gang activity, with school exclusion a major trigger for vulnerable young people. The children’s commissioner is calling for a reduction in school exclusions to be a key goal if we are to reduce levels of youth ...

Free period products: More than 10,000 schools still to apply

9 February 2021

The 10,000 primary and secondary schools yet to apply for free government-funded period products are being urged to act now.

Covid: Ventilation just as important as hand-washing, schools told

8 February 2021

Improving air quality and ventilation in classroom spaces should be as important as social distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing, doctors have told schools.

Lost learning: £1.5bn for Covid recovery? More like £30bn says IFS

3 February 2021

The £1.5bn so far allocated to lost learning recovery during the Covid-19 pandemic is “highly unlikely to be sufficient” – with a more realistic figure being £30bn.

A third of parents do not know who in their child's school is responsible for pupil wellbeing

3 February 2021

A third of parents do not know who is in charge of mental health and wellbeing at their children’s school, research has shown.

Guidance on capping pupil numbers sought as thousands of schools report 40 per cent attendance

3 February 2021

The high attendance levels in many schools during the current lockdown gives the government the perfect opportunity to understand infection risks ahead of full re-opening, it has been suggested.

Learning materials: £1m fund kick-starts Help a Child to Learn campaign

27 January 2021

A £1 million Help a Child to Learn campaign has launched to supply learning materials for disadvantaged pupils who do not have access to these at home.

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News

Secondary school re-opening: Good attendance and mask-wearing amid testing confusion

Almost one million children learning in classes of 31 or more pupils

Mental Health Support Teams: Expansion welcomed but will it be too little, too late?

No new money for Covid recovery: Disappointment as Rishi Sunak's Budget snubs schools

Covid: Prioritise attendance, assessment and recovery over time, schools urged

Orwell? Brontë? Dickens? Steinbeck? Lee? Top 10 favourite school books revealed

Education recovery: What approaches do young people want to see?

Review offers SEN-specific teaching tips for remote education

Covid: Frustration at ringfenced recovery funding amid March 8 fears

This is how children fall through the gaps: Anne Longfield's final, exasperated warning to Whitehall

Thousands of children are meeting up with people they have only spoken to online

Clear communication – despite chaotic DfE guidance – is secret to schools' success during Covid-19

Lost learning recovery: Evidence does not support extending the school day or year

Reducing school exclusions key to tackling youth violence and criminal gang exploitation

Free period products: More than 10,000 schools still to apply

Covid: Ventilation just as important as hand-washing, schools told

Lost learning: £1.5bn for Covid recovery? More like £30bn says IFS

A third of parents do not know who in their child's school is responsible for pupil wellbeing

Guidance on capping pupil numbers sought as thousands of schools report 40 per cent attendance

Learning materials: £1m fund kick-starts Help a Child to Learn campaign

Remote learning: Ofsted shares tips for improving pupil engagement and motivation

Social media, poverty and lack of exercise drive mental health crisis

Lockdown 2.0: Engagement with remote education is up but significant poverty gaps remain

Covid-19 infection rates 1.9 times higher among teachers

Covid: Use of lateral flow tests as alternative to self-isolation paused in secondary schools