PM urged to 'swallow his pride' over FSM holiday refusal 28 October 2020 School leaders and teachers have urged Boris Johnson to “swallow his pride” and back down over his refusal to provide free school meals (FSM) during school holidays.
Covid-19: Anger at DfE rising as attendance continues to fall 28 October 2020 The second half of the autumn term is set to be “even more difficult” for schools after a notable fall in pupil attendance due to Covid-19. It comes as anger at the DfE's Covid-19 response grows, especially after its decision to slash free laptop allocations. Pete Henshaw reports
Mental health problems likely in one in six children, NHS says 27 October 2020 One in six children aged five to 16 now have a probable mental health disorder, the NHS has confirmed.
Free period products: Six in 10 schools yet to sign up 21 October 2020 Only 40 per cent of eligible schools have signed up to the government’s free period products initiative, sparking fears about the on-going impact of period poverty.
Pressure builds as free school meals petition passes 300,000 signatures 21 October 2020 A petition urging an expansion of free school meals (FSM) to every child whose family is on Universal Credit as well as to cover school holiday periods has reached more than 300,000 signatures.
Covid-19: Calls for a two-week half-term circuit-breaker 21 October 2020 Teachers are calling for a two-week October half-term to act as a circuit-breaker against the rising coronavirus infection rate.
Autistic girls 'dodging diagnosis', academics warn 20 October 2020 Autistic females are passing “under the radar” because they are so effective at camouflaging their behaviours, academics have warned.
Free school meal registrations rising as families struggle to feed their children 14 October 2020 There has been a dramatic spike in free school meal registrations this term as the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic begins to hit families hard.
Exams 2021: Contingency plans not to be published until November 14 October 2020 Schools will have to wait until November to find out about the government’s contingency plans for next year’s examinations – including what role teacher assessment might play.
Online sexual abuse: Safeguarding leads brace for rise in disclosures 14 October 2020 Safeguarding leads in schools are on alert for disclosures of online sexual abuse after a surge in reported incidents following the Covid-19 lockdown.
Exams 2021: DfE is still 'some way off' a plan 7 October 2020 We are still “some way off” an announcement on arrangements for next years’ GCSEs, AS and A levels, after a crunch meeting between Ofqual, the Department for Education (DfE), and education unions.
Covid-19: Online misinformation and unclear national guidance hampering schools 7 October 2020 Misinformation about Covid-19, often peddled on social media, is causing “confusion and parental anxiety” and hampering schools’ efforts to fully re-open this term.
The secrets to making remote CPD effective 5 October 2020 Remote CPD can be effective as long as schools ensure the content is interactive and promotes collaboration between teachers, a research review suggests.
Teachers raise fears over social distancing compliance 4 October 2020 Teachers have raised their concerns that colleagues, pupils and parents are not consistently respecting social distancing measures in and around school.
Secondary schools report bills of as much as £39K a term for Covid safety measures 30 September 2020 The spiralling cost of Covid-19 safety measures – which for some secondary schools has reached £39,000 a term – has sparked renewed calls for government financial support.
Covid map offers schools local infection rate data 30 September 2020 A Covid map for schools has been launched allowing headteachers to see at a glance what the infection rate is in their area, the local trend & the latest local restrictions or lockdown information.
Covid-19: Government action demanded as student attendance falls to 84 per cent 30 September 2020 A sharp fall in the number of secondary schools able to remain fully open has caused widespread concern and renewed calls for government action.
Teachers call for clarity over infection rate 'thresholds' for school closures 30 September 2020 Teachers are to debate calls for more detailed contingency plans for potential local lockdowns, including clarity about the infection rate thresholds at which school closures could or should be triggered.
County lines: Safeguarding alert as cases rise sharply 23 September 2020 A county lines safeguarding alert has been issued to schools after a worrying spike in referrals nationally.
Schools warned of 'long, hard winter' ahead amid Covid testing chaos 23 September 2020 Schools are facing up to a “long, hard winter” ahead as Covid-19 testing delays and rising infection rates have already seen a spike in the numbers of pupils being sent home.
Schools urged to keep teacher training placements to prevent recruitment bottleneck 22 September 2020 Schools and ministers must make it a priority to retain the influx of new trainee teachers that has come as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and recession.
Local authorities urged to act now on air pollution around schools 16 September 2020 Reducing air pollution around UK schools could halve the number of children with lung function so poor it affects their everyday lives, researchers have concluded.
Pressure builds over inconsistent school safety measures and Covid-19 testing problems 16 September 2020 ?Some schools are failing to implement consistent Covid-19 safety measures, including social distancing and enhanced cleaning, while on-going delays to track and trace are putting school leaders in an “impossible situation”.
Pay rises branded 'divisive and inadequate' by both teacher and leadership unions 16 September 2020 This year’s teacher pay rise, which gives early career teachers 5.5 per cent compared to a 2.75 per cent uplift for more experienced colleagues, has been labelled “divisive and inadequate” by both teacher and leadership unions.
Environment design and school building competition inspires young architects 15 September 2020 Budding young architects have produced stunning environmental designs with a range of innovative eco ideas as part of our lockdown competition run in conjunction with TG Escapes
7 October 2020