Will exams be fair? Soaring Covid absence raises fears over GCSEs and A levels 26 January 2022 Questions are being asked over the fairness of holding examinations this summer given the continuing and stark increases in both student and staff absence from schools.
The two sides of the digital divide 25 January 2022 Despite the pandemic having brought the stark realities of the digital divide to the nation’s attention, and the roll-out of free laptops, the problem persists and risks getting worse. Pete Henshaw reports
Flaws in the system: Influx of new FSM pupils causes attainment gap headache 19 January 2022 Flaws in how we measure the eligibility and attainment of disadvantaged pupils must be ironed out if we are to properly support these young people.
'Pure fantasy': GCSE language reforms under fire 18 January 2022 It is “pure fantasy” to imagine that controversial changes to the way GCSE French, Spanish and German are assessed will lead to 90 per cent of pupils taking these subjects.
Children's word of the year unveiled 18 January 2022 The children’s word of the year for 2021 has been revealed as “anxiety”, reflecting the mental health and wellbeing challenges caused by the pandemic.
Schools continue to shun National Tutoring Programme 12 January 2022 The evidence continues to stack up that schools want to be funded to deliver their own “catch-up” tutoring interventions and are shunning the struggling National Tutoring Programme (NTP).
Staff absence: Schools screaming for more financial support as Covid infections soar 12 January 2022 A teaching assistant looking after 90 pupils in the school hall. An untrained cover supervisor teaching a full timetable. The Covid staffing crisis is worsening significantly with schools screaming for more financial support.
Breakfast clubs: Schools report impact on behaviour, concentration and social skills 11 January 2022 Behaviour, eating habits, attainment, parental engagement – the positive impact of school breakfast clubs for children from low-income families has been spelt out in new research.
Reluctant readers: The girls who don't enjoy reading 5 January 2022 The conversation around reluctant readers often focuses on boys, but new research is warning that high numbers of girls also do not enjoying reading.
Staff absence: Schools on Omicron alert as term begins 5 January 2022 As the education secretary urges schools to prioritise face-to-face teaching, leaders warn that it will only take a small increase in staff absence to derail the beginning of the spring term.
An eight per cent pay rise? Latest STRB remit is ‘open but unclear’ 4 January 2022 Could two consecutive eight per cent pay rises for new teachers be on the cards? Teachers must wait to find out what the impact of the government’s unusual two-year remit to the School Teachers’ Review Body will be.
County lines crackdown may criminalise exploited children, campaigners warn 8 December 2021 Children who have been coerced and threatened into carrying or dealing drugs by county lines gangs must not be criminalised under new government plans, campaigners have warned.
The missing 3,659: Troubling decline in teacher training recruits 8 December 2021 The erosion of pay and a failure to tackle workload are squarely to blame for this year’s missed trainee teacher recruitment targets at secondary level, it was said this week.
School leadership supply ‘teetering on the brink of collapse’ 8 December 2021 A majority of senior leaders in schools do not aspire to headship because of concerns about personal wellbeing, Ofsted inspections, and the burden of responsibility the role brings.
Chief inspector: Rounded education crucial to Covid recovery 7 December 2021 A “well-planned and well-implemented curriculum” and a rounded offer including sport and extra-curricular opportunities give us the best chance of helping children recover from Covid-19.
Going backwards: Academies responsible for widening gender pay gap 1 December 2021 Despite it being illegal to pay men and women different salaries for the same job, the headship gender pay gap in state schools is fast approaching £3,000 after stark increases over the last decade.
A maze of eligibility criteria: Anger at Covid workforce fund limitations 1 December 2021 After having battled with Covid-related staff absence for much of the term, schools have been hit by the news that the newly re-opened workforce fund will only cover a short period before Christmas.
Every day I make decisions that scare me 1 December 2021 “The message from Ofsted and the government is that the pandemic is over, everything’s back to normal. But we’re so far from that in schools – we’re still living in the heart of it. Every day I make decisions that scare me.”
Support staff seek work elsewhere as pay in schools is too low 1 December 2021 A significant minority of school support staff, including teaching assistants, say they are seeking alternative work because of persistent low pay and the rising cost of living.
School uniform: New rules signal crackdown on branded items 24 November 2021 Schools must keep branded uniform items “to a minimum”, limiting their use to “low-cost or long-lasting items”, new statutory guidance states. Pete Henshaw takes an in-depth look at the new rules
The shadow of Section 28? One in five teachers 'uncomfortable' discussing LGBT+ topics 24 November 2021 Eighteen years on from the repeal of Section 28 and one in five teachers say they still feel uncomfortable discussing LGBT+ topics with pupils.
Lack of time and capacity hampering early career teacher mentoring 24 November 2021 A lack of time and capacity for the mentoring of new teachers is hampering the roll-out of the Early Career Framework (ECF) and threatening ITT placements.
Air pollution: Children demand the right to breathe clean air 17 November 2021 With millions of UK pupils attending schools in high pollution areas, the right to breathe clean air looks set to be elevated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Pete Henshaw takes a look
Tone-deaf: Ofsted’s plan to accelerate inspections slammed by school leaders 17 November 2021 "Unhelpful. Strange. Stuck in the past. Tone-deaf.” The profession has reacted with bewildered frustration this week after the announcement of plans to inspect every school at least once by 2025.
'Toxic masculinity' stopping boys from seeking mental health help 17 November 2021 Fear of shame or feeling “weak” is deterring young men from seeking help for mental health problems – and when they do ask for help, many are not getting it.
25 January 2022