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Live lessons are not the gold standard: Ofsted busts remote learning myths

13 January 2021

Ofsted has moved to dispel a number of “myths” about remote education, including that live lessons are the “gold standard” and that the best forms of remote learning are digital.

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Free laptops: DfE rhetoric at odds with reality in schools over lockdown devices for poorest students

13 January 2021

As a DfE press notice trumpets the number of laptops it has now acquired to support remote learning, research reveals that almost a year into the pandemic only one in five schools have been able to supply devices to all pupils who need one. Pete Henshaw reports

Ofsted monitoring inspections to take place online from January 25

12 January 2021

Ofsted will carry out remote inspections of schools rated "inadequate" and "requires improvement" from January 25, with inspectors focusing on the effectiveness of remote education provision.

'A dereliction of duty' – Schools must wait to find out how Covid-hit exams will be awarded

6 January 2021

The DfE's lack of a Plan B on examinations is a 'dereliction of duty' school leaders have said as they face up to yet another consultation over how Covid-cancelled examinations will now be awarded.

Vaccinate school staff if you want to get pupils back into classrooms, Boris urged

6 January 2021

The government is being urged to put teachers and school staff on the priority list for Covid-19 vaccination if they want to see schools and colleges re-open in February.

Remote education: Digital divide continues to hit poorest families as third lockdown begins

6 January 2021

As the majority of pupils return to home learning, many of the poorest families are being priced out of education because of the “punitive costs of mobile data”, while many more still have no access to devices or the internet.

Ministers urged to abandon 'dogmatic' approach to Covid plans

6 January 2021

Ministers have been urged to stop being so “dogmatic” about their management of Covid-19 in schools after a week of chaos caused by a number of last-minute reversals.

Covid-19: Don’t look to Westminster for leadership

5 January 2021

One legacy of the pandemic will be the resilience shown by schools amid chaotic political leadership – but real threats still lie ahead, including for school finances and staff wellbeing. Pete Henshaw reports

Covid costs: Cuts to education provision 'inevitable' unless DfE acts

9 December 2020

Cut-backs to educational provision for pupils will become “inevitable” unless the Department for Education (DfE) provides more financial support to schools during the Covid crisis.

Children do not see themselves represented in the books they read

9 December 2020

A third of children do not see themselves represented in the books they read, struggling to find characters who look similar or share similar characteristics or circumstances.

Boris Johnson told: 'Stand-up to social media' to protect our children

8 December 2020

The government is being urged to “stand up” to the social media giants and bring forward promised legislation to better protect young people online.

League tables will not include 2021 exam results

3 December 2020

Test and exam results will not be included in performance tables for this year, the Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed.

Ofsted delays return of graded school inspections until summer term

3 December 2020

Ofsted has unveiled details of a phased return to inspections on 2021, with no graded inspections for schools planned before the summer term.

FSM voucher debacle: Scramble to fix system laid bare by NAO report

2 December 2020

"Too many parents had to wait too long to get the support they needed” as the government’s system of Covid-19 free school meal vouchers “buckled under the pressure”.

Ofsted warning over 'out-of-sight' children as underfunded system strains to cope

2 December 2020

Years of underfunding for schools and local authorities is now coming home to roost as the system struggles to keep track of thousands of children who have disappeared from sight during the pandemic.

Teacher wellbeing: Covid threatens to leave legacy of anxiety, stress, depression and burn-out

2 December 2020

"If I’m honest, at the present time, I feel like each day’s problems are impossible to solve.”

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DfE refuses to budge on rotas as infection rates rise among pupils

25 November 2020

Primary and secondary-age children are currently the only age groups with an increasing rate of Covid-19 infection, survey data shows.

Safeguarding alert for thousands of home-educated children

25 November 2020

There are safeguarding concerns this week for more than 10,000 potentially vulnerable children and young people who are being electively home-educated during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Staff wellbeing: Marking and lesson-planning identified as toxic workload

25 November 2020

Schools should be aiming for a working week for teachers of no more than 50 hours, with reductions in lesson-planning and marking being made to achieve this.

The eight places where children missing education can be "found"

18 November 2020

The safety net preventing pupils from dropping out of their education is “stretched to capacity” and as many as one million pupils could be missing formal education to some extent.

Worsening Covid situation sparks plea over use of rota systems

18 November 2020

The Covid-19 situation in secondary schools has “worsened again very quickly” following the brief half-term respite.

Many leaders disillusioned with school improvement 'zero-sum game'

18 November 2020

Knowledge and expertise around school improvement have become “commodities to be sold rather than insight to be shared” according to the School Improvement Commission.

Reimburse schools' Covid costs! Government obliged to respond after thousands sign petition

11 November 2020

More than 17,500 people have signed a petition calling for the government to reimburse schools for the costs of Covid-19 safety measures.

Remote education: Schools still working to find best approaches

11 November 2020

Schools are still working out the best approaches for remote education, including the appropriate use of “live teaching” and how to align the in-school curriculum with learning from home. Pete Henshaw reports on Ofsted's latest Covid-19 inspection report

Extend FSM eligibility: Rashford vows to fight on

11 November 2020

Footballer Marcus Rashford has vowed to continue to lead the campaign to end child food poverty after forcing the government to back down over its refusal to fund free meals during school holidays.