Good piece in @schoolsweek.bsky.social As predicted, DfE had teething problems when the system went live in June They haven’t publcised the changes anywhere near enough, meaning many pupils aren’t being checked by LAs This has all the makings of a disaster schoolsweek.co.uk/deadline-ext...

Deadline extended for free school meals eligibility checks

Keep providing free meals until the checks are complete, says DfE

schoolsweek.co.uk

Good arguments on both sides here... While councils argue inspections won't see an accurate picture of services that will soon cease to exist, Ofsted says its important for families to have councils held accountable

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 2w ago

More than 30 councils could have their SEND services inspected while undergoing local government reorganisation schoolsweek.co.uk/council-send...

Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell has been appointed as education secretary in a reshuffle by new prime minister Andy Burnham schoolsweek.co.uk/lucy-powell-...

Lucy Powell appointed as education secretary

Labour's deputy leader replaces Bridget Phillipson at the Department for Education

schoolsweek.co.uk

I spent three days on the Isle of Wight looking into the school system there. It's been hit hard by falling rolls, and has some of the worst pupil outcomes, highest rates of SEND, and number of home educated pupils in the country.

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 3w ago

The Isle of Wight is launching an 'Island Challenge' to tackle stubborn pupil outcomes and the growing threat of falling rolls. @ruthlucas.bsky.social met education leaders from across the Island determined to make a difference schoolsweek.co.uk/the-island-c...

The rate at which pupils are suspended and excluded from school has fallen year-on-year for the first time since the Covid pandemic - but there has been a rise in sanctions for racist abuse and sexual misconduct schoolsweek.co.uk/suspensions-...

Suspension and exclusion rates are falling in England

But statistics show an alarming rise in suspensions due to racist abuse and sexual misconduct

schoolsweek.co.uk

Really interesting points raised about the new school food standards here. My dad was a school governor and the idea of a volunteer who most likely already has a full-time job being in charge of their implementation has raised concerns across the board

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Making a lead governor oversee the implementation of new school food standards “feels haphazard” and “risks being counterproductive”, ministers have been warned https://schoolsweek.co.uk/governor-oversight-of-food-standards-risks-being-counterproductive/

Yesterday's workforce statistics were celebrated by the DfE, as it claimed to have hit 70% of its 6,500 new teachers pledge. But digging further into the figures, we found it included those who started in September 2024, who would have been recruited months before Labour came into power...

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Exclusive: Labour has been accused of 'taking credit' for teacher recruitment that occurred before it entered government, after claiming it has already met 70 per cent of its landmark target https://schoolsweek.co.uk/labour-taking-credit-for-teachers-recruited-before-it-won-power/

In January, Ofsted announced it would launch an ungraded inspection on a Bristol school after it postponed a visit of a Jewish MP due to a planned protest outside the school gates. Here, we've uncovered the internal communications of the decision to inspect the school that made headlines ⬇️

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Exclusive: Ofsted boss Martyn Oliver ordered staff considering inspecting a school that postponed an MP’s visit to move “as quickly as you can” as they "need to be in front of it” https://schoolsweek.co.uk/this-one-might-have-legs-inside-ofsteds-decision-to-inspect-school-that-postponed-mp-visit/

'The evidence does not support a single explanation. It supports something harder to accept: that the institutions we built to support young people into adulthood are no longer fit for that purpose, and that the country has known this for some time' schoolsweek.co.uk/education-is...

Education failing to prepare children for adulthood - review

Damning diagnostic report warns schools must be held to account for pupil destinations

schoolsweek.co.uk

A statistic in the recent EPI report on the postcode lottery of absence fines stuck out to me recently: there were 15 councils that did not prosecute *any* cases of non-payment of fines. Upon further digging, we found that nearly three quarters of these councils are in London and the South East...

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Exclusive: Councils have chosen not to take court action in almost 2,000 cases where parents have not paid absence fines, with thousands more left unresolved, new analysis shows https://schoolsweek.co.uk/thousands-go-unpunished-over-non-payment-of-absence-fines/

A theme that came up in a lot of the sector's SEND consultation responses were concerns that the onus is being largely placed on schools, alongside other major policy changes being introduced in the next few years. We've rounded up all the main points made by the sector here ⬇️

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 3mo ago

🗣️The scale of proposed SEND reforms alongside other policy changes risks 'smothering' the school system, the government has been warned https://schoolsweek.co.uk/send-reforms-risk-smothering-schools-government-warned/

Really interesting findings here as sampled schools don't tend to be using internal exclusions *instead* of suspensions. This comes in the context of government pushing schools to keep more suspended pupils on site to reduce lost learning

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Internal exclusions may not lead to fewer suspensions from school, early research has suggested schoolsweek.co.uk/internal-exc...

Councils have been quietly transferring cash out of school budgets for years to plug SEND deficits But with news that 90% of debts are to be written off, leaders are demanding government scrap the transfers

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Exclusive: Ministers are mulling changes to a controversial policy that allowed councils to raid nearly £380 million from school budgets over the past decade to plug spiralling SEND deficits https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ministers-mull-future-of-380m-send-budgets-transfer-policy/

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is set to be grilled by MPs in Parliament this afternoon. Follow our live blog for updates... https://schoolsweek.co.uk/education-questions-in-parliament-live-blog/

Education questions in Parliament: Live blog

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson and her ministers will take questions from MPs in the Commons

schoolsweek.co.uk

Exclusive: Two councils are gearing up for a court showdown over claims that one owes the other more than £4 million in unpaid fees for a financially troubled special school https://schoolsweek.co.uk/councils-head-to-court-over-4-5m-in-special-school-fees/

Councils head to court over £4.5m in special school fees

Wandsworth council has launched legal action against Kent over a school it ran in the county

schoolsweek.co.uk

The government has a bad habit of sending press releases about policy announcements close to the end of the working day, embargoed for the following day. It means journalists don’t have the full facts on which to base stories, nor the time to ask important questions

Exclusive: New national inclusion base peer networks are being launched to help schools share expertise in setting up provision for pupils with SEND https://schoolsweek.co.uk/peer-networks-provide-support-for-new-inclusion-bases/

Peer networks provide support for new inclusion bases

Two London-based schools are leading networks specialising in autism provision

schoolsweek.co.uk

The DfE quietly gave councils the option in December to either go ahead with special school projects or accept alternative funding in its place, after putting projects on hold for months. We've been tracking the decisions made by councils - and now over half of projects look set to be built

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Exclusive: More than half of free specialist school projects put on hold by the government are set to go ahead, as councils turn down alternative funding offers https://schoolsweek.co.uk/more-than-half-of-special-free-school-projects-set-to-go-ahead/

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and junior ministers will take questions in the House of Commons at 2:30pm today. Follow our live blog for updates https://schoolsweek.co.uk/live-blog-phillipson-and-ministers-take-education-questions-in-parliament/

Live blog: Ministers take education questions in Parliament

Bridget Phillipson and her team will field questions from MPs in the House of Commons

schoolsweek.co.uk

Pupils with only the “most complex needs” will require an education, health and care plan by 2035, the government has said as it outlines its large-scale reforms to the SEND system https://schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-white-paper-what-is-happening-to-ehcps-under-send-reforms/

Schools white paper: What is happening to EHCPs?

DfE expects to move 1 in 8 pupils from EHCPs to new individual support plans by 2035

schoolsweek.co.uk

💭 As the sector awaits the long-delayed SEND reforms, many schools have started to work together to create more inclusive environments. We spoke to three schools leading the way... https://schoolsweek.co.uk/sharing-not-siloed-the-special-schools-bringing-inclusion-into-the-mainstream/

The special schools bringing inclusion into the mainstream

Ministers want 'a system that works together'. Schools Week meets three schools leading the way

schoolsweek.co.uk

Another big government announcement for schools, and more questions over how it will be funded and resourced We looked into how many 'inclusion bases' already exist within schools today...

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Ministers face calls to clarify how their plan for an 'inclusion base' in every secondary school will be funded https://schoolsweek.co.uk/inclusion-base-for-every-school-but-who-will-pay/

Exclusive: Fewer than one in 30 teachers and leaders say their school uses suspensions excessively, despite fresh government pressure on leaders to keep more pupils in school schoolsweek.co.uk/we-dont-use-...

We don't use suspensions too much, say most school staff

Polling shows staff are at odds with government as it looks to keep more suspended pupils in school

schoolsweek.co.uk

An important development from last week's announcement of the upcoming suspensions guidance. The DfE has told Schools Week it will consult on the best ways to record internal exclusions as it encourages more suspensions to stay in-school.

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Exclusive: Schools could be required to record internal exclusions under new guidance that will encourage headteachers to only send pupils home for the most serious cases of poor behaviour and violence schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-coul...

Exclusive: The government appears to lack a clear picture of which schools are defying its expectation that they should operate a 32.5-hour week, after dozens of schools suggested data on their school week was 'inaccurate' schoolsweek.co.uk/dodgy-dfe-da...

Schools suggest DfE data on 32.5 hour week is 'inaccurate'

The government appears to lack a clear picture of which schools are defying its expectation that they should operate a 32.5-hour week.

schoolsweek.co.uk

Good to see the DfE admit the use of internal suspensions are "informal and inconsistently applied" Our investigation on the practice revealed secondary schools that use internal suspensions were isolating around a fifth of their pupils schoolsweek.co.uk/only-suspend...

Only suspend pupils for most serious behaviour, says DfE

New suspensions guidance coming with white paper, but headteachers to retain autonomy

schoolsweek.co.uk

Ofsted has found 'no evidence' to substantiate concerns about political impartiality at a school that postponed the visit of an MP due to planned pro-Palestine protests schoolsweek.co.uk/no-evidence-...

Ofsted: No political bias at school that postponed MP visit

Inspectors praise 'diverse and inclusive' Bristol school after emergency monitoring inspection

schoolsweek.co.uk

The government has toughened up its stance on mobile phones in schools in the past week, announcing new Ofsted inspection powers and updated guidance all while facing pressure to ban social media for under-16s. Here's everything you need to know about the changes ⬇️ schoolsweek.co.uk/new-mobile-p...

New mobile phone guidance: What does it mean for schools?

Schools Week breaks down everything you need to know about the changes

schoolsweek.co.uk

Exclusive: Ministers have promised extra SEND cash for councils as part of the White Paper after it temporarily froze uplifts for high needs blocks Councils have warned the freezing will plunge their deficits further into the red schoolsweek.co.uk/extra-send-c...

Extra SEND cash coming says DfE as councils' woes deepen

Minister says white paper will bring 'additional’ funding as town halls warn freeze will worsen deficits

schoolsweek.co.uk

Schools facing 'significant' attendance and behaviour issues will receive 10 days of leadership support over three terms from their allocated lead school This will involve surveying staff and pupils and carrying out a full-day exercise into challenges faced

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 8mo ago

More details have been revealed for how the government’s behaviour and attendance hubs will work, with schools being offered either 'regional' or 'enhanced' support pathways schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-reveals-...