‘Pinball kids’ at higher risk of exclusion, gangs and grooming The children's commissioner issues a clear warning about the children in care who are ‘pinging’ around the education system with frequent changes to home, school and social workers. Pete Henshaw reports
Free school project hijacked by MATs as parent role diminishes The government’s free schools programme has strayed from its original purpose, with the majority of new schools being set-up by multi-academy trusts (MAT) rather than by parent or community groups.
Every school day, 183 pupils are referred to CAMHS Overall referrals continue to soar, with at least 35,000 last year. However, one-third of pupils referred to CAMHS are being turned away and declined specialist treatment. Pete Henshaw reports
Positive reaction to QTS and induction reforms The induction period for new teachers is to be extended to two years as part of a number of measures aimed at supporting teacher recruitment and retention. 1 comment
Curriculum and assessment reforms are hitting SEND pupils, says NAHT ?Swingeing reforms to the national curriculum and assessment criteria are compromising the educational outcomes of pupils with SEND, according to a new analysis published earlier this month.
Some inspectors are still asking to see evidence not required by Ofsted A call is being made for “greater consistency” in Ofsted inspections after a survey of school leaders found that schools are still being asked to provide evidence that is not officially required.
Be ‘bold and courageous’ with your curriculum, Ofsted urges Curriculum, exclusion and literacy – Ofsted outlines its key priorities at Headteacher Update’s Ninth Pupil Premium & Ofsted Conference
Education support charity reports sharp rise in calls about stress Calls from worried teachers to the Education Support Partnership’s confidential helpline have risen by a third in the last year, figures show.
Free school meals threshold to hit Pupil Premium funding As estimated one million pupils will miss out on Pupil Premium funding after changes to the Universal Credit system to introduce a threshold for free school meal eligibility get the go-ahead
Teachers' working hours and pay compares poorly to nursing and the police Teachers’ average hourly pay has decreased by 15 per cent since 2009/10. This compares to falls of four and 11 per cent for nurses and police officers respectively.
Almost 30,000 sign petition to save £650,000 annual SLCN funding A £650,000 government cut is putting at risk specialist support for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) – one of the most common childhood disabilities – it has been warned.
Coalition steps-up its baseline fight As the government decides which commercial company will win the £10 million contract for the baseline assessment of four-year-olds, the ‘More than a Score’ coalition has published a dossier of evidence against the controversial policy
Concern over long school journeys for SEN pupils With the number of pupils needing places in special schools set to rise by 11,000 in the coming years, concern has been voiced at the distance SEN students are being forced to travel to go to school.
Stark differences in per-teacher CPD spending At least 17,000 teachers and teaching assistants are working in schools where there is hardly any budget for CPD, a new analysis has revealed.
Academies: Shortage of trusts and sponsors among concerns highlighted in National Audit Office report ?There is “considerable regional variation” in the number of available sponsors located close to underperforming schools and a shortage of sponsors and multi-academy trusts (MAT) able to take on new academies, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned.
Questions raised as DBS modernisation plan overuns Modernisation of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is running more than three-and-a-half years late and the new DBS update service has not seen the take-up or the cost savings originally anticipated by the Home Office.
Child poverty warning as benefit freeze bites There are some areas of the UK where more than half of children are growing up in poverty.
STRB under pressure to take a stand against pay austerity With the recruitment crisis continuing, the STRB is being urged to call for an end to years of real-terms pay cuts for teachers. Pete Henshaw reports
Government pledges pilot projects to tackle holiday hunger The government has promised to introduce a series of pilot projects to deliver meals and activities to poor children during the school holidays.
Mental health charities merge Two mental health charities offering support for children and families have merged.
'A cut disguised as kindness’ – concerns over free school meal reforms Despite Department for Education claims, campaigners fear that thousands of families will lose out on free school meals under planned Universal Credit reforms. Pete Henshaw reports
Headteachers given 101 suggestions to help manage the pressure of Ofsted Schools should avoid “mocksteds”, remove Ofsted banners from the school gates, and protect staff from increased workload.
Many school catering staff are facing low pay and debt A quarter of school catering staff have had to take out loans just to make ends meet, while 40 per cent are in debt because of low pay.
Children’s services get 1,770 referrals a day A child was referred to local authority children’s services every 49 seconds last year.
Ofsted signals focus on curriculum Chief inspector Amanda Spielman has praised the quality of the education system in Ofsted’s annual report, but with a new inspection framework looming the document also set out some clear priority areas...
