Alongside our best practice section, Headteacher Update features regular news and news analysis articles to keep school leaders up-to-date with the latest policy and sector developments. Our news pieces attempt to tackle issues of direct relevance to primary school educators and offer something different to the mainstream media.

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'Reckless in the extreme' – school leaders issue free testing plea

“We continue to hear a sense of deep frustration from school leaders as they struggle to deal with the significant and on-going disruption caused by Covid – while the government removes every measure they have for controlling it.”

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Narrow and 'lacking in ambition' – White Paper fails to inspire

The government’s Parent Pledge will be a “tall order” to deliver and risks being seen as nothing more than a “policy gimmick”, while the elephant in the White Paper is the lack of targets to close the disadvantage gap.

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Devil in the detail: Cautious reaction to SEND Green Paper

There has been cautious welcome to ideas set out in the long-awaited SEND Green Paper but exasperation that it has taken so long to get to this point.

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'There is nothing for free' – schools urged to audit cost of events, fun activities, and trips

Research has revealed just how little access disadvantaged children actually have to fully enjoying school events such as fairs, fundraising activities, and non-uniform days. Pete Henshaw takes a look

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SATs results will be 'useless' – cancel them now, urge school leaders

This summer’s SATs should be cancelled given that the results will be “useless”, school leaders have urged.

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Plea over axing of free tests as Covid infections spike once again

School leaders have urged the government to continue to make free Covid tests available from April 1 after the recent improvement in infection rates proved to be a “false dawn”.

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'I have heard you' – Zahawi commits £65m more to school-led tutoring as MPs slam NTP failures

The education secretary has finally acted to address the elephant in the room of the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) – admitting that most schools want to run their own recovery tutoring provision.

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Attendance: 'Nudging' parents helps to tackle pupil absence

Sending “nudge” letters to the parents of persistently absent pupils and identifying and addressing specific, individual barriers to attendance are two approaches shown to have positive impact on attendance.

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Families urged to remain vigilant after marked drop in Covid cases

As Covid-related pupil absence falls markedly, families are urged to continue to remain vigilant and to continue to follow government guidance on testing and isolation.

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Anger at DfE's 'casual' claim that schools can afford pay rises

It is “patently not the case” that the government’s proposed increases to teacher pay over the next two years are affordable from existing school budgets.

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Adopted children let down by 'inadequate' accountability

'Inadequate' accountability over how funding is used for adopted children has created a postcode lottery of provision, with some families reporting confusion over the use of Pupil Premium Plus and the role of the virtual school head and designated teacher.

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Child poverty: The hidden costs of school spelt out

Expensive trips, costly music and arts classes, stigma about clothes and mobile phones, barriers to school food – a report has laid bare how poverty is impeding children’s access to education.

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Workload crisis – 11.2 hours of unpaid overtime a week

Teachers are once again at the top of the list of those working unpaid overtime in the UK.

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FoI investigation reveals thousands of 'missed opportunities' to help children

Tens of thousands of children a year are missing out on vital early help support, only to be referred again to social care within 12 months, Freedom of Information requests have revealed.

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Safeguarding data insight into violent language being used by pupils

A disturbing insight into the increasingly violent bullying language being used by school children has been revealed by new online safeguarding data.

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From Covid restrictions to personal responsibility: Will people do the right thing?

Can we rely on families “doing the right thing” and keeping children off school if they have symptoms or test positive for Covid? That is the key question playing on the minds of school leaders as self-isolation rules are axed.

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A chilling effect: Unease at political impartiality advice for schools

“A chilling effect.” Deep concerns have been voiced about the impact that the government’s guidance on political impartiality in schools could have on open classroom discussions.

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Ending Covid restrictions: Deep concern over lack of detail

Boris Johnson’s plans to scrap all Covid restrictions, including the need to self-isolate after testing positive, risk causing chaos in schools without clear guidance.

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Ofsted: Curriculum transition deadline extended

Ofsted has extended the transition deadline by which schools must ensure that their curriculum provision is completely aligned with the Education Inspection Framework (EIF).

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Staff wellbeing: Teachers treated as 'collateral damage'

Ministers and inspectorates stand accused of treating teachers as “collateral damage” from the pandemic after research involving almost 12,000 teachers yielded deeply concerning results.

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A grim picture: Flood of mental health research published

Increasing mental health referrals, increasing levels of anxiety, and increasing numbers at risk from severe mental health conditions – a range of research published during Children’s Mental Health Week lays bare the scale of the mental health challenge facing young people. Pete Henshaw takes a look

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'Sensible albeit obvious' – Ofsted's attendance advice focuses on the basics

School leaders have welcomed new Ofsted advice on improving attendance, although have gently pointed out that much of what inspectors have to say on the issue is “obvious”.

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Covid absence: Schools call for ‘more honesty’ from government

Slowing rates of Covid infection and absence among pupils and staff have been welcomed, but schools still face “significant operational challenges” and would like more acknowledgement of this fact from ministers.

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'Until recently, I would have called myself an aspiring head'

A primary school deputy headteacher has delivered a stark and uncomfortable message to MPs about the growing hole in the headteacher pipeline.

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Primary schools on measles alert as vaccination rates plummet

One in 10 children are starting school at risk of measles due to plummeting MMR vaccination rates – with evidence showing that many parents simply do not understand the risks measles can pose.

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