Negative reaction to Ofsted’s finalised report cards

Ofsted have received a generally negative reaction from teachers and leaders as they unveiled the finalised plans for their new inspection report cards. Following a consultation on their plans, Ofsted has now produced final plans which include a number of changes from...

Farage calls for schools to teach ‘trades and services’

Nigel Farage called for schools to teach ‘trades and services’, as he spoke at the Reform UK conference earlier this month. The party, which met for its conference on 5 and 6 September at the NEC near Birmingham, has not yet drawn up a detailed slate of policies....

‘Presenteeism’ online driving school absence, report finds

‘Presenteeism’ online driving school absence, report finds A new report warns persistent school absence has become endemic and embedded as a cultural norm, with the online world driving real-world school absenteeism. The report, Listening to, and learning from, young...

New framework is ‘first step’ to transforming writing

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a new ‘phonics-inspired’ writing framework for primary schools, though it is set to be revised – potentially in less than 6 months from now. Launching the ‘first-of-its-kind’ non-statutory guidance last week, the DfE...

Spending review includes £760 million for SEND ‘reform’

Reform of the SEND system now appears highly likely after the government allocated funding for it in their latest spending review. Last week chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that the core schools budget would increase by £4.7 billion in cash terms by 2028, a rise in...