Policy
The latest news, analysis and advice on government policy and legislation. Find a breakdown of new documentation, case studies from leaders and comment from high-profile educators
Thursday
23rd Sep 2021
Gillick competence: What schools need to know
You may not have heard of the ‘Gillick competence’ but it may well be used by pupils to accept or reject the Covid vaccine – here’s what schools should be aware of
A levels: ‘Make humanities and languages compulsory’
Students should study a humanities subject, a foreign language and maths until the end of their schooling, says report
Wednesday
22nd Sep 2021
‘Medical, not political’: Whitty’s case for 12-15 jabs
Chris Whitty and Jonathan Van-Tam set out the case for the school Covid jab rollout under questioning from MPs
Lost school days could hit 12m without jab, says Whitty
Chief medical officer sets out disruption that Covid surge could cause in schools this winter without the 12-15 age group jabs
Ofsted to judge whether DfE’s Covid catch-up plans work
Watchdog tasked with carrying out independent reviews into government’s plans for tutoring and teacher development
The cold, hard logic for increasing teacher pay
The spending review is a chance to increase teacher pay and finally address the recruitment challenges, says Jack Worth
Tuesday
21st Sep 2021
GCSEs 2022: Reference test used to measure Covid impact
The National Reference ÌÇÐÄVlogt will explore impact of the pandemic on learning but not yet clear if it will help shape 2022 exam grades
Vaccines minister criticises ‘intimidation’ of heads
Minister says threats being made against schools by anti-vaccine protesters are a ‘very big issue’
Education Scotland: It’s easy to get reform wrong
​​​​​​​Head of national inspection and curriculum body earmarked for major change urges caution in reform process
Why academy growth is a priority for Zahawi
The deputy CEO of the Confederation of School Trusts outlines why the new education secretary should focus on academies
State and private sector attainment gap fell in 2020
Gap in Higher pass rate between private and state schools went down to single figures in 2020 but increased slightly in 2021
More than 100,000 pupils off school due to Covid
New figures show a fall in year-on-year absence after changes to Covid self-isolation rules in schools