Thursday
Social transition requests should be treated with ‘caution’, DfE says
The government will embed gender guidance for schools within Keeping Children Safe in Education, including guidelines to ensure that single-sex spaces are protected
Where next in Scottish education’s search for a fairer system?
Long-held beliefs about the purpose and nature of school education are being challenged in Scotland and far beyond, say Christopher Chapman and Graham Donaldson
‘There is a fundamental muddle with the design of RISE’
The interim evaluation of the government’s RISE school improvement programme indicates some critical challenges for the scheme that need to be addressed, argues Leora Cruddas
Special schools must shout about their inclusion work
The government’s focus on driving inclusion in education gives us the chance to define what it means in specialist settings, write Claire Dorer and Anita Devi
Call to create new national standards for AP
Report warns that delaying the pipeline of new AP free schools risks more students being placed in unregistered alternative provision
Wednesday
New school estates strategy: all you need to know
Today the government unveiled an ambitious 10-year plan to improve crumbling school buildings and future-proof them for the decades to come. ÌÇÐÄVlog breaks down the details
Uneven Ofsted inspection outcomes show change is needed
An overview of the first inspections suggests a disparity is emerging between secondary and primary schools that needs addressing, says ASCL’s Andy Jordan
DfE expects every secondary school to have an inclusion base
The government’s 10-year estates plan includes the goal for all secondaries to have dedicated spaces that bridge the gap between mainstream and specialist provision
RAAC crisis in schools demands permanent fixes, MPs warn
Significant risks remain across ageing school buildings – and that affects pupils’ learning and wellbeing, warns education committee
Tuesday
Schools spend 100 hours a week managing phones
Policing students’ use of phones is a ‘big strain’ on staff, whether the school has a strict policy on devices or not, new research shows
DfE under pressure over its 6,500 new teachers pledge
The chair of education committee demands details on Labour’s progress towards achieving its manifesto pledge to recruit thousands more teachers
Third of areas cut core school funding to prop up SEND
DfE urged to fix the ‘scandal’ of mainstream school funding being diverted to support councils’ ‘mountainous’ SEND debts
