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
20th Feb 2025
Curriculum review urged to look at employment skills
The development of essential employment skills, starting from the early years, is key to meeting future workforce needs, says research report
‘Growing trend’ of private school parents seeking to move abroad
Perception of ‘uncertainty and instability’ is fuelling interest in education outside the UK, suggests a survey report from international schools group GEMS Education
Wednesday
19th Feb 2025
Procurement Act: what it is and how it will impact schools and trusts
What schools and academy trusts need to know from new legislation that will affect procurement processes from next week
Most councils face insolvency over SEND spending
The government is being urged to write off local authorities’ high-needs deficits in response to new findings about their SEND budgets
Friday
14th Feb 2025
Vision to transform school grounds in Scotland
National organisations join forces to rethink school grounds as ‘playful and nature-rich environments’ that can boost learning and ‘design out violence’
25 years of ITT: what’s better, what’s not - and where we go next
NASBTT CEO Emma Hollis reflects on a quarter of a century of teacher training reforms – and outlines three areas that have to evolve to keep pace with the sector’s needs
Cut teaching jobs to save Scotland £500m, says IFS
But teaching union warns that cutting teacher numbers would be a ‘false economy’ that would ‘damage life chances’
Thursday
13th Feb 2025
RISE teams target 32 schools in ‘urgent’ need
The new regional school improvement programme will grow in April with the appointment of 50 new advisers, says DfE
Oliver: Time to rethink length of summer holidays
Chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver warns pupils can be ‘dysregulated’ after long summer break
Wednesday
12th Feb 2025
Rural areas ‘hit hardest’ by falling number of schools in Scotland
Pupil numbers have been falling in primary since 2017 and education directors say the law on closing rural schools needs to be ‘modernised’
How to reform EHCPs to benefit schools and families
The CEO of a special-school trust outlines the problems caused by the introduction of education, health and care plans over a decade ago – and why some simple changes could make a huge difference