Tuesday
Record numbers of Scottish pupils learning musical instruments
Almost one in 10 Scottish pupils are now learning an instrument, research shows, but councils are struggling to keep up with demand amid proposed budget cuts
Ofsted inspection proposals conjure up a spectre of the past
Michael Tidd wonders why no one at Ofsted recalled the headaches caused by the assessment levels system when drawing up new inspection framework proposals
MSPs back giving all pupils week-long outdoor residentials
But concerns have been raised about the cost of outdoor residentials, provision for pupils with additional support needs and the impact on teachers
Monday
How the DfE plans to intervene in schools
The DfE sets out its plans for new RISE teams working with ‘stuck schools’ and those needing significant improvement
How we turn our good education system into something great
CST CEO Leora Cruddas outlines why education secretary Bridget Phillipson is right to praise the past – but also to seek to create an even better future
DfE reveals first RISE advisers
The Department for Education has released the names of 20 advisers working in new Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams
Ofsted’s report cards: everything you need to know
The new school report cards will launch in November, with plans to scrap ungraded inspections and subject deep dives
Friday
Government revokes academy order after school’s legal threat
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has confirmed that Glebefields Primary School will no longer have to academise in an ‘exceptional’ case
MSPs told to act on fears that ‘education is failing young people’
There is ‘an obsession with trying to hammer square pegs into circular fittings when it comes to education’, heard Scottish Parliament session where young people shared their frustrations
How Labour’s education bill will impact schools
More than 70 per cent of secondaries are likely to have to make uniform changes, and QTS requirements could affect at least 700 new teachers, the DfE estimates
The government has got itself in a mess over education policy
Instead of tackling the big issues in education, the DfE is mired in dull managerialism with its schools bill. We need a vision for change, says ASCL chief Pepe Di’Iasio
School admissions: How fair is fair banding?
Most schools using banding tests have more academically able cohorts than neighbouring schools, analysis finds
