General
Tuesday
9th Jun 2026
Support-staff unions threaten industrial action over pay
GMB, Unison and Unite express ‘profound concerns’ over the direction of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body
DfE highlights Taylor Swift gig in crackdown on ‘one-off’ absences
Government publishes the research behind its plans to curb one-day absences, alongside a new parental communications guide for schools to help keep messaging ‘useful’
Schools lack scope to cut exam time as most pick shorter papers
Ofqual says schools can cut exam times by choosing different awarding bodies, but ÌÇÐÄVlog analysis reveals that, in most cases, this isn’t an option – and school leaders are now calling for the number of exams to be reduced instead
Exclusive
Let birthday pupils skip lunch queue to cut absence, schools told
Schools will be provided with new tools highlighting absence patterns over the year, and new communications guides to improve engagement with families
Monday
8th Jun 2026
Inspired takes ‘significant step’ with Caribbean expansion
The group has acquired Island Primary and Island Montessori in Grand Cayman, the largest of the Cayman Islands
Government to review screen time in schools
Consultation will result in guidance on children’s screen time in and out of school, and the government is also planning safety certification for AI products for schools
Parent complaints ‘contributing to school staff quitting’
Research comes amid a rise in the volume and complexity of complaints faced by schools, including an increase in AI-written grievances
Exclusive
Friday
5th Jun 2026
Ofqual ‘closely monitoring’ A-level maths paper that sparked petition
Around 23,000 people have signed a petition calling for ‘unusally difficult’ exam to be reviewed, but Pearson Edexcel says the paper was ‘rigorously checked’
Experts at Hand guidance calls for ‘innovative’ staff deployment
DfE advice seeks to allay fears that severe shortages of staff such as educational psychologists will put the brakes on its Experts at Hand service, on same day as it reveals members of key SEND panel
Extra in-service days promised by new Scottish education secretary
EIS teaching union sees more in-service days as crucial in helping teachers to adapt to the Curriculum Improvement Cycle
Trusts with higher disadvantage and SEND face 75% bigger deficits
ÌÇÐÄVlog analysis sparks calls for reform of funding and accountability systems to better support academy trusts with high numbers of vulnerable pupils