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SEND reform bill unlikely to be published until new year

Government adviser suggests bill will be published early in 2027 and also says the DfE is considering how it can create a curriculum ‘that young people can succeed in’

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Why school leaders need more support with data

Schools' data analysis must not be the preserve of a few members of promoted staff, says Alan Shields

Outwood Grange turns £3m deficit into £3m surplus

Outwood Grange Academies Trust also upped its reserves by 9 per cent year-on-year to £43.7 million, its latest accounts show

SQA appeals rise: more than one in 10 Higher results queried

Some 12 per cent of Higher grades were appealed after the 2025 Scottish Qualifications Authority exams – with 6 per cent of appeals resulting in an improved grade

GCSE results app will save schools millions, says DfE

All Year 11 students will be able to access their GCSE results digitally on a new app from this summer, with the government claiming that this will cut down schools' admin costs

DfE to push ahead with MAT inspections

Inspections of academy trusts could be launched in 2027-28 as Labour legislates for a major new role for Ofsted

It’s ‘impossible’ to take on special schools, says MAT

Thirty-school trust says the size of the financial deficits being reported by special schools mean that it cannot take on any more

Schools’ growing role in early education revealed

DfE research shows that school-based day nurseries are on the rise, and that schools have the most qualified staff

ESS SIMS loses market dominance for school information systems

ESS SIMS once ruled the school management information system market in England but it has now been overtaken by competitor Arbor, figures show

Hundreds of schools close due to snow and ice

More than 400 schools across the UK have been unable to open after heavy snowfall, with weather warnings still in place

Ofsted: Heads need to ‘think carefully’ about phones in schools

But Sir Martyn Oliver stops short of agreeing that inspectors should fail a school on safeguarding if students are seen with phones, in letter seen by ÌÇÐÄVlog

Saracens Multi-Academy Trust appoints new CEO

Chris Woolf joins the three-school trust following the retirement of Kate Alcock

New Year Honours: MAT boss knighted and other leaders recognised

Six multi-academy trust leaders are among the education figures included in the New Year Honours list

Ofsted inspectors to use Word documents for recording evidence

The watchdog will temporarily use Microsoft Word documents to gather inspection evidence as electronic system continues to malfunction

Cognita boosts Spain presence to 10 schools

The international schools group – which now has over 100 schools across 21 countries – has acquired an all-through school in Madrid

SEND: Opening resource bases ‘risks making you a magnet school’

With the government wanting mainstream schools to open specialist provision, heads warn that this can lead to increased pressures from parents and other schools

Sats scores are still below pre-Covid levels - is this the reason why?

While overall Sats scores have been creeping upwards, a significant – and growing – minority of children are deemed unable to sit the tests. Cerys Turner uncovers the reasons behind a widening gap in KS2 assessment

DfE issues guidance on use of restraint in schools

School staff have a 'legal power' to use 'reasonable force' to prevent students from causing injury, damage or disorder, or committing a crime, the updated DfE guidance says

School insurance costs to rise by up to 3 times inflation

The DfE's risk protection arrangement will increase to £29 per pupil from April 2026, up more than 7 per cent on 2025

Gould: Teacher training is ‘huge issue’ in SEND reform talks

Minister is asked about how specialist places in mainstream schools will be staffed during latest public engagement event

Teachers leaving profession ‘sooner than expected’, warns GTCS

The Scottish watchdog identifies 5 key ways to make teaching more attractive, as new data shows staff are quitting over lack of support and jobs

Schools must teach healthy relationships to tackle violence against girls

Teachers will be given specialist training to talk to students about issues such as consent, as part of a new government strategy to address misogyny

‘Static’ SEND funding puts support at risk, heads warn

Government announces that the use of its national formula for allocating high-needs funding for councils will be paused ahead of its planned reforms to the SEND system

Warning of ‘cognitive decline’ if schools miss out on AI development

England's biggest education union voices fears following the announcement that a Google subsidiary is looking to adapt its chatbot for use in schools

IB issues November exam results to 23,000 students

International Baccalaureate highlights an almost 7 per cent increase in candidates sitting its November exams, including some resit students in the Northern Hemisphere