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Exams expert calls for GCSE gender gap investigation

Any inquiry into the gender divide in educational outcomes should confront the ‘unthinkable’ prospect of ‘inherent’ differences between girls and boys, says Professor Alan Smithers

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Number of pupils with EHCPs rises above half a million

The latest official data shows a 24 per cent increase in the number of pupils with an education, health and care plan in the past two years

A-level music ‘could disappear’ after entries sink to record low

ÌÇÐÄVlog analysis shows entries are down 41 per cent since 2013, with the government accused of showing 'none of the action required' to help music flourish

School paperwork surges due to ‘horrendous’ Ofsted workload

Around half of secondary schools have already produced extra documents to prepare for the new inspections

Sats marking scheme ‘trying to catch children out’, heads warn

School leaders' union calls on the Standards and ÌÇÐÄVlogting Agency to abandon its 'rigid' approach to marking and reward children for demonstrating understanding

AQA apologises after GCSE maths paper had wrong insert

Students sitting maths exam today only discovered the problem once papers had been opened – now AQA promises to contact schools before results day to 'explain what we’ve done to make sure no learners are disadvantaged'

ASCL to create ‘safe space’ for trust CEOs to ‘amplify’ their voice

New network aims to make government more aware of the challenges being faced by academy trust leaders

Schools should ‘self-fund’ building projects, says ex-DfE property boss

Suggestion comes amid reports that school buildings funding will be diverted into defence budget

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

Revealed: the most popular GCSE and A-level subjects in 2026

Provisional entries data for this summer has been released by Ofqual – with sharp drops in computing and French among the standout trends

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'

Nearly three-quarters of nursery schools to cut costs amid pressures

Many maintained nursery schools are struggling to stay afloat, research shows – at a time when the government is talking up early years' role in getting children school-ready

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

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

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

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

International schools in Kazakhstan swap Haileybury for major rival

From August 2027, two Haileybury-branded schools in Kazakhstan will switch to the Wellington brand – a move that may be due to increased competition in the country

Half of primary pupils now taught in academies

The DfE has published its latest census figures on schools and pupil characteristics. Here are some of the key trends

Health and safety ‘ticking time bomb’ faced by Scottish teachers

Levels of violence seen in schools in 2026 were unacceptable only a few years ago, say members of Scotland’s biggest teaching union

Teacher numbers fall by nearly 2,000

But government claims progress towards its manifesto pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers