Education Links w/c 28th January 2019

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/heaton-manor-school-vomiting-sick-15741104 - Chronicle Live, Tests under way to find cause of vomiting bug which hit hundreds of Heaton Manor school children. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/jewish-teacher-training-college-plans-15740747 - Chronicle Live, Jewish Teacher Training College plans for extra classroom to be built. https://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/national/17388864.teachers-work-too-many-hours-says-education-secretary/ - Teachers work too many hours, says Education Secretary. https://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/national/17391173.teacher-shortages-due-to-strong-economy-claims-minister/ - Darlington & Stockton Times, Teacher shortages due …

Teaching Union says schools are denying teachers their national pay rise

Research carried out by the NASUWT Teaching Union has found that some schools are telling teachers they would lose their jobs if schools had to pay them the salary increase, ranging from 1.5% to 3.5%. A survey by the union of 6,900 teachers found 12% had been told they were not getting any pay rise …

Government to fund 2,900 school exchanges for poorer pupils

Secondary schools in England will be able to apply for money from a £2.5 million Government Scheme to take poorer pupils overseas on school exchanges, it was reported this week. The initiative will enable pupils aged 11 and over "to experience other cultures and go to places they wouldn't normally visit". Education Secretary Damian Hinds …

Ofsted will look more closely at ‘repeat’ patterns of suspension as part of new framework

Ofsted will look more closely at whether schools are “repeatedly” suspending or isolating the same pupils under its new inspection framework, it was reported this week. A school found to be using suspensions or fixed-term exclusions “inappropriately” would only then be able to achieve a “requires improvement” grade at most, but some teachers say schools …

Three in four schools rated Outstanding have been ‘downgraded after Ofsted inspectors returned’

Three in four schools rated Outstanding have been downgraded after Ofsted inspectors returned, it was revealed yesterday. In 2011, the Government announced that once a school had been rated Outstanding it was exempt from further inspections unless serious concerns were raised, but Ofsted wants this to be changed. More than 1,600 schools have not been …

New figures show impact of disadvantage and ethnicity on Progress 8

Detailed figures showing differential KS4 outcomes by disadvantage and ethnicity were published by the DfE this week. Non-white pupils in the North East achieved significantly better Progress 8 results than white pupils. However, this group makes up a very small proportion (6%) of all pupils in the region, compared to the England average of 20% …

Public Accounts Committee says academy trusts ‘don’t make enough information available for parents’

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has published a report arguing that academy trusts do not make enough information available for parents and local communities. Calling for tougher sanctions against serious failings, it cites the experiences of parents from Whitehaven Academy in Cumbria. The report says: At Durand Academy Trust and Bright Tribe Trust, there were …

Education Links w/c 21st January 2019

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/south-shields-school-closure-ofsted-15722990 - Chronicle Live, South Shields School to close for good as uncertainty surrounding its future comes to an end. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/serious-failures-governance-uncovered-academy-15716569 - Chronicle Live, ‘Serious failures of governance’ uncovered at academy chain that ran North East schools. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/you-care-north-east-education-15646601 - Chronicle Live, Do you care about the North East, Education Secretary? The states that might suggest …

Researchers analyse Ofsted’s “stuck” schools

In Ofsted’s 2018 annual report the inspectorate identified 190 “stuck” secondary schools, defined as those rated less than good in every inspection since September 2005. Researchers at FFT Education DataLab have shown that these schools tend to have greater proportions of White British, Free School Meal (FSM) eligible pupils than other schools that also received a …

Ofsted and Department for Education staff redeployed for Brexit planning

Civil servants from Ofsted have been redeployed to help prepare for a no-deal Brexit with more staff set to follow, it has been reported this week. Schools Week has reported that the department has been looking at what schools will do if food supplies run low, and how food will be transported between sites if …