The NFER (National Foundation for Education Research) has, this month, published two reports on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on schools - over 2700 teachers and senior leaders were surveyed in April and May 2023 in mainstream and special schools. The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and conducted in collaboration with ASK Research, … Continue reading Cost-of-living crisis: Impact on schools
Author: Bruce Levitan
Delivering Better Value in SEND?
The latest controversy in education seems to be whether the DfE aims to reduce EHC plans by 20%, despite the Education Minister's denials. This centres on a contract between the DfE and external supplier Newton Europe issued in July 2022 and running until the end of May 2024. You can downoad a redacted copy of … Continue reading Delivering Better Value in SEND?
Upcoming Training from Derbyshire (S4S)
Here is a list of Governor-related training for this term from S4S. The link next to each course will take you to the course booking page. Evidencing your inclusive school (primary and secondary) – are you Ofsted ready?19 Sep 2023 09:30 - 12:00 (online) - Link to course Preparing for Ofsted19 Sep 2023 18:00 - … Continue reading Upcoming Training from Derbyshire (S4S)
SEND reforms to be trialled across England
Thirty-two regions across England have been selected to trial the SEND reforms detailed in the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan (March 2023). The list and the Plan can be viewed via the links below, but Derbyshire is not included. AP Improvement Plan SEND reform trials list
List of education settings with confirmed RAAC
The government has published the list of schools and colleges where the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was confirmed by 30 August on Wednesday 6 September. The vast majority of school remain unaffected. RAAC reports download link
NGA Annual Governance Survey 2023
The latest annual survey from the NGA is available using the link below. The report highlights several issues that governors have raised, including: The challenge of recruiting and retaining governors and trustees has reached an all time high. The percentage of respondents sharing the view that the governance role should be paid is steadily increasing … Continue reading NGA Annual Governance Survey 2023
Governance workload
The NGA is looking at the challenges faced by Governors, who after all are all volunteers. There are often discrepancies between the time required to govern effectively and the amount of time that governors and trustees can dedicate to the task. The NGA's governance workload project is driven by a recognition that the sustainability of … Continue reading Governance workload
Qualification results 2023
Dr Jo Saxton, Chief Regulator at Ofqual, the regulator of qualifications, exams and assessments in England, has written to governors and schools regarding this year's GCSE and A Level results, and he has summarised the arrangements for the future. In 2021, Ofqual set out a two-year plan to return to pre-pandemic grading after the exceptional arrangements during … Continue reading Qualification results 2023
School Sport and Activity Action Plan
The Department for Eductaion has published an updated plan for sports and physical education. High quality physical education (PE) and sport are a vital part of what makes a greatschool. Physical activity has a wide range of benefits to pupil health and wellbeing, andthe best schools acknowledge that – far from being an ‘either-or’ decision … Continue reading School Sport and Activity Action Plan
Sir Martyn Oliver recommended as new Chief Inspector of Ofsted
The Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, has announced that she is recommending Sir Martyn Oliver for the post of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills at Ofsted. Sir Martyn has been selected as the preferred candidate because he is an accomplished school and trust leader with a track record … Continue reading Sir Martyn Oliver recommended as new Chief Inspector of Ofsted
Length of the school week
Updated Government Non-statutory guidance and case studies for schools in England wanting to increase the length of their school week, including those delivering below the minimum 32.5 hours. These documents provide information on the expectation for all state-funded mainstream schools to deliver a school week of at least 32.5 hours by September 2024 at the … Continue reading Length of the school week
Derbyshire IT Technology Day
On the 24th October 2023 the IT School Support Service at Derbyshire County Council will be hosting a Technology day open to all schools across Derbyshire. We plan to have a selection of external suppliers, to exhibit learning platforms, interactive technologies and hardware, and various services from Derbyshire County Council in attendance. Heads, Teachers, ICT … Continue reading Derbyshire IT Technology Day
GCSE and A Level qualification results 2023
Dr Jo Saxton, Chief Regulator at Ofqual, has written to governors and trustees to explain how this year's exam marking regime will work. Although there is a return to pre-Covid standards, there will still be an element of protection in recognition of the "Covid-effect". You can read the full letter at the link below. Nina … Continue reading GCSE and A Level qualification results 2023
Pearson’s School Report 2023
The second School Report has been released by Pearson: it takes an in-depth look at life in schools in 2023 – from the collective perspective of over 6,000 educators and, new for this year, 1,000 students too. The report covers a wide range of areas, inlcuding: Pastoral issues; Pressures; Diversity, equity and inclusion; The environment; … Continue reading Pearson’s School Report 2023
New NGA report on governance challanges
The National Governance Association (NGA) released a report today on the top 10 school and trust governance challenges. These were revealed through their analysis of 200 government-funded external reviews of governance (ERGs). The top challenges include: Board composition; Identifying skills gaps; Recruiting people with diverse experiences and knowledge; Being the right size to suit the … Continue reading New NGA report on governance challanges
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