According to Ofsted’s Annual Report 19% more children are missing education entirely compared to 2024. It notes that "The gap between disadvantaged children and their peers starts early and widens through education phases. Exacerbating this, disadvantaged children too often miss school and are unable to recover lost learning, ending up in alternative provision or out … Continue reading Ofsted annual report 2024/25: education, children’s services and skills
Author: Bruce Levitan
Maximising value for pupils: guidance for schools and trusts
The DfE has published guidance, support and a policy document for schools and trusts to maximise value from resources, ensuring every pound delivers for children. This includes: a policy paper: Maximising value for pupils; Achieving better value when buying; Managing financial and physical assets; Strategic workforce planning for schools and trusts; Improve your school's and … Continue reading Maximising value for pupils: guidance for schools and trusts
Access to early SEND support through Best Start Family Hubs
Best Start Family Hubs are part of the governmenta's new Child Poverty Strategy (see this post for more on that). Best Start Family Hubs are to act as a one-stop-shop for parents to access SEND professional and services to support speech and language development. As part of the government’s pledge to roll out Best Start … Continue reading Access to early SEND support through Best Start Family Hubs
Child Poverty Strategy
The government has published its long awaited Child Poverty Strategy, which can be found on their website here. The strategy sets out the steps they are taking to reduce child poverty in the short term, as well as putting in place the building blocks needed to change the course we’re on and create long-term change. … Continue reading Child Poverty Strategy
The rise of deepfake pornography in schools
This Guardian article highlights the growing problem of deepfake pornography in schools, noting that the use of ‘nudify’ apps is becoming more and more prevalent, with hundreds of teachers having seen images created by pupils, often of their peers. They report that a new poll of 4,300 secondary school teachers in England, carried out by … Continue reading The rise of deepfake pornography in schools
NAHT loses appeal against Ofsted judicial review refusal
This Schools Week article reports on the outcome of the NAHT appeal against Ofsted. The new Ofsted inspection regime is highly unpopular amongst educators - they report that the renewed framework is increasing the burden on senior staff. The new inspections, which began this month with volunteer schools, involve settings being judged with one of … Continue reading NAHT loses appeal against Ofsted judicial review refusal
The Importance of Local Education Partnerships
A new Area-based Education Partnership Alliance (AEPA) report – Belonging and Excellence: The Importance of Local Education Partnerships - describes how place-based, school-led partnerships are reconnecting schools, academies and communities to deliver improvement, inclusion and belonging. You can download it here.
Reading for Pleasure Inquiry
The number of children reading for pleasure is declining rapidly. This new government inquiry will look at the reasons behind this decline and what can be done to reverse this trend. They are currently calling for evidence for more detail about the inquiry. You can submit evidence until 23:59 on 9 January 2026. Details here.
Budget 2025: Everything schools need to know
Schools Week have provided a useful summary of what's in the Chancellor's autumn budget for education. Here is the link.
Therapists warn of dangers as children turn to AI for mental health advice
A survey from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) reveals that more than a third (38%) of therapists working with under 18s have clients seeking mental health guidance from AI platforms and that nearly one in five therapists (19%) reported children receiving harmful mental health advice from AI. The Mindometer survey, which gathered … Continue reading Therapists warn of dangers as children turn to AI for mental health advice
Martyn Oliver’s speech at the 2025 Association of Colleges Annual Conference
Anybody with an interest in the new Ofsted inspection scheme should read Ofsted CEO Martyn Oliver's speech where he describes the new grading system with higher expectations. It's available on the Ofsted website, here.
Free breakfast clubs
The DfE have published guidance for schools on the early adopter programme, April 2025 to March 2026 in the Free breakfast clubs scheme. Details on their website, here.
National funding formula for schools and high needs from 2025
Details of the funding system for schools and high needs from 2025 to 2026 onwards can be found on the DfE website, here.
New minimum attendance expectations
The DfE announced new minimum attendance expectations on 12 November. A letter from Olivia Bailey MPMinister for Early Education and Minister for Equalities has been posted, addressed to governors. In it she states "Every day at school counts. Even a few missed days can have a lasting impact on a child’s learning, wellbeing, and future … Continue reading New minimum attendance expectations
Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report
Professor Becky Francis's Curriculum and Assessment Review has been published alongside the Department for Education’s response. The Review delivers evidence-informed recommendations based on responses from young people, parents, teachers, and education experts, and more. This bulletin guides you through what this means for you, your school, and your pupils. The Review found that many aspects … Continue reading Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report
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