Policy

The latest news, analysis and advice on government policy and legislation. Find a breakdown of new documentation, case studies from leaders and comment from high-profile educators

Tuesday

12th Jul 2022

Schools Bill: Labour pushes to limit academy freedom on curriculum
Opposition’s amendment would require academies to follow national curriculum and local admission policies

Friday

8th Jul 2022

Need to know: Cleverly’s priorities, Sats results and missing papers
Your roundup of 91¶¶Òõ’ most popular news and features articles from the past week, including the revolving door of ministers at the Department for Education, missing Sats papers and the brutal truth about the sector
NUTSHELL, this, week
Former teacher appointed as DfE junior minister
Brendan Clarke-Smith and Andrea Jenkyns announced at DfE as part of a new-look government
Brendan Clarke-Smith
State must do better for looked-after children
Robert Halfon, chair of the Education Select Committee, sets out how educational outcomes for children in the care system must be addressed 
The state acts as a parent to more than 80,000 looked-after children. It must do better.
Covid: Spielman regrets Ofsted not going into schools sooner in 2020
Chief inspector also said teachers should not be campaigners in the classroom, in a keynote speech to education leaders today
Amanda Spielman has said that Covid has fractured the social contract in education between parents and schools.
Academies leader: ‘We won’t engage in new policy amid uncertainty’
Exclusive: Key adviser vows to engage only on existing policy after mass government resignations finally forced Boris Johnson to quit as prime minister yesterday
The school sector has reacted to the government turmoil which has seen three key departures from the DfE
The brutal truth about education needs to be told again and again
The political story this week has dominated once more but we can’t let it drown out the reality of the huge challenges facing schools, says Jon Severs
We need to keep repeating it: schools need help
Most schools struggling to recruit teachers, heads warn
School leaders are warning of major recruitment problems, with close to half of headteachers saying the problem is ‘severe’
Missing

Thursday

7th Jul 2022

‘Cap Ofsted ratings’ for schools not taking pupils in care
A ‘culture of impunity’ is enabling schools to turn away children in care, MPs warn
‘More incentives’ to avoid teacher training cold spots
Exclusive: The government says that any teacher training cold spots, resulting from the provider reaccreditation process, may need to be accepted ‘temporarily’
DfE planning “more incentives†to avoid teacher training cold spots
James Cleverly becomes third education secretary in a week
New education secretary says he is looking forward to engaging with the sector to ‘realise people’s potential’
James Cleverly has been annnounced as the new education secretary.
Schools need end to government ‘shambles’ at ‘crucial’ time
Teacher pay, shortages, the Schools Bill and SEND Review are among pressing priorities for a new Department for Education team, say education leaders
Money, time