General
Friday
MSPs told to act on fears that ‘education is failing young people’
There is ‘an obsession with trying to hammer square pegs into circular fittings when it comes to education’, heard Scottish Parliament session where young people shared their frustrations
School support staff aim for £3,000 a year pay rise
Unison, GMB and Unite also call for school support staff to be able to take at least one day of leave within term time
Ofqual to fine Pearson exam board £250,000
Pearson failed to identify conflicts of interest for 195 markers and failed to ensure confidentiality of its exams, Ofqual finds
School admissions: How fair is fair banding?
Most schools using banding tests have more academically able cohorts than neighbouring schools, analysis finds
Thursday
Per-pupil funding set to rise by 1.2%
Experts have repeatedly warned schools will be forced to make cuts next year as cost rises outstrip funding
Parent fines for term-time holidays rise by almost a quarter
Heads’ leaders call on the government to tackle ‘exorbitant prices’ charged by the travel industry during school holidays
Wednesday
Oliver’s Ofsted move halted Outwood Grange growth
Outwood Grange Academies Trust says it took a ‘strategic decision’ not to expand when its leader left to become chief inspector
DfE sets out how it will scrap teacher pay ‘ceiling’
The government has published its tabled amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
More children will come to school hungry, warns poverty report
The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on pupils’ ability to learn is highlighted in a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Attainment gaps and child poverty: what does JRF report find in Scotland?
There are big gaps in attainment in Scotland – and wider concerns about child poverty – but analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation also finds some encouraging signs
Tuesday
Scottish councils face ‘challenging’ future, says watchdog
Increase in government funding ‘doesn’t cancel out urgent need for transformation’, says Accounts Commission – as proposed cuts to education continue to make headlines
Phillipson dismisses Conservative call for school phone ban law
Education secretary calls the proposals a ‘headline-grabbing gimmick’
