General
Thursday
Schools to be funded for national insurance rise
Heads and sector leaders have said ‘devil will be in detail’ on how the funding will be allocated and whether ‘costs will be fully covered in every case’
Call for ‘AI learning assistants’ to be piloted in Scottish schools
AI assistants could help pupils with homework and learning, new research suggests – but barriers include lack of support for teachers and outdated digital infrastructure
Wednesday
Private schools ‘to lose 6% of pupils under Labour VAT rule’
Independent forecast released today also predicts private schools will pass on two-thirds of VAT costs to parents
‘Genuine risk’ Scottish education ‘will be left behind’
BOCSH group of Scottish secondary heads warns education secretary of signs that system is ‘no longer fit for purpose’ and says other countries’ reforms are ‘advancing rapidly’
Budget 2024: what schools need to know
The chancellor has laid out the Labour government’s first Budget – including its school spending plans for 2025-26. Find all the key details here
Douglas Ross is new convener of education committee
Former leader of Scottish Conservatives takes over from party colleague Sue Webber
Tuesday
Solutions to closing attainment gap allowed to ‘wither and die’
There is ‘strong evidence’ on how to close the attainment gap, but Scotland needs to get better at putting it into practice – instead of letting ‘a thousand flowers bloom’
Young Enterprise Scotland saved from closure after funding reprieve
Charity’s future had been described as ‘untenable’ before announcement of funds in Holyrood this afternoon, designed to ensure its survival this year
DfE discussions ongoing as MATs wait on funding grants
Multi-academy trusts are yet to receive a decision on funding bids that were meant to start over the summer in what leaders describe as an ‘incredibly frustrating’ delay
DfE pulls capital funding from schools over bid ‘irregularities’
Condition Improvement Fund money will be pulled from a number of projects after investigations
Target school funding at long-term disadvantage, Phillipson told
Organisations have written to Bridget Phillipson ahead of the Budget, setting out three measures to close the disadvantage gap by the end of the decade
Revealed: MPs on the new Commons Education Select Committee
The House of Commons has formally appointed the members to the committee which will scrutinise the work of the Department for Education
