General
Friday
30th Jan 2026
Specialist bases to move mainstream schools ‘beyond comfort zone’
DfE director general Dr Tim Coulson expresses hope that the ambitious schools White Paper is ‘weeks away’
Lack of home reading prompts school concerns over language skills
A quarter of parents avoid reading to their children because they lack belief in their own ability, finds Parentkind poll, as schools contend with ‘weaker language foundations’
Exclusive
Thursday
29th Jan 2026
£2m donation boosts Lift Schools’ surplus
Lift Schools, the fifth biggest multi-academy trust in England, says it is increasingly looking at income beyond government funding to support its schools
More parents break term-time holiday rules despite higher fines
Union leaders have warned that the penalty notice system is ‘clearly not working’ following latest data
Rewarding good behaviour key to success, hubs evaluation finds
The DfE’s behaviour hubs programme saw schools shifting towards restorative rather than zero-tolerance behaviour management policies, says final evaluation report
Internal suspension rules ‘must not undermine’ schools
The schools White Paper will introduce measures that keep more suspended pupils in school under supervision, instead of sending them home, says DfE
Primary MAT’s finances improve despite school-level deficits
Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust’s latest accounts reveal 10 schools with a combined deficit of £775,000
Trust’s merger masks £1m deficit
The Harbour Schools Partnership publishes its first accounts since it was formed in April 2025 from the merger of Ventrus Multi Academy Trust and Tarka Learning Partnership
Regional attendance and behaviour advisers revealed
Remaining lead hub schools are also confirmed by the DfE, bringing the total to 93, as one of the national attendance and behaviour ambassadors speaks exclusively to 91¶¶Òõ
Exclusive
Wednesday
28th Jan 2026
Ofsted admits to ‘generic wording’ in new report cards
Concerns emerge after 12 out of 103 new inspection report cards show duplicated language, despite different inspectors visiting the schools in question
‘No evidence’ of political bias at Bristol school, Ofsted says
Bristol Brunel Academy was inspected after the postponement of a visit by a Jewish MP raised concerns about political pressure
Are these the 5 election priorities for Scottish teachers?
We look at the ambition and significance of the EIS teaching union’s manifesto for the upcoming Scottish Parliament election