General
Friday
12th Dec 2025
Only 7% of heads will spend more time on arts post-EBacc
School leaders are not planning changes to arts provision, despite the scrapping of the EBacc, polling reveals
Can per-pupil funding keep schools afloat as rolls plummet?
Demographic decline is squeezing school budgets and forcing political choices. Is it time to rethink the way schools are funded?
Ofsted and DfE warned of grade shift in new inspections
Inspectorate and government warned they need to mitigate against risk that the move to new inspection framework will ‘inadvertently’ look like a decline in standards
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Don’t overestimate resource base savings, heads warn Labour
Leaders question education secretary’s suggestion that creating more specialist places in mainstream schools will address SEND cost pressures outlined in Budget
Thursday
11th Dec 2025
Plan to deliver 6,500 more teachers delayed
Government had aimed to publish its plan to fulfil its manifesto promise by the end of the year – but now tells 91¶¶Òõ this will be released along with its White Paper
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School deficits rise by a third in a year
The balance held by local authority-maintained schools in deficit has dropped more than £90m further into the red, government data shows
Ofsted warns against ‘inflexible’ school rules for pupils with SEND
Too many students with SEND are leaving the school system because of ‘missed opportunities’ to identify their needs early on, says watchdog’s report
On-screen assessment unlikely until 2030s, says exams chief
Ofqual announces proposals to regulate on-screen assessment – but says digital exams unlikely in the most popular subjects for the ‘foreseeable future’
Tuesday
9th Dec 2025
‘Rigid’ behaviour policies under fire in safeguarding review
‘Zero-tolerance’ discipline risks harming vulnerable students at London academy, finds independent report
Teacher numbers target missed - but headcount rises slightly
Teacher numbers in Scotland increased by 63 between 2024 and 2025, meaning the government has fallen short of its target to restore numbers to 2023 levels
Friday
5th Dec 2025
Urgent task force needed to monitor international recruits, IOP warns
Call for support comes as latest initial teacher training data shows international entrants for physics rising by more than two-thirds
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Revealed: how RISE money is being spent
Nearly £19 million has already been spent on the government’s school improvement plan – but there are concerns over where the rest will come from
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