General
Monday
Budget cuts and geography form ‘barriers’ to council support
The quality of support schools receive from local authorities is ‘variable’, say inspectors, although strengths include strategic leadership and collaboration between schools and councils
School absence a key driver of widening disadvantage gap, finds report
EPI research suggests that higher absence among disadvantaged 16-year-old students accounts for entire post-Covid increase in the gap
Saturday
Francis: Curriculum content balance ‘hindering progress’ in some subjects
Curriculum and assessment review chair Professor Becky Francis tells ASCL conference that key stage and national assessments are ‘broadly working well’
ASCL chief: Schools left looking like ‘villains’ on pupil absence
Pepe Di’Iasio will use his speech at ASCL’s conference today to address the issue of pupil absence and criticise Ofsted’s proposals, calling for three inspection grades, not five
Friday
SEND: call for evidence on inclusive practice
DfE’s inclusion group chair Tom Rees will lead programme calling for examples of schools running resource provision and SEN units, and using specialist learning assistants
Phillipson sets out four priorities for RISE teams
Speaking at the ASCL conference, the education secretary set out the priorities for the RISE teams’ universal support offer
Ofsted chief ‘saddened’ over report card response
The most vocal critics of Ofsted’s proposed new inspections want a ‘low-accountability system’ that isn’t possible, Sir Martyn Oliver tells ASCL conference
Phillipson: Schools need ‘old-fashioned graft’ to stop absence ‘damage’
The education secretary will also use her speech at ASCL’s annual conference to say she believes some schools are not doing enough to tackle attendance issues
Consultants selling training on new Ofsted system before it’s finalised
School leaders are warned not to pay for courses that promise preparation for Ofsted changes that are still under consultation
Ofsted plans will ‘sledgehammer’ teacher recruitment, warns ASCL
Speaking to 91¶¶Òõ as ASCL’s annual conference begins, general secretary Pepe Di’Iasio issues a warning about Ofsted’s inspection changes and calls on the government to ‘show the money’ for its pledge to recruit 6,500 teachers
Social media being ‘weaponised’ against schools and teachers
ASCL president tells conference that tech billionaires should be forced to protect pupils from the dangers of their technology
