General
Monday
Gender gap in Year 9 maths at its widest
There is an ‘urgent need’ to find out why the gender gap in maths has re-emerged, says DfE report analysing findings from Timss international research
Private school teachers taking second jobs to make ends meet
Poll by NEU teaching union also reveals that recruitment has been frozen as a result of VAT on independent school fees
Saturday
Number of Scottish schools sharing a headteacher triples
Conservatives argue that in most cases shared headships are ‘detrimental to schools and pupils’
Headteachers’ gender pay gap ‘has widened to a chasm’
On International Women’s Day, new data reveals that the gender pay gap for some school leaders is at its worst for 13 years
Friday
Foundation Apprenticeships offer ‘something for everyone’
More than £100 million funding to support Modern and Foundation Apprenticeships in 2025-26 has been confirmed by Scotland’s education secretary
Government doing ‘too little, too slowly’ on mobile phones, MPs told
Ministers under fire over ‘watered-down’ second version of the Safer Phones Bill, which no longer includes consideration of a statutory mobile phone ban in schools
Religious observance proposals ‘lack clarity’, say education directors
Proposed changes to the law would effectively entitle children to opt out of learning about religion – not just practising it, says ADES
Why SEMH support is schools’ biggest challenge
Pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs have been found to fare the worst in terms of getting SEND support. Why is this, and what can schools do with constrained resources?
DfE has ‘limited’ knowledge of where £9.2bn pupil premium goes
MPs warn schools are using money aimed at supporting disadvantaged pupils to plug gaps elsewhere – but leaders say more funding is needed
Thursday
DfE attendance tsar urges schools to focus on occasional absentees
Rob Tarn says schools struggling with attendance can make a difference with pupils who ‘could come to school all the time’
Ofsted: Inspections could have shifted focus away from maths
Watchdog’s evaluation of its Education Inspection Framework says it may have resulted in schools focusing too much on reading
Many pupils in poverty missing out on free school meals
With research revealing the gap between the number of children in poverty and those getting free school meals, the Education Policy Institute echoes calls for automatic enrolment
