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Most teachers to pay less into their pension under new plans

DfE launches consultation on cutting employee contribution rates for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme across most salary bands

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At least one in six students given extra time in exams last year

Ofqual figures show an increase in the proportion of students with arrangements for extra exam time

EYFS: Rise in Reception pupils with ‘good’ development

DfE data shows an increase in the proportion of four- and five-year-olds meeting their development targets – although results are still below pre-Covid levels

Ofsted SEND inspections: key failings revealed

91¶¶Òõ analysis highlights the main findings in SEND inspection reports for the areas found to have systemic or widespread failings this year

The key to teacher recruitment? Pay and workload

While graduates value the social impact of teaching, starting salaries and weekly working hours are more likely to determine whether they enter the profession, research shows

NEU weighs up strike action over ‘continued school underfunding’

England's biggest education union warns it 'will not accept another pay cut' in response to today's Budget

Budget 2025: what schools need to know

Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Budget sparks warnings about a real-terms drop in school funding but includes spending on school libraries and books. Here are all the key details for the sector

Ofsted pauses NPQ inspections

Watchdog stops routine inspections of national professional qualifications for 2025-26, at education secretary Bridget Phillipson's request

Debt-hit council urges action on SEND reform

Council leader writes to Bridget Phillipson on eve of the Budget, warning financial crisis is forcing local authorities into 'impossible decisions'

Heads’ union loses appeal against Ofsted ruling

The NAHT had appealed against a decision not to grant a judicial review into the launch of new Ofsted school inspections

Teacher contact time plans include assemblies, tech and timetabling

Scottish government proposals also call for pilot schemes to ‘begin immediately’ but councils have ‘significant concerns’ about cost and impact – and, along with unions, say they’ve been blindsided

Ofsted’s new inspections cause ‘greater stress’, warn heads

But schools taking part in the first inspections under the new report-card system also report that the process feels more collaborative

‘Generational shift’ in reading for pleasure sparks inquiry

MPs will investigate why fewer children are reading at home and highlight good in practice in schools that is getting pupils into books

EMET appoints Paul Smith as new chief executive

The Northern Schools Trust chief education officer says he is excited to create 'world-class' opportunities for pupils and staff when he takes up the post

How does the headteacher gender pay gap vary across England?

Male secondary heads earn more in every region of England, but the size of the gap is heavily dependent on geography, 91¶¶Òõ analysis reveals

Teachers warn Year 8 reading test will ‘sap joy’ from learning

High-stakes tests are piling pressure on to pupils and teachers and government policy risks entrenching an 'exam factory' culture, says teachers' union

Make special schools autism centres of excellence, say lords

Mainstream schools need more help and stronger incentives to provide autistic students with the support they need, says House of Lords special inquiry

AI targets won’t tackle attendance crisis, heads warn

In response to new AI-powered attendance targets for every school, leaders tell the DfE that there is no 'quick solution' to the pupil absence problem

Government was not prepared for ‘enormous’ task of school closures

If restrictions had been put in place sooner, then lockdown could have been shorter – or not necessary at all, Covid inquiry report also finds

Nick Gibb: Smartphones are ‘asbestos’ for children

Former schools minister also criticises the government for scrapping the EBacc performance measure, which he says will affect uptake of modern languages

Why do teachers get such a bad deal on maternity pay?

With women making up the vast majority of the workforce, could better maternity leave pay help tackle the teacher retention crisis?

Special schools fear being an ‘afterthought’ on curriculum

In response to the curriculum review, leaders in the specialist sector urge the DfE to focus more on what is taught in special schools and how best practice can be shared

Many ‘overwhelmed’ headteachers leave role within five years

Some 30 per cent of primary heads and 38 per cent of secondary leaders under 50 are leaving their posts within five years, analysis by the NAHT shows

Ofqual chief: Schools can already cut exam times

Choosing between exam boards enables schools to reduce exam times to a degree 'not all that different' to that envisaged by the Francis review, says Sir Ian Bauckham

Suspensions fall but remain higher than before Covid

Permanent exclusions from school have also dropped and are now similar to pre-pandemic levels, DfE figures show