Tes essentials: Impartiality, Ofsted and the internet crisis

In a week when the weather forced schools to be closed for a non-Covid-related reason, the DfE was facing a storm over its new guidance to keep teachers politically impartial, a Tes investigation revealed the super-slow internet crisis in schools and fears were raised over teachers’ mental health.

Catch up on your must-read news and features articles right here:

News

• How the DfE plans to keep teachers politically impartial 
  The government has published new guidance aimed at ensuring that teachers don’t “promote contested theories as fact” to students.
   
• Ofsted gives schools breathing space on curriculum 
  The inspectorate has extended the transition period that it is giving schools to develop their curriculum plans, in response to the ongoing Covid disruption.
   
• Revealed: the scale of the teacher mental health crisis 
  Ministers, school employers and inspectorates have been accused of “failing in their duty of care” to teachers, after research showed how the pressures of the job are resulting in mental ill-health.
   
• New behaviour guidance: could your school be breaking the law? 
  Schools following the DfE’s proposed new behaviour guidance could be in breach of existing equalities legislation, one legal expert has warned.
   
• How I kept my promise to a teacher after 26 years 
  Author Kenny Boyle’s search for one of his primary teachers took the internet by storm - here’s what happened when he found her.

Features

• The super-slow broadband crisis in schools 
  A Tes investigation reveals how thousands of schools have been left struggling with slow internet connections - and explores the options they have to get out of the digital slow lane.
   
• The government needs to give teachers a break 
  School staff are exhausted after struggling to keep education going during Covid - but the DfE seems intent on major policy changes, writes Tes editor Jon Severs.
   
• Do you really need to do written marking?
  Some say that written marking improves student motivation - but there are other less time-consuming ways to give effective feedback, writes Mark Enser.
   
• How to turn around an ailing department 
  One school leader reveals how she transformed a department judged “inadequate” into one praised as “outstanding”.
   
• Teacher misconduct: how the new powers will affect schools 
  With the DfE planning to broaden the scope of the Teaching Regulation Agency’s powers to investigate misconduct, legal experts and school leaders explain what impact the changes will have.

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