DfE

New guidance on communicating with parents about absence leaves schools with the ‘all but impossible’ task of improving attendance without being able to hold families to account, warn leaders

Increase in legal costs is likely due to the government introducing contentious policies that have ‘well-funded’ opponents – such as VAT on private school fees, say experts

Government is consulting on two options for redesigning early years training so it leads to Qualified Teacher Status

Committee will scrutinise DfE’s teacher recruitment targets and plans to reform accountability measures and narrow the disadvantage gap

NASUWT chief Matt Wrack lists the problems with the idea that schools could hire out facilities to fund essential refurbishment of their buildings

The Maximising Value for Pupils programme claims it can help schools save thousands by reducing their bills, but leaders warn the benefits are ‘marginal’

Education secretary faces questions from MPs over the government’s SEND plans, teacher recruitment and curriculum reform

The government must financially support schools and councils to manage demographic upheaval, hears inquiry into the falling number of pupils in primary schools

Academy trusts are being left with less time to finalise and scrutinise their budgets because key DfE documents remain unpublished, experts warn

Economics is now the fifth most popular A-level subject – but access to the qualification is uneven, largely because of a shortage of specialist teachers

Schools targeted for help under DfE scheme may feel ‘unfairly stigmatised’, says heads’ leader

MPs hear it will take a ‘heroic effort’ for the government to meet its target of 100 per cent of schools being covered by 2030 – and that strict behaviour policies risk ‘punishing’ pupils for mental health issues