Monday
Legal action for teachers over pension valuation delay
Law firm launches action on behalf of NASUWT members, warning that some teachers have been left waiting for months for pension valuations
Government pushes back on free school meals cuts claims
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says she does not ‘recognise’ reports claiming that ministers are considering ending universal infant free school meals
Friday
Number of GCSE students taking 3 non-EBacc subjects halves
But new research exploring the take-up of GCSE subjects in recent years suggests the ‘EBacc era’ could be coming to an end
Why some schools will be hit harder by planned QTS change
With the government planning a requirement for all teachers to have qualified teacher status, research shows that staff without QTS are not distributed evenly across the sector
DfE wants schools to meet six digital standards by 2030
The government has also announced a £25m investment to upgrade wireless networks in schools
Thursday
Severe absence reaches record high
Overall absence continues to fall, but figures for the most severely absent pupils have reached highest numbers since data collection began
More focus and fight: what Labour needs to do on education
Labour has allowed itself to get distracted by unnecessary squabbles – but the plan for a SEND White Paper could lay the foundation for important work on poverty and attendance, says Sam Freedman
Be ‘boy positive’ to tackle underachievement, schools told
More male teachers are needed to help address the gender attainment gap, says report
Wednesday
Lords vote against ending tax relief for private schools
Legislation would mean over 1,000 private schools would no longer be able to claim business rate tax relief
Schools face national insurance funding shortfalls of ‘up to 35%’
School leaders’ union warns members are reporting that DfE funding announced yesterday will not cover in full increases in national insurance contributions
