Today
A data litigation wave is hitting schools - here’s how to respond
People’s growing awareness of their data rights, coupled with the increasing use of AI to launch complaints against schools, poses a legal risk that leaders need to get to grips with, say these experts
Poorer primary schools see pupil numbers fall twice as fast
DfE urged to assess the impact of falling numbers on disadvantaged pupils and increase funding for affected schools
Yesterday
The next PM should let education stick to the plan
A new prime minister could mean new priorities – but education has a vision that makes sense, says NAHT chief Paul Whiteman, so let’s see it through
Schools set to close amid rare red warnings of extreme heat
Scores of schools across England announce they will close or finish early over the next few days as record-breaking temperatures predicted
Monday
Unions seek urgent clarification on teacher pay after Starmer resignation
Unions warn timing of pay announcement has already been ‘knocked off course’ by political events, leaving teachers facing uncertainty and schools unable to budget
Phillipson doing ‘bad job’ as education secretary, NEU members say
Biggest teaching union calls for ‘new leadership’ at the DfE, with members rating Bridget Phillipson even lower than Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister
International education champion defends Ofqual over teachers’ grades
Sir Steve Smith writes to international school associations praising the work of schools during the war in the Middle East, and apparently addressing concerns about Ofqual’s refusal to accept teacher-assessed grades
Why FOMO could be key to boosting attendance
Education consultant and former headteacher Rachel Macfarlane explains why creating a sense of adventure in schools can engage pupils and parents more than pleas to attend
Friday
Have schools been put into an attendance trap?
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
DfE legal costs rise by more than 50% under Labour
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
Thursday
Spare school places hit record high
The number of spare primary and secondary places across England has increased by 15 per cent since 2023-24
5 questions schools need answered on the social media ban
The government has announced that under-16s will be banned from several social media platforms from next spring. But for schools, there are still questions about how this will work
