Tuesday
Suella Braverman appointed Reform UK education spokesperson
Former Tory minister, who was twice sacked as home secretary under Conservative governments, claims schools are facing ‘a quiet crisis’
We built RISE to listen, learn and improve
After an interim evaluation of the government’s RISE school improvement programme, DfE director general Tim Coulson sets out his vision for the scheme
Lack of diversity among curriculum drafters ‘deeply concerning’
Open letter with nearly 100 signatories calls for a ‘more diverse range’ of drafters to write the new national curriculum, warning there is a risk of ‘narrow’ content
Monday
DfE commits £26m to recruit more educational psychologists
Funding for hundreds more educational psychologists announced amid concerns that specialists are spending too much time on admin rather than supporting children
We’ve got SEND support the wrong way around
Writing ahead of the government announcing special educational needs reforms, head Keziah Featherstone says support should be universally available in schools – not something that children have to wait years for
Schools face wait for ‘urgently needed’ medical guidance
Minister says new guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions won’t be published until the spring after MPs warn of young people being left ‘exposed’
Friday
Disabilities in education review: 5 key insights
A recent government report revealed a raft of ways pupils with disabilities feel education settings don’t always work for their needs – here is what you need to know
Why schools should ‘date’ MATs before a long-term commitment
Writing ahead of Valentine’s Day, one MAT leader explains how his trust gives schools plenty of time to see whether there is chemistry and compatibility before they take the plunge
Thursday
Social transition requests should be treated with ‘caution’, DfE says
The government will embed gender guidance for schools within Keeping Children Safe in Education, including guidelines to ensure that single-sex spaces are protected
Where next in Scottish education’s search for a fairer system?
Long-held beliefs about the purpose and nature of school education are being challenged in Scotland and far beyond, say Christopher Chapman and Graham Donaldson
‘There is a fundamental muddle with the design of RISE’
The interim evaluation of the government’s RISE school improvement programme indicates some critical challenges for the scheme that need to be addressed, argues Leora Cruddas
