Weekly round-up: KCSIE, SEND and the attendance crisis

Catch up on all your must-read Tes news and analysis here:

• SEND: ‘Concern’ as primary late starters double
  School leaders say research that shows a near-doubling in the proportion of pupils with SEND who enter Year 1 having missed out on at least some of Reception suggests there is an “increasing mistrust” among parents of schools’ ability to meet children’s needs.
   
• Conservative Party conference: what can teachers expect?
  The Conservative Party is set to host its annual conference and, after a turbulent few weeks in education, its policies will be under increased scrutiny ahead of a general election next year. Tes reports all you need to know.
   
• EBacc plan could break DfE workload pledge
  The Department for Education may have breached its own workload protocols by announcing planned changes to school performance tables with less than a full academic year’s notice, headteachers’ leaders have warned.
   
• Ofsted: 8 key findings on schools’ careers guidance
  Ofsted has warned that a quarter of schools have highlighted funding as a barrier to delivering careers provision, in a new report.
   
• Attendance crisis: MPs call for ‘major’ mental health plan
  The government must improve support for pupils with mental health difficulties and those with SEND to tackle the rising numbers of pupils who are persistently absent, MPs have said this week.
   
• Maths-to-18 qualification should be ‘more like driving test’
  An alternative maths qualification could look “a lot more like a driving test” with a 100 per cent pass rate possible, an exam board has said.
   
• Warning over Covid absence rise in schools
  A rise in Covid cases this autumn risks exacerbating the pupil absence crisis, headteachers’ leaders have warned.
   
• Why KCSIE is letting pupils and teachers down
  By failing to align with the Achieving Best Evidence guidance used by police and social workers, schools risk inadvertently collecting evidence that may be undermined in court, says this lawyer.
   
• 6 reasons why teaching can remain family-friendly
  While thousands of mother-teachers leave the profession every year, many more stick around - but why is that? Research by the Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher Project offers some useful insights.
   
• Are NPAs really a qualifications reform trailblazer?
  Schools are enthusiastic about the way National Progression Awards engage students - especially those not suited to exams. But Emma Seith finds there are still barriers to their implementation.