Tuesday
Gilruth vows to increase teacher numbers under new deal with councils
Councils to get extra £69m to restore teacher numbers to 2023 levels – pupil learning hours will also be frozen and teachers’ non-class contact time ‘rapidly’ progressed
Literacy and numeracy attainment remains steady in Scotland
Most primary and secondary pupils are hitting the expected level or better for their age and stage in literacy and numeracy, with Scottish government highlighting marginal gains
High rates of persistent pupil absence in Scottish schools
School attendance data shows slight improvement in persistent absence rates, but they remain at high levels compared with pre-Covid years
Number of teachers in Scottish primaries drops by over 600 in a year
Teacher numbers fell in 26 of Scotland’s 32 councils between 2023 and 2024 – with just 13 per cent of new primary teachers securing a permanent job by September
Oak independent review delayed until next year
The review into Oak National Academy was originally expected to conclude by September 2024, but is now expected in ‘early 2025’
SEND: Deficits to reach ‘absurd’ £8bn without reform
Increasing specialist provision in mainstream schools will be costly and require ‘massive change’, warns Institute of Fiscal Studies
Monday
‘Good progress’ on teacher pension delays, says schools minister
Catherine McKinnell tells MPs that work is under way to recalculate teachers’ pensions, as delays prompt a law firm to investigate a potential group claim.
Are things in education as bad as they seem? Let’s check the data
As we look ahead to 2025, we need to take stock of the troubling state of our system, argues Megan Dixon – and then work out how to fix it
Friday
The reasons Scottish teachers give for leaving the profession
GTCS research over a 19-month period looks at why thousands of teachers did not renew their registration
Child sexual abuse review: safeguarding insights for schools
A major review on protecting children from sexual abuse should help schools to consider their processes and staff training needs – and gives some clues about updates to official safeguarding guidance
MAT Tracker regional deep dive: West Midlands
Tes examines the outlook for the academies sector in the West Midlands, as part of our MAT Tracker series delving into regional movements and trends
‘Excessive workload’ pushes teachers to switch into support roles
Findings suggest many qualified teachers are working as TAs, but the notion they’ll get an ‘easy ride’ is ‘well wide of the mark’, warns union leader
