General
Friday
21st Nov 2025
Nick Gibb: Smartphones are ‘asbestos’ for children
Former schools minister also criticises the government for scrapping the EBacc performance measure, which he says will affect uptake of modern languages
Why do teachers get such a bad deal on maternity pay?
With women making up the vast majority of the workforce, could better maternity leave pay help tackle the teacher retention crisis?
Many ‘overwhelmed’ headteachers leave role within five years
Some 30 per cent of primary heads and 38 per cent of secondary leaders under 50 are leaving their posts within five years, analysis by the NAHT shows
Thursday
20th Nov 2025
Suspensions fall but remain higher than before Covid
Permanent exclusions from school have also dropped and are now similar to pre-pandemic levels, DfE figures show
SEND: Resource bases ‘can be exclusion in its worst sense’
Mainstream and AP leaders question the government’s focus on resourced provision and SEN units in its drive to create a more inclusive school system
Teachers far more likely than students to say phone rules are followed
Findings from the latest DfE behaviour survey also indicate that leaders, educators and pupils disagree about the extent to which their school is ‘calm and orderly’
Reduced class contact time measures announced in Scotland
Four-day teacher working week, dedicated day for professional activities and minimum pupil learning hours proposed, but union expresses ‘deep disappointment’ at handling of announcement
Do ‘fear appeals’ really motivate students to work harder?
Warning pupils about the consequences of not putting effort into their studies can backfire, writes Mark Roberts, who shares some alternative approaches to motivate classes
Focus on disadvantaged boys to hit school-ready target, DfE told
Successive governments have failed to tackle entrenched inequalities in early years outcomes for boys from low-income backgrounds, IfG report warns
Two-thirds of teachers support children in poverty every month
Teachers cite pupils attending school without breakfast, sleeping on sofas and not having basic equipment as examples of where they needed to step in
Government funds research to spot SEND needs earlier by 2028
Science minister Lord Vallance says £4 million research programme aims to support faster intervention
5 ways schools and the NHS can work together
A new framework from Windsor Academy Trust outlines how schools can work with the NHS to ensure a healthy life for pupils – and improve educational outcomes, too