NAVDEEP SANGHARA: WHY WE BUILT A ‘GLOBAL CURRICULUM’ FOR OUR MAT A digital newspaper determined to get past the bluster and explain the facts. P19-22
Want your phone DfE: Free school Trust to open back? That’ll be £2 proposals must PGCE ‘franchise’ tackle workload
P7 P6 P5 SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK | @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, FEB 8, 2019 | EDITION 166 ‘Shocking’ case exposes SEND crisis
Judge condemns ‘eviscerated’ care plan for SEND pupil Boy left without school place for months in court battle Ruling gives schools more power to challenge councils Legal bills alone would have funded pupil’s provision
Pages 8-9
take a bite. English and maths in bite-size units from NCFE for your Key Stage 4 learners.
Visit: ncfe.org.uk/schools/english-and-maths Call: 0191 240 8822 Email: [email protected] @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, FEB 8 2019
Meet the news team
John Dickens Laura McInerney Cath Murray EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR COMMISSIONING EDITOR & HEAD OF DIGITAL
@JOHNDICKENSSW @MISS_MCINERNEY @CATHMURRAY_ [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Freddie Whittaker Jess Staufenberg Pippa Allen-Kinross CHIEF REPORTER SENIOR REPORTER SENIOR REPORTER
@FCDWHITTAKER @STAUFENBERGJ @PIPPA_AK [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
THE TEAM Head designer: Nicky Phillips SUBSCRIBE Shane Mann Designer: Simon Kay MANAGING DIRECTOR Photographer: Ellis O’Brien For an annual subscription to Schools Week Financials: Helen Neilly for just £50 visit www.schoolsweek.co.uk and Sales team leader: Bridget Stockdale click on ‘subscribe’ at the top of the page. Sales executive: Clare Halliday schoolsweek.co.uk Administration: Georgina Heath @SHANERMANN or call 020 8123 4778 to subscribe PA to managing director: Victoria Boyle [email protected]
JO BS
THIS WEEK’S TOP AVAILABLE JOBS IN THE EDUCATION. TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION PLEASE SCROLL TO THE CLASSIFIED SECTION OF SCHOOLS WEEK OR VISIT THE WEB ADDRESS LISTED
DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION - SCHOOL TEACHERS’ REVIEW BODY MEMBER - COMPETITIVE SALARY
HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/KCYR
ESSA ACADEMY – DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - L10-14
HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/BWT6
ACADEMIES ENTERPRISE TRUST – HEADTEACHER - GENEROUS SALARY AND RELOCATION PACKAGE AVAILABLE FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATE HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/07T7
ACADEMIES ENTERPRISE TRUST - PRINCIPAL - GENEROUS SALARY AND RELOCATION PACKAGE AVAILABLE FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATE HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/E12J
TUDOR GRANGE ACADEMY KINGSHURST – SCIENCE TEACHER VACANCIES – COMPETITIVE SALARY HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/A0TC
TO ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCY WITH EDUCATION WEEK JOBS AND SCHOOLS WEEK PLEASE CALL 020 81234 778 OR EMAIL [email protected] 2 TH
NEXT YEAR WE WILL CELEBRATE THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FESTIVAL OF EDUCATION, WHICH HAS GROWN FROM A THOUGHT-FORUM TO THE MOST IMPORTANT, INTERESTING AND INSPIRATIONAL EVENT IN THE EDUCATION CALENDAR.
LAST YEAR OVER 4,000 ATTENDEES IMMERSED THEMSELVES IN SESSIONS RANGING FROM THE CANDID PIERS MORGAN INTERVIEW WITH SIR MICHAEL WILSHAW, TO THE INFORMATIVE TESSA DON’TDUNLOP AND THE EMOTIVE MISS DR NEVILLE LAWRENCE. THE WITH OVERULTIMATE 250 OTHERS, INCLUDING TOM FESTIVALSHERRINGTON, GEOFF BARTON, OFAMANDA SPIELMAN EDUCATION AND DAISY CHRISTODOULOU, THERE WAS OVER 250 SPEAKERS OVER 4,000 ATTENDEES ACROSS TWO INSPIRING DAYS
THE 10TH FESTIVAL OF EDUCATION #EDUCATIONFEST THURSDAY 20 & FRIDAY 21 JUNE 2019 EDUCATIONFEST.CO.UK WELLINGTON COLLEGE, CROWTHORNE SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK | @SCHOOLSWEEK Edition 166
The editor’s top picks
ADVERTISE WITH US If you are interested in placing a product or job advert in a future edition please click on the ‘advertise’ link at the top of the page on schoolsweek.co.uk or contact: E: [email protected] Can teachers accurately Leora Cruddas reviews T: 020 81234 778 remember how many Michael Pain’s new book hours they work? on managing schools SUBSCRIBE P27 P26
For an annual subscription to Schools Week for just £50 visit www.schoolsweek. co.uk and click on ‘subscribe’ at the top of the page. schoolsweek.co.uk or call 020 8123 4778 to subscribe Agnew sends second reprimand on CEO pay
Disclaimer Schools Week is owned and published by Lsect Ltd. The views expressed within the publication are those of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of Schools Week, Lsect Ltd or any of its employees. While we try to ensure that the information we provide is correct, mistakes do occur and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of our material. The design of the digital newspaper and of the website is copyright of Lsect Ltd and material from the newspaper should not be reproduced without prior permission. If you wish to reproduce an article from either the digital paper or the website, both the article’s author and Schools Week must be referenced (to not do so, would be an infringement on copyright). Lsect Ltd is not responsible for the content of any external internet sites linked to. Please address any complaints to the editor. Email @Schoolsweek.co.uk with Error/Concern in the subject line. Please include the page number and story headline, and explain what the problem is.
SCHOOLS WEEK IS PROUD TO BE A MEMBER OF
LEARNING & SKILLS EVENTS, P12 CONSULTANCY AND TRAINING LTD 161-165 GREENWICH HIGH ROAD LONDON SE10 8JA T: 020 8123 4778 E: [email protected] @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, FEB 8 2019
DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News CONTACT US [email protected]
Baker Clause school Trust hopes PGCE ‘franchise’ careers duty ‘toothless’ will boost Russell Group grad PIPPA ALLEN-KINROSS @PIPPA_AK recruitment
The Baker clause has been labelled a “law without teeth” after it emerged the government did not take any action against schools for non-compliance in the first year of its existence. The Department for Education also admitted it only wrote to half of the trusts it originally claimed to have contacted in relation to non-compliance. Around two- thirds of secondary schools are thought to be breaking the law. Introduced last January, the so-called JESS STAUFENBERG “complete control over who we get”. Baker clause requires schools to publish “We’re basically looking for really smart @STAUFENBERGJ EXCLUSIVE a policy statement online to show how people. The only real evidence of that is their they ensure providers can access pupils A trust is in talks to “franchise” a university’s education.” to talk about technical education and PGCE programme, allowing it to dodge UCAS The trust will also be able to recruit until the apprenticeships, and details of their career recruitment and target more Russell Group summer, whereas UCAS closes once places programmes. graduates. are full. In response to a freedom of information The STEP academy trust, which has 14 But John Howson, an ITT expert and the request from Schools Week, the DfE primary academies in south London and East founder of the jobs website Teach Vac, said confirmed “no action was taken against Sussex, is finalising an agreement with the the trust would need evidence to justify not schools in England that failed to comply with University of Buckingham to deliver its PGCE accepting candidates with average GCSE the Baker clause” between January 2 2018 programme. grades. and January 2 2019. The arrangement is similar to a School Direct “If this model is replicated across the country, It has also emerged that letters were sent partnership, in which a teaching school and it could turn away a lot of people.” to just five of the largest trusts last month to other schools deliver training in partnership The BBC reported this week that Nick Gibb, remind them of their duty, despite a claim by with a university as the accredited provider. the schools minister, has hauled in teacher the DfE last month that skills minister Anne As a franchise, however, the trust does not training providers to explain why they have Milton would be writing to the 10 largest have to get accreditation to be a School Direct rejected candidates. non-compliant trusts. school, nor take graduates allocated to them The government has missed trainee teacher The department has now admitted through the central UCAS model. recruitment targets for six years in a row. this was an error, and only five were Timothy Mills, director of teaching and Howson said ITT could lose “national contacted. Although “appropriate action” learning at STEP, said this meant they could uniformity” if more trusts trained graduates in can include direct intervention in schools, a demand higher standards than UCAS. their own approaches. This could leave NQTs spokesperson was unable to confirm what The trust plans to only accept graduates who struggling in new jobs. this involves. have a B or above in English and maths GCSE, Teach First is the only other training route that Last month, the DfE said the letters were and preferably those with a 2.1 from a Russell does not use UCAS and sets its own application classed as a ‘reminder’ rather than an Group university. standards, usually requiring graduates to have intervention. Mills said many newly-qualified teachers from a 2.1 degree and to pass an interview. Charles Parker, executive director of the the usual initial teacher training (ITT) routes Mills said the trust would save £1,500 a Baker Dearing Trust, said there “doesn’t lacked the understanding of phonics and subject graduate in annual tuition fees by using their seem to be much point in passing a law if mastery preferred by the trust. own staff. At present fees are set at £7,000. you don’t follow it up” and called the clause “We’re deeply concerned about what some The trust would also pay trainees an a “law without teeth”. ITT institutions are turning out, particularly at unqualified teacher salary. Some School Direct “I’m afraid I don’t think they can do much primary,” he said. “We’re getting applicants who and SCITTs cover the costs of training for more. The law is pretty toothless. There isn’t don’t know how to teach reading and writing. graduates in certain subjects, but otherwise a sanction built into the way it’s drafted,” he That’s fundamental.” trainees have to pay to train. said. The government currently requires would-be The course will largely be delivered by “The best we can hope for, frankly, is to primary teachers to have Cs in English, maths trust staff who have completed a master’s get the government’s weight behind its own and science at GCSE, and a 2.2 degree. in leadership. The tuition costs cover some law.” UCAS then allows graduates to apply for their lectures at the university and two placements in A report from the Institute for Public Policy preferred training route at a university-based other schools. Research warned last month that two-thirds PGCE, School Direct or SCITT provider. The University of Buckingham did not want to of secondary schools are still not compliant. Mills said the franchise would allow STEP comment.
5 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, FEB 8 2019
DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News CONTACT US [email protected]
Ofsted: Exclusions data is ‘unhelpful’ New free school
FREDDIE WHITTAKER applications reveal @FCDWHITTAKER workload push The chief inspector of schools has backed calls for a shake-up of how exclusions are reported in national data, branding the current system “extremely unhelpful”. Amanda Spielman told the parliamentary education committee this week that it is “completely extraordinary” that the reason given for almost one in five permanent PIPPA ALLEN-KINROSS According to government data, 55 free exclusions in official Department for @PIPPA_AK schools, university technical colleges and Education statistics is simply “other”. studio schools have closed since the start of Schools have a statutory duty to inform The government has been accused of “unsubtly the programme in 2010. Of these, 15 have been parents, governors and their local authority crow-barring” its need to reduce teacher rebrokered to new sponsors. when they exclude a child, and give a reason workload into the new wave of free school An update to the DfE’s register of capital for why the exclusion is made. However, spending on free schools last month, which national data is not as detailed. applications. details acquisition and construction costs, According to the latest exclusions data, In their initial bid applicants must now “other” was given by schools as the reason demonstrate “clear and specific plans” for shows almost £171 million has been spent on for 1,355 of the 7,720 permanent exclusions managing workload, an extra requirement on 46 of the closed or rebrokered schools. made in 2016-17, making it the second most top of proving the area has low educational A spokesperson for the National Association common reason after “persistent disruptive standards and needs more school places, of Head Teachers said budget pressures and behaviour”. offering good value for money and a “new or difficulties recruiting and retaining staff meant DfE guidance states “other” should innovative approach” to education. “even if potential free schools include work- be “used sparingly”, but Schools Week Jonathan Simons, director at the policy life balance plans that seem credible in their understands school administration staff may specialist Public First and a former application, it may not be possible to implement be resorting to the label because of a lack government adviser, said the requirement was them”. of communication from leaders about the “superficially attractive”, but warned it would However, Christine Bayliss, a former DfE civil reason for exclusions. be a “regulatory burden” that advantaged servant and now education consultant, said In response to Spielman’s comments, the established providers over parent groups. it was “right” for applicants to show they had department pointed to its ongoing review Rather than a way for parent groups to open “planned ahead and mitigated for workload of exclusions, off-rolling and the quality of schools, the free schools programme was risks and issues”. alternative provision by former minister increasingly used by academy trusts wanting “The question is why has it taken so long for Edward Timpson, which was supposed to to expand. the DfE to recognise the problem and test it in report by the end of last year. “Given that the Department for Education’s the application process?” Labour MP James Frith, who raised the own workload challenge shows they don’t The guidance for wave 14 says applicants issue with Spielman on Tuesday, said he really know what the answer is, it’s a bit rich to must address workload in three sections. Under had met with Timpson to discuss the ‘other’ the “vision” and “staffing” sections they must category issue, but warned ministers ask free school groups for their plans,” Simons explain how they would “manage and develop against “folding in” every concern about said. pupil movement into an already-wide- “This is an example of taking a current the workforce to create a sustainable work-life ranging review. policy priority – albeit an important one – and balance for all staff”. “In the gaps between the labels there unsubtly crow-barring it into all bits of DfE Another section asks them to show the are going to be individual stories of kids activity, however inappropriate.” governing board requirements would not result not quite getting the second chance they Wave 14 opened on January 31. Providers in unnecessary workloads for all staff. deserve and schools not doing enough must now demonstrate they have “concrete Jack Worth, the school workforce lead at to ensure they get that chance,” he told plans in place to manage and develop the the National Foundation for Educational Schools Week. workforce successfully, including ensuring that Research, said the requirement could be Shaun Brown, from The Difference, workloads are sustainable”. “beneficial” if it made applicants “think hard a teacher training for the alternative A spokesperson for the DfE said workload about how supporting workload and wellbeing provision sector, warned against relying on was integrated into the application guide as will be ingrained into school policies from the “accountability tweaks” to fix problems with it was a “key part of our new recruitment outset – rather than simply being a box-ticking children leaving school rolls. and retention strategy and the new Ofsted exercise”. “The dial is only going to shift if framework will have a specific focus on A spokesperson for the New Schools Network accountability is matched with support, reducing workload”. said free schools were “well placed to place and proper investment in spreading best However free schools face several hurdles teacher welfare and retention at the heart of practice in training for teachers and before they even get to the stage of looking at their school right from the outset, and ensure leaders,” he said. workload. this continues as the school develops.”
6 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, FEB 8 2019
DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News CONTACT US [email protected]
Pupils face £2 ‘fines’ to get their phones back
JESS STAUFENBERG @STAUFENBERGJ EXCLUSIVE
A school has been accused of holding pupils’ mobile phones to “ransom” after charging parents £2 to return confiscated devices. South Wigston high school in Leicester bans mobile phones as it says the devices From South Wigston’s website are a major tool for bullying and a distraction to learning. However, its electronic device policy says that a £2 contribution to the school charity their eldest child to run and collect their “will be required for return” of a confiscated siblings from primary school”. phone. The school has 13.4 per cent of pupils Another policy published on the school’s eligible for free school meals, which is just website, for “behaviour and rewards”, below the national average. describes the payment as an “administration Schools Week could not find evidence of charge”. similar charges in other schools. However, a One parent said it amounted to private survey by Teacher Tapp suggests that 70 per property being “held ransom”, with two cent of primary schools collect phones and lawyers claiming the single-school academy return them at the end of the day, while 17 trust could be breaking the law. per cent ban them completely. Details of the policy emerged in the same Drayton Park primary in north London week that Nick Gibb, the schools minister, bans phones during the school day, but said he believed schools “should ban” allows pupils to hand them into the office in mobiles. the morning. A parent of a pupil at South Wigston, who “Our policy is to discourage children from wanted to be known only as Andy, said other Ramona Derbyshire, a partner at Thrings bringing phones to school at all,” says its parents “treated it like a tax and just felt they law firm, said schools could confiscate website. had to pay it”. phones, but could not “impose a charge as a Only 4 per cent of secondaries ban phones. “Pupils should be able to have a phone, disciplinary process”. None allows its pupils to use phones freely, switched off, in their bag. Not held ransom Even though the charge was classed as but a third do allow their use during breaks. by the school.” a charitable contribution, Derbyshire Several private schools have also The electronic device policy of the school, said it had to “be clear that there is no introduced bans, such as Latymer Upper rated as “requires improvement” by Ofsted, obligation to make any contribution and School in west London, which extended says mobiles may only be left in the school parents must not be made to feel pressurised its ban up to GCSE-age pupils last year. office at the start of the day “by parent into paying as it as it is voluntary and not West Buckland School in Somerset also request, for emergency reasons”. compulsory. introduced “invisibility” policies where Andy said his daughter “needs a phone to “The school in question is walking a thin phones have to be switched off and out of and from school in order to be safe”. line – the charity contribution is clearly not sight at all times. The school says that any phones found in voluntary, it is expressly ‘required’.” Damian Hinds, the education secretary, school will be confiscated, kept in the school An education lawyer, who did not wish speaking at a conference yesterday, said safe and returned only to parents. The policy to be named, said that schools could not he had “absolutely no reluctance about document states: “A £2 contribution to the impose fines, except for term-time holidays. banning mobile phones in schools”. school’s charity will be required for return.” A mandatory £2 “contribution” to get the “Headteachers make these decisions. And When asked whether the payment phone back amounted to a fine, he said. as it happens, the great majority of them was breaking rules, the Department for Micon Metcalfe, a fellow of the Institute of have made the decision either to ban mobile Education said parents could only be School Business Leadership, suggested the phones or restrict their use in some way, charged for items they bought from the school re-word its behaviour policy to make and I fully support them in doing that. I school. clear the £2 was a voluntary contribution. don’t want kids using mobile phones when And schools could not levy compulsory But Ross McGill, founder of Teacher they’re in school, clearly.” charges unless they were for optional Toolkit, said the policy could penalise South Wigston refused to comment, activities or items. disadvantaged families who “need to text despite repeated attempts by Schools Week.
7 @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, FEB 8 2019 Investigation: SEND funding
JUDGE CONDEMNS ‘EVISCERATED’ CARE PLAN
However, that additional cash is JESS STAUFENBERG “This is a shocking being used to plug budget shortfalls. In @STAUFENBERGJ INVESTIGATES Wolverhampton, for example, the additional example that shows the £632,000 it received pales in comparison n eight-year-old autistic boy with heartbreak that lots with this year’s £1 million forecast severe learning needs was denied of families are going overspend, forcing the council to “borrow Aspecialist schooling for at least forward” against future years’ high needs four months after a council unlawfully through as a result of the funding. “eviscerated” his plan for provision. Medway council is facing a £2.7 million The high court ruled Medway council was crisis in SEND funding” overspend on its high needs funding this “irrational and unlawful” when it stripped year. requirements for specialist provision from costs to challenge Medway under a judicial But Garry Freeman, a special needs co- the boy’s education, health and care plan review. ordinator, said: “Councils say they haven’t (EHCP), forcing a mainstream primary to The pupil, who has severe communication got the funding. But they’ve spent a fortune admit him. and sensory difficulties and was not named on fighting these legal cases.” Lawyers said the landmark ruling, issued in the ruling, was left without a school place Figures obtained by The Times show on Monday, hands schools more power to for months. The council has refused to councils have spent £100 million fighting challenge council pupil placements. confirm if he is now in school. parents over support for their disabled Medway now faces paying legal costs of Paul Whiteman, general secretary of children over four years, although they have at least £40,000, the same amount requested school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “This lost nine in ten appeals. by the school in extra funds to meet the is a shocking example that shows the Freeman said he had attended EHCP pupils’ needs before it took legal action. heartbreak that lots of families with pupils meetings where education psychologists’ The school feared for the boy’s safety if it with additional needs are going through as a recommendations were left out of the had to admit him because it did not have the result of the crisis in SEND funding. final plan because, by law, the council required provision, such as a sensory room. “Until we’ve got sufficient funding to was required to fund any provision they Medway instead produced a new EHCP meet the needs of all those pupils, either included. with a chunk of provision taken out – in mainstream settings or in specialist Sabrina Hobbs, the principal of Severndale including the requirement for a sensory provision, families like this will continue specialist academy in Shropshire, said room and workstation – which compelled to face months and even years of needless pupils were being “moved from pillar to the school to admit the pupil. anxiety.” post, not feeling valued or welcome in the After the Department for Education Last year the government announced system”. refused to help, the school’s academy trust £350 million of extra SEND funding for Schools Week has obtained a copy of the risked tens of thousands of pounds in legal councils. Medway judgment, which is yet to
8 Continued on next page @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, FEB 8 2019 Investigation: SEND funding
be published. The school still refused to take the pupil In April last year, the boy and his parents and asked Damian Hinds as secretary of moved from Greenwich, south London, state to intervene. where he was educated at a mainstream But the government agreed with primary with a specialist resource unit, to Medway’s argument that the SEND code of Medway in Kent. practice demanded councils work on the Medway proposed to retain the “presumption of mainstream” provision for Greenwich plan and asked a local school high needs pupils. to admit the pupil. However, the school The court ruled it was likely the school pointed out that the pupil’s EHCP said he was unsuitable and quashed the Medway needed to use a sensory room for one hour a plan. The pupil’s original EHCP will remain day, yet it had no space for one. in place and an alternative appropriate No teacher knew how to use a picture school found until it is properly reviewed. exchange communication system and the Judge Philip Mott QC said Medway school had also never delivered a P-level had “no proper basis for explaining and curriculum for pupils working below justifying its decision”. national curriculum assessments. The ruling said the deletions were Garry Freeman Sabrina Hobbs The school “feared” for the boy’s “personal “considerate and deliberate”, adding: “I am safety” as the environment was not adapted bound to conclude that Medway’s removal to his needs. of so much, without any change in the risk – all because it was so worried about It costed up a plan to provide extra evidence, was irrational and unlawful.” the impact on the child”, but judicial reviews provision at more than £40,000. But Ed Duff, the lawyer at HCB Solicitors were “clearly a viable option”. Medway offered little more than half that. who won the case, said the judgment It is estimated costs for the case were at Rather than looking elsewhere for “at least showed councils must make a “detailed least £40,000. temporary schooling”, Medway “decided to consideration of all available mainstream A spokesperson for Medway Council said: amend the Greenwich plan and name the schools” rather than just one. “We will be reviewing the outcome of the school”, said the judgment. He added the school took a “very serious judgment.”
SEND cash crisis exposed
FUNDRAISING TARGET MET FOR COUNCILS FACE FRESH WAVE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES CONTINUE TO 1 COURT ACTION AGAINST HINDS 2 JUDICIAL REVIEWS 3CUT BACK ON FUNDING
Families representing two pupils have In August, the High Court ruled that Bristol city South Gloucestershire is changing the successfully crowdfunded the initial council’s £5 million funding cuts to the SEND way it does EHCP assessments to reduce legal costs of more than £12,000 budget were unlawful– spurring other families a £12.5 million deficit in its schools’ to lodge a judicial review against to attempt similar judicial reviews. budget, the BBC reported on Tuesday. the government, according to the Now they are waiting to hear the outcomes of It is facing a £3 million shortfall in campaign group backing them, SEND two judicial reviews against councils heard in funding for special educational needs, Family Action. The families want to October. Surrey council was taken to the High largely because of the cost of sending prove that high needs cuts overseen Court over planned SEND cuts of more than £20 more SEND pupils to expensive private by education secretary Damian Hinds million, and Hackney council over plans to split institutions. The decision came after and chancellor Philip Hammond are SEND funding into five bands and reduce the headteachers rejected the council’s unlawful. They have also secured amount available in each band by five per cent. proposal to divert money from the legal aid. Neither outcomes have been announced. schools block to the high needs block. The parents, from North Yorkshire Similar judicial reviews are being planned Parents have called the changes and East Sussex, believe government against Gloucestershire and North Somerset “immoral”. grants are leaving councils unable to local authorities, but these are in “early stages,” Wiltshire council is proposing plans to fulfil legal obligations to pupils with said SEND Family Action. There are also replace three special schools with one disabilities. plans for judicial reviews against Richmond, new facility in a £20 million restructure, Anne-Marie Irwin, a lawyer at Leicestershire and Hampshire over council cuts the BBC also reported in November. Irwin Mitchell representing SEND to SEND pupils’ transport. The council said it needs an additional Family Action, has previously said Meanwhile a parent in Portsmouth is raising 220 places for SEND pupils over the campaigners believe “thousands of £6,000 for the legal costs of a judicial review next decade but current schools cannot children across the UK with special against planned SEND cuts of almost half a expand. But the local MP has raised educational needs are currently million pounds, according to their crowdfunding concerns about the extra travel time for unable to receive the support that page. pupils. they need”. Hampshire could also face a judicial review after it made post-16 SEND transport costs of £1,300 “chargeable” to them.
9 Do you have an EXTRAORDINARY colleague? 2019 Pearson National Teaching Award Categories:- • Outstanding New Teacher of the Year • Teacher of the Year in a Primary School • Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School • Headteacher of the Year in a Primary School • Headteacher of the Year in a Secondary School • Excellence in Special Needs Education • Digital Innovator of the Year • FE Team of the Year • FE Lecturer of the Year • Teaching Assistant of the year • Lifetime Achievement • Primary School of the Year ‘Making a Difference’ • Secondary School of the Year ‘Making a Difference’ Enter them today for a 2019 Pearson National Teaching Award
To give YOUR school and your amazing colleagues a chance to receive a prestigious national award simply go to www.teachingawards/enter to complete the form online and submit it by 10 March 2019. Make someone’s day – enter them today!
A great way to show appreciation across your school is by getting involved in our #ThankaTeacher campaign. It’s free and open to everyone. Encourage pupils, staff and parents to say “thank you” to an amazing teacher and we’ll send them a lovely card through the post. You can also choose to progress any Thank You’s received - by 17th Feb 2019 - by entering the teacher for an award. Simply go to www.teachingawards.com/thankyou @TeachingAwards TheTeachingAwards #thankateacher The Pearson Teaching Awards www.teachingawards.com @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, FEB 8 2019
DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News CONTACT US [email protected] Schools will face character ‘benchmarks’
FREDDIE WHITTAKER about business pitching in when it can, it’s about community groups speaking up and @FCDWHITTAKER inviting schools in. The government will develop new “It’s about adults volunteering. All of us “benchmarks” for character education, need to work together using the wide range against which schools will be required to of resources and experts that there are out assess themselves. there.” On Thursday Damian Hinds, the The advisory group will be led by Ian education secretary, said he was Bauckham, an academy chief who has assembling an “advisory group” to draw up already led major government reviews on recommendations for developing “character sex education and languages. and resilience” in pupils and new character Hinds also announced plans to benchmarks to measure the performance of Damian Hinds reintroduce the government’s national schools. on extra chores to a school’s to-do list”. character awards, which were set up by He wants the new benchmarks to be Addressing the Church of England’s Nicky Morgan, but shelved in 2017 by “similar” and to “do the same job” as Gatsby Foundation for Educational Leadership Justine Greening. benchmarks for careers guidance. conference, he said he expected the advisory The education secretary also set out Schools have to use the mandatory Gatsby group to report its recommendations in his ambition for pupils to have access to benchmarks to rate their own work on September, “with a view to implementing activities from “five foundations for building careers – but the government does not take next year”. character” – sport, creativity, performing, action against those that do not comply. Hinds said character and resilience were volunteering and membership and the Schools Week understands the new “the qualities, the inner resources that we world of work. benchmarks will help schools to interpret call on to get us through the frustrations and But when pressed about how he had come new Ofsted requirements to develop pupils’ setbacks that are part and parcel of life”. up with the five foundations, he said they character, including resilience, confidence But he added: “This is not about a DfE plan were based on “what I hear all the time from and independence. for building character. It has to be about schools, teachers, headteachers, mums and However, Hinds insisted he was “not piling schools learning from other schools, it’s dads, and kids”.