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The plight of pupils in lockdown areas A digital newspaper determined to get past the bluster and explain the facts. P9 ‘ I remember being in ‘ Grades aren’t Secrecy over a classroom when a sweeties to be ‘orphan’ trust bomb went off’ handed out as CEO’s departure compensation’ P20-22 P24 P4 SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK | @SCHOOLSWEEK FRIDAY, OCT 23 2020 | EDITION 228 The Ofqual files Long-awaited board minutes reveal the inside story of this year’s exams fiasco Pages 6-7 No evidence for minister’s claim that parents ‘prefer to pay’ for kids’ meals DfE unable to evidence former children minister’s FSM claim Zahawi said report showed parents prefer to pay ‘£1 or £2’ for food Tory MP slammed for ‘misleading’ public as meals plea snubbed FREDDIE WHITTAKER | @FCDWHITTAKER EXCLUSIVE PAGE 10 INTRODUCING THE NEW INSPIRING JOB ROLES IN EDUCATION @SCHOOLSWEEK EDITION 228 | FRIDAY, OCT 23, 2020 Meet the news team John Dickens Laura McInerney JL Dutaut EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR COMMISSIONING EDITOR @JOHNDICKENSSW @MISS_MCINERNEY @DUTAUT [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Jess Staufenberg Freddie Whittaker Samantha Booth COMMISSIONING CHIEF REPORTER SENIOR REPORTER EDITOR @STAUFENBERGJ @FCDWHITTAKER @SAMANTHAJBOOTH [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]@SCHOOLSWEEK.CO.UK James Carr Nicky Phillips Shane Mann SENIOR REPORTER HEAD DESIGNER MANAGING DIRECTOR @JAMESCARR_93 @SHANERMANN@GELVETICA @SHANERMANN [email protected] [email protected]@FEWEEK.CO.UK [email protected] THE TEAM Designer: Simon Kay | Sales team leader: Bridget Stockdale | Sales executive: Clare Halliday | PA to managing director: Victoria Boyle QUEST TRUST – PRINCIPAL - £70,000-£80,000 NEGOTIABLE SUBJECT TO EXPERIENCE HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/2H0I ACTIVE LEARNING TRUST - ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION - UP TO £80KPA HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/9VKG LEXDEN SPRINGS SCHOOL - DEPUTY HEAD TEACHER – SEN - LPS 21-25 HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/BD7O HOLLYGIRT SCHOOL - HEADTEACHER - £65,000 - £75,000 HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/T9MP THE RUSSETT LEARNING TRUST – EXECUTIVE HEADTEACHER - LEADERSHIP: L27 TO L32 HTTPS://HTTPSLINK.COM/ASV9 TO ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCY WITH EDUCATION WEEK JOBS AND 2 PLEASE CALL 020 81234 778 OR EMAIL [email protected] @SCHOOLSWEEK EDITION 228 | FRIDAY, OCT 23, 2020 Contents EDITION 228 Cuts mean those who can’t afford it can’t teach Investigation: The rise of home education Page 25 Page 5 Talk is cheap, and children need more of it Page 23 When it comes to CPD, shift happens Page 26 Disclaimer: If you wish to reproduce an article from Schools Week is owned and published either the digital paper or the website, both by Lsect Ltd. 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CONSULTANCY AND TRAINING LTD The design of the digital newspaper and of co.uk with Error/Concern in the subject E: [email protected] 163-165 GREENWICH HIGH ROAD LONDON SE10 8JA the website is copyright of Lsect Ltd and line. Please include the page number T: 020 81234 778 or click here T: 020 8123 4778 material from the newspaper should not and story headline, and explain what the E: [email protected] be reproduced without prior permission. problem is. SUBSCRIBE 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. 3 schoolsweek.co.uk or call 020 8123 4778 to subscribe or click here. @SCHOOLSWEEK EDITION 228 | FRIDAY, OCT 23, 2020 DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News CONTACT US [email protected] ‘Orphan’ school trust silent on CEO’s departure JOHN DICKENS @JOHNDICKENSSW EXCLUSIVE The special academy trust set up by the government to take over “orphan” schools has refused to explain why its chief executive has left the role. Questions surround the departure of Gareth Mason as chief executive of the Falcon Education Academies Trust. The trust was set up last year with the support of government to take over schools no one wants (SNOWs) in the north of England. Schools Week understands Mason has not been seen at the trust for at least two weeks. But a spokesperson for Falcon refused to explain why he has left the role. They would only say: “Our CEO was on secondment to the trust but this has Gareth Mason (second from right) with (from left to right) Stockton South MP Matt Vickers, Falcon chair ended, with the trust led by an interim David Earnshaw and Gavin Williamson at Thornaby Academy in January CEO and director of education.” Anne-Marie Holdsworth, Falcon’s chief “orphan” schools. who is also chair of trustees at the operating officer, has taken the interim Schools Week has long highlighted the Outwood Grange Academies Trust, which CEO position. plight of such schools – which are given has 32 schools across the north of England. Mason being employed via a academy orders after poor Ofsted ratings, Another trustee is Kamruddin Kothia, who secondment has not been mentioned but are still waiting to be taken over. is chair of the Star Academies Trust. before. His appointment to the role The most extreme example is the Hanson When announcing the trust was doesn’t appear to have been announced School, in Bradford, which has been to be set up in September last year, publicly at the time, but he has held the waiting nine years for a sponsor, after education secretary Gavin Williamson position since at least December. being shunned by three academy trusts. said it would be run by school leaders It also appears that a webpage entitled It was rated ‘inadequate’ again earlier this with a “proven track record of turning Our Team on Falcon’s website has recently year and has spent six of the past ten years around underperforming schools”. been taken down. in special measures. It would be “expected” to take on the Falcon said Mason had been on Gibb told MPs there were still “too many” “most challenging schools” by “offering secondment from the Delta Academies of these schools. He said issues blocking a route into a strong academy trust that Trust, one of the largest in the country, academy sponsorship included deficits allows school improvement to begin running 50 schools. and hefty private finance initiatives immediately”. A spokesperson for Delta also refused attached to schools. So far, Falcon has taken on a solitary to answer questions about Mason’s But he pointed to the Falcon trust, school, Thornaby Academy, in Stockton- employment. Instead they said: “Delta is saying the government had set this up to on-Tees, which joined the trust in providing senior leadership and school “take those schools that have not found a September. improvement support to Falcon Education home, to sponsor them, to sort out their Schools Week can also reveal that the Academies Trust during its early problems”. trust has been awarded just over £500,000 development. This support is ongoing and He added that academies minister to expand as part of the government’s trust a number of senior colleagues continue to Baroness Berridge was “absolutely capacity fund. work with Falcon in school improvement determined that we are going to get those The cash is handed out to help trusts and leadership roles.” schools into sponsors”. expand before March next year. The disclosure comes as schools When asked why Mason had left the role, A spokesperson for Falcon said the cash minster Nick Gibb was challenged by the Department for Education issued the will “allow us to ensure good progress at MPs on the education select committee same statement as Falcon. the schools we are supporting now and in this week about what he is doing to help The trust is chaired by David Earnshaw, the future”. 4 @SCHOOLSWEEK EDITION 228 | FRIDAY, OCT 23, 2020 DO YOU HAVE A STORY? Investigation CONTACT US [email protected] Minister intervenes as home education soars FREDDIE WHITTAKER @FCDWHITTAKER EXCLUSIVE The government has intervened to urge parents not to take the decision to remove their children from school “lightly” after councils across England reported soaring increases in elective home education (EHE) registrations. Elective time education is when a child is permanently removed from a school’s roll to be educated at home. It is different from home- schooling, and means parents or carers take sole responsibility for their child’s education, including any associated costs. Only a small proportion of the nation’s children are home-educated, but registrations have rocketed this term, with some of the country’s largest local authorities reporting increases of more than 200 per cent. Baroness Berridge, the minister for the school system, this week urged parents considering home education to talk to schools. being sent home, schools part-closing, all those Councillor Jonathan Pryor, the city’s “Home education is never a decision that kinds of things, whilst at the same time [the executive member for learning, skills and should be entered into lightly.