The DfE quietly gave councils the option in December to either go ahead with special school projects or accept alternative funding in its place, after putting projects on hold for months.
We've been tracking the decisions made by councils - and now over half of projects look set to be built
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and junior ministers will take questions in the House of Commons at 2:30pm today.
Follow our live blog for updates
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/live-blog-phillipson-and-ministers-take-education-questions-in-parliament/
Pupils with only the “most complex needs” will require an education, health and care plan by 2035, the government has said as it outlines its large-scale reforms to the SEND system
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-white-paper-what-is-happening-to-ehcps-under-send-reforms/
💭 As the sector awaits the long-delayed SEND reforms, many schools have started to work together to create more inclusive environments.
We spoke to three schools leading the way...
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/sharing-not-siloed-the-special-schools-bringing-inclusion-into-the-mainstream/
Another big government announcement for schools, and more questions over how it will be funded and resourced
We looked into how many 'inclusion bases' already exist within schools today...
Exclusive: Fewer than one in 30 teachers and leaders say their school uses suspensions excessively, despite fresh government pressure on leaders to keep more pupils in school
schoolsweek.co.uk/we-dont-use-...
An important development from last week's announcement of the upcoming suspensions guidance.
The DfE has told Schools Week it will consult on the best ways to record internal exclusions as it encourages more suspensions to stay in-school.
Exclusive: The government appears to lack a clear picture of which schools are defying its expectation that they should operate a 32.5-hour week, after dozens of schools suggested data on their school week was 'inaccurate'
schoolsweek.co.uk/dodgy-dfe-da...
Good to see the DfE admit the use of internal suspensions are "informal and inconsistently applied"
Our investigation on the practice revealed secondary schools that use internal suspensions were isolating around a fifth of their pupils
schoolsweek.co.uk/only-suspend...
Ofsted has found 'no evidence' to substantiate concerns about political impartiality at a school that postponed the visit of an MP due to planned pro-Palestine protests
schoolsweek.co.uk/no-evidence-...
The government has toughened up its stance on mobile phones in schools in the past week, announcing new Ofsted inspection powers and updated guidance all while facing pressure to ban social media for under-16s.
Here's everything you need to know about the changes ⬇️
schoolsweek.co.uk/new-mobile-p...
Exclusive: Ministers have promised extra SEND cash for councils as part of the White Paper after it temporarily froze uplifts for high needs blocks
Councils have warned the freezing will plunge their deficits further into the red
schoolsweek.co.uk/extra-send-c...
Schools facing 'significant' attendance and behaviour issues will receive 10 days of leadership support over three terms from their allocated lead school
This will involve surveying staff and pupils and carrying out a full-day exercise into challenges faced
Former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson texted the PM he had been 'f****d over' by decisions made without consulting him during the pandemic, the Covid inquiry has heard today
And Dame Christine says she has never known the SEND system so angry
On the upcoming white paper, she says “government is taking a while, probably longer than you hope, to get its plans right”
Rees says SEND should not be thought as a "separate", but "something that should influence the main fundamentals of schooling"
He says we should move away from the "implication that there are two different types of children in our schools”
I'm at the Tes SEND Show where we'll shortly be hearing from Tom Rees and Dame Christine Lenehan on the DfE's SEND strategy, as well as panellists Emma Balchin, Colin Foley, Amanda Allard and Dr Asha Patel on wider SEND reform hopes.
A trust CEO has told the Covid inquiry the former education secretary said it was 'too late to do anything' after he raised grave concerns over plans to award grades during the first year of Covid based on an algorithm
schoolsweek.co.uk/its-too-late...
Ofsted should fail schools on safeguarding if pupils are caught using smartphones in lessons, says shadow education secretary Laura Trott
schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-shoul...
🌱 As climate expectations from the government increase on schools, what lessons can be learned from a trust that has prioritised sustainability for seven years?
@ruthlucas.bsky.social visits Northern Star Academies Trust in Bradford to find out...
Free school breakfasts, brought to you by Kellogg’s and Greggs …
Government seeks food provider sponsors to support its flagship scheme, and offers ‘promotional rights’ in return
Scoop from @ruthlucas.bsky.social
schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-seeks-bu...
