In the news: your weekly round-up

Top stories

The National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) has suggested bursaries may be the answer to help boost diversity among headteachers. The proposal follows its ‘Ethnic diversity in the teaching workforce’ review, which found that 86% of schools in England in 2021-22 had an all-white senior leadership team [Schools Week]. 

Support from GovernorHub Knowledge: Take your first steps in discussing unconscious bias as a governing board so you can help develop a culture of inclusion. 

Alternative provision (AP) settings and pupil referral units (PRUs) are suffering from oversubscription and challenges around reintegrating pupils to mainstream schools. This ‘crisis’ follows rising exclusions, support service cuts and fears over worsening behaviour [Tes Magazine - subscription required]. 

Support from GovernorHub Knowledge: Learn how to fulfil your role in promoting good behaviour as part of a whole-school approach, and find questions to ask to monitor behaviour in your school. 

Cross-party education select committee calls for an end to single-word Ofsted judgements. Most in the sector still want ‘strong accountability’ in schools [BBC News]. 

Support from GovernorHub Knowledge: Read a summary of Ofsted’s grade descriptors and understand how they inspect your school’s leadership and management.

This week's headlines

Schools Week

• London secondary schools threatened by falling rolls
• Support to offer out-of-hours lessons for schools affected with RAAC
• New ‘Ofsted Academy’ to open for inspector training
• Teacher training framework set to be updated
• Early career framework (ECF) reforms unveiled as schools minister admits mentor workload is “too high”
• EDSK think tank suggests new regulator and system of 'school boards'
• Ministers scrap hairdressing and barbering T-levels, leaving schools in limbo
• Councils close to bankruptcy over SEND funding according to MPs
• Education Endowment Federation (EEF) trial using ChatGPT to cut teacher workload

Tes Magazine - registration required

• Inclusion performance suggested as part of new Ofsted remit
• Leaders “must retain” right to strike over Ofsted “danger”
• Call for mandatory autism training for teachers to aid early diagnosis
• MPs call for Ofsted to make sure inspectors have relevant expertise

The Guardian 

• Rise in homeschooling could become permanent according to new data

The Independent

• Families sending children to school without food amid cost-of-living squeeze
• Coalition group unhappy with government’s transgender guidance calls for rethink

Upcoming dates

Friday 2 February – Candlemas

Sunday 4 February – World Cancer Day

Monday 5 February – Children’s Mental Health Week begins

Tuesday 6 February – International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Tuesday 6 February – Safer Internet Day

Wednesday 7 February – Isra and Mi'raj

Get your weekly reminder

Sign up to the news briefing email