In the news: your weekly round-up

Top stories

Reforms to protect 1,000s of pupils take a step forward. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill was debated in Parliament this week, marking a crucial step to better protect vulnerable children [GOV.UK].

The new proposals include improved safeguards to protect home-educated children and reforms around the cost of school uniforms. Refresh your memory on the current rules around school uniforms with our article.

SEND is the “biggest issue” for schools, according to the chief of Ofsted. The SEND system’s high costs and low outcomes represents a “lose-lose situation”, Sir Martyn Oliver told the education committee this week [BBC News].

Need a SEND refresher? Our QuickRead article offers a brief overview on 1 page.

Slimming down the curriculum will give schools greater flexibility to develop bespoke offerings, Professor Becky Francis says. The lead for the government’s curriculum review suggests that the review could free up time, particularly helping to support smaller schools [Tes - registration required].

Learn how to monitor your school’s curriculum effectively and what this might look like for your board.

This week's headlines

• Headteachers face difficult decisions over school spending [BBC News]
• Almost 90% of schools with RAAC are yet to have work carried out [Schools Week]
• Last round of trust capacity funding falls £18m short of requests [Tes Magazine - subscription required]
• Details revealed by Sir Martyn Oliver about what Ofsted’s new report cards should cover

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Thursday 16 January  – Spring school census day

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