In the news: your weekly round-up

Top stories

2.8% pay increase recommended by the government for public sector workers. However, unions believe it’s too low, with strike action threatened by 1 union [BBC News]

Support from GovernorHub Knowledge: refresh your knowledge of the current pay awards in place in our article.

DfE is seeking views on the barriers to flexible working. It’s requesting official recommendations on how guidance could be updated to encourage job shares, partial retirement, a 9-day teaching fortnight and staggered starts [Schools Week]

Support from GovernorHub Knowledge: learn about the most recent changes to flexible working rights with our article. 

Lesson planning time cut by almost 1/3 when using AI, Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) trial reveals. Teachers using AI to plan parts of lessons spent 56.2 minutes planning compared to 81.5 minutes in the control group [Tes Magazine - subscription required]

Support from GovernorHub Knowledge: AI is just one of the potential ways to reduce workload. Find out how you can promote a healthy staff work-life balance without stepping on the toes of the day-to-day running of your school.

This week's headlines

Schools Week

• Half of defibrillators in schools are “invisible” to ambulance crews, with leaders urged to register them on the national database
• Investigation launched into suspected “bid-rigging” in order to secure contracts to improve the condition of school buildings
• Teacher recruitment data might be underplaying the challenge schools’ are facing, according to the DfE

Tes Magazine - registration required

• Ofsted’s annual report: absence concerns, SEND pressures and the rise in flexi-schooling
• 45% uplift announced for early years pupil premium funding

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Wed 18 December – World Arabic Language Day

Fri 20 December – International Human Solidarity Day

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