In the news: your weekly round-up

Top stories

School attendance data shows more unauthorised absences in the last week of the summer term than the rest of the 2023-24 academic year. Parents/carers acknowledge that raised fines and threat of prosecution are not a deterrent to term-time holidays [BBC News]. 

Support from GovernorHub Knowledge: Understand the rules on pupil absence, including your school’s admission register and attendance register.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) review recommends increasing the early years pupil premium and a new qualified teaching status for early years. It also suggests more funding for primaries is needed to deliver school-based nursery plans [Tes Magazine - registration required]. 

Support from GovernorHub Knowledge: Get to grips with everything you need to know about the EYFS framework and profile, so you’re clued-up and ready to hold your school leaders to account.

Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to be integrated into the DfE by March 2025. This should give schools a single point of contact for financial management and support [Schools Week].  

Support from GovernorHub Knowledge: Learn the basics of how your school is funded, including what additional streams of funding are available, so you're clear on what elements make up your school finances.

This week's headlines

Schools Week

• Ofsted report cards to offer a much wider picture of schools
• New regional school improvement teams to be rolled out in early 2025
• 40% of education, health and care (EHC) plan decisions for pupils with SEND took more than 6 months last year, according to new data
• Helen Hayes elected education committee chair
• EEF research to uncover whether flexible working boosts teacher retention
• Disadvantage gap narrows in primary schools, but remains above pre-pandemic levels
• Teacher shortage: trusts targeting sixth formers in recruitment drive
• Ofsted plans inclusion criteria with the help of charities
• Labour's manifesto pledge for 6,500 more teachers deemed unrealistic
• Grammar schools generating funding through mock 11-plus exams
• Amanda Spielman looks back on and defends her Ofsted leadership

Tes Magazine – registration required

• Ofsted Academy chief: school inspections will always be “high stakes”
• Higher rates of absence likely to remain until COVID-19 pupils leave secondary, according to new research
• Government unaware of “systemic racism” in teaching, says former ASCL president
• Strike ballot at sixth-form colleges announced by NEU
• Teacher retention crisis: would a 9 day fortnight help?
• UK behind most OECD nations on early education spending, according to new study
• Clear government strategy for teacher mental health needed, says Education Support

BBC News

• Pre-employment checks needed for private tutors, advises children’s commissioner
• Assemblies on respect to be shown across the country following riots
• 100s of pupils with SEN missing from school, according to new report
• Knife crime lessons should be compulsory, say grieving parents

The Guardian

• Girls' brains affected by lockdown more than boys' brains, according to study of MRI scans
• Disruption from lockdowns likely to affect schools into the 2030s
• English curriculum should focus on “inclusive and diverse stories”, says ex-children’s laureate
• Prime minister urged to bring back community cohesion programmes in schools

Upcoming dates for this week

Sunday 15 September – International Day of Democracy

Monday 16 September – Jeans for Genes Week begins

Monday 16 September – The Prophet Muhammad’s birthday

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