In the news: your weekly round-up

Top stories

Suspensions affect pupils’ chances at GCSE and leave them a year behind their peers. A recent study also found that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), mental health issues or who are repeatedly absent, were more likely to be suspended [The Guardian]. 

Support from GovernorHub Knowledge: Be clear on how to review your suspension and permanent exclusion policy, and the questions to ask when you review it, to make sure your school is supporting the pupils who need it. 

Ofsted’s website is set to change to show each school’s component grades, not just the overall judgement. This is intended to help parents/carers compare providers more effectively, although unions have called for a more significant overhaul of the grading system [Schools Week]. 

Support from GovernorHub Knowledge: Use our Ofsted glossary for governors to get up to speed with all the jargon used in the world of Ofsted. 

Exam board AQA is launching a free digital maths test to help teachers understand why pupils are struggling. The test is aimed at pupils in secondary schools, especially those looking to re-sit their maths GCSE [Schools Week]. 

Support from GovernorHub Knowledge: Understand your role as a numeracy/maths link governor, and find questions you can ask maths subject leaders to challenge and support them.

This week's headlines

Schools Week

• New ASCL boss prepares to take over ahead of pay battle
• £1m saved as tutoring mentor scheme ends early
• Ofsted considering a 3-month respite to improve if a school fails on safeguarding 
• Number of standalone schools falling due to academy trust development statements
• Exam boards told to introduce new security measures following cyber attack
• Labour promises SEND plan, post-election
• Politicians urged to take opportunity to raise per-pupil funding thanks to falling rolls
• Oak National Academy exploring idea of quality standards for external curriculum resources
• £8.5m needed by Ofsted to deliver more in-depth inspections, according to new chief inspector
• Schools minister Damian Hinds gives evidence to education committee, including claiming all schools restrict phone use
• Holiday pay guidance to be reviewed amid fears schools could be left out of pocket

Tes Magazine – registration required

• Politicians “undermine” attendance drive by putting down schools
• Leaders concerned about relying on international recruitment
• More transparency needed in regional “layer” of school system, according to shadow education minister
• “Naive” to undervalue arts subjects, NAHT warns
• Ofsted's ‘Big Listen’ consultation missing questions for alternative provision (AP) leaders
• High-performing schools don’t reflect local communities, according to ‘catch-up Tsar’
• Education secretary Gillian Keegan urged to publicly retract Ofsted punch comment

GOV.UK

• Ofsted’s 'Big Listen' consultation launches

The Guardian 

• More parents/carers in England are home-educating than ever before
• Guidance on treatment of transgender pupils poses legal risks, say unions
• “Escalating crisis” in child mental and physical health leading to calls for increased play

The Independent

• Parents/carers urged to stop texting their children at school

Upcoming dates

Sunday 17 March – St Patrick’s Day

Monday 18 March – National Child Exploitation Awareness Day

Thursday 21 March – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Thursday 21 March – World Down Syndrome Day

Thursday 21 March – World Poetry Day

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