In the news: your weekly round-up

Top stories

Government announces “ambition” for all primaries to provide wraparound care. The treasury expects most schools to be able to deliver the provision “self-sufficiently” from 2026 [Schools Week]. Find out what questions you’ll need to ask about health and safety if your school is setting up a new breakfast club or wraparound care.

New survey finds school staff workload is ‘unmanageable’. Staff also reported lacking resources to do their job and not feeling valued at work [Tes Magazine - registration required]. Find out how to monitor staff wellbeing to promote a healthy work-life balance in your school.

Pupils as young as 10 involved in social media abuse. Schools are reporting pupils to the police for incidents related to threats of violence, racist and homophobic abuse, and sexual harassment online [Schools Week]. Understand what you can do to help keep pupils safe online.

This week’s headlines

• Pay negotiations could start next week following 2 days of strike action [The Guardian - free registration required]
• DfE to prioritise mental health, including suicide prevention, in relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) review [Schools Week]
• SATs results to be delayed by a week due to coronation bank holiday [The Telegraph - registration required]
• Education publisher Pearson announced as Oak National Academy’s curriculum partner [Tes magazine - registration required]
• Plans for SEND contextual league tables scrapped following “mixed feedback” [Schools Week]
• Head of Ofqual calls for exam conditions for coursework over fears of AI chatbot cheating [Schools Week]
• MPs launch fresh campaign to extend free school meals (FSM) to all primary pupils [The Guardian - free registration required]
• Labour would replace Ofsted grades and introduce an annual review of school safeguarding, says shadow education secretary [Tes magazine - registration required]

Dates for next week

Tuesday 21 March - International Day for the elimination of racial discrimination

Tuesday 21 March - World Down Syndrome Day

Tuesday 21 March - World Poetry Day

Wednesday 22 March - World Water Day

Thursday 23 March - Ramadan begins 

Sunday 26 March - Daylight saving time starts

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