In the news: your weekly round-up

Top stories

The school leaders’ union NAHT has launched legal action against Ofsted, arguing that consultation over the new inspection proposals was inadequate. The union also raised concerns around the number of inspection areas and that the focus on wellbeing, which initially prompted the reforms, has been ‘lost’ [Schools Week].

Read our article to help you understand your role as a governor in your school’s post-Ofsted action plan.

The government aims to produce a fully-costed plan to tackle the SEND crisis by April 2026, and set out what inclusive education looks like by the end of this year. These plans come as a response to the Commons Public Accounts Committee’s report earlier this year, where MPs gave their recommendations for ‘urgent action’ needed to improve provision for pupils with SEND [Tes magazine - subscription required].

Use our checklist to help you review your school’s SEND policy and make sure your school is meeting its requirements.

Close to 100,000 pupils are to receive their GCSE results via a government app this summer, as part of a new DfE trial. Pupils in Greater Manchester and West Midlands will trial the app this year. The government says that the app, if fully rolled out, could help schools and colleges save up to £30 million in annual admin costs [Schools Week].

Use our article to learn how to review your school’s exam contingency plan effectively, and find questions you can ask to check that the plan is fit for purpose.

This week's headlines

• Digital learning expert warns of the risks of AI in early years education [Tes magazine – subscription required]

• Girls in 200 schools are to receive government funding to study maths, with a hope to boost female take-up of careers in AI-related fields [Schools Week]

• Headteachers in the NAHT vote for a route to allow academies to rejoin local authorities [Tes magazine – subscription required]
• Unions file for legal action against the Teaching Regulation Agency, amidst claims that black and minority ethnic teachers may be over-represented in misconduct referrals [Schools Week]

• Think tank argues for GCSE modern foreign languages and computer science to be graded more generously [Schools Week]

Upcoming dates

Monday 12 May – A-level exams and Key Stage 2 SATs begin

Thursday 15 May – summer school census day

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