By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter. I recently argued that this autumn would give us a very good sense of whether David Cameron was a radical or a managerial Prime Minister. In an article for the Mail on Sunday (at the bottom of this link) the Prime Minister admits that his government has been too […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Education, gave a speech at the Durand Academy in Stockwell, South London, earlier this week. We're covering it a couple of days late, but it was an important speech, and I've highlighted below some sections that readers will be interested in: Mr […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter Figures released today by the Department of Education show that the introduction of the new English Baccalaureate is having an immediate impact – the proportion of pupils taking the core academic subjects at GCSE level has increased. The English Baccalaureate, which was introduced in January this year, is achieved by […]
The Government has written to Chief Planning Officers to tell them that there should be a "presumption" in favour of allowing state schools to expand. This is a good objective not just for new free schools starting but for allowing existing state schools to expand. Of course some local councils regard the expansion of good […]
Figures from the Department of Education show that there were 5,740 children expelled ("permanently excluded") from state schools last year. It is equivalent to 0.08% of children. That is a tiny number and does indicate that there are some pretty disruptive children who should be removed from mainstream schooling that are being endlessly temporarily excluded. […]
John Bald, an independent education consultant and blogger, says numeracy should be separated from abstract maths There used to be advice given to MPs – it may have been from MacMillan – that they should aim to make one good point in a speech as a backbencher, perhaps two as a minister. Non-governmental task forces […]
The Department for Education report that the number of schools that are now academies has reached 1,070. When I wrote about it last month the figure was 801. There are hundreds more school applications to convert to academy status in the system. Another 107 came in during July. They include five schools in Kent, which […]
Henry Fawcett primary school in Lambeth was doing badly until 1999 when a new headmaster took over, James Walker. But he was forced out in November 2008 by Lambeth Council over false bullying allegations. He was banned from entering borough parks or libraries. Files from his office were seized. He was told to stay away […]
Cllr Paul Carter, the leader of Kent County Council, fresh from wasting a lot of money on an unsuccessful challenge to Government policy on Building Schools for the Future, is keeping up the attack. He has sent a missive to teachers and school governors in his county warning against schools seeking academy status. He says: […]
By Tim Montgomerie Follow Tim on Twitter. Responding to Michael Gove in the House of Commons a few minutes ago, Labour's education spokesman Andy Burnham wished the Education Secretary the "best of British luck" in getting any coverage for what he has just announced. He'll need more than luck, Mr Gove will need a miracle […]
All teachers will be expected to meet new standards of competence and conduct from September 2012, following an independent review of the skills that teachers should possess. They are a key part of the Government’s ambition to ensure the status and quality of the teaching profession continues to rise. I’m delighted that in March this […]
Interesting exchange in Hansard from Education Questions on Monday. Bob Blackman: I congratulate the Secretary of State on leading this quiet revolution in education in this country, freeing schools from the dead hand of local education authorities and allowing them to develop and grow. What role does he foresee local education authorities fulfilling in the […]
Last month, 97 schools became academies – the equivalent of more than four opening every school day. This takes the total number of open academies to 801, meaning that academies now account for more than 20 per cent of all secondary schools in England. Also the number of schools that have applied to be academies […]