"It’s great for us, and not necessarily equitable for the sector as a whole." @jabedahmed.bsky.social reveals the investment returns of the 20 biggest MATs in 2024-25. www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/how-much-money-do-mats-make-from-investments

Positive move led by @naht.org.uk to increase independent scrutiny of Ofsted www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Is the primary sector ready for compulsory citizenship education? @cerysturner.bsky.social has found the ask for primary schools is potentially enormous, and the skills required to teach it extensive. So what is being proposed and how might schools have to adapt? www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Citizenship is being made statutory in English primary schools - but what does this mean in practice and are teachers and school leaders ready for it? Great piece by @cerysturner.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/new... @tesmagazine.bsky.social

NEW: DfE, Ofsted & @naht.org.uk are working together to monitor how inspections are impacting school leaders. It comes after the union's failed legal bid against the school watchdog last year. NAHT hopes it will lead to "more protection in the longer term". www.tes.com/magazine/new...

The academy trust sector's underlying financial position is "fragile", according to a new report. 📉“Challenges such as rising costs and continuing uncertainty are already weighing on confidence and limiting trusts’ ability to plan, invest, and grow." www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Baroness (Estelle) Morris: “We cannot have a schools policy that has in it an acceptance that some schools will wither on the vine and fail.” Baroness (Diana) Barran: "I just think it is about respecting parent choice.” Background: www.tes.com/magazine/new...

NEU policy and Green education policy are “very much aligned”, @danielkebedeneu.bsky.social tells @zackpolanski.bsky.social in his latest pod. Is the country's largest edu union going Green? The NEU is not politically affiliated, but recent member polling suggests they are warming to the party.

The government has not committed to changing policy to mandate home-to-school transport for breakfast clubs

The govt has focused heavily on white working-class boys - improving outcomes for this group will feature heavily in the WP. But it is their female peers who see the sharpest drop at GCSE. A great investigation from @charlottesantry.bsky.social showing how they have slipped through the net:

Should the national year of reading be equally focused on parents as it is on children? 📚Findings from @parentkind.bsky.social & shared with Tes, show that more than a quarter of parents have avoided reading with their children because of their own reading ability: www.tes.com/magazine/new...

NEW: @danielkebedeneu.bsky.social says he has concerns about Ofsted’s decision to inspect the school & calls the attention “entirely unwarranted”. + "There was never a need for Sir Martyn Oliver to call for an Ofsted inspection" + Staff received "unfair accusations” www.tes.com/magazine/new...

This raises HUGE questions for the DfE and Ofsted.

🚨NEW: Ofsted finds "no evidence" to back concerns of political bias at a Bristol school that postponed a visit from a Jewish MP. There were concerns that Bristol Brunel Academy postponed the visit by Labour MP Damien Egan after political pressure: www.tes.com/magazine/new...

WhatsApp was not included in the Australian social media ban for U16s, yet it is driving more pastoral incidents in schools than other social media. Excellent exclusive from @cerysturner.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Confirmation today of a @tesmagazine.bsky.social scoop from last term:

NEW: The govt will test an AI tutoring programme specifically to support disadvantaged students. Tes first reported back in October that the govt was exploring AI tutoring ⬇️ www.tes.com/magazine/new...

NEW: The govt will test an AI tutoring programme specifically to support disadvantaged students. Tes first reported back in October that the govt was exploring AI tutoring ⬇️ www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Schools risk being marked down by Ofsted if they don't comply with the govt's latest phone restrictions. Not following the non-statutory guidance suggests schools may not be taking "effective action to secure pupils’ positive behaviour and wellbeing", Ofsted said. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Has a world without P8 been as damaging as many believed it would be for those schools in disadvantaged areas? @ktorm-social1.bsky.social has looked at the data, talked to the sector and looked at the fallout, particularly with Ofsted - and the picture is mixed. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Thank you @tesmagazine.bsky.social for your support. Our 5th Annual Headteacher Wellbeing Report is an important read. Published on our website next week.

School leaders are having to seek medical support as a result of “undeliverable” expectations and work demands set by multi-academy trusts and local authorities, a headteacher support service has warned. Another great exclusive by @cerysturner.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Most teachers support a social media ban for under-16s. But what problems do they think this would help solve, could there be unintended consequences for schools - and is social media the issue, or phones in general? @cerysturner.bsky.social finds out:

“Because explicit images are so common now, I think the police view is, ‘Well, that’s another one’” How would a social media ban for U16s impact schools? Plenty support it, but some worry about negative impacts. Excellent @cerysturner.bsky.social article below www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Excl: A headteacher support service has warned leaders are seeking medical treatment over "unethical" treatment by trusts and councils. While most trusts & LAs act with integrity, @headrestuk.bsky.social says these "disturbing" cases are now “increasingly recurring".

It’s been a busy week for the under‑16s social media debate, with a govt consultation & a Lords vote. Teachers are one of the best gauges of how students are faring online. They tell me how the darker sides of social media can often spill inside the school gates.

“Mobile phones have no place in our schools” but AI learning tools are “different”, the education secretary tells BETT London. Phillipson also committed an extra £23m for new edtech tools. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

‘We have now reached crunch time’ on SEND reform, with SEND spending set to more than double between 2015 and 2028, @theifs.bsky.social report warns

Trinity chief executive Michael Gosling said the trust had “worked too hard to create a collaborative, healthy culture” and that “allowing a toxic culture to infect that simply drags all down to a lower level”. Ouch.

The govt's mobile phones in school guidance remains *broadly* the same. - 'Never seen' models are no longer an option - More onus on filtering systems, perhaps pre-empting further social media regulations

New: Official guidance for schools has told them to “tune into feelings over facts” when handling parental complaints. Parents have also been given their own version of the guidance, which is backed by govt and unions.

📲 NEW: Schools are now expected to be fully phone-free, the govt has announced. + Pupils should not have access to phones during lessons, break times, or between lessons + Staff are also expected to not use their phones in front of pupils + Ofsted will check schools are following phone-ban

One to watch on Wednesday: The Lords will be voting on amendments in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - including this one about restricting social media access for under-16s 📲

One to watch on Wednesday: The Lords will be voting on amendments in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - including this one about restricting social media access for under-16s 📲

The government is setting a new expectation that all teachers and staff in schools should receive training on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and inclusion and will be spending £200m on new training courses. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Great data piece from @jabedahmed.bsky.social : 💷Inner London teachers are paid up to 17% more 🏘️ Avg inner London house prices are more than 10x a non-London teacher’s annual salary 🗺️Find out how much you'll be paid as a teacher across the country... and how much housing prices are.

FDA research finds: 98% of HMI are working beyond their contracted hours 89% of HMI say this is harming their wellbeing 62% say Ofsted does nothing to address HMI working overtime Addressing these long-standing issues impacting the lives of inspectors is vital for the success of the new framework

It amazes me that politicians and a huge number of those working in the education sector itself look at teacher burnout, industrial action, the inability to properly handle SEND, the gameable lumpen exam system - and even regulator burnout - and say, "let's all just try harder!"

More than eight in 10 senior Ofsted inspectors have felt “apprehensive” about telling others what their job is. And 70 per cent of HMI are either actively looking for a new job or would consider leaving if a better opportunity arose. Exclusive by @cerysturner.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Excl: A glum picture presented in the first major polling of senior inspectors since Ofsted launched its school report cards. 📈70% of HMI are open to leaving 📈Almost all HMI are working overtime & it's having a "detrimental impact" on their work

Ofsted is inspecting a Bristol school today after concerns it may have been "intimidated" into cancelling a visit from Jewish MP Damien Egan. The trust, Cabot Learning Federation, says that it postponed the visit out of safety concerns due to planned protests: www.tes.com/magazine/new...

The PM has said that “all options are on the table” regarding the possibility of an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s. Our excl polling has shown that teachers would back greater regulation ⬇️

📲 Excl: Teachers are overwhelmingly supportive of social media restrictions for under 18s 70% now strongly agree, up from 62% in 2024 and 49% in 2021. Primary teachers are also more supportive. Whether the govt goes ahead with a full ban, or introduces restrictions, it appears teachers will back.

Education committee chair @helenhayes.bsky.social has written to Ofcom with urgent concerns about Grok: committees.parliament.uk/publications...

Since it's starter pack season again, here's some reporters who report on social affairs, poverty, public services etc. Some of them post here more than others go.bsky.app/Hp9iayA

New: Ofsted has published the first batch of report cards for individual schools. Interesting - three schools have already got an 'exceptional' grade in at least one area. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

The government is rehauling England's curriculum and assessment system following Prof Becky Francis' review last year - but they're not doing it alone. We've got the full list of all the experts who will be drafting subject content for the revised curriculum: www.tes.com/magazine/new...

"While some say schools have become too quick to exclude, others point to worsening classroom behaviour and argue that, if anything, heads face too much “pushback” on removing students." @ktorm-social1.bsky.social explores a fierce debate on exclusion. www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

Much has been made of permanent exclusions reaching record levels last year. But what happens next? Exclusion reviews are rising every year - so what does this mean for schools? Are heads facing more scrutiny? My latest for @tesmagazine.bsky.social: