The DfE has increased its spend on influencers by nearly 1,500% since 2022. But what impact are these ‘very expensive’ adverts having? @ktorm-social1.bsky.social explores

“You mark your own homework. It’s not checked.” Safeguarding leads warn the “onerous” audits that schools have to submit to councils aren’t improving student safety and duplicate work done by trusts. Is it time to drop them? Excl by @ktorm-social1.bsky.social

Excl: Leaders say safeguarding audits heaping pressure on schools and DSLs despite going “unchecked” by local authorities. MAT safeguarding leads have called for a “national approach”, neither LGA nor ACDS wished to provide a comment. For @tesmagazine.bsky.social: www.tes.com/magazine/new...

"To a certain extent, you could say you have a policy and attach it, and it could be blank document" Big investigation into the LA safeguarding audits all schools have to complete - superb work from @ktorm-social1.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/new...

OBR documents (somehow!) published ahead of the Budget announcement say all SEND provision costs are to fall within DfE spending limits by 2028-29 and warn that if this is fully funded within the core schools budget, this implies a 1.7 per cent fall in mainstream school spending per pupil.

NEW🚨: Govt to cover SEND funding - possibly out of core schools budget. From 28-29, the cost of SEND provision will be “fully absorbed”, est around £6b. If fully funded by core schools budget, this would be a 1.7% fall in school spending per pupil. obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploa…

Full OBR doc is up here: Reeves must be FUMING obr.uk/docs/dlm_upl...

Will the introduction of AI attendance targets really make a difference? Heads have told @tesmagazine.bsky.social that schools are already trying everything they can to improve attendance and more targets will only increase the growing burden on schools. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

The ‘hero leader’ mindset is putting pupil outcomes at risk, warns a new report calling for a more collaborative approach to school leadership. Read more below:

Just 1/18 SEND are inspections by Ofsted and CQC resulted in positive findings this year. Since the start of 2023, 50% of areas were found to have inconsistent experiences or outcomes and 29% were systemically failing. For @tesmagazine.bsky.social

Shake up at @aqaeducation.bsky.social: EPI Chief Exec @natalieperera.bsky.social joins as Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer, Dale Basset returns as new Chief Qualifications Officer and a new role for @annatreth.bsky.social. For @tesmagazine.bsky.social:

Exclusive: Spending by the Department for Education on influencer marketing has increased by nearly 1500% since 2021/22. For @tesmagazine.bsky.social: www.tes.com/magazine/new...

The latest cohort of attendance and behaviour hub schools have been announced, bringing the total to 57. Of the 57 schools, none are dedicated special or AP instituions. For @tesmagazine.bsky.social:

It’s the first day of (volunteer) Ofsted inspections today, but leaders have been told about changes to how the watchdog uses performance data just days before. @ascl-uk.bsky.social say it’s reason enough for volunteer schools to pull out entirely. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Excl: Diversity and anti-racism should be embedded into teacher training, according to an open letter from ITT providers. There should be an "explicit focus” on addressing inequalities within ITT programmes, including in trainees’ reflective tasks. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

How do you persuade single academy trusts with some of the best attainment scores in England to join a MAT, if they’re managing ok financially? And do MATs even want them? @jabedahmed.bsky.social speaks to heads and trust leaders to find out.

As part of its response to the curriculum review, the government has outlined its intention to overhaul Progress 8. How is it proposing the performance measure should change? @tesmagazine.bsky.social explains:

Primary and secondary teachers have been encouraged to apply to the Teacher Reference Group as part of the department’s commitment to “engage teachers in national education policy”. For @tesmagazine.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/new...

The much anticipated curriculum and assessment review is out. The EBacc is to be scrapped, and it calls for a new year 8 English test and an entitlement to triple science for all. Great piece rounding it all up here by @cerysturner.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/new...

A legal claim against Ofsted's new inspection framework has been thrown out by the courts today. @naht.org.uk say they will consult members about industrial action & are considering appealing the verdict. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

DfE is urged to probe use of persistent disruptive behaviour as a reason for exclusions amid concerns from AP leaders about how schools are using different thresholds to remove students. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

New DfE data shows an increase in wealthiest parents seeking delayed admission to Reception for summer-born children. Data obtained by @tesmagazine.bsky.social suggests schools in affluent areas are more likely to have pupils taught out of their year group.

Schools made nearly 45,000 more social services referrals last year compared with a decade ago. For @tesmagazine.bsky.social -

Schools will need to find savings from their budgets to deliver the pay award, according to the DfE’s pay review submission. Leaders will need to be “proactive” about making the most of their budgets to achieve this (in case they weren’t already…)

💷Teacher pay: 'Considering the projected trajectory of average earnings growth across the wider economy, it is appropriate that pay awards over the next three years are lower than those in the past few years'

The Department for Education estimates nearly half a million pupils are eligible for council-funded travel to school. For @tesmagazine.bsky.social - www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Around eight in 10 teachers say they have had to rethink how they set assignments because of artificial intelligence (AI), a new survey has found. Exclusive by @ktorm-social1.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/new...

“There is no support for heads to have zero tolerance.” My full interview with shadow education secretary Laura Trott below 👇

An inclusion taskforce's report on SEND reform calls for a new layer of statutory support to be created for pupils in mainstream schools and for existing EHCPs to be retained until a better support system is in place. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

There are pros and cons to this plan (and I’ve heard quite a few concerns about AI tutors lately) but it’s quite obviously not going to work in schools with rubbish wifi or a shortage of devices - ie a lot of primaries. SCOOP by @cerysturner.bsky.social 👇

Exclusive: The chair of the curriculum review Becky Francis says "there are important areas badly in need of improvement, and there is a need for a timely refresh across the piece to ensure that the curriculum is cutting-edge" ahead of the report being published. www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

Excl: Concerns raised over omission of special & AP schools in the new behaviour/attendance hubs DfE says it plans to include them in future cohorts but some leaders say their expertise has been “ignored”. With @johngroberts.bsky.social for @tesmagazine.bsky.social - www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson was before the Covid inquiry today and faced questions about a lack of planning, exam grading mistakes and how schools were closed and reopened. Our full story here and a thread below. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Ofsted chief Sir Martyn Oliver & the watchdog's board chair Dame Christine Gilbert are facing MPs to discuss Ofsted's incoming inspection framework🧵 It's part of regular accountability updates Ofsted committed to following the death of Ruth Perry. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Sir Gavin recalls Cobra discussions on whether Cheltenham Festival should go ahead. He added: "Which now seems utterly insane when we know what we now know".

Parents have received alerts from schools after hijacked links to pornographic material were found in a series of children's books. The site has since been taken down. For @tesmagazine.bsky.social - www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Only six per cent of Sendcos could complete their administrative tasks during their working hours in a week this term. My piece for @tesmagazine.bsky.social on the workload pressures and the case for reform. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

A former academies minister has said there is a consensus that MAT inspections are needed but urged govt not to use future inspections to impose a particular model on trusts. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

There is now a gap of 17 percentage points between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in achieving the “expected standard” in the phonics screening check. For @tesmagazine.bsky.social -

🔍 Is Ofsted's new inspection system fit for purpose? Join us for an exclusive free webinar on 15 October as @mannybotwe.bsky.social, @jonnyuttley.bsky.social and Cathie Paine of @reach2trust.bsky.social discuss the upcoming changes.   ➡️ Sign up here: buff.ly/VFrIQw2

Conservatives vow to create more alternative provision places and say that disruptive pupils are being kept in mainstream schools for far too long. Interesting to see if inclusion becomes a key dividing line between govt and opposition. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

"I almost fell from my chair when I read that” - Sir Jon Coles to the Covid enquiry on the DfE not planning for school closures earlier in March 2020. For @tesmagazine.bsky.social - www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Meanwhile @annelongfield.bsky.social tells Tes reporter @ktorm-social1.bsky.social that the DfE needs to make racial inclusion “a key thematic priority” because it “too often” falls off the education agenda. Exclusive:

Heads warn a proliferation of flags have come alongside a rise in racist abuse and a noticeable shift in the atmosphere. A @tesmagazine.bsky.social story into how school leaders are navigating tensions by @ktorm-social1.bsky.social @cerysturner.bsky.social & myself. www.tes.com/magazine/new...