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4 Feb 19
Between financial controversies and more fundamental questions about sustainability, the academies sector is crying out for transparency, writes Rachel Willcox.
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31 Jan 19
Low pay is causing 70% of teachers to consider leaving the profession, according to a union survey.
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25 Jan 19
Education secretary Damian Hinds has urged more schools to convert to academy status as figures showed half of pupils are now educated in academies.
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23 Jan 19
Academy schools are not “sufficiently transparent or accountable to parents and local communities”, MPs have said.
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20 Dec 18
Two-thirds of academy school groups performed below the national average for disadvantaged pupils, according to research released today.
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8 Nov 18
Academy schools in England recorded a £6.1bn deficit at the end of last August, leading to one major teaching union calling them “unsustainable”.
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1 Jun 18
Only one third of free schools have demonstrated an ‘innovative’ approach to teaching despite this being their purpose, according to research.
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19 Apr 18
A third of academy leaders believe autonomy from local government has made no difference, while almost one in five think its effect has been negative, according to a survey released today.
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3 Apr 18
The governance, accountability and financial management of academy trusts running schools in England “fall short”, the Public Accounts Committee has said.
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26 Feb 18
Local authorities are struggling to take a holistic view of education provision in their areas because of the high proportion of secondary schools that have converted to academies, according to...
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2 Mar 17
Disadvantaged children in England are significantly less likely to gain a place at the country’s top performing comprehensive schools, the Sutton Trust has found.
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28 Feb 17
There is not enough evidence to support the expansion of multi-academy trusts as part of the government’s aim for all schools to become academies, the education select committee has concluded.
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3 Feb 17
Councils are bidding for powers to require academies to admit challenging and difficult children, who might have been excluded from other schools.
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27 Jan 17
A report that the government has clawed back £384m of funding for schools amid a ‘cash crisis’ in education has sparked criticism from teaching unions.
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19 Oct 16
The small team of civil servants responsible for performance managing academies and free schools cannot do so effectively and could be putting children’s education at risk, the Local Government...
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26 Sep 16
Local councils could be landed with a bill of up to £320m if all schools are converted into academies, according to Local Government Association figures.
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26 Sep 16
Changes to how schools are funded will not tackle all the financial differences across the sector. Giving academy chains more power to distribute funding could help tackle regional inequities.
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19 Sep 16
The government has today approved applications to open 77 new free schools as part of a drive to create 500 by the end of the parliament.
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15 Sep 16
Theresa May’s plan for new grammar schools faces opposition and, even if successful, may not lead to a large increase in numbers
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7 Jul 16
One in five sponsored academy chains are performing “significantly below” the national average for attainment by disadvantaged pupils, according to a report by the Sutton Trust.
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23 Jun 16
Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw has said greater autonomy for schools should be matched with strong intervention in cases of failure, to ensure they don’t “wither on the vine”.
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13 Jun 16
The government’s nomination of Amanda Spielman to serve as the next chief inspector of schools has incurred the wrath of teaching unions due to her lack of teaching experience.
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18 May 16
Councils and teachers have attacked the Education for All Bill promised in the Queen’s Speech, which would strip local authorities of almost all their remaining education powers.
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18 May 16
Employers joining the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) may underestimate the obligations involved, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has warned.
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12 May 16
All schools in England are still likely to become academies despite the government’s pledge to not to impose the reform, the CentreForum think-tank has concluded.