-
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.
-
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”.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
6 May 16
Education secretary Nicky Morgan has abandoned plans to force all schools to academies amid opposition from local authorities and some Conservative MPs.
-
25 Apr 16
Controversial plans to convert all schools in England to academies could hinder the ability of councils to support the most vulnerable children, ministers have been warned today.
-
25 Apr 16
All schools are due to become academies by 2022, yet arguments still rage over their effects on standards, their financial management and whether they provide value for money
-
25 Apr 16
Facts and figures from the May 2016 edition of Public Finance magazine, on public sector employment, academy enthusiasm, trust in government, city regions and Brexit
-
20 Apr 16
More needs to be done to ensure that when schools become academies, the change actually results in raised standards
-
20 Apr 16
Auditor general Amyas Morse has issued an adverse opinion on the truth and fairness of the Department for Education’s group financial statements for 2014-15, concluding they did not provide the...
-
17 Mar 16
The “vast majority” of schools will be part of multi-academy trusts by 2022, education secretary Nicky Morgan said today as she set out the government’s reform plans.
-
16 Mar 16
Soft drinks manufacturers will have to pay a “sugar tax” on their products, expected to net the Treasury £520m, chancellor George Osborne announced in today’s Budget.
-
29 Feb 16
The Local Government Association has today reiterated that councils may not be able to provide a school place for every child unless they are given additional powers, including the ability to force...
-
9 Feb 16
Education watchdog Ofsted has called for urgent improvements to secondary schools run by the E-ACT chain of academy after a review concluded standards at the trust were not good enough.
-
20 Jan 16
The government must design a new system of school governance to reflect the large increase in the number of academy and free schools, MPs have said.
-
19 Jan 16
Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw has said that the current accountability regime for schools is “confused and inconsistent” and could undermine improvements to the education system.
-
15 Jan 16
Councils will be unable to meet their legal duty to ensure all children have access to a school place unless academies expand to meet demand, the Local Government Association has warned today.
-
25 Nov 15
The school funding system is to be overhauled and sixth form colleges are to be allowed to become academies, exempting them from VAT, chancellor George Osborne has announced.
-
9 Nov 15
High performing grant maintained schools should be given additional powers to take over struggling schools, including academies, the Local Government Association said today.
-
15 Sep 15
Councillors should use their “unique role” to help hold schools to account as they convert to academies, the Centre for Public Scrutiny has said.
-
20 Aug 15
The government has published a plan to boost the economic productivity of rural parts of England, with devolution of powers to local authorities and improvements to connectivity among the priorities.
-
27 Jul 15
The government is planning a further expansion of its academies programme, but it is not clear there is capacity in the system to transform all these schools
-
24 Jul 15
An analysis of results at more than 150 academy schools in England has concluded that nearly half (44%) would be classed as “coasting” under the government’s proposed education reforms.