This week I highlight free governor training webinars taking place on safeguarding and why physical activity in schools is so important, the Education Secretary’s vision for all schools to be part of strong multi-academy trusts and a new law to make school uniform costs affordable for all families.

Free governor training webinars in May 2021
Governors for Schools is offering two webinars for governors next month as follows:

• Thursday 6 May 2021 from 8 to 9am – Safeguarding: what governors need to know in 2021. This webinar in conjunction with Better Governor will explore the latest evidence on the safeguarding risks presenting in 2021 and how, through providing strategic oversight, governors can ensure that adults in schools, pupils and parents are aware of them. Spaces are limited so if you register but are unable to join at the time because they reach capacity, they will forward a recording to you.  Sign up via the website here.
• Thursday 20 May from 12-1pm – Why physical activity in schools is so important and first steps to improving provision.  This webinar will explore why physical activity is a crucial component of mental health and wellbeing, especially for young people. It will also consider how governors and their schools can begin to improve their provision and culture.  You can sign up via the website here.

Education Secretary speech on the drive for a stronger school system to benefit all pupils
Earlier this week the Education Secretary gave a speech at the Confederation of Schools Trusts annual conference, renewing his vision for the school system to continue to move decisively towards a single model built on strong multi-academy trusts as its foundation, bringing the current pick-and-mix system of local authority maintained and standalone academy schools to an end. He also stated his ambition was to bring schools with a history of long-term underperformance (three consecutive Requires Improvement or worse judgements by Ofsted) into strong multi-academy trusts and committed to consult fully with the sector on any potential changes.

All maintained schools would now have the option to ‘try the academy experience before they buy’ – associating with multi-academy trusts for a defined period to experience the benefits for themselves and their students, with no commitment.

Updated guidance for trusts and prospective academy converters was published setting out how strong trusts improve educational outcomes; how local authority schools can convert and the support they can expect to receive.

New law to make school uniform costs affordable for all
School uniforms will be made more affordable for families under a new law passed by Parliament yesterday.  The Act, which received Royal Assent today, will require schools to follow new statutory guidance on uniform costs, instructing them to keep prices down.

The cross-party support for the Bill recognised the costs parents face for school uniform, particularly for branded items, and the statutory guidance (due to be published in the Autumn term) will tell schools to consider high street alternatives.  It will also include measures on encouraging second-hand uniform, schools’ arrangements with suppliers, and ensuring parents have access to clear information about uniform policies.

This week I highlight the DfE’s latest governance update and Ofsted’s approach as inspections resume.

Latest DfE Governance update
The April governance update provides information on:

• Governing and trust boards meetings and visits into schools – boards should continue with their alternative meeting arrangements where possible but could consider whether a blended approach of face-to-face and virtual meetings would be appropriate if needed.
• National Tutoring Programme – maintained schools can still access tutoring subsidised by 75% through the NTP to support pupils who need extra help.
• Early Career Framework Statutory Induction Guidance change – from September 2021 statutory induction for teachers will change as part of the ECF reforms. Early career teachers in England undergoing statutory induction will be entitled to 2 years of high-quality professional development and training. Schools offering statutory induction need to replace their current induction process in line with this.
• Honours nominations for those who work or volunteer in school or trust governance – anyone can nominate someone worthy for an honour if they consistently go above and beyond in their role; make an exceptional contribution; have contributed to notable achievements in public life.
• Governor and trustee recruitment – Inspiring Governance and Academy Ambassadors are dedicated, free services which continue to assist schools and trusts with finding people with the right skills and experience for their boards.
• Completing or updating Academy trusts governance contacts on Get Information about Schools – a short video to demonstrate what information is required and how to record governance contacts on the GIAS service is now available.

Inspection during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic
Earlier this week Ofsted set out its approach as inspections resume. It covers how inspectors will reflect the COVID-19 context and the disruption it has caused to all education providers when making judgements. To minimise burdens on the sector, it has also made a few changes to the inspection handbook as follows:

• Ofsted will check how the curriculum was ‘adapted and prioritised’ – as schools weren’t required to provide education to all pupils between March and July last year, inspectors will seek to understand how the school has adapted and prioritised the curriculum from September 2020. This will include how the curriculum was implemented remotely and how curriculum planning has responded to learning gaps.
• Inspectors will be ‘mindful’ about old data – Ofsted will not be using teacher assessed grades from 2020 or 2021 but will still consider externally published data throughout the inspection. Inspectors will be “mindful of the age of this data, especially around statutory assessment and qualifications, when making judgments” and “will not expect or accept internal data” instead of or in addition to published data.
• Leaders to explain how they supported the school community – inspectors will seek to understand how leaders supported the school community and areas of interest will include how remote education was put in place, how vulnerable pupils were kept safe and prioritised for face-to-face education and how staff and pupils’ well-being have been promoted.
• How schools ensured ‘best possible attendance’ – attendance patterns will be discussed to understand how “the school ensured the best possible attendance for those pupils eligible to attend in person”. However, attendance recorded between March 2020 and March this year will not impact Ofsted’s judgement of a school. Inspectors will “consider the specific context and the steps school leaders have taken to ensure the best possible rates of attendance since the school opened to all pupils in March 2021”.
• Covid cannot be the ‘sole factor’ behind an inadequate judgement – when considering a judgement between good or requires improvement, inspectors will look at whether the overall quality of the school is most closely aligned to the descriptors set out.
• Ofsted will be ‘sympathetic’ on relationships education progress – teaching of relationships and health education in all schools, and sex education in secondary schools, became mandatory this academic year. However schools have been given flexibility on when during the year to begin teaching the curriculum because of Covid and all schools will still be required to have taught some of the new curriculum, and to have consulted on and published a policy during this academic year.
• Warning over blocking inspectors speaking to pupils – if inspectors cannot corroborate safeguarding evidence by talking to pupils during the inspection, safeguarding will be judged as “ineffective” and the relevant independent school standards judged as not met. But inspectors will respect COVID-19 “safety measures agreed with the school leadership when engaging with pupils, formally and informally”.

This week I highlight the government’s review into sexual abuse in schools and updates from the DfE in relation to face coverings in secondary schools, changes to asymptomatic testing requirements and the resumption of educational visits.

Government review into sexual abuse in schools
Following numerous anonymous testimonials of sexual harassment and abuse submitted to the website Everyone’s Invited the DfE has set up a new helpline to support potential victims of sexual harassment and abuse in education settings. Run by the NSPCC, the dedicated number (0800 136 663), provides both children and adults who are victims of sexual abuse in schools with the appropriate support and advice.

The government has also asked Ofsted to undertake an immediate review of safeguarding policies in state and independent schools. The review will look at the extent and the severity of the issue and ensure schools have appropriate processes in place to allow pupils to report concerns freely, knowing these will be taken seriously and dealt with swiftly and appropriately.

Ofsted will work with representatives from social care, police, victim support groups, school and college leaders and the Independent Schools Council. The review will conclude by the end of May 2021 and will seek to establish where safeguarding arrangements and processes are good and have worked well and where improvements are needed.

DfE Covid-19 update
Face coverings – during the Easter break the government confirmed that face coverings should continue to be worn in secondary school classrooms as a precautionary measure when students returned after the Easter break. It is expected that face coverings will no longer be required to be worn in classrooms, or by students in other communal areas, at step 3 of the government’s roadmap, which will be no earlier than 17 May.

Changes to Asymptomatic testing requirements – the DfE has updated its guidance in line with the Department for Health and Social Care’s announcement that a confirmatory PCR test is required within two days of a positive lateral flow test result in England. This means that negative PCR tests will now overrule a positive lateral flow test, so self-isolating pupils and staff can return to their schools and their contacts may also stop self-isolating.

Educational visits – educational day visits were permitted to take place from 12 April and from 17 May, residential trips will return. Full details of the government’s reintroduction of school trips is available on the DfE’s website.