This week I report on new information and resources for schools around the Prevent Duty; the publication of updated guidance on promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools; confirmation that unions representing school support staff have accepted the 2022/23 pay deal; confirmation of a new Education Secretary and the Schools Bill to be discontinued as government focuses on economic matters alongside other priorities.

New information and resources for the Prevent Duty (DfE)
The government has updated and redeveloped its resources for schools around the Prevent Duty.  This includes guidance designed to explain the Prevent referral process and the statutory responsibilities to keep children, young people and adult learners safe from the risk of extremist ideology or radicalisation.  As well as a new self-assessment tool designed to assist schools in England to review their Prevent related responsibilities in line with Section 26 of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (CTSA) and the education inspection framework (EIF) 2022.

The tool will help schools to understand how well embedded their existing policies and practices are, and to encourage a cycle of continuous review and improvement. Use of the tool is not mandatory but contains both requirements and recommended good practice activities to meet those requirements.

Updated DfE guidance on promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools
Only minor updates have been made to the guidance, including adding a link to the government’s guidance on ‘Promoting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing’ and confirming that more than 500 mental health support teams will be working with and in schools by 2024.

Unions have accepted the local government pay offer
Unison, the GMB and Unite, unions which represent local government workers including school support staff, have accepted the 2022/23 pay deal, following consultations with union members. The pay award applies to maintained schools and academy trusts and a flat rate payment of £1,925 will be added to each pay scale with effect from 1 April 2022. Unions have called on schools to implement the pay rises as soon as possible which should be backdated to April 2022. Specific funding has not been allocated to support schools to deliver on this pay award.

New Education Secretary and Schools Bill to be dropped
As a result of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s first reshuffle of the Cabinet, Kit Malthouse left the post of Education Secretary and was replaced by Gillian Keegan.

The schools bill is set to be discontinued by the government as it focuses primarily on economic matters alongside other priorities. It is understood, however, that ministers are eager to legislate some elements of the bill that they see as most important in the next parliamentary session, beginning next May. This might include some academy regulation and intervention powers alongside the establishment of a register of children not in education and powers to tackle illegal schools. Such policies could be brought back as part of smaller bills, meaning they are less likely to be held up in the way the schools bill has been.