This week I report on the success of Norham High School in this year’s Pearson National Teaching Awards, uncertainty around the September teachers’ pay deal with a potential change in government and DfE research into risks posed by older school buildings

Norham High School celebrates success as a Silver Pearson National Teaching Award winner
Outstanding teachers, support staff and leaders from across the UK’s schools and colleges have been honoured in this year’s Pearson National Teaching Awards. A total of 102 winners scooped silver awards and their names were announced to coincide with national Thank a Teacher day.

Norham High School was a winner in the Making a difference – secondary school of the year category and all the winners in each category will now be shortlisted to win one of 16 gold awards and this will be announced at a ceremony to be held later this year. Congratulations Norham!

Decision on the September teachers’ pay deal
Teaching Unions have signalled that they would give an incoming Labour government time to find its feet before expecting a decision on teachers’ pay for September. With Sir Keir Starmer’s party odds-on to win the 4 July election, teachers’ pay will be one of the first big decisions facing Bridget Phillipson, who is likely to become the Education Secretary.

Whilst the Conservative government received the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) in May, it delayed the decision when the election was called. Although inflation has recently fallen to 2%, it stood at around 4% when the STRB made its deliberations in the spring. DfE analysis suggests that schools would be able to afford a rise of 2% from their own budgets, although many leaders would say they cannot afford this.

The new government is likely to face the most pressure from the National Education Union, whose members voted at Easter to wait to hear the teachers’ pay offer for September before moving to a formal strikes ballot.

DfE to research risks posed by older school buildings
Back in May the Times Educational Supplement reported that the DfE would be conducting research to improve their understanding of future building safety risks and condition issues in the education estate, particularly in post-war buildings (constructed between 1945 and 1990).

The research will include desk-based analysis, structural surveys and qualitative research of a representative sample of post-war buildings, reflecting different construction types, material, age, and degrees of maintenance.

It is expected that the research from the project which is estimated to cost £4.8 million will include policy recommendations on mitigating future risks.