This week I highlight a free webinar from Governors for Schools on effective governor panel hearings, the announcement of a new DfE toothbrushing programme for early years settings and primary schools and the publication of an Ofsted report evaluating the impact of the Education Inspection Framework.

Free webinar on Effective Governor Panel Hearings
In conjunction with Better Governor, Governors for Schools are running a free webinar on Thursday 27 March from 8-9am on effective governor panel hearings. The session will explore the role of governors in complaints, exclusions, staff hearings and more, with emphasis on common elements and the role of the clerk. To book a place use this link for the Governors for Schools website.

New DfE toothbrushing programme
The DfE has announced that supervised toothbrushing will be rolled out in early years settings and primary schools in the most deprived areas of England. The programme aims to equip children aged between three and five years old with positive brushing habits and prevent tooth decay.

From April, £11 million is being given to local authorities to deliver the scheme who will work to identify early years settings in target areas and encourage them to enrol. The Government has also agreed a partnership with Colgate-Palmolive, who have committed to donate over 23 million toothbrushes and toothpastes over the next five years while also providing educational materials and a public facing children’s oral health campaign.

Ofsted’s new report on curriculum quality
Ofsted has published a new report evaluating the impact of the ‘Education inspection framework’ (EIF) on curriculum quality. The inspectorate’s research aims to assess whether curriculum quality has changed since the EIF was introduced, understand what role school leaders think the EIF played in these changes, and explore any unintended consequences of the EIF. However, the report is facing criticism for basing the findings on just 20 school visits.