This week I highlight a free governor webinar on climate change, the appointment of DfE Attendance Advisers and the publication of new literacy guidance for KS2 from the EEF.

Webinar on the governance of climate change: 2 December from 8-9am
Governors for Schools in conjunction with Better Governor are holding a free webinar: Beyond COP26 – the governance of climate change on Thursday next week. The webinar will explore the contribution school governance can make to ensuring children and young people are engaged in the post-COP26 debate. It will consider how young people can be empowered to engage in actions designed to reduce the causes of climate change and their impact on the planet. Participants will reflect on what the national curriculum currently requires pupils to learn, explore available resources and look at the actions schools are already taking.

If you would like to take part please use this link to go to the Governors for Schools website to register.

DfE appointment of Attendance Advisers
The DfE has announced its employing Attendance Advisers to send into local authorities and schools with high rates of persistent absence. Up to seven former headteachers and some local authority chief advisers will start their new roles from next week. The move comes as schools report increasing Covid-related absence as case numbers soar in some areas.

The DfE has said it will write to local authorities with the highest levels of persistent absence offering support and it will be up to them to accept it. The Attendance Advisers will not work directly with schools but instead will work with local authorities and school trusts, sharing best practice from areas that have been most successful in reducing absence rates.

Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) new guidance report on improving literacy
EEF has published the second edition of their popular guidance report, Improving Literacy in KS2. The report offers seven practical and evidence-based recommendations  to support literacy development in pupils aged 7 to 11. The guidance is relevant to all pupils but is particularly focused on those struggling to read and write well and those whose learning has been most affected by the pandemic.

This week I highlight new statutory guidance on the cost of school uniform, NGA guidance on Ofsted inspections and additional DfE funding to tackle bullying.

Statutory guidance on the cost of school uniform
Today the DfE published statutory guidance to ensure the cost of school uniforms is reasonable and secures the best value for money. The guidance outlines the cost considerations which schools should consider when developing and implementing their uniform policies and managing their uniform supplier arrangements. It also covers the provision of second-hand uniform, other support with the cost of school uniforms and the information schools should provide to parents regarding their uniform requirements.

All schools should review their current uniform policy to determine if any changes are required and Governing bodies should be compliant with much of this guidance by September 2022. The exceptions to this would be where this would breach a pre-existing contract or informal agreement with a uniform supplier (particularly when the supplier may already have stock) or a school would need to run a competitive tender to set up a new contract for their uniform. All schools should be fully compliant with the guidance by summer 2023.

New NGA guidance on Ofsted inspections
NGA’s newly published Ofsted guidance, ‘Ofsted inspection: a guide for governing boards’ has been developed to help governing bodies know what to expect from an Ofsted inspection, understand what inspectors consider and the evidence they consult.

Full Ofsted inspections have resumed since the start of the academic year and many unions and organisations have raised concerns due to the implications that inspections may have on teachers and school leaders, while still recovering from the pandemic.

The guidance comes as the government announced £23.85million funding for Ofsted over the course of three years to accelerate the number of inspections on schools to ensure all schools are inspected by 2025. The push for increased inspection activity follows the recognition that parents and learners need up-to-date information about the quality of education within the school.

Extra support to tackle bullying
The DfE has confirmed over £1 million of funding for five leading organisations to provide anti-bullying support to schools and colleges. The extra funding will go towards projects targeted against LGBT, SEND and hate-related bullying. This builds upon the £3.5 million already delivered to charities and organisations supporting schools to combat bullying, promote diversity, and improve wellbeing for staff.

This week I report on contingency plans for this year’s GCSEs, AS and A levels examinations series, the downgrading of ‘outstanding’ schools in the first round of published inspection reports and the appointment of a steering group to help push through the Government’s delayed SEND review.

Contingency plans confirmed for GCSEs, AS and A levels
Yesterday the DfE and Ofqual confirmed contingency plans to support students if exams in England can’t go ahead safely or fairly next year due to the pandemic.  Students would receive Teacher Assessed Grades based on a range of their work, similar to this summer.

Guidance has been published for teachers on how they should collect evidence of students’ work during this academic year. Exams are planned with adaptations next summer these include a choice of topics in some GCSE exams and advance information on the focus of other exams to help students’ revision.  Exam boards are also publishing formulae and equation sheets to help students in GCSE maths and some GCSE science exams, giving students time to familiarise themselves with them before they sit their exams.  Advance information for next summer’s exams will be given in early February to help students focus their revision over the final months. The timing will be kept under review, subject to the course of the pandemic.

‘Outstanding’ schools not inspected for 15 years downgraded in first Ofsted reports
Almost three in four schools previously exempt from Ofsted inspections have been stripped of their ‘outstanding’ status in the first round of published reports.  Twenty three reports were published yesterday and of those 19 were of schools that had received a Section 5 inspection and four the shorter Section 8 inspections. Seventeen of the schools lost their ‘outstanding’ status, 12 dropped to ‘good’ and five were rated ‘requires improvement’.  Of the 17 downgraded schools, all but one was a primary and all but one were standalone schools (LA maintained or voluntary-aided). 

All ‘outstanding’ schools last visited before 2015 will get a full inspection, while those awarded the top grade since then will face short inspections.  Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, suggested earlier this week the number of top-rated schools would halve after visits under the new framework. She said one in 10 schools achieving the top grade “might be a more realistic starting point for the system”. Prior to yesterday’s reports, one in five English schools (4,133) were ‘outstanding’.

All five schools downgraded two grades were ‘requires improvement’ in the ‘quality of education’ section. This is a limiting judgment, meaning schools cannot then gain a higher judgment for overall effectiveness.

SEND review ‘steering group’ appointed to push through reforms
The Government has named 23 members of a steering group set up to help push through its delayed SEND review that was first promised in September 2019. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said last week that he was hoping to have it out “in the first quarter of next year” so it can “dovetail” with a planned schools white paper.

In an open letter to parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities, the Children’s Minister, Will Quince pointed to several issues that needed addressing for example offering a way forward to reducing local variation, improving early intervention, making clearer the support and services everyone should be able to expect and having funding and accountability systems in place which supported this.  Quince added that any proposed changes should be supported and understood across health and care services, as well as education providers.

This week I highlight the latest DfE School Governance update and the launch of the Sustainability and Climate Change strategy detailing a new model science curriculum, a virtual National Education Nature Park and a Climate Leaders Award.

DfE School Governance update
Today the DfE published its November school governance update with a welcome message from Baroness Barran.  The document contained:

• Information on the updating of the Understanding your data guide – all sections updated to reflect changes in policy, new subsections on cyber security, additional support for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities and governing body composition and included links to additional sources of information, such as the ‘View my financial insights’ (VMFI) tool.
• Updated information on the designation of 60 new National Leaders of Governance (NLGs) – who provide fully funded governance support to eligible trusts and schools and all of the NLGs meet the new NLG Standards.
• Promoting the Inspiring Governance and Academy Ambassadors services which help schools and trusts to source new governors and trustees.
• Promoting a webinar on implementing flexible working measures in schools.
• Advising Academy Trusts that VMFI has been updated with their latest data.
• Reminding schools and trusts that Get Information About Schools should be kept updated with governors details.

Launch of the Sustainability and Climate Change draft strategy
Today at COP26 the Education Secretary will be announcing a range of measures setting out his vision for all children to be taught about the importance of conserving and protecting the planet.

A draft Sustainability and Climate Change strategy to 2030 has been published and will be under review from November 2021 until March 2022, with a final strategy published in April 2022.  The range of measures includes:

• A new model science curriculum, which will be in place by 2023, to teach children about nature and their impact on the world around them.
• Pupils will be encouraged to get involved in the natural world by increasing biodiversity in the grounds of their school and will be able to upload their data onto a new virtual National Education Nature Park – which will allow them to track their progress against other schools in the country, increase their knowledge of different species and develop skills in biodiversity mapping.
• Children and young people will be able to undertake a new Climate Leaders Award to help develop their skills and knowledge in biodiversity and sustainability and celebrate and recognise their work in protecting the local environment. Pupils and students will be able to progress through different levels of the award, ‘bronze’, ‘silver’ and ‘gold’, in a similar way to the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

This week I report on funding to provide care leavers or children with a social worker laptops or devices from the DfE to support their learning as well as the government’s response to the Education Committee’s report on ‘left behind’ white working class pupils.

Care leavers to benefit from laptops and tablets
Ahead of Care Leavers Week (25-31 October), the government has announced an expansion of the Get Help with Technology programme, with up to 10,000 devices for children with a social worker and those leaving care. Devices will also be allocated to children who have recently arrived from Afghanistan, to help them to adjust to life in England and support their education.

Additional devices will be provided to schools and colleges to help give children and young people who are not in school or college due to Covid, access to lessons. Schools, colleges and councils will be invited during November and December to order their allocation of devices, which will be determined by the proportion of pupils on free school meals and numbers of care leavers in each local authority.

Government response to Education Committee report on ‘left behind’ white working class pupils
The government has responded to concerns raised by the Education Select Committee in their report ‘The forgotten: how White working class pupils have been let down, and how to change it’. The report published in June this year found that disadvantaged white pupils fell behind their peers at every stage of education and called on the government to take action in a series of recommendations, which included greater accountability around government funded careers advice and more targeted data so that interventions and funding could go straight to those that needed it most.

The government largely accepted the majority of the recommendations and where they didn’t they felt that existing or planned policies were “better formulated” to address disadvantage.

This week I report on DfE funding for staff development through the newly reformed suite of NPQs, the appointment of a new Social Mobility Commissioner and an article in Schools Week raising concerns around rising energy bills.

Funding for staff development via NPQs
On Tuesday the new School Standards Minister, Robin Walker confirmed that the development of the education workforce was going to be at the top of his priorities.  With £184 million of funding, the newly reformed suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) would be freely available to all teachers and leaders in state-funded schools, with the aim of delivering 150,000 NPQs to teachers and leaders across the next three years.

Appointment of a new Social Mobility Commissioner
Katharine Birbalsingh has been appointed by the government as the new Social Mobility Commissioner.  The Social Mobility Commission has been led by the interim co-chairs Sandra Wallace and Steven Cooper since July 2020, after the resignation of the previous chair, Dame Martina Milburn.  It is anticipated Ms Birbalsingh will focus on education, enterprise and employment.

Concerns around rising energy costs in schools
An article in Schools Week has reported that schools are concerned about rising energy bills given that since January, wholesale gas prices have risen 250% across the world, alongside the requirement to ventilate classrooms to try to control the spread of Covid.

Whilst many schools are on fixed term energy deals some schools, particularly here in the North East, have their energy handled by an organisation which uses a ‘flexible purchasing method’ which could mean rates vary throughout the contract.  Also schools renewing energy deals in the coming months could also be hit by increased prices. 

This week I report on a new education white paper to tackle innumeracy and illiteracy and a £3k level up premium to send teachers to areas that need it.

Education Secretary plans a white paper for next year
In a speech at the Conservative Party conference on Monday, the Education Secretary pledged a white paper for 2022 which would outline plans to “tackle innumeracy and illiteracy”. He didn’t go into great detail about the intentions of the white paper and instead referred to existing plans, including “up to six million packages of tutoring in schools this parliament” and a promise made in June 2021 to fund 500,000 teacher training opportunities.

£3k level up premium
On Wednesday the Prime Minister announced the government will offer a “levelling up premium” of up to £3k to send the “best” maths and science teachers to areas that “need them the most”.

The Conservative party said the payments would target teachers in the first five years of their career in maths, physics, chemistry and computing – the four subjects facing the “greatest supply challenges”.

This week I highlight various governor training opportunities, new non statutory guidance for teaching Maths at KS3, information on how schools can apply for a grant for senior mental health lead training and confirmation of adaptations in the 2022 summer exams series.

Governor training
Governors for Schools Governance of Safeguarding in 2021 Webinar on 7 October from 8-9am: focussing on the new version of Keeping Children Safe in Education which came into force on 1 September, this webinar will explore the key changes that those in governance need to know about in order to ensure they have effective strategic oversight of this vital aspect of all schools’ work. To register use this link to go to the website.

Careers & Enterprise Company free Online learning module on Careers Awareness – the aim of this module is to equip governors with the knowledge needed to provide appropriate support and challenge, to ensure that all students receive high quality careers education. To complete the module use this link to go to the website.

NTLT Trust Governor Workshops – a range of sessions are being provided through this academic year; all being delivered remotely using Zoom. Governors can upskill in areas including Pupil Premium, understanding data, finance, preparing for Ofsted inspection. Please contact me if you would like to book a place on a session as there are two places per school available on a first come, first served basis.

DfE publications: non statutory guidance for teaching Maths at KS3 and information on senior mental health lead training

Guidance for teaching Maths at KS3 – this week new non statutory guidance was published which builds on the non statutory guidance for primary schools. It aims to identify the significant ideas that are needed for pupils to progress in their study of maths and demonstrate how they can build their understanding of these concepts at KS3 in the context of the wider curriculum.

Grant funding for senior mental health lead training – DfE is offering a grant for a senior member of school staff to access quality assured training to implement an effective whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing. The grant (£1,200) is provided to cover (or contribute to) the cost of attending a quality assured course and may also be used to hire supply staff whilst leads are engaged in learning.

The grants will be available to around a third of all state schools and colleges this financial year and a waiting list will be created with future grant funding to be confirmed in the spring of 2022. The online grant application service will become available later this term.

Adaptations in 2022 summer exams to ensure fairness for students
Following a public consultation, the government and Ofqual yesterday confirmed GCSE, AS and A level exams in England next summer will be adapted to ensure fairness for students whose learning has been disrupted due to the pandemic. Changes include a choice of topics in some GCSE exams like English literature and history; advance information on the focus of exams to focus students’ revision in subjects where there is not a choice of topics; and support materials like formulae sheets in maths.

Ofqual has also set out its approach to grading with next year a transition year to reflect the recovery period, with grade boundaries to be set by exam boards reflecting a midway point between 2021 and 2019 – so that more students get higher grades in 2022 than before the pandemic. This approach will provide a safety net for this year’s students as well as a step back to normality, with results expected to return to the usual grade profile by 2023.

This week I report on the new Academies Minister, the announcement that Ofsted will review whether the DfE’s Covid catch up plans work and the expansion of the Glasses in Classes scheme to boost literacy.

New Academies Minister
Baroness Berridge has been replaced as Academies Minister by Baroness Diana Barran, who joins the DfE from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport where she was the minister for civil society, youth and loneliness.

Ofsted to judge whether DfE’s Covid catch-up plans work
Ofsted has been asked by the government to review the effectiveness of its two main Covid catch-up plans – tutoring and teachers’ professional development. The watchdog has said its independent reviews will investigate how the government’s policies are working on the ground by gathering evidence through research visits and from its school inspections.

Tutoring and teacher development were the two key elements of a £1.4 billion catch-up plan announced by the DfE earlier this year. In relation to tutoring Ofsted has said the review will consider the overall quality of tutoring offered by schools regardless of whether it is provided directly or through National Tutoring Programme tuition partners. The evaluation will also consider how well schools are integrating tutoring into their curriculum, its effect on the overall quality of education, and the likelihood that it will actually help children catch up.

Glasses in Classes scheme rolled out to boost literacy
A pilot scheme launched in Bradford to give pupils free glasses is now being rolled out to other Opportunity Area schools. Children identified as needing glasses will receive one pair for home and one for school, helping them concentrate in the classroom and improve their literacy skills.

This week I report on the new Education Secretary as part of the Cabinet reshuffle and confirmation of the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations for 12-15 year olds.

New Education Secretary
Not unsurprisingly the Prime Minister’s first Minister to be sacked during this week’s Cabinet reshuffle was Gavin Williamson. The new Education Secretary is Nadhim Zahawi moving from leading the vaccine rollout.

Minister of State for School Standards is Robin Walker MP replacing Nick Gibb and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Children and Families) is Will Quince MP. Baroness Berridge remains as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for the School System).

Covid vaccinations for 12-15 year olds
On Wednesday the Government published guidance on how the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out in schools for 12 to 15 year olds will work. As with normal school vaccinations, the School Age Immunisation Service (SAIS) will plan the roll-out, administer the jabs and be legally responsible for the delivery.

Schools will have no role or responsibility for obtaining consent from parents or mediating between parents and their children over the vaccination.