This week I report on two consultations from the DfE on the allocation of high needs funding as part of the national funding formula and a new service on buying goods and services as well as the publication of non-statutory guidance to help schools identify whether they have lightweight concrete in their buildings and if any further action is required.

Consultation opens on national funding formula for allocation of high needs funding to local authorities
On Wednesday, the government launched a consultation looking at changes to the allocation of high needs funding for the 2022/3 academic year and seeking wider views on longer term changes that would be considered in the future.

High needs funding is issued to local authorities based on nationally set criteria. It funds places for pupils with a statement of special education needs or an education, health and care plan (EHCP).  Ministers are looking at wider SEND system changes and the government’s delayed response to the SEND review is due to be published in the Spring. Consultation proposals include:

• Finding an alternative to the ‘historic spend’ factor – this factor probably doesn’t reflect the current situation in a local area now, so councils and schools are being asked for their views on alternatives. Previous research showed the main drivers behind the difference in spending by councils was parental preference, capacity and ability of providers and the pattern of provision provided. The earliest a change would be introduced is in 2023/4.
• Using 2019 attainment data for the next two years – low attainment at the end of key stages 2 and 4 is used as one of the indicators of SEND under the formula, but for the coming years, that data won’t be available as exams were cancelled. It’s proposed data from 2019 will be used as a substitute to work out funding for 2022/3 and 2023/24.
• Plans for new proxy factors for SEND – as well as historic spend and low attainment factors, other measures such as the number of children in bad health, on free school meals and in families given disability living allowance are used as proxies for children with SEND as part of the formula.  Calls to base allocations on the actual number of children with EHCPs have been made but there isn’t a consistent national threshold for issuing a plan. The SEND review will consider providing more consistency on EHC needs assessments, but responses are invited on whether any new factors could replace the current “proxy” factors which may have become out of date or to address particular types of needs.

The consultation ends on 24 March 2021.

Consultation on new ‘Get Help Buying’ service opens
Yesterday the DfE launched a consultation on a new service that will be available from the Autumn to all maintained schools to ensure they are “efficiently delivering value for money” when buying goods and services.  The service will offer DfE recommended deals in areas such as energy bills, catering and cleaning, along with examples of services other schools use.

Two pilots in the North West and South West have saved £19.4m on non-staff spend across 2,000 schools and under the proposal, schools will be able to access the national service through its outreach and engagement team or through going directly to the Buying for Schools gov.uk pages.

The consultation ends on 11 March 2021.

Non statutory guidance on lightweight concrete in school buildings
The DfE has published non statutory guidance to help schools to identify the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) which was mainly used in roofs and occasionally in floors and walls from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, and to check whether any further investigation or action is needed.

This week I report on the government’s appointment of an Education Recovery Commissioner to deliver measures that will support children who have missed out on face-to-face education due to extended school closures, two new careers related learning webinars for governors and the delay for submission of the SFVS to May 2021.

Appointment of an Education Recovery Commissioner
On Wednesday, the appointment of Sir Kevan Collins was announced as the government’s Education Recovery Commissioner, to oversee a comprehensive programme of catch-up aimed at young people who have lost out on learning due to the pandemic. Sir Kevan has worked in the sector for over 30 years as a teacher, a Director of Children’s Services and most recently as Chief Executive of the Education Endowment Foundation.

In his new role he will work with government to deliver measures that will support children who have missed out on face-to-face education due to extended school closures. This will include addressing factors such as curriculum content and quantity of teaching time in the coming months, to ensure the impact the pandemic has had on learning is addressed as quickly and comprehensively as possible.

Governors for Schools free webinars
In conjunction with the Careers and Enterprise Company two free webinars are taking place as follows:

• Career-related learning in primary settings on Tuesday 9 February from 12:30 to 1:30 pm: career-related learning in primary schools is not about pupils identifying their future job but about a broadening of horizons, raising of aspirations and a challenging of stereotypes and limiting self-beliefs at an early age. This seminar explores what this could look like in your school and what resources there are to help.
• Career-related learning in secondary settings on Tuesday 16 February 2021 from 12:30 to 1:30 pm: with careers prominent in the new Skills for Jobs White Paper, what are your responsibilities? How can you be sure of the quality of content and delivery in your setting? How can you engage with partners to support you? What questions should you be asking the leadership team? What is a Careers Link Governor and why is this role vital?

To register for either of these sessions please use this link.

Delay for submission of the Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS)
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the DfE has decided that the SFVS return should be delayed this year. This is to take account of the current pressures schools and local authorities are facing.

For the financial year 2020 to 2021, schools should submit their SFVS to their local authority no later than 28 May 2021 and Local authorities should submit their assurance statement to the DfE within 6 weeks, no later than 9 July 2021.

This week I report on confirmation schools will not reopen until 8 March at the earliest, the latest information about Ofqual’s consultation on the replacement for this year’s A level and GCSE exams and the publication of new research around remote education in terms of pupils’ engagement and motivation

Government plans for the reopening of schools
The Prime Minister told Parliament on Wednesday that he hoped it would be safe to begin the reopening of schools from Monday 8 March. However, this was dependent on the Government reaching its target of vaccinating the four most vulnerable groups of people by 15 February.  More details on re-openings would be set out in the Government’s “plan for leaving lockdown”, due out in mid-February and the DfE has said it will keep its promise to provide two weeks’ notice before reopening.

The DfE has also confirmed that schools will close as usual during the February half term and are not expected to remain open to vulnerable children and the children of critical workers, as happened in last year’s lockdown.  However, staff will be on-call during half term for contact tracing purposes.

Ofqual consultation update and a proposal for externally-set papers
This morning Ofqual’s Chief Regulator, Simon Lebus, published a blog confirming that over 90,000 responses to its consultation had already been received.  The consultation closes this evening, and Ofqual has committed to announcing its plans in the week of 22 February. 

In his blog Mr Lebus confirmed several themes were emerging from the consultation and it was clear that there were no straightforward options for how exams are to be replaced. Mr Lebus addressed concerns from students that the proposal to have externally-set papers or tasks to help teachers to assess their students objectively were ‘mini exams’ and explained that an externally-set task would help teachers by providing them with an external reference point, giving them greater confidence in the grade they were awarding.

COVID-19: Pupil motivation around remote education is a significant concern
Newly published research by Ofsted has found that pupils’ engagement and motivation around remote education is a significant challenge for schools and parents and may prove barriers to children’s learning and development.

Results showed that it was an even greater concern for parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as nearly 2/3 of parents of a child with SEND said they had been disengaged with remote learning, compared with almost 40% of parents of children without additional needs.

This week I report on confirmation schools will be given two weeks’ notice of reopening, the pausing of daily contact Covid testing in schools, confirmation the submission of this year’s EYFSP is no longer mandatory and consultations on alternative arrangements for GCSE and A Level results in the summer and new proposals for post-qualification admissions have opened.

Schools to get two weeks’ notice of reopening
Yesterday the Education Secretary announced in press interviews that the Government wanted to give schools as much notice as possible of full re-openings, so teachers and parents could get ready and children could prepare. Schools would be given a clear two weeks’ notice period however, he was non-committal on a return date saying it would happen “as soon as scientific and health advice is there”, and he hoped it would happen “before Easter”.

Daily contact Covid testing in schools paused
Until now the DfE has been telling secondary schools, special schools and colleges to use rapid lateral flow tests in three ways: to test pupils returning to school, to carry out weekly tests on staff and to do serial testing of anyone who has been in contact with a confirmed case of the virus. Contacts were to be given a daily test for seven days and allowed to stay in school if they tested negative rather than being asked to self-isolate. However, this week the DfE paused this last part of the school testing programme after a recommendation by Public Health England and NHS Test and Trace.

Testing of staff and pupils in secondary schools will continue and Public Health England has said secondary schools should continue to test pupils twice upon return to school, as has been the case since the start of January.

Other DfE news/consultations this week
This week the DfE has also confirmed arrangements regarding the EYFSP and is carrying out two consultations as follows:

• Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) no longer mandatory – it was confirmed the assessment was no longer mandatory this year and schools that decide to complete the profile and provide the information to parents and Year 1 teachers, will not be externally moderated. The requirement to submit the data to LAs or confirm whether they have completed it has also been removed.
• Consultation on alternative arrangements for GCSE and A Level results in Summer 2021 opens – Ofqual has now published its two-week consultation and you can use this link if you would like to respond. 
• Consultation on new proposals for post-qualification admissions (PQA) – a consultation into proposed changes for a PQA system into higher education opened today.  One model would see pupils apply to university after receiving their A-level results, while a second model would allow pupils to make ‘pre-qualification’ applications but would likewise only receive offers after results are announced. Under the first model there would be the need for a longer application window which would be created by moving A-level results day forward from mid-August to the end of July and pushing back university term start dates to “no earlier than the first week of October”. Under the second model, applications would be made during term-time, as they are now, but offers would come after results day. The consultation closes on 13 May.

This week I report on proposed plans for replacing this year’s exams, two new free governor webinars, publication of a new framework to support schools in reviewing their remote education provision and the relaunch of the Free school meals voucher scheme.

Plans for replacing this year’s examinations
This week the DfE published a letter from the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, to Ofqual outlining the process to agree proposed alternative arrangements for 2021 exams as follows:

• Teacher assessments should be informed by a ‘breadth of evidence’ – provision for training and guidance will support teachers to reach their assessment of a student’s deserved grade. However, this need for evidence must be balanced against minimising additional burdens for teachers and schools.
• Grades to be issued “as late as possible” – a teacher’s final judgement on a student’s grade ought to be as late as possible in the academic year to maximise remaining teaching time and ensure students are motivated to remain engaged in education.
• Ofqual to explore setting external exams – the setting of tasks or short papers would enable teachers to draw on this resource to support their assessments of students.
• No algorithm to standardise grades – schools and colleges are to undertake quality assurance of their teachers’ assessments and “provide reassurance to the exam boards”.
• Any grade changes should ‘be the exception’ – the process will not involve second-guessing the judgement of teachers but confirming that the process and evidence used to award a grade is reasonable. Changes should only be made if those grades cannot be justified, rather than as a result of marginal differences of opinion.
• There will be an appeals route – any student who doesn’t believe their grade reflects the standard of their work can appeal, details of which should be “explored fully” in the consultation.
• International Baccalaureate and other general qualifications – a similar approach to GCSEs and A-levels should be taken.
• Alternative arrangements for BTECs and other vocational qualifications – external exams scheduled to take place in the next few months for vocational and technical qualifications that enable a student to demonstrate the proficiency required to enter directly into employment should “continue to proceed with protective measures put in place to ensure they are conducted in line with PHE measures”. However, for all other VTQs with written exams, including BTECs and other qualifications in league tables, it is “no longer viable for these exams to go ahead. Views on alternative arrangements for these qualifications should be sought in the consultation.

Free governor webinars
Staff mental health and wellbeing – as schools are confronted with more challenging weeks ahead, Governors for Schools are launching term 2 of their Wellbeing Governors campaign focusing on school staff mental health and wellbeing. Their free webinar on how and why school governors should support staff mental health and wellbeing is taking place on Thursday 28th January from 12 to 1pm. To register use this link.

Understanding the role and impact of Careers Link Governors – the Careers and Enterprise Company is offering governors a free webinar on 3 February from 6-7.30pm. It will explore the key information a governor should be aware of, including the role of a careers leader, the importance of careers in the curriculum, as well as the how to maximise the careers link governor role. To register use this link.

Guidance on reviewing remote education provision
A framework to help schools and further education providers in England identify strengths and areas for improvement in their remote education provision was published this week. Whilst not statutory it can support schools to meet basic requirements using the resources and tools they currently have and take their remote education provision further, with links to useful resources.

Relaunch of Free school meals voucher scheme
The Government’s national free school meals voucher scheme will relaunch next Monday and be run by original supplier Edenred, with schools now given the freedom to provide food in whatever way they see fit.

Guidance issued last week told schools to work with caterers under a “food parcel first approach” to replace free school meals for children at home. Only where this was not possible could schools then use vouchers instead. This week’s new guidance states schools “have the freedom to decide on the best approach for their pupils and have a range of options which include lunch parcels, local vouchers or the…national voucher scheme”.

What a tumultuous first week back…

On Monday, the Government declared primary schools were safe and should be open whilst secondary schools had a staggered return with examination year students due to return first. The next day the Prime Minister announced another national lockdown and schools would be closed to all except vulnerable pupils and the children of critical workers until at least February half term. All other pupils would learn remotely. Concern has been raised that the rationale for continuing to keep nursery schools open and the impact across early years settings has not been made clear.

Remote learning
The Education Secretary confirmed schools are expected to offer online lessons and should be providing between 3-5 teaching hours a day, depending on a child’s age. If parents feel their child’s school is not providing suitable remote education they should first raise their concerns with the teacher or headteacher and failing that, report the matter to Ofsted.

Devices and access to online content and free data
The DfE’s rollout of devices and access to online content and free data continues as well as the BBC confirming they will be offering 14 weeks of educational programmes across age groups, as well as the Oak National Academy continuing to provide video lessons for all ages across all subjects.

Examinations cancelled
The 2021 summer A level and GCSE exams have been cancelled and we wait to see what will be offered in their place, although thankfully last year’s algorithms will not be used. It is expected a short consultation will open next week on the options for alternatives to the exams to ensure every young person gets a fair grade for their work. We have also had confirmation that this year’s SATs have been cancelled.

Free school meals provision
The Education Secretary has confirmed that Free School Meals arrangements will continue, families will be offered food parcels or provided with an alternative local solution and if that isn’t possible the national vouchers scheme will re-open, funded by the Government.

Virus testing programme
Finally, the rapid testing programme for secondary schools will continue for those on site, with daily testing of close contacts available to students and staff and weekly testing available for staff. Primary staff will be included later this month as planned, and more detail will be set out in due course about reaching all secondary students as they return to face-to-face education.

In the final week of a very long term I report on the staggered rollout of covid testing for secondary schools from January, the new requirement to publish information on school websites about their remote education provision and new guidance on holiday activities and food programmes for 2021.

Staggered rollout of coronavirus testing in secondary schools
Yesterday at very short notice, the DfE announced that rapid-result covid tests will be provided to schools, starting with secondary schools and FE colleges, including special schools and alternative provision from January 2021. The aim is to help identify those who are carrying the virus without displaying symptoms, reducing the risk of transmission for students as well as staff. They will also conduct daily testing for those identified as close contacts of staff or students that have tested positive ensuring that they don’t need to isolate.

Students in exam year groups (Y11+Y13), vulnerable children and children of critical workers, as well as students in primary, special and alternative provision will return to school from the start of term. Secondary schools will operate a staggered return, with all non exam year groups receiving full time remote education during the first week of term, with face to face education starting on 11 January 2021. Vocational exams scheduled for the week of 4 January will proceed as planned.

The DfE has indicated full guidance will be provided to schools and colleges on how to set up and staff the testing and those students attending face to face education in the first week of term will be offered the first testing dates. Whilst testing is voluntary, close contacts who decide not to be tested daily will need to self-isolate in line with guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus infection.

No doubt Headteachers and Senior Leadership Teams in secondary schools, special schools and alternative provision will need to start working on this straight away to ensure they have plans in place for the start of the Spring term.

New requirement to publish information about remote education provision
Schools must publish information about their remote education provision on their websites by 25 January 2021. To support school leaders in setting out that information the DfE has worked with schools to design a template. It is aligned to the expectations for remote education, to which schools must have regard under the temporary continuity direction given by the Secretary of State for Education.

The template is not mandatory, and schools can adapt it to suit their context. For example, while it has been designed to be used at the whole-school level, some schools might find it helpful to provide different information for different key stages or subjects. Schools can find further help and support on how to meet the expectations for remote education via the DfE’s remote education good practice guide and school-led webinars.

DfE guidance on the holiday activities and food programme for 2021
The holiday activities and food programme 2021 provides grant funding to local authorities to coordinate free holiday provision for eligible children. The guidance explains the aims and objectives of the programme, what the funding covers and how the funding will be allocated.

This week I report on revised primary school testing requirements for this year, the DfE’s announcement that school laptop allocations will be restored to original levels and consultation on KCSIE statutory guidance for September 2021 has been launched.

Revised primary school testing requirements this year
Key Stage 1 – no SATs in Reading, Maths or the voluntary grammar, punctuation and spelling test. No requirement to teacher assess, or report, on science. Year 1 and Year 2 (where appropriate) Phonics screening checks timetable is extended by one week to 25 June.

Key Stage 2 – no grammar, punctuation or spelling tests. No requirement to teacher assess, or report, on science. The introduction of the Year 4 multiplication tables check will be delayed a further year. The end of KS2 SATs tests timetable extended by one week to May 26.

EYFS profile – the profile is the method through which pupils’ development and learning is assessed in Reception. This week the Government has confirmed that for pupils turning five this academic year the profile will need to be completed by schools.

School laptop allocations restored
Yesterday the DfE confirmed school laptop allocations, which were reduced by 80% last month, would now be returned to ‘original levels’ due to improved flow of stock internationally. If a school needed to make another claim before Christmas, they would be awarded their full allocation then. If not, they would get their full allocation after Christmas, regardless of whether they experienced further disruption.

Consultation on KCSIE 2021 opens
Yesterday the DfE launched a consultation on Keeping Children Safe in Education for September 2021. The consultation runs until 4 March 2021 and many of the proposed changes are technical in nature. They are intended to improve the clarity of the guidance and ensure consistency throughout. A list with an explanation of all the proposed substantive changes is set out at Annex G of the draft guidance.

This week I report on the latest DfE School governance update, publication of Ofsted’s annual report for 2019/20, confirmation that inspections won’t recommence until the Summer term 2021 and the Government’s plans for GCSE and A level examinations in 2021.

DfE school governance update
The DfE has released their December School governance update thanking governors for their commitment and signposting vital resources which may be of interest. It reminds governing bodies to be pragmatic in their approach to meetings and continue to hold them virtually where possible. While meetings can be held face-to-face if considered essential and with appropriate risk assessments taken, no governors should feel pressurised into attending a meeting on school premises.

The update also calls for governors to encourage their schools to support the ‘Something’s Not Right’ campaign. Launched by the Home Office last month, it aims to build awareness of the support available to children and young people who suffered harm during lockdown.

Finally, the DfE highlight’s the information available for schools to help them prepare for the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020. Governors should ensure their schools are aware of the potential impact leaving the EU may have on them.

Ofsted report 2019/20 and inspection plans for 2021
Ofsted published their latest annual report earlier this week, reflecting on the year that had consisted of ‘two very different halves’ which had changed their regulation and inspection activities. The report outlines the emerging findings from the introduction of the new education inspection framework (EIF) in September 2019 while also highlighting concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on pupils. The key findings are summarised below:

• Nearly two- thirds of state schools inspected under the EIF kept the same overall effectiveness
• A strong curriculum is underpinned by clear central aims and accountability, but also acknowledges that individual subjects require different approaches to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach
• There are serious weaknesses in SEND provision overall
• It has become more difficult to identify children’s and families’ need for early help and protection; instead, local authorities are more likely now to be responding to a legacy of abuse and neglect.

The Government has announced that regular Ofsted inspections will be suspended until the summer term 2021. Ofsted will conduct monitoring visits in schools graded ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’.

Government announce plans for examinations in 2021
Students due to sit exams and assessments in 2021 will be provided with a set of measures to ensure fairness and effective management of the disruption caused by COVID-19. The new measures include:

• Generous grading in line with the national outcomes from 2020;
• Students will receive advance notice of some topic areas to focus revision;
• Exam aids will be provided;
• In the event of illness or self-isolation, students have a second chance to sit a paper;
• An expert group will be formed to understand the impact of the pandemic on students across the country.

This week I highlight free governor training on governance roles and structure, information on the Government’s spending review and its impact on schools, publication of the Prime Minister’s Covid-19 Winter Plan and details on the new teaching school hub programme.

Free webinar on Governance roles and structures on Thursday 3 December 2020 from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Governors for Schools are offering this webinar facilitated by Better Governor and will explore the new guidance published by the DfE on governance roles and structures. Governors will look at the DfE’s latest expectations for maintained schools and academies and bring clarity to their view on the roles and responsibilities of school governors moving into 2021.

It will be a mix of input from them alongside real-time opinion polls and the opportunity to ask your own questions. To secure your place at this webinar, register now at the Governors for Schools website.

Government spending review
The Government’s spending review included a number of announcements relating to schools and education. The most significant was the confirmation that schools’ budget would receive an incremental rise of £2.2 billion in 2021-22.  However, the announcement of a pay freeze for public sector workers earning over £24k, means the Government’s pledge to raise teachers’ starting salaries to £30k by 2022/23 has been pushed back to 2023/24. 

Other announcements covered the Government’s new school rebuilding programme, a commitment on new school places for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and funding for education, including schools catch-up and supplementary support for free school meals in 2021/22.

Covid-19 Winter Plan
Yesterday the Prime Minister announced the Government’s Covid-19 Winter Plan, informing the country of how the strengthened tier system will work when the period of national lockdown ends on 2 December.  The plan sets out that under all three tiers of restriction schools will remain open and pupils will be told to attend school as normal unless they are self-isolating. Supervised activities provided for pupils, including wraparound care, will be exempt from gathering limits.

The Winter plan includes a proposed system of frequent testing as an alternative to the need for self-isolation for people who have had close contact with someone who has Covid-19, which will be piloted in schools. Those who have been in close contact would be offered regular tests and would only have to self-isolate if they were to test positive.

The DfE has updated its guidance to inform schools of how they should operate under the strengthened tier system.

Teaching school hub programme
The teaching school hub programme will create a national network of 87 centres of excellence for teacher training and development, replacing the previous network of around 750 teaching schools. Teaching school hubs will provide high quality professional development to teachers at all stages of their careers and will play a significant role in delivering:

• school-based initial teacher training (ITT)
• the early career framework when it is available nationally from September 2021
• the new specialist national professional qualifications (NPQ)
• leadership NPQs
• appropriate body services for early career teachers

They will be funded for 3 years (subject to confirmation) and will be accessible to every school in the country. They will receive an annual grant (subject to conditions) and each hub will have its own defined area and must serve all schools within it, although this will not prevent hubs from working with schools outside their area.