Schools
Stay updated on the latest developments in UK primary and secondary education. From classroom innovation to leadership changes, this section covers news, trends, and policies impacting schools across the country.
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Nov- 2025 -25 November
Education Committee launches inquiry into reading levels for children
A cross-party inquiry has been launched by the Education Committee to investigate the fall in the number of children reading for pleasure and to assess how the trend might be reversed. It comes as a survey by the National Literacy Trust found that one in three children aged eight to…
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24 November
Gov assessment plans could narrow pupil engagement, NEU finds
The government’s plan to keep all existing primary assessments and introduce a statutory reading test for Year 8 pupils will narrow the curriculum and worsen pupil engagement, according to a new survey by the National Education Union (NEU). The online poll of 1,136 primary and secondary teachers was carried out…
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24 November
EMET welcomes new chief executive
The East Midlands Education Trust (EMET) has announced that Paul Smith will become its new chief executive after the Easter holidays. Smith joins the trust with “extensive” leadership experience from across the education system. His career includes headship in both primary and secondary schools, senior national responsibility as a regional…
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20 November
Parents ‘prioritise mental health over school attendance’, study finds
Nine in 10 British parents say their child’s mental health matters more than attending school, according to new survey findings commissioned by Bett. Almost half of the two thousand parents questioned said they regularly allow their child to stay home if they feel too upset to go in, while a…
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20 November
Free breakfast club expansion to reach 500 more schools from April
The government will extend its Best Start free breakfast club scheme to 500 more schools from April in a move expected to reach an extra half a million children. The expansion is aimed at areas with high levels of disadvantage, and applications opened this week for schools in which at least…
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17 November
School blocked from cutting intake after adjudicator rejects plan
The Winsford Academy has been refused permission to reduce its year 7 intake by a quarter after the national schools adjudicator upheld a challenge from Cheshire West and Chester Council. The decision means the Halliard Trust must maintain the school’s published admission number at 240 for September 2026. The trust…
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14 November
Uni of Derby staff back strike action in dispute over redundancies
Staff at the University of Derby have voted to take strike action in a dispute over potential compulsory redundancies and course closures for the 2025/26 academic year. The University and College Union (UCU) said 82% of participating members backed strike action, with 93% supporting action short of a strike on…
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13 November
Uneven distribution of SEND pupils placing strain on mainstream schools
The uneven distribution of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities across mainstream schools in England is placing greater strain on settings with the highest concentrations of need, new analysis by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) has found. The study reports that more than half of pupils with…
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12 November
Schools to receive individual attendance targets, says gov
Every school in England is set to be given an individual attendance improvement target from this month as part of a government plan to reduce pupil absence to pre-pandemic levels.The Department for Education (DfE) said the move is intended to help children “achieve and thrive” by ensuring they spend more…
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10 November
Welsh council to invest nearly £1bn in schools by 2033
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has reported that almost £1bn will have been invested in modern school facilities across the county by 2033, through a combination of council and Welsh government funding. It comes as a report to cabinet set out details of work completed since 2014, as well as plans…
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