Here's another summary of 5 key education news stories from last week. We hope this helps you feel more informed about important sector updates.

Have a great week!

1. Ofsted head says English schools should not turn away 'difficult' pupils

Sir Martyn Oliver tells school leaders new report-card style inspection reports will focus on inclusion, writes The Guardian.

Schools should not turn away "difficult" pupils over fears they will harm their results, and face being evaluated on how inclusive they are towards local children, Ofsted’s chief inspector of schools has said.

Sir Martyn Oliver, the head of Ofsted, also told England’s school leaders that there will be a focus on inclusion in the report-card style inspection reports to be introduced next year.

Oliver said his intention was to ensure that "schools can match the needs and provision of children, especially children with SEN, or who are finding learning difficult." Furthermore, Oliver warned that Ofsted would be likely to mark down schools that deliberately restricted their admissions or intakes.

Source: Ofsted head says English schools should not turn away ‘difficult’ pupils (theguardian.com)

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2. Teachers 'sceptical' of AI benefits in schools

Teachers are unsure about the ability of AI to cut their workload, as the government spends millions on developing AI tools for schools, writes Tes.

Teachers have "significant scepticism" about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, a new report reveals.

The finding comes as national organisations, including the DfE, are developing AI tools in a bid to reduce teacher workload and improve pupil outcomes.

More than half of the teachers whose schools were using AI said it had no positive impact on their workload. Only a third of respondents said that AI had decreased the amount of work they do, with the rest of the respondents saying that AI is not applicable to their job.

Source: Teachers ‘sceptical’ of AI benefits in schools (Tes.com)

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3. Oldham-based trust celebrates being in the top 10 in England

The Oldham-headquartered Pinnacle Learning Trust (PLT) has been recognised as one of the top 10 performing trusts in the country - securing the Edurio Trust Value Award, writes Oldham Chronicle.

The Trust Value Award is based on national survey data from the 2023/24 academic year and recognises trusts where staff feel confident that being part of the trust is highly beneficial.

The trust has demonstrated exceptional efforts in fostering a positive environment throughout its academies, where staff feel they are supported, valued, and receive meaningful benefits as part of the organisation.

In fact, survey responses from staff across Pinnacle are above the national benchmarks in every single category.

Source: Oldham-based schools Trust celebrates being in the top 10 in England (oldham-chronicle.co.uk)

4. First rise in teachers’ pension contributions since 2015

Plans would see employee contribution rates rise by up to £200 a year, writes SchoolsWeek.

The government has proposed the first increase in employee contributions to the teachers’ pension scheme since 2015 to avoid a shortfall in the fund.

However, the DfE said rates would not rise for the lowest-paid.

Furthermore, the monthly impact for an employee earning £110,000 a year is estimated to be £17 – which equates to just under £200 a year.

In a consultation published today, the DfE explained the six "contribution tier" rates had remained the same since 2015, but the thresholds at which each rate is paid had increased annually in line with inflation.

The DfE said it had accepted a "unanimous recommendation" from the Government Actuary’s Department and TPS advisory board "to retain the current structure with the forecast shortfall met by an increase of 0.3% for tiers 2-6."

Source: First rise in teachers’ pension contributions since 2015 proposed (schoolsweek.co.uk)

5. 'Excessive' 20 hours mentor training requirement scrapped

The government will also launch a new re-accreditation round for initial teacher training providers in spring, writes Schools Week.

The government has scrapped the requirement that mentors of trainee teachers undertake 20 hours of training with "immediate effect" just two months after it was introduced.

The government will also launch a new re-accreditation round for initial teacher training providers in spring next year to "ensure ongoing coverage and efficient delivery".

The DfE announcement stated: "Having listened to feedback from ITT providers and schools, we recognise that further flexibilities regarding the quantification of the initial mentor training times would be beneficial, particularly for mentors supporting trainees in second school placements.

“Therefore, we have removed the 20-hour general mentor training and the 6-hour refresher training minimum time requirements, with immediate effect."

Source: ‘Excessive’ 20 hours mentor training requirement scrapped (schoolsweek.co.uk)

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