21 November, 2025

Top education news stories

Explore this week’s news roundup to uncover the key challenges and priorities for schools across the country.

6 min read

1. Ofsted confirms state school inspections to resume on December 1

Routine inspections have been paused since July but will resume next month, writes Schools Week.

Ofsted has confirmed routine inspections under its new ‘report card’ framework will be beginning at state schools on December 1.

Routine inspections have been paused this term while Ofsted launches its reformed inspection framework, meaning none have taken place since July.

Ofsted’s new framework was launched on November 10, but has only initially been rolled out to schools that have volunteered for inspection.

The watchdog previously said routine inspections at state schools “will be introduced on or after December 1, depending on the number of schools that volunteer”. Last week, it confirmed it will be returning to routine inspections on December 1, meaning schools could get the call in as little as 11 days’ time.

Under the reformed inspection system, schools are judged using a five-grade system across a minimum of six inspection areas.

Leaders have warned that the plans will make the system more complicated and burdensome for schools, not less. But speaking at the Schools and Academies Show in Birmingham last week, chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver said inspections “should feel energising” to leaders.

Source: Ofsted confirms state school inspections to resume on December 1 (schoolsweek.co.uk)

2. 4 in 10 teachers support children in poverty every week

Teachers cite pupils attending school without breakfast, sleeping on sofas and not having basic equipment as examples of where they needed to step in, writes Tes.

Nearly two-thirds of teachers say they provide additional support to pupils in poverty on a monthly basis, according to a poll published by the Child Poverty Action Group and carried out by the NEU teaching union.

The poll received more than 2,000 responses.

According to the NEU, 43% of primary and secondary teachers surveyed said they take steps beyond their educational role to support children on at least a weekly basis.

The union said this support “commonly includes seeking food, clothes, learning resources, providing housing support, sourcing items for homes, such as washing machines, and making referrals to specialist services”.

In the most deprived areas, 57% provide support to pupils in poverty every week. This includes 25% who do so every day, compared with 5% in schools serving areas with the least deprivation.

Teachers reported pupils attending school without breakfast, sleeping on sofas and lacking stationery to complete their homework as examples where support was needed, the union said.

Source: Two-thirds of teachers support children in poverty every month (Tes.com)

3. AI attendance reports suspended days after launch

Leaders report inaccuracies in new attendance target scheme launched by government, writes Schools Week.

AI-driven reports that the government said would help bring attendance “back to – and beyond – pre-pandemic levels” have been suspended just days after they were launched.

Two weeks ago, ministers announced every school would be issued with attendance baseline improvement expectation (ABIE) reports based on their circumstances, including location, pupil needs and deprivation.

The documents contain attendance targets and the names of other high-performing schools in similar circumstances – both of which are generated using AI.

But now the reports can no longer be viewed, following complaints that the results were inaccurate.

Initially, the government said the targets set in ABIE reports would be “indicative” this year. “Official” ones will be sent next September. They are “not an accountability measure and will not be used for intervention”. However, schools “may receive an offer of additional support to improve” if they fail to meet the expectations.

DfE confirmed last Friday that the “reports are currently down”, and it expects them to be available very soon. However, it did not say what went wrong.

Sources: ‘Embarrassing’: AI attendance reports suspended days after launch (schoolsweek.co.uk)