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11 March, 2025
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Collaborative Communities: Key Takeaways from Sir David Carter
Sir David Carter shares his insights on how schools and trusts can work together to create a culture of shared growth and success.
Read more1. Curriculum review interim report: all you need to know
The findings raise concerns about the current school curriculum, assessment system and performance measures, writes Tes.
The curriculum review will not “fundamentally change” the number of subjects students study or are assessed in at GCSE, according to the new interim report.
The interim report says many aspects of the system are “working well”, and the curriculum is reasonably broad and balanced compared with other countries.
But the findings do raise a series of concerns that have been highlighted during its call to evidence and the first phase of work.
Review leader Professor Becky Francis said that “in some areas, the current curriculum is impeding depth and mastery of core concepts, reducing the autonomy of teachers and reducing the time available to teach some important subjects”.
The review highlights concerns around assessment overload at key stage 4, ineffective writing assessments at key stage 2, and the limited success of post-16 GCSE resits in English and maths. The English Baccalaureate received particular mention from unions, calling for it to be scrapped.
Recommendations for improvement will be published in the final report in autumn.
Source: Curriculum review interim report: all you need to know (Tes.com)
2. Schools can afford less than half of proposed 2.8% pay rise, admits DfE
‘Headroom’ in next year’s budget only leaves enough for an increase of 1.3%, official government analysis finds, writes Schools Week.
Schools will be able to afford less than half of the 2.8% pay rise proposed for next year, the DfE has admitted.
In its annual school costs technical note, the Department said it expected school funding to rise by 4.3% next year, while costs will rise by 3.6%.
But that headroom only leaves enough to pay for a 1.3% pay rise when the government has recommended teacher pay rises by 2.8%.
Assuming school support staff pay rose by the same amount, it would leave schools having to fund the money for most of the rise from their own budgets.
Schools were warned this would happen. In its evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body, the DfE said,“Most schools will need to supplement the new funding they receive in [financial year] 2025-26 with efficiencies”.
But the reality of that decision has only recently started to sink in, with leaders speaking of their dismay after discovering their funding would, on average, rise by just 0.5% next year once the impact of previous pay rises is taken into account.
Source: Schools can afford less than half of proposed 2.8% pay rise, admits DfE (schoolsweek.co.uk)
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3. Big jump in SEND pupils missing more school than they attend
Severe absence increases among some of the most vulnerable pupils in the system writes School Week.
The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who miss more school than they attend has jumped by more than 15% in a year.
The government has been urged to take urgent action as official data also showed a rise in severe absence among poorer pupils and those attending alternative provision.
Last academic year, 6.8% of children with an education, health and care plan were severely absent – meaning they missed 50% or more of their lessons. This is up from 5.9% in 2022/23 and more than double the pre-pandemic rate of 3.3%.
The proportion of those receiving SEN support who were severely absent also rose from 3.8 – 4.4%.
Severe absence also jumped for pupils eligible for free school meals (3.8 – 4.3%) and for those attending alternative provision (38.3 – 39.2%).
Source: Big jump in SEND pupils missing more school than they attend (schoolsweek.co.uk)
