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13 January, 2025
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Read more1. CST calls for changes to DfE bill over pay flexibility
The Confederation of School Trusts is ‘very concerned’ about the schools part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, writes Tes.
Two government bills should be amended to ensure school flexibility over pay, the CST has said.
In a briefing note, CST said it is “very concerned” about the schools part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, particularly “the provisions which would remove academy freedoms”.
As part of this, it suggests an amendment in both the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and the Employment Rights Bill to require employers to “have regard to” the School Teachers’ Review Body and School Support Staff Negotiating Body processes “rather than to be constrained by them”.
Speaking to MPs at the Commons Education Select Committee on Wednesday, the education secretary clarified that “all schools will have full flexibility to innovate with the floor but no ceiling”.
CST welcomed Phillipson’s clarification but said the provisions in the bill as it stands “do not reflect this direction of travel and will need to be amended”.
The sector body also raised concerns about other provisions in the bill, such as the requirement for academies to follow the national curriculum and school admissions.
Source: CST calls for changes to DfE bill over pay flexibility (Tes.com)
2. ECF and NPQ review
The government is planning a series of changes to the early career framework and a full review in 2027, writes Schools Week.
The government will revise and rename the early career framework (ECF) programme for new teachers ahead of a “full review” of the scheme in 2027.
Introduced in 2021, the ECF guarantees continuing development, training and mentoring for new teachers in their first two years in the classroom.
Ahead of the election, Labour pledged to review the programme. Now it has fleshed out those plans, alongside the announcement of a review of national professional qualifications (NPQs).
Ahead of the 2027 review, the DfE said it would be “revising and improving the delivery of what was formerly referred to as the ECF programme by introducing the early career teacher entitlement (ECTE) from September 2025”. Like the ECF, it will provide a two-year period of support and training for early career teachers.
It will include a training programme, mentor support, time off timetable for training and mentoring activities, regular progress reviews and an assessment with expert colleagues.
The DfE confirmed the combined initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF), which sets out the content trainees and new teachers should cover, will still come into effect in September 2025 as planned.
Source: ECF and NPQ review: What you need to know (schoolsweek.co.uk)
3. Ofsted to investigate why pupils with SEND are leaving education
Reviews will focus on pupils not in school, those receiving a part-time education and those who are severely absent, writes Tes.
Ofsted is to investigate why pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are leaving full-time education and what support they are being given to help them remain in school.
The reviews, starting in the spring, will also focus on children who are on a school roll but are flexi-schooled on a part-time timetable, receiving education otherwise than at school or who are severely absent, missing 50% of lessons.
Inspectors will speak to students and families, teachers and school leaders about why children are not in school and how their needs are being met.
Ofsted said the review visits “will not result in judgements about individual local areas. Instead, an overarching report will be published in autumn 2025 and will highlight examples of good practice as well as identifying any systemic concerns”.
Margaret Mulholland, SEND and inclusion specialist at the ASCL, welcomed the focus on children with SEND, saying, “There is currently an overlap between high rates of absence from school and special educational needs. Only by closely examining the reasons for this and making a significant investment to put in place the support these pupils require is this going to change.”
Source: Ofsted to investigate why pupils with SEND are leaving education (Tes.com)
Help build the national picture of SEND4. Sir Kevan Collins to lead DfE board
Sir Kevan Collins, the government’s school standards tsar, will lead the DfE’s non-executive board, writes Schools Week.
Collins, a former chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, was appointed as a non-executive board member at the DfE after Labour won the election in July.
Now, he has been promoted after Richard Pennycook’s latest term of office came to an end.
Collins will serve as lead non-executive board member from February 11 for a period of three years. He will be paid £20,000 for around 24 days each year.
The DfE’s board is chaired by Phillipson and “supported” by the lead member and other directors and senior civil servants.
Its main responsibilities are to provide “strategic and operational leadership to the department”, to scrutinise the delivery and performance of policy and to “challenge the department and its senior officials on how well it is achieving its objectives”.
In the role, Collins will be tasked with leading the DfE’s non-executive team, “ensuring that they are able to fulfil their role effectively”.
Source: Sir Kevan Collins to lead DfE board (schoolsweek.co.uk)
5. Defined list of teacher responsibilities ‘not helpful’, says DfE
The DfE has responded to recommendations from the previous Commons Education Select Committee on how to address the teacher recruitment and retention crisis, writes Tes.
The Commons Education Select Committee recommended last May that the DfE “clearly defines the parameters of schools’ and teachers’ responsibilities” following its inquiry into teacher recruitment and retention.
The committee made the recommendation in an attempt to support schools by making clear what issues are not within the scope of their responsibilities.
However, the DfE has responded it does not believe it would be “helpful” to produce such a list.
The DfE commented: “We do not believe that producing a list of responsibilities for schools and teachers would be helpful, as looking after the development and wellbeing of large numbers of children is inevitably complex.
Where there are teacher shortages in particular subjects, the DfE has said it will encourage subject associations to continue supporting schools to get training so teachers can upskill.
In addition, the government will “attempt to evaluate” whether teachers who receive payments like the levelling-up premium and early career payments tend to leave the profession once these payments stop.
Source: Defined list of teacher responsibilities ‘not helpful’, says DfE (Tes.com)
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