Kyle Tormey

On-screen exams could widen disadvantage gap, EEF warns Education Endowment Foundation says the introduction of digital assessment must not have a ‘detrimental impact’ on disadvantaged students, in its response to Ofqual consultation

Responding to Ofqual’s digital exams consultation, the EEF says no rollout should take place until the impact on disadvantaged students is known. EEF fears attainment gaps could widen. @tesmagazine.bsky.social

www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Primary libraries pledge includes converted cloakrooms and corridors Treasury has committed to ensuring that every primary school has a library by 2029, but these facilities could include former ‘storage spaces’, Tes can reveal

An important question to ask when any promise is made about libraries - what definition of "library" is being used? www.tes.com/magazine/new... @ktorm-social1.bsky.social @tesmagazine.bsky.social

Primary libraries pledge includes converted cloakrooms and corridors Treasury has committed to ensuring that every primary school has a library by 2029, but these facilities could include former ‘storage spaces’, Tes can reveal

Excl: Gov't pledge to build libraries in all primary schools by the end of this Parliament may include converting “storage” areas such as cloakrooms and corridors. Treasury previously committed over £10m in funding, now rising to £12.5m. @tesmagazine.bsky.social

www.tes.com/magazine/new...

“There are severe shortages nationally, with provision varying enormously across local authorities... far more people want to train as EPs than there are funded places available.”

EPI's @jzuccollo.bsky.social spoke to @ktorm-social1.bsky.social about the gov't's experts at hand plan.

Ofqual calls for tougher action on phones and AI cheating Exams watchdog writes to biggest UK exam boards, warning of rising numbers of students breaking rules

England's exams watchdog has called for tougher action to stop students bringing mobile phones into exams or using AI to cheat in coursework www.tes.com/magazine/new... @tesmagazine.bsky.social

New ‘experts at hand’ won’t arrive fast enough, DfE warned Professional bodies back bigger roles in schools for educational psychologists, occupational and speech and language therapists - but say they already struggle to meet demand

Excl: DfE warned that workforce shortages could affect delivery of its £1.8bn “experts at hand” SEND plan by 2028. Professional bodies welcome the investment, but raise doubts on timeline of delivery. @tesmagazine.bsky.social

www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Ofqual warned of 'moving too slowly' on digital assessments England's largest exam board says the 'cautious' rollout of on-screen assessments proposed by the regulator could 'hinder progress'

England’s largest exam board says ‘cautious’ rollout of on-screen assessments could ‘hinder progress’ - @ktorm-social1.bsky.social reports www.tes.com/magazine/new... @tesmagazine.bsky.social

Ofqual warned of 'moving too slowly' on digital assessments England's largest exam board says the 'cautious' rollout of on-screen assessments proposed by the regulator could 'hinder progress'

As Ofqual consults on expanding digital assessments, @aqaeducation.bsky.social is calling for a more ambitious rollout, saying England risks falling behind other countries. @tesmagazine.bsky.social

www.tes.com/magazine/new...

SEND reform plans ‘risk overwhelming Sendcos’ Experts voice fears about the proposed new duty on schools to produce a statutory support plan for every pupil with SEND

Plans to introduce statutory ISPs for all SEND pupils have raised questions about workload pressures for SENDCOs and the potential for heightened tension between schools and families. @johngroberts.bsky.social @tesmagazine.bsky.social

3 in 5 people see teaching as ‘unappealing’ Just 6 per cent of respondents view teaching as a ‘very appealing’ job, YouGov survey suggests

After long-awaited details regarding plans to recruit 6500 teachers were revealed this week, new @yougov.co.uk polling shows most adults now view teaching as an unappealing career, with only a small minority finding it “very appealing”. @tesmagazine.bsky.social

The SEND reforms are out - now the real tests begin The government has finally announced its plans for special educational needs provision. Tes’ SEND and inclusion editor John Roberts assesses the challenges to come

In an insightful but also personal piece, @tesmagazine.bsky.social SEND and Inclusion Editor @johngroberts.bsky.social explores the challenges ahead after the Schools White Paper was published, and reflects on the wider discussion around special schools. A must read:

KS4 reforms to make lower-attaining pupils ‘more visible’ Government launches a consultation on reforms to key stage 4, including changes to RISE interventions and a new ‘best fit’ progress measure targeted at low prior attainers

DfE sets out plans to overhaul KS4 progress measures and extend RISE support - a shift that could change how schools enter pupils for qualifications.

@tesmagazine.bsky.social

DfE reveals £4bn SEND reform spending plan Schools will get access to £1.6bn inclusion funding and ‘Experts at Hand’ as part of the government’s long-awaited SEND reforms

£4bn SEND reform plan lands: £1.6bn for inclusion funding, £1.8bn for local specialist teams, new ISPs, and big changes to EHCPs from 2029.

@johngroberts.bsky.social @tesmagazine.bsky.social

DfE reveals £4bn SEND reform spending plan Schools will get access to £1.6bn inclusion funding and ‘Experts at Hand’ as part of the government’s long-awaited SEND reforms

Schools in England will be given access to a new 'inclusive mainstream fund' of £1.6 billion as part of a wider £4 billion spending package announced tonight - @johngroberts.bsky.social reports www.tes.com/magazine/new... @tesmagazine.bsky.social

School trips give pupils ‘strongest sense of belonging’ Students feel most connected to school when they take part in activities outside the classroom, such as sports days and school trips, suggests University of Oxford research

School trips give pupils ‘strongest sense of belonging’ - @ktorm-social1.bsky.social reports on @ox.ac.uk research www.tes.com/magazine/new... @tesmagazine.bsky.social

Excl: Many schools haven't received AI attendance targets the DfE said it had set "every school" last year. @ascl-uk.bsky.social calls the rollout a "botched exercise". @tesmagazine.bsky.social

Excl: Tes analysis reveals 1/4 CEOs at England’s biggest academy trusts received bigger pay rises than teachers last year, with 12 earning more than £250,000. Unions describe it as “tone deaf”.

@tesmagazine.bsky.social
@jabedahmed.bsky.social

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Social transition requests should be treated with ‘caution’, DfE says The government will embed gender guidance for schools within Keeping Children Safe in Education, including guidelines to ensure that single-sex spaces are protected

New: KCSIE guidance will outline a cautious, safeguarding‑led approach to gender‑questioning pupils, including single‑sex toilets and changing rooms. Unions back the announcement after previously calling for clarity.

@cerysturner.bsky.social @tesmagazine.bsky.social

England’s largest academy trusts made nearly £24m in investment income last year, Tes analysis shows. Some generated millions, while others saw income fall as interest rates dropped.

@jabedahmed.bsky.social @tesmagazine.bsky.social

www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Nearly a fifth of KS4 students recorded with SEND The latest key stage 4 data shows that the proportion of students with SEND has been rising since before Covid, but also that the gender gap in KS4 results has narrowed

Nearly one in five KS4 students were identified with a special educational need in 2024-25, DfE data shows.

@mmulholland.bsky.social tells Tes there’s “no simple explanation”, though improved recognition of available support is a factor.

DfE 'particularly keen' to recruit male teachers Education minister Olivia Bailey tells MPs that the department wants to see more men 'teaching, guiding and leading' in schools

Gov't “particularly keen” to recruit more male teachers in schools, says early education minister.

Olivia Bailey said the DfE wants to see male teachers “stay and thrive” in schools and early education settings.

@tesmagazine.bsky.social

Reading for pleasure needs a ‘higher profile’ at school, MPs told Education experts giving evidence to an MPs’ inquiry into the decline in children reading for pleasure make four recommendations to address the problem

Reading for pleasure is back under scrutiny, with MPs told it needs a stronger place in the curriculum. Evidence presented to the Education Select Committee highlighted links between reading for enjoyment, attainment and wider wellbeing.

@tesmagazine.bsky.social:

Feeling 'in control' helps students make stronger reading progress Researchers find a notable decline in students' sense of control over their academic outcomes as they progress through key stage 3

New research from Professor John Jerrim finds 'feeling in control' can accelerate students' progress in reading by up to two months.

Prof Jerrim tells me there are 'similarities' between his work and the findings of Carol Dweck. For @tesmagazine.bsky.social:

Regional attendance and behaviour advisers revealed Remaining lead hub schools are also confirmed by the DfE, bringing the total to 93, as one of the national attendance and behaviour ambassadors speaks exclusively to Tes

Exclusive: DfE appoints nine Regional Attendance and Behaviour Advisers & confirms remaining 36 lead hub schools - bringing total to 93.

Speaking exclusively to @tesmagazine.bsky.social, DfE ambassador Jayne Lowe discusses their role & SEND schools' future in hubs.

Excellent piece on the growth of 'mixed' trusts and what it might mean for inclusion from @johngroberts.bsky.social

Are schools being judged unfairly without Progress 8? We're now experiencing two years without the Progress 8 performance measure as a result of the cancellation of Sats during the pandemic. So, have the past warnings about a negative impact on schools c...

No Progress 8. New accountability pressures. Old questions about fairness. In the absence of P8, @tesmagazine.bsky.social explores how schools have managed without it, how they’re being judged and what this means looking ahead.

www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Are schools being judged unfairly without Progress 8? We’re now experiencing two years without the Progress 8 performance measure as a result of the cancellation of Sats during the pandemic. So, have the past warnings about a negative impact on schools c...

Has a world without P8 been as damaging as many believed it would be for those schools in disadvantaged areas?

@ktorm-social1.bsky.social has looked at the data, talked to the sector and looked at the fallout, particularly with Ofsted - and the picture is mixed.

www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Are schools being judged unfairly without Progress 8? We're now experiencing two years without the Progress 8 performance measure as a result of the cancellation of Sats during the pandemic. So, have the past warnings about a negative impact on schools c...

Great piece by @ktorm-social1.bsky.social showing Covid ripple effects after Sats were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 - meaning England is now in a two-year spell without the crucial Progress 8 measure of how far students have come since then. www.tes.com/magazine/new... @tesmagazine.bsky.social

Lords back social media ban for under-16s House of Lords vote follows the government’s announcement that Ofsted will inspect schools on whether students are using their phones

www.tes.com/magazine/new...

House of Lords backs Lord Nash’s amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to ban under‑16s from social media. It now goes to the Commons, where MPs would need to remove or vote against it to stop it becoming law.