Browse News Articles
New funding formula fails ‘fairness’ test, as £3bn cuts loom over school budgets (14th December, 2016)
New schools funding formula fails ‘Fairness’ test and will divert vital resources from schools in disadvantaged areas to affluent areas. Calls grow for Government to better fund education on the day the National Audit Office publishes report that schools face £3bn cuts.
SCHOOLS NorthEast response to the Green Paper consultation "Schools That Work For Everyone" (13th December, 2016)
On 12 September the Department for Education released a new Green Paper entitled “Schools That Work For Everyone”. This contained a range of proposals with the aim of creating “an education system that extends opportunity to everyone, not just the privileged few”.
Children’s Commissioner’s life chances inquiry shuns North East expertise (6th December, 2016)
SCHOOLS NorthEast strongly welcomed the launch of the Children’s Commissioner’s ‘Growing Up North’ inquiry into children’s life prospects. However, the composition of the inquiry’s expert advisory panel has caused serious concern about the quality and inclusivity of the initiative as it fails to contain a single North East representative despite seeking to address issues in the region.
Level 3 early years educator: numeracy and literacy requirements consultation – SCHOOLS NorthEast response (1st December, 2016)
Last month, the Government launched a consultation on whether early years educators need GCSEs in Maths and English.
Since 1 September 2014, staff who hold the early years educator qualification must also have achieved grade C or above in GCSE English and Maths, but some employers in the sector have reported that this has made retention and recruitment of staff more difficult.
SCHOOLS NorthEast asked for your input on the matter, to ensure that our consultation response reflects the views and experiences of North East early years providers. Based on your replies, we have submitted the response below.
Over 9 in 10 children in the North East are in either Good or Outstanding primaries (1st December, 2016)
- Almost 9 out of 10 schools in the North East are rated Good or Outstanding. But secondary schools in the North and Midlands are singled out in Ofsted’s Annual Report for lagging behind, with more than a quarter “still not good enough”
SCHOOLS NorthEast review of the Northern Powerhouse Schools Strategy (23rd November, 2016)
The Department for Education has released “A Northern Powerhouse Schools Strategy”, an independent review led by Sir Nick Weller, CEO and Executive Principal of Dixons Academies in Bradford. The report outlines a series of proposals to “tackle educational underperformance in the North of England” in the following five areas:
Leading North East charities call for greater investment in poverty-stricken communities (22nd November, 2016)
The Government should commit to developing a robust poverty strategy that will give all children the best possible life chances.
SCHOOLS NorthEast response to the Education Committee inquiry into primary assessment (3rd November, 2016)
There are significant concerns among school leaders as to whether the current system of primary assessment is fit for purpose.
Dame Sue Bailey announced as Chair of schools-led mental health commission (13th October, 2016)
SCHOOLS NorthEast today announced that the nation’s foremost figure in child emotional wellbeing will chair its North East Schools-led Commission on pupils’ mental health.
Government is ‘blinded’ by the structure of schools and risks ‘rewarding’ the few at the expense of many pupils (9th September, 2016)
SCHOOLS NorthEast today welcomed Theresa May’s commitment to tackling educational inequality, while urging the Government to focus more on measures that will drive up standards for all and not the few.
North East schools buck the trend as GCSE top grades fall dramatically (25th August, 2016)
- The sharp drop in GCSE grades nationally does not mirror the regional picture, with top grades in the North East seeing the smallest change.
Percentage of North East pupils securing university places hits new high (18th August, 2016)
SCHOOLS NorthEast, the representative body for all 1,250 schools across the region, today welcomed news that more pupils than ever have been accepted on university courses.