Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSamantha Booth @samanthajbooth.bsky.social · 09/10/2026Breaking news from @fcdwhittaker.bsky.social The ASCL school leaders’ union has said it has no confidence in Ofsted’s leadership to 'address the damage being done by the new inspection system' following a vote of its ruling council schoolsweek.co.uk/ascl-council...schoolsweek.co.ukASCL council passes no confidence vote in Ofsted's leadershipUnion decries 'no meaningful progress on the part of Ofsted to address significant wellbeing issues' 013
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Ofsted inspections of national professional qualifications and the new early career teacher entitlement are being paused for an extra year to allow the watchdog more time to develop a new inspection framework schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-pause...schoolsweek.co.ukOfsted pauses NPQ and ECTE inspections for another yearOfsted inspections of national professional qualifications and the new early career teacher entitlement are being paused for an extra year 023
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 08/10/2026The Chartered College of Teaching is to review 10-year-old standards for continuing professional development for teachers, aiming to end a 'supermarket sweep' approach to sourcing training schoolsweek.co.uk/chartered-co...schoolsweek.co.ukChartered College to review decade-old CPD standardsReview chair says 'urgent priority' is to help budget setters 'stop money being wasted' 044
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 07/10/2026The National Education Union has urged the chancellor to halt plans to claw back 'billions of pounds' from schools when employer contributions to teacher pensions fall schoolsweek.co.uk/let-schools-...schoolsweek.co.ukLet schools keep £3.3bn teachers' pensions saving, says NEUThe government has confirmed it plans to recoup funding after employer pension contributions fall 012
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 21/09/2026A school leaders’ union has called for Ofsted inspections to be halted amid wellbeing concerns, as it warned of a possible 'risk to life' schoolsweek.co.uk/union-calls-...schoolsweek.co.ukUnion calls for inspections pause over wellbeing concernsThree-quarters of leaders feel new inspections worse than before, NAHT survey suggests 044
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 18/09/2026School finance leads have known about changes to LGPS contribution rates since April, and say there had been no suggestion that the gov might claw back the headroom this created. "Additional costs or savings (regarding LGPS) have historically been for schools to bear or benefit," said one. 013
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Administration of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme is finally expected to be transferred to Tata Consultancy Services in November, following a 12-month delay schoolsweek.co.uk/teachers-pen...schoolsweek.co.ukPension contract transfer going ahead in November - DfEDepartment pledges 'smooth and secure handover' when Indian firm takes over running Teachers' Pensions 011
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Education secretary Lucy Powell has been criticised for claiming a third of GCSE pupils 'can’t' pass English and maths each year due to the way the exam grading system works schoolsweek.co.uk/powell-criti...schoolsweek.co.ukPowell criticised for claims about GCSE gradingFormer Ofqual chair says education secretary's claim about the effect of comparable outcomes is 'untrue' 232
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 14/08/2026A school leaders’ union has called for more details on proposed changes to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) that could leave grieving family members worse-off schoolsweek.co.uk/pension-dfe-...schoolsweek.co.ukTeachers' pensions: DfE plans change to bereavement payoutsSome families could receive less money immediately after the death of a TPS member claiming a pension 101
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 28/07/2026Ofsted will 'change the way they measure and inspect schools' to ensure they 'recognise the quality of technical education and the support aimed at preparing young people for work', the government has said schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-schoo...schoolsweek.co.ukOfsted schools shake-up to 'recognise preparation for work'But vague summer holiday announcement leaves leaders in the dark over proposed 2028 reforms 002
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 21/07/2026Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell has been appointed as education secretary in a reshuffle by new prime minister Andy Burnham schoolsweek.co.uk/lucy-powell-...schoolsweek.co.ukLucy Powell appointed as education secretaryLabour's deputy leader replaces Bridget Phillipson at the Department for Education 113
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 06/07/2026Ofsted has come under fire after admitting it does not track how many calls to a new helpline set up to support leaders are related to wellbeing schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-doesn...schoolsweek.co.ukOfsted doesn't know which helpline calls relate to wellbeingPhone line set up after head's suicide has received 550 calls – but watchdog not clear on what for 031
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Breaking: The DfE is considering cancelling exams giant Pearson's contract to deliver SATs after it confirmed this year's marking fiasco will delay results schoolsweek.co.uk/sats-results-dela…schoolsweek.co.ukSATs results delayed by Pearson marking fiascoResults will now be delivered on 16 July, says exams giant, over a week later than planned 001
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 01/07/2026Breaking: Teacher pay will rise by 3.5 per cent from September, but schools will be expected to fund almost a third of the cost schoolsweek.co.uk/teacher-pay-to-ri…schoolsweek.co.ukTeacher pay to rise 3.5%, but it's not fully-fundedGovernment also confirms plans to raise pay by a further 3% in 2027 as part of multi-year settlement 013
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSamantha Booth @samanthajbooth.bsky.social · 01/07/2026Great to see @lydiach.bsky.social CEO pay scoop feature in London Playbook @politico.eu this morning www.politico.eu/newsletter/l... 131
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 30/06/2026Big news on academy trust CEO pay this evening... We understand the government will announce controls on MAT CEO pay alongside the long-awaited teacher pay award for September, which could come as soon as tomorrow. 010
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 26/06/2026The government's flagship teacher training programme Teach First is to be renamed after 24 years amid a "shift in strategic direction". It will still be run by the charity named Teach First, but will be delivered under the new title 'Teach Lead Change'. More here... 000
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 29/05/2026Hayes told me of his concerns about the wellbeing measures put in place by Ofsted following the death of Ruth Perry, and about the impact of its new inspection framework 010
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 29/05/2026Two calls were made to Ofsted's wellbeing helpline by Hayes' deputy head and a governor, due to concerns about his wellbeing. Hayes was offered the chance to pause the inspection, but declined this, feeling unable to repeat the process. No follow-up calls were made, to check on his wellbeing. 110
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 29/05/2026During an Ofsted inspection in at his primary school January John Hayes, an experienced headteacher of 19 years, broke down in tears in front of inspectors. At another point, when asked how he was, he told inspectors he was 'terrified'. Hayes said inspectors didn't seem to know how to react. 102
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 18/05/2026The EEG was introduced in 2019, allowing Ofsted inspectors to record notes during inspections digitally. But it's faced chronic software glitches – in the most serious cases involving the loss of key school inspection evidence. We understand Ofsted is now considering replacing it... 101
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 11/05/2026The DfE has scrapped bursaries for overseas applicants who are hoping to become trainee physics and languages teachers. But experts say it's 'not the time' for scaling back tactics to boost recruitment, and criticise the fact this has come mid-year, without notice schoolsweek.co.uk/ministers-sc...schoolsweek.co.ukPhysics and MFL bursaries scrapped for foreign traineesExperts warn this is 'not a time for scaling back' recruitment tactics, and criticise mid-year change 011
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 11/05/2026The National Education Union is set to formally ballot its members for strike action over pay and funding, in a move that has been blasted by the education secretary as 'irresponsible and massively premature' schoolsweek.co.uk/neu-to-forma...schoolsweek.co.ukNEU to formally ballot teachers on strikesBut education secretary Bridget Phillipson blasts move as 'massively premature' 012
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 07/05/2026Ofsted will *not* be decoupling attendance and behaviour, when it tweaks the education inspection framework ahead of September. It will introduce subheadings on report cards, to highlight there are separate paragraphs about the two areas. But schools will continue to receive one grade... 011
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 01/05/2026It was a pleasure to interview James Noble-Rogers, as he stepped down as chief executive of UCET after 22 years. He reflected on some of the biggest challenges he's faced – from Gove's push for school-led training, to Covid and the market review – and what challenges may lie ahead for the sector 001
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 01/05/2026The DFE has stopped running its own 'Get Into Teaching' events, designed to help people find out more about the profession. It said many training providers run their own events, and it must 'prioritise marketing activity that has the greatest impact on recruitment' schoolsweek.co.uk/government-f...schoolsweek.co.ukGovernment-funded 'Get into Teaching' events scrapped by DfEThe department quietly updated its website to say it had 'made the decision not to run own-brand events' 000
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 01/05/2026Exclusive: The Church of England has shelved a consultation on plans to launch its own multi-academy trust inspections, just days after first unveiling the proposals schoolsweek.co.uk/church-of-england…schoolsweek.co.ukChurch of England shelves consultation on MAT inspectionsBut it will revisit the plans later this year as Catholic counterparts think about their own framework 001
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 30/04/2026Fees charged by agencies for supply staff working in most of England’s schools will be capped from September to help save money and clamp down on 'exploitative' practice. Here's everything schools and trusts need to know... schoolsweek.co.uk/supply-staff...schoolsweek.co.ukSupply staff agency fee caps: What schools need to knowNew framework will help tackle 'exorbitant' supplier fees charged by some agencies 001
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 30/04/2026The analysis shows a similar link between having more SEND pupils, and receiving 'needs attention' for attendance and behaviour. Ofsted says it will be publishing its own analysis and commentary when it issues its monthly data on state school inspections next month 000
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 30/04/2026NAHT analysis shows schools with above-average disadvantage are significantly more likely to receive 'needs attention' in achievement, and attendance and behaviour. These are the two judgement areas where national averages are used to assess if schools are meeting the 'expected standard' 100
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 30/04/2026We've been covering concerns around Ofsted's use of national averages – and that it penalises schools with more disadvantaged pupils, or more with SEND – since its new inspection framework launched. New analysis by NAHT suggests there is indeed a link between these contextual factors and grading 142
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 28/04/2026The primary spent over £16k offsetting the cost of meals last financial year, to avoid passing on the burden to parents. One minister said many schools are already delivering food outlined in the new school food standards 'efficiently with their budgets'. But the DfE has not named examples directly 001
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 28/04/2026Ministers have assured schools have ample funding to carry out its ambitious overhaul of school food standards. But one of the schools praised by the DfE in its press release about the new standards has said funding is 'not sufficient'schoolsweek.co.ukFood funding 'not sufficient' says school praised by DfEThe Devon school has had to find £16,652 extra to pay for the meals lauded in new school food standards 136
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 27/04/2026Two leading education charities have teamed up to devise a new programme to help 'accelerate' aspiring headteachers’ careers and support them when they get their first big job schoolsweek.co.uk/new-heads-ne...schoolsweek.co.ukNew heads need more than a one-off qualification - charities‘Ongoing’ support planned as research shows falling numbers aspire to headship 022
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 27/04/2026Exclusive: Schools began to scale back their language provision after plans to withdraw the EBacc were announced last November, sparking fears that the change is “squeezing languages out of the picture”. schoolsweek.co.uk/ebacc-withdr...schoolsweek.co.ukEBacc withdrawal ‘squeezes languages out of the picture’Language learning is continuing to decline with many schools cutting down further 033
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 17/04/2026Turnout was 48.6 per cent for teacher NEU members, and 55.5 per cent of support staff members. NEU's national executive will meet next month to determine next steps 000
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 17/04/2026Breaking: Teacher and support staff members of @neunion.bsky.social have said they are prepared to strike over the prospect of an unfunded pay rise. Indicative ballots show 90.5% of teacher and 86.1% of support staff members are prepared to take industrial action over pay, funding and workload 100
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 14/04/2026The government is planning the most 'ambitious' overhaul of food standards in a generation. From cutting cake, cheese and chips to increasing fibre and fruit, here are all the key changes... schoolsweek.co.uk/cake-out-lentils-…schoolsweek.co.ukWhat schools need to know about proposed food standardsGovernment is planning an 'ambitious' revamp of the rules. But what exactly is being proposed? 011
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 24/03/2026The proportion of children reporting issues with conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation in their schools has increased by over a third in a year, research suggests schoolsweek.co.uk/more-pupils-repor…schoolsweek.co.ukMore pupils report conspiracy theories and misinfo in schoolAnd four in five teachers report having had a pupil bring up a conspiracy theory with them 042
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 19/03/2026Teacher pay should rise by at least 7% over the next three years, says @thenfer.bsky.social, to keep pace with general pay increases predicted by the OBR and 'continue to make the profession attractive' 000
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 19/03/2026NFER says teacher pay should rise by at least 7% over the next three years, to keep pace with rises in general pay predicted by the OBR, and 'continue to make the profession attractive' 000
Lydia Chantler-Hicks @lydiach.bsky.social · 13/03/2026Comments made by Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver ahead of today's ASCL conference have not gone down well with school leaders' unions... 012
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 13/03/2026Uncertainty about the affordability of future pay rises will cast 'a cloud' as school leaders gather for the ASCL annual conference, its general secretary Pepe Di’Iasio has said schoolsweek.co.uk/ascl-conference-p… schoolsweek.co.ukPay and funding uncertainty a 'cloud' over ASCL conference'I think that will be what is at the front of everyone's minds. It'll be a cloud over the conference' 113
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 23/02/2026‼️ A crackdown on off-rolling pupils, a call for standalone schools to join or form MATs and changes to the admissions code are among major plans unveiled in today's schools white paper schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-white-pap…schoolsweek.co.ukSchools white paper: The key schools and academies policiesFair banding transparency, a crackdown on off-rolling and calls for all schools to be in trusts 024
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 21/02/2026Breaking: Newly-appointed headteachers will be offered retention payments of up to £15,000 to work in certain areas under a planned pilot, the government has said schoolsweek.co.uk/new-headteachers-…schoolsweek.co.ukNew heads to get £15k to work where they're 'needed most'Trial of retention payments comes alongside plans to emulate London Challenge in parts of England 124
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSchools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 20/02/2026Ministers have pledged eight weeks of full maternity pay for leaders, teachers and support staff in England schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-pledges-...schoolsweek.co.ukDfE pledges eight weeks full maternity pay for school staffChange to be enacted from 2027 for leaders and teachers, with 'equivalent improvements' for support staff 111
Reposted by Lydia Chantler-HicksSamantha Booth @samanthajbooth.bsky.social · 20/02/2026The devil will absolutely be in the detail on this, but it's a big move on private special schools. Quite a bit we don't know yet such as the £ value of the bands and what the 'standards' will be. One big question for me is - will this see companies pull out of the market and close schools? 155