Damian Hinds appointed Secretary of State for Education in new year’s cabinet reshuffle

PAG StaffUncategorised

Yesterday’s cabinet reshuffle saw the appointment of former DWP Minister Damian Hinds as Secretary of State for Education. He replaces Justine Greening who unexpectedly resigned from Government. Mr Hinds attended St Ambrose Grammar School in Cheshire, which became an academy in 2012. He then went on to study PPE at Trinity College, Oxford. After graduating, Damian Hinds spent 18 years …

Education or Vocation, a Divide?

PAG StaffUncategorised

The Government and sector leaders have given increasing focus to the question of vocational qualifications in the education system. Government plans to reform the FE sector and post-16 system via the introduction of ‘T-Levels’, and the introduction of the apprenticeship levy, will in theory put vocational qualifications on more of an equal footing with traditional academic A-Levels. The perception that …

Social Mobility Action Plan Announcement

PAG StaffUncategorised

Tes has been made aware that the DfE is expected to target the opening of new free schools in the bottom third of the country in terms of educational standards. Tes understands the government’s forthcoming Social Mobility Action Plan will state that the majority of central government free schools will be in poorer performing areas. There is an expectation that …

Lenehan Review calls for Local SEND Provision

PAG StaffUncategorised

Around 6,000 children are educated in 334 residential special schools and colleges, in the state, non-maintained and independent sectors. These placements cost an estimated £500m per annum and typically cater for those with the highest needs, This prompted the Lenehan Review for the DfE that has been published in the context of the implementation of the Children and Families Act …

A level results

A-Levels 2017, Reforms and Results

PAG StaffUncategorised

  Yesterday, A-Level students received the fruition of their two years of work. This year is particularly significant given that it is the first set of results since the 2015 reforms introduced in a number of subjects in 2015. The main feature of these reforms is the complete separation of the AS and A Levels. Before 2015 AS Level exams …

Mind the gap image

Minding the Gap

PAG StaffGovernment reporting

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has published a report examining the progress made by disadvantaged, pupil premium, pupils in attainment. The headline finding is that while there has been a narrowing of the attainment gap, this has happened at a very slow rate. The most disadvantaged pupils are now on average 19.3 months behind their peers, narrowed by only three …