All posts tagged: Labour

Labour civil war as Diane Abbott slams Keir Starmer’s ‘poor judgement’ on winter fuel cuts | Politics | News

Labour civil war as Diane Abbott slams Keir Starmer’s ‘poor judgement’ on winter fuel cuts | Politics | News

Published by Sam

Labour’s Diane Abbott has lashed out at party leader Sir Keir Starmer live on television as she berated his “poor judgement” in accepting freebies and cutting winter fuel payments. The Hackney North MP has a chequered past with the Prime Minister after she had the Labour whip withdrawn over an “offensive” suggestion that “Jews don’t suffer racism”. The whip was restored before the General Election, but only after months of uncertainty about her future. Appearing on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, stand-in host Victoria Derbyshire asked Ms Abbott how she thought Labour and the PM were doing so far. She went on to say: “Maybe if he’d done more doorknocking for the Labour Party, he didn’t understand that of all the people to take money off, not pensioners. “Pensioners don’t forgive and forget and they’re one of the blocks of voters who actually do vote – and he didn’t seem to get it that that would be a problem. “People are still coming up to my colleagues in other parts of the country in …

Labour must support leaders to improve retention

Labour must support leaders to improve retention

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Just try and get hold of an early-career geography teacher in the north east. Over the past couple of years there hasn’t been a single course in our region producing new teachers in this subject. I have to hope that somebody who has moved out of the area for teacher training then moves back so that I am able to recruit them. Finding the right people in what feels like a dry pond is hard enough, so once we have them, we have to make sure that they stay with us. It’s a sub-optimal situation to say the least. That’s why recruitment and especially retention is critical for us at Consilium Academies, a MAT of eight secondary schools in two regional hubs across northern England, including my patch, the north east. It’s one of the reasons why I’m talking about the issue at the MAT Summit with Supporting Education Group’s Penny Swain, who has written in Schools Week about the challenges we all face – and the possible solutions. …

Calls for Labour to publish schools ‘vision’ in white paper

Calls for Labour to publish schools ‘vision’ in white paper

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Labour needs to set out its wider vision for schools in a white paper, sector leaders have said, amid concerns that recent “bitty announcements” reveal a “confusing approach to reform”. The comments echo wider concern within the sector that the new government does not have a unifying strategy for schools. Speaking at the Schools and Academies Show in Birmingham this week, Lord Jim Knight, a former Labour schools minister, said: “It would be so helpful to the whole system to have a white paper published that just set out the vision around how schools should be, how ministers want them to be over the next five years.” Lord Knight Policy expert Sam Freedman, a former government adviser, added: “You have got to have a single vision. You have got to have a white paper where you are setting out what you are trying to achieve. Otherwise you are going to end up with this bitty, confusing approach to reform.” He pointed to the example of new Ofsted report cards. “I think they jumped into that …

What does Labour’s first budget mean for education?

What does Labour’s first budget mean for education?

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles The government pledged extra cash for schools and SEND at last week’s budget. Now the dust has settled, here’s what we know… £2.3bn budget boost means return to 2010 levels (but difficult decisions ahead) The chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the core schools budget would increase by £2.3 billion next year. However, £1 billion is specifically for high-needs. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said the increase represents a 1.4 per cent real-terms increase in total spending, or 1.6 per cent in spending per pupil. Luke Sibieta, an IFS research fellow, said the growth in core school spending would lift spending per pupil, after adjusting for inflation, to about £8,100 – just above its “high point of £8,000 in 2010”. The Conservatives promised for years that funding rises would restore budgets to 2010 levels in real terms, but inflation and cost rises kept setting the pledge back. The government has also said the £1.3 billion would “continue to fully fund this summer’s 5.5 per cent pay award for teachers, …

Labour reviewing three proposed elite state schools

Labour reviewing three proposed elite state schools

Published by skeptic

Planned sixth forms in Dudley, Teeside and Oldham are part of a review of whether 44 free schools offer value for money Planned sixth forms in Dudley, Teeside and Oldham are part of a review of whether 44 free schools offer value for money More from this theme Recent articles All three of Eton College’s proposed flagship “elite” sixth forms, run in partnership with Star Academies to ‘level up’ left behind areas, are being reviewed by the new Labour government. Schools Week understands that all three of the “elite” 16 to 19 schools due to open in Dudley, Teeside and Oldham are part of a review of  whether 44 planned mainstream free schools offer value for money. The government has so far refused to confirm which projects are affected. The three schools, proposed by a partnership between the £52,000-a-year Eton and multi-academy trust Star Academies, were given the green light last summer. The “high-quality, academic-focused” 16 to 19 free schools were due to open in education investment areas (EIAs) as part of the former government’s levelling up …

Labour minister left tongue-tied as Question Time’s Fiona Bruce | Politics | News

Labour minister left tongue-tied as Question Time’s Fiona Bruce | Politics | News

Published by Sam

Squirming Sarah Jones was left tongue-tied as she struggled to name any benefits of Donald Trump returning to the White House. The Minister for Industry, appearing on BBC Question Time, was asked “can you not think of any benefits?” Ms Jones spoke generically about the UK’s relationship with the US, before finally admitting Mr Trump could help end the Middle East crisis. Supporters have argued the President-elect’s fearsome reputation could reign-in Vladimir Putin, Iran and North Korea. During a discussion about any benefits to the UK of a Trump Presidency, Ms Jones said: “The trade between our two countries is about £300billion a year. “If you look at inward investment coming into the UK, we had a big investment summit a few weeks ago, there were some big American firms that are investing in the UK. “Equally, some of our firms go and invest in America. So we have this very strong relationship when it comes to security, when it comes to intelligence sharing.” But Ms Bruce challenged the Labour politician, saying “none of that …

‘I’ve never seen teachers more enslaved’ says school tsar

‘I’ve never seen teachers more enslaved’ says school tsar

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Sir Kevan Collins warns of a ‘narrow compliance culture’ in some schools Sir Kevan Collins warns of a ‘narrow compliance culture’ in some schools More from this theme Recent articles The government’s school standards tsar has said he’s “never seen teachers more enslaved”, with some “being told what to do” in “every lesson”. Sir Kevan Collins, the former head of the Education Endowment Foundation and a non-executive director at the Department for Education, warned a “narrow compliance culture” had blighted “some classrooms” to the “degree of the slide stack we’re going to use in every lesson”. The remarks – which will likely be viewed as an attack against academy trusts with top-down management cultures – come as the new government seeks to curtail the freedoms of the academies sector. Ministers recently pulled academy conversion and trust growth funding grants, will soon legislate to make academies follow the national curriculum and cooperate with councils and place planning. Academy leaders also fear the government’s new intervention model for struggling schools could undermine the freedom of trusts. Speaking …

Intervention model for regional improvement teams revealed

Intervention model for regional improvement teams revealed

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More from this theme Recent articles The government will use a new RAG rating intervention model to target support to schools that need it, with turnaround leaders wanted to commission the help – and draw up new “local area priorities”. Department for Education officials have announced further details today of how their regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams will work (formerly known as regional improvement teams). The teams – which will decide which schools need support and commission the help – will start to be rolled out in January. Government is recruiting school leaders to work with civil servants in the new teams. Bridget Phillipson The government has set out new thresholds for intervention, which will be based on Ofsted report cards. But it will be the RISE teams who decide which support schools get, before they commission bodies like trusts or local authorities to provide help. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has said the teams will ensure schools and trusts work “together to drive high and rising standards across the board”. “For too long, …

Labour MP Says “Unneighbourly” Use Of Fireworks Is “Hugely Detrimental” To Vulnerable People And Pets

Labour MP Says “Unneighbourly” Use Of Fireworks Is “Hugely Detrimental” To Vulnerable People And Pets

Published by Sam

Bonfire Night is coming up on Wednesday 5 November (Alamy) 5 min read03 November Labour MP Sarah Owen has said the use of noisy fireworks is becoming “unneighbourly” as she leads a cross-party effort to restrict their sale to the public. The MP for Luton North has introduced a Private Members’ Bill to ban the sale of the loudest fireworks to the public, and ensure fireworks can only be purchased from licensed shops. If the bill gets passed, the public sale of fireworks would be limited to fireworks with noise levels of 90 decibels or under, which is about as loud as a lawnmower. With Bonfire Night approaching on Tuesday, Owen said she did not want to “stop people’s celebrations”, but that fireworks being set off throughout the year and in the early hours of the morning was having a “hugely detrimental effect” on people and animals. Owen described how people with post-traumatic stress disorder, including those who have served in the armed forces, children with special educational needs, and families with young children …

Most new Labour MPs ‘agree with abolishing bishops’ seats in Lords’

Most new Labour MPs ‘agree with abolishing bishops’ seats in Lords’

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Most new Labour MPs privately agree with abolishing the bishops’ bench, according to Parliament’s in-house magazine, The House. Twenty-six Church of England bishops sit by right in the House of Lords. Earlier this month, Conservative MP Gavin Williamson tabled an amendment to the government’s hereditary peers bill which would also abolish the bishops’ bench. The National Secular Society is working with parliamentarians across the political spectrum to garner support for the amendment. Fourteen other MPs have put their name to the amendment, including Labour’s Graham Stringer and independent MP John McDonnell. The House claims an “influential Labour MP” is considering voting for the amendment. Labour MP Patrick Hurley told The House: “We should eventually look to have the bishops removed,” But he believes it must be done “piecemeal”, so won’t be supporting Williamson’s amendment. Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael has said removing the bishops would “help build momentum for proper reform”. Other Liberal Democrat MPs have told the NSS they would vote for the amendment if it is selected for debate by the speaker. Explaining …