All posts tagged: Phillipson

Keep Latin funding for six more months, Phillipson urged

Keep Latin funding for six more months, Phillipson urged

Published by skeptic

Schools involved in the Latin Excellence Programme have written to the education secretary to ask for an extension Schools involved in the Latin Excellence Programme have written to the education secretary to ask for an extension More from this theme Recent articles School leaders have asked Bridget Phillipson to fund the government’s state school Latin scheme for six more months to help soften the blow of losing support. The £4m Latin Excellence Programme (LEP), designed to broaden access to the typically “elitist” subject, was supposed to run until 2026. But the DfE’s decision to stop funding from next month has left pupils facing disruption and sparked wider uproar. In a letter sent to the education secretary on Wednesday and seen by Schools Week, leaders of schools involved said that ending the scheme in February would place a “financial burden” on them. It would force them to divert funds from already stretched budgets to continue Latin provision for the academic year. MAT Future Academies – which spearheads the scheme, through its Centre for Latin Excellence – …

Phillipson grilled on funding, SEND reforms and admissions

Phillipson grilled on funding, SEND reforms and admissions

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles The national funding formula is under review, Ontario and Ireland are inspiring SEND reforms and a warning has been issued to councils and academies not co-operating on admissions. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson appeared before the education committee for the first time today, alongside Department for Education permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood. Phillipson made a big admission on academy pay freedoms (you can read the full story here), but also had lots of other interestings bits to say. Here’s the highlights… 1. National funding formula under review Phillipson said she regularly hears of the “challenges” relating to the national funding formula, which decides how school funding is dished out. She said it would be “impossible to find a system that delivers what everyone wants all the time in every area”. Susan Acland Hood But she added: “We are looking at this area and what the mechanism might be for determining school funding into the future.” However, she was unable to give a timeframe for any decisions. “We want to make sure …

Phillipson: Teacher pay will have a ‘floor

Phillipson: Teacher pay will have a ‘floor

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More from this theme Recent articles Academies will retain the ability to pay their staff more despite having to follow national pay rates, Bridget Phillipson has said, adding new laws will introduce a teacher salary “floor but no ceiling”. Appearing in from of education committee MPs for the first time today, Phillipson was asked to explain why her schools bill proposed revoking academy freedoms on pay. Under the plans, academies would be forced to follow national pay scales. Phillipson said today the proposal would introduce a “floor” on teacher pay and conditions, but “with no ceiling”. She also used a similar phrase for the proposed rules requiring academies to follow the national curriculum. A handful of trusts pay teachers above national rates, others also provide more flexibility. Phillipson told MPs government wants to introduce a “solid floor for all teachers working across the profession with clear expectations”, but ensure “every school has the freedom to innovate and go beyond”. ‘No ceiling on teacher pay’ Shadow education secretary Laura Trott called the admission a “U-turn”, adding …

Phillipson faces first education committee grilling

Phillipson faces first education committee grilling

Published by skeptic

Education secretary set to be questioned by MPs over SEND, wellbeing bill and private school fees Education secretary set to be questioned by MPs over SEND, wellbeing bill and private school fees More from this theme Recent articles Bridget Phillipson will face questions about SEND provision and charging VAT on private school fees during her first education committee hearing next week. The education secretary will also be grilled over aspects of the new children’s wellbeing and schools bill, including how unique identifier codes and a national register of children not in school will be developed. Susan Acland Hood Members of the committee may also examine why the legislation does not include provisions for eligible children to be auto-enrolled for free school meals. On SEND, issues like how to make mainstream settings more inclusive and what action will be taken to stop councils from declaring effective bankruptcy over high needs costs in future years will be tackled. Phillipson will also be questioned over the potential impact VAT on private school fees could have, the government’s progress …

Schools bill ‘won’t cut pay’, says Phillipson

Schools bill ‘won’t cut pay’, says Phillipson

Published by skeptic

Sweeping schools reforms “will not cut teachers’ pay” and will restore academies “to their core, intended purpose” of raising standards, Bridget Phillipson has insisted as she batted back criticism of her schools bill today. The education secretary spoke in Parliament this afternoon during the second reading of the children’s wellbeing and schools bill. The bill passed after a Conservative attempt to bring it down failed. Here’s what we’ve learned so far. 1. Reforms ‘won’t cut teachers’ pay’ Labour’s proposal that academies be forced to follow national pay scales for teachers has prompted warnings from the Tories that “thousands” will face a pay cut. Some trusts pay teachers above national rates. The country’s largest has flagged concern about the consequences of Labour’s plans. Phillipson was pressed today to confirm “there is nothing at all in this bill that would result in a teacher in any school getting a pay cut”. The education secretary said: “I will reiterate today that the measures in this bill and the changes that we will bring forward to the school teachers …

Phillipson must put an end to the policy hokey cokey

Phillipson must put an end to the policy hokey cokey

Published by skeptic

Without a long-term sense of direction and clear responsibilities, all of our other problems will be harder to fix Without a long-term sense of direction and clear responsibilities, all of our other problems will be harder to fix Tom Richmond Education policy consultant 19 Nov 2024, 16:48 More from this theme Recent articles Like many other people of my generation, it was almost inevitable that any primary school fetes or fairs would be accompanied by music from Black Lace, including such classics as the hokey cokey. Never would I have imagined that four decades later, this timeless song would be stuck in my head as I digested the latest developments in our state school system. During the interviews for my major research project on the school system earlier this year, the most consistent message I heard was not ‘put all schools back under local authority control’ or ‘put all schools in trusts’, but rather ‘can someone please just put a plan in place and get on with it?’. When the previous Conservative government tried to …

Academy grant cut down to ‘tough choices’, says Phillipson

Academy grant cut down to ‘tough choices’, says Phillipson

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More from this theme Recent articles “Tough choices” around the country’s finances are behind a decision to scrap an academy conversion grant, Bridget Phillipson has said. The education secretary also said schools would be compensated “at a national level” for increases to employers’ national insurance contributions, suggesting some individual settings may not get what they need. Here’s what we learned from the new government’s second bout of education questions in the House of Commons. 1. ‘Tough choices’ behind scrapping of academy conversion grant The government announced on Friday that it will scrap grants of up to £25,000 for schools that choose to become academies. It has also cancelled trust capacity and growth funding. Laura Trott Laura Trott, the new shadow education secretary, pointed to England’s improvement in international rankings, and asked Phillipson if she agreed that academisation “was one of the driving forces behind this very good school improvement”. The education secretary insisted the new government was focused on “driving up standards”. Asked why the government was scrapping the academy conversion grant, Phillipson said: “We …

Phillipson urges ‘patience’ on SEND reforms

Phillipson urges ‘patience’ on SEND reforms

Published by skeptic

Education secretary adds she is looking at how to help mainstream schools run their own special needs provision Education secretary adds she is looking at how to help mainstream schools run their own special needs provision Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has urged “for a bit of patience” as they work out how to fix the broken SEND system, but said she wants to help mainstream schools run their own special needs provision. Phillipson told a webinar today that they are “serious” about reforming the system, but there’s “not a silver bullet here”.  She said: “I would just urge for a bit of patience as we try and work through what that reform plan will look like.” A SEND review looking at the crisis-hit system was first launched in 2019, with a much-delayed SEND and alternative provision plan finally published in 2023. The previous government had begun testing the reforms but no nationwide roll-out had started. Mainstream schools running more SEND provision Government wants mainstream schools to become more inclusive, with special schools catering for those …

Phillipson asks STRB to report ‘at the earliest point’

Phillipson asks STRB to report ‘at the earliest point’

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More from this theme Recent articles Bridget Phillipson has asked the School Teachers’ Review Body for recommendations on 2025 teacher pay “at the earliest point”, as the new government seeks to move the process earlier in the year. The education secretary has also asked for a recommendation on whether changes to the pro rating of teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payments should be made to enable “greater flexibility”, noting they were “a concern for many in the sector”. However she warned about the government’s dire financial situation – pointing to £22 billion of wider funding pressures. Under the previous government, the annual pay-setting process had slipped later and later in the year, with final announcements usually coming in July after schools had already had to set draft budgets for the next year. Gillian Keegan Last year, for example, the education secretary Gillian Keegan sent her remit letter to the STRB just a few days before Christmas, and then the Department for Education was late in submitting its evidence. The election further kicked the decision down …