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The Government has asked schools across the United Kingdom to remain open for the children of key workers over the Easter holiday period. A fortnight ago, schools were closed to millions of pupils as part of Downing Street’s response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, yet the children of key workers have been able to attend as normal so their parents can continue to work. Key workers include those working in health and social care, such as doctors and nurses, and…

Schools throughout the UK have been donating science googles and other apparatus to NHS workers battling on the frontline against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Since measures to tackle the spread of the virus were accelerated last week, NHS England and the Government have made a major effort to address concerns about protective gear. As well as gathering millions of pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) from the British army, schools have been doing their bit by donating goggles, glasses and…

Schools are “responding to funding pressure by reducing curriculum breadth”, the chief inspector of Ofsted has warned. In a blog post published last week, Amanda Spielman said it was “particularly concerning” to see schools reducing access to subjects such as languages, computing, design and technology and music. However, she did acknowledge that financial pressures, resulting from a mixture of cuts, rising costs and “instability and uncertainty” around both expenditure and income, mean schools are having “to make tough decisions and…

The government has pledged to give teachers the largest sustained pay rise since 2005, with starting salaries increasing to at least £26,000. Under the government’s proposals, wages for new teachers in England, working outside London will rise by 6.7% this September, to £26,000 from the current minimum of £24,373. Salaries for those in outer London would rise to £30,000, and £32,000 for those in inner London. Experienced teachers, heads and school leaders would see an above inflation pay increase of…

The new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has pledged to invest £14.4 billion into primary and secondary education between now and 2022-23. The huge three-year funding increase will guarantee that schools teaching pupils between the ages of five and 16 in England will receive an above-inflation pay rise for every teacher. The money covers real-terms rises in school budgets due to factors such as inflation, increases in the pupil population as well as additional extra funding. In addition to the funding…

The government has dropped the controversial Conservative manifesto commitment to scrap free school meals for infants. Schools minister Nick Gibb said the government would “retain the existing provision”, having listened “very carefully” to the views of parents. “We have listened carefully to the sector’s views on the proposal to remove infant free school meals, and we have decided that it is right to retain the existing provision. “Universal infant free school meals ensure that children receive a nutritious meal during…