Check out these recent education headlines...

Week Commencing 31/10/22 Headlines?

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Boosting reading in secondary schools: 6 Ofsted report findings?

Watchdog says tips from top schools will help others improve reading for struggling pupils and inform its own inspections?

Takeaway Topics:?

• New guidance provides evidence of what has worked in some schools to support pupils struggling with reading?
• Regular screening assessments are critical – regular assessment and monitoring often stops at Year 9?
• Member of the leadership team should be involved in raising reading standards and staff should be trained in early reading?
• Book choices and reading materials students are interested in is key?
• Training and resources could be marketed to schools to help with reading support beyond Year 9?

Schools Week news article?

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Iceland boss urges Sunak to extend free school meals as ‘critical priority’?

Food Foundation estimates cost of providing free school meals to families who claim universal credit would be ￡500m a year?

Takeaway Topics:?

• Henry Dimbleby, Jamie Oliver and Marcus Rashford are also behind this proposal?

Guardian news article?

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Powys County: Schools may go online one day a week to cut costs?

Takeaway Topics:?

• Could this be an option for schools across the UK??
• What might this mean for pupils and families??
• What resources would schools use to support home learning if they took this route??

BBC news article?

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‘Not enough money’: secondary school heads warn MPs of budget woes?

Energy costs, staff pay rises and inflation have left schools unable to pay for repairs, mental health services and trips?

Takeaway Topics:?

• Will funding be provided to schools and if so, will it aid teacher retention??
• What will be first to be cut if schools lack funds??
• What will their priorities be to spend their budgets on??
• Now more than ever, schools will appareciat discounted subscriptions (which might mean they’d be up for committing to a longer subscription if it’s a good deal) and free resources?

Guardian news article?

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Teach First, the government’s flagship provider for attracting high-flying graduates into teaching, has recruited the lowest number of trainees in four years, missing its target by a fifth?

Takeaway Topics:?

• With some of the UK’s leading employers offering starting salaries of ￡50,000, Teach First simply can’t compete?
• What does this mean for the numbers of new teachers over coming years??
• What does this mean for the calibre of teachers entering the profession??
• Does this make the ‘levelling up’ agenda even less likely to be fulfilled??

Schools Week news article?

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Vulnerable families fear school return?

Push to get children back to the classroom leaves families with severe health conditions feeling their needs are not being met?

Takeaway Topics:?

• Some pupils have health conditions that mean catching Covid could be fatal?
• What support is currently available for these pupils??
• Can more be done to support those who are forced to take the home education route??
• What resources can these pupils and their families access and do they know about them??

Schools Week news article?