Latest news with #AssociationofSchoolandCollegeLeaders
Sky News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Rise in school suspensions and exclusion
England's schools are under fresh scrutiny after government data revealed a sizeable increase in both suspensions and permanent exclusions. According to the Department for Education, almost 300,000 pupils were suspended during the spring term of 2023/24, an increase of 12% recorded in spring 2022/23. Suspensions have nearly doubled since spring 2019, surging 93% from 153,465 back then. Meanwhile, permanent exclusions were also higher and went from 3,039 to 3,107, a 2% rise. At Lewis Hamilton's charity Mission 44, chief executive Jason Arthur said: "We are continuing to see the number of children losing learning due to suspensions and exclusions grow year on year - especially for vulnerable learners who face disadvantage or discrimination." The reasons for both the suspensions and permanent exclusions were "persistent disruptive behaviour" but many voices from the education sector say the figures tell a deeper story about post‑pandemic pressures. Mr Arthur said: "Persistent disruptive behaviour continues to be the most common reason – yet taking children out of the classroom often only addresses the symptom and not the underlying causes of poor behaviour." Campaigners and unions have also reacted with concern. Head of the Association of School and College Leaders Pepe Di'Iasio warned: "Young people only have one chance at a good education … missing classroom time damages their future." He urged ministers to back "early intervention strategies" rather than rely on exclusions as a quick fix. Paul Whiteman, from the National Association of Head Teachers, echoed the plea, highlighting how poverty, the cost of living crisis and lingering pandemic fallout were fuelling bad behaviour. He stressed that schools "need funded, specialist help" to tackle the root causes. Charity director Steve Haines said: "Over 295,000 suspensions is a stark warning: our schools aren't set up to support all students. Disadvantaged youngsters are four times more likely to be suspended." The Education Minister Stephen Morgan acknowledged the "broken system," vowing that the government's "Plan for Change" will roll out mental‑health professionals in every school, boost SEND support and expand free breakfast clubs –measures he says will curb the "underlying causes of poor behaviour".
The Guardian
20-03-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Record 170,000 children in England missed at least half of classes in 2024
More than 170,000 children in England missed at least half their school lessons last year, which is a record high, government figures suggest. This amounts to 2.3% of pupils who were 'severely absent', which means they missed at least 50% of possible classes, in 2023-24 compared with 2.0% in 2022-23. Overall, 171,269 pupils were classed as severely absent in the last academic year, up from 150,256 in 2022-23, the Department for Education (DfE) data showed. It is the highest number recorded since the current DfE data began in 2006-07. In 2018-19, the last academic year before the Covid-19 pandemic, 60,247 were classed as severely absent. And the unauthorised absence rate rose from 2.4% in 2022-23 to 2.5% in 2023-24, according to the figures. In 2018-19, the rate was only 1.4%. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'We need to accept that schools cannot solve this issue on their own and must set out clear expectations and plans for parents, government, schools and other agencies to work together in the best interests of young people. 'This must be backed with funding to ensure there is sufficient capacity in the system for all children to get any additional support they require to be able to attend school on a regular basis. 'Without investing in a strategic response to this issue, it is difficult to see how attendance rates are going to change at the scale required.' In September, school absence fines in England rose from £60 to £80, and a parent who receives a second fine for the same child within a three-year period will now receive a £160 fine. The latest DfE attendance data covers the last academic year before fines for unauthorised absences were increased. Last week, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, called on school and college leaders to 'catch up fast' to improve pupil attendance, and said some schools were 'not making enough progress' on absences. Overall, the absence rate decreased from 7.4% in 2022-23 to 7.1% in 2023-24 but it remains higher than pre-pandemic rates of 4.7%, the data suggests. One in five pupils in England, about 1.49 million young people, were 'persistently absent' during the 2023-24 school year, which means they missed 10% or more school sessions. This is down on 2022-23 when 21.2% of pupils were persistently absent, but it is still above the rate in 2018-19 of 10.9%. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'These figures make it clear that the current approach to solving absence just isn't working. Simply increasing the pressure on schools, without providing any additional resource for them to tackle the issue, is fruitless. 'The only way to actually make progress is to look at the causes of absence – from parental attitude changes, holiday pricing, and children and young people's experiences of mental health and poverty. 'Unless we begin to improve those things, absence will continue.' Analysis from a thinktank earlier this week found that unauthorised school absence is a leading cause of the widening performance gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in England. The research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) found that all the increase in the 'disadvantage gap' among 16-year-olds since 2019 can be explained by students on free school meals (FSM) missing more time at school than other pupils, putting them several months behind in terms of their results. The EPI calculated that if disadvantaged pupils had the same attendance record as other pupils, the attainment gap at age 11 would be almost 10% smaller, and the gap at age 16 would be 20% lower. A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'The government inherited a broken system, with children and families facing poor outcomes and barriers to opportunity. The case for tackling the epidemic of school absence could not be clearer: improved grades, higher wages, better life chances. 'Tackling this issue is everyone's responsibility – government, schools, parents, and children – and we need a national effort to get our kids back in the classroom. We have made some encouraging progress this academic year, but more must be done and this month we have brought together ministers and over 2,000 school leaders up and down the country to share best practices to drive up attendance. 'As part of our plan for change, we [are] determined to turn the tide on poor attendance and break down barriers to opportunity – whether it's through free breakfast clubs, improved mental health support, additional investment in family support, or more focus from Ofsted.'
The Independent
16-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Tories call for classroom phone ban after admitting their guidance hasn't worked
The Tory Party is calling for a ban on phones in schools, after admitting guidance issued under former prime minister Rishi Sunak hasn't worked. The Conservatives are expected to push for MPs to be given a vote on banning the devices in schools this week, by attempting to amend Labour's Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill to include the ban. The , as well as in lessons. But on Sunday, shadow education secretary Laura Trott admitted the guidance 'hasn't worked'. "Now it is time to make it law', she said. 'When I go into schools, headteachers are asking for this. 'When I go into schools which have these kinds of ban the pupils love it. They talk about how much safer it makes them feel. "They talk about how they have the freedom to learn. They're not under any pressure to be on their phones responding to apps. "At a time when we are facing lots of challenges in our education system, introducing something which reduces distraction, encourages reading, helps with behaviour, for me, is an absolute no-brainer." While the education secretary has previously said smartphones have 'no place' in schools, warning of the damage caused by social media and technology, it is understood that Labour has no plans to put in place an outright ban. Bridget Phillipson told school and college leaders last week that they have the government's 'full backing' on removing disruptive phones from classrooms. Addressing the annual conference of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) in Liverpool, she said she had tasked officials to explore how to 'more effectively monitor' what is happening in schools across England around the use of smartphones. In her speech to around 1,000 school and college leaders on Friday, the education secretary said: 'You know, we all know, that phones are disruptive, distracting, bad for behaviour. They have no place in our schools. 'And the government's position is clear, you have our full backing in ridding our classrooms of the disruption of phones.' She admitted phones can be 'a driver of poor behaviour' within classrooms and called on school leaders to enforce existing guidance on phones. 'The Conservatives brought in this policy, I think it was the right approach to take, what we need to ensure is that it's being enforced right across the country, in every classroom', Ms Phillipson said. 'So we'll be looking into what more data we need to gather in order to identify if it's not happening, what more schools need to do to take action.' A government spokesperson said: "Mobile phones are a distraction from learning which is why our clear guidance sets out that school leaders should be restricting their use. "Around 97 per cent of schools restrict mobile phone use in some way, while headteachers also have the ability to implement complete bans, with many choosing to exercise this right."
The Independent
15-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
EBacc limiting pupils' access to vocational and arts subjects, review chief says
A Government performance measure for schools in England may be 'limiting' pupils' access to vocational and arts subjects, the lead of an independent review of curriculum and assessment said. Professor Becky Francis, chairwoman of the Government's curriculum and assessment review, said evidence suggests the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) measure 'may constrain choices' for secondary school pupils. Her comments follow calls from the education sector for the EBacc – a government measure which aims to ensure pupils take English, maths, science, a humanities subject and a language at GCSE – to be scrapped. Addressing the annual conference of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) in Liverpool, Prof Francis set out the areas of the curriculum that the panel felt needed 'further attention'. She suggested there has been 'a trade-off between breadth and depth' in the existing curriculum offer and she added that evidence suggests the EBacc is 'impacting students' engagement and achievement'. The EBacc – a performance measure of schools which focuses on five subjects at GCSE – was introduced in 2010 under former Conservative education secretary Michael Gove. Prof Francis said existing national assessments and qualifications – including Sats, GCSEs, A-levels and T-levels – were 'broadly working well.' In July, the Labour Government announced that Prof Francis, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), would lead their independent curriculum and assessment review. In a speech to hundreds of schools and college leaders on Saturday, Prof Francis said it was right that the national curriculum was 'refreshed' to ensure it remains 'cutting edge and fit for purpose'. She said: 'But while we have a broad offer, evidence suggests a trade-off between breadth and depth which can make it harder for pupils to master a subject fully. 'We've identified that some features of the current system make the delivery of this broad and balanced curriculum challenging. 'Responses to the call for evidence, and advocates for some subjects, suggests that the EBacc may constrain choices, impacting students' engagement and achievement, and limiting access to, and the time available for, vocational and arts subjects.' Prof Francis highlighted a slide during her speech which suggested that teaching time for some subjects – including the arts, design and technology and computing and ICT – had reduced at Key Stage 4. She said: 'We'll analyse the evidence and assess the place of performance measures within the wider accountability framework, looking at the impact on young people's choices and outcomes and the impact on institutional behaviours.' In September, Prof Francis launched a call for evidence – an eight-week consultation – seeking views on the curriculum and assessment system. Prof Francis said attention was needed in the curriculum to address the 'challenges' of the modern world – such as the rise of artificial intelligence. She added: 'Global, social and environmental challenges require attention to scientific and cultural knowledge and skills that can equip young people to meet the challenges of the future. 'Rapid social, environmental and technical change necessitates that the curriculum keeps pace, including a renewed focus on digital and media literacy and on sustainability and climate science. 'We know that many schools already teach such areas of knowledge within curriculum subjects, so we will map existing coverage and ensure that gaps are addressed and content brought up to date.' On Saturday, Prof Francis said the review's interim report would be ready 'exceedingly soon'. The final report from the independent curriculum and assessment review is due in the autumn.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EBacc limiting pupils' access to vocational and arts subjects, review chief says
A Government performance measure for schools in England may be 'limiting' pupils' access to vocational and arts subjects, the lead of an independent review of curriculum and assessment said. Professor Becky Francis, chairwoman of the Government's curriculum and assessment review, said evidence suggests the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) measure 'may constrain choices' for secondary school pupils. Her comments follow calls from the education sector for the EBacc – a government measure which aims to ensure pupils take English, maths, science, a humanities subject and a language at GCSE – to be scrapped. Addressing the annual conference of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) in Liverpool, Prof Francis set out the areas of the curriculum that the panel felt needed 'further attention'. She suggested there has been 'a trade-off between breadth and depth' in the existing curriculum offer and she added that evidence suggests the EBacc is 'impacting students' engagement and achievement'. The EBacc – a performance measure of schools which focuses on five subjects at GCSE – was introduced in 2010 under former Conservative education secretary Michael Gove. Prof Francis said existing national assessments and qualifications – including Sats, GCSEs, A-levels and T-levels – were 'broadly working well.' In July, the Labour Government announced that Prof Francis, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), would lead their independent curriculum and assessment review. In a speech to hundreds of schools and college leaders on Saturday, Prof Francis said it was right that the national curriculum was 'refreshed' to ensure it remains 'cutting edge and fit for purpose'. She said: 'But while we have a broad offer, evidence suggests a trade-off between breadth and depth which can make it harder for pupils to master a subject fully. 'We've identified that some features of the current system make the delivery of this broad and balanced curriculum challenging. 'Responses to the call for evidence, and advocates for some subjects, suggests that the EBacc may constrain choices, impacting students' engagement and achievement, and limiting access to, and the time available for, vocational and arts subjects.' Prof Francis highlighted a slide during her speech which suggested that teaching time for some subjects – including the arts, design and technology and computing and ICT – had reduced at Key Stage 4. She said: 'We'll analyse the evidence and assess the place of performance measures within the wider accountability framework, looking at the impact on young people's choices and outcomes and the impact on institutional behaviours.' In September, Prof Francis launched a call for evidence – an eight-week consultation – seeking views on the curriculum and assessment system. Prof Francis said attention was needed in the curriculum to address the 'challenges' of the modern world – such as the rise of artificial intelligence. She added: 'Global, social and environmental challenges require attention to scientific and cultural knowledge and skills that can equip young people to meet the challenges of the future. 'Rapid social, environmental and technical change necessitates that the curriculum keeps pace, including a renewed focus on digital and media literacy and on sustainability and climate science. 'We know that many schools already teach such areas of knowledge within curriculum subjects, so we will map existing coverage and ensure that gaps are addressed and content brought up to date.' On Saturday, Prof Francis said the review's interim report would be ready 'exceedingly soon'. The final report from the independent curriculum and assessment review is due in the autumn.
