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schoolsweek.bsky.social
Schools Week
@schoolsweek.bsky.social
4.9K followers 420 following 2.2K posts
School leaders’ favourite newspaper. Multi-award winning journalism, determined to get past the bluster and explain the facts. Published by EducationScape
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schoolsweek.bsky.social
'Proper accountability would be good… or schools will continue to fail under bad MATs, and there’s lots of those about'

Meet Lynsey Holzer, CEO of the Active Learning Trust

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/lynsey-holzer-ceo-active-learning-trust/
November 26, 2025 at 7:30 AM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
❗ A cash-strapped council facing a £183 million SEND black hole is warning ministers the deficit is 'forcing' them to make 'impossible financial decisions' with 'devastating consequences', ahead of the budget
Council facing £183m SEND deficit warns of 'devastating consequences'
A council facing a £183 million SEND black hole is warning ministers the deficit is “forcing” them to make “impossible financial decisions” with "devastating consequences”
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 5:30 AM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
'By the time a school fails, there’s a lot of kids that have lost out'

Meet Lynsey Holzer, CEO of the Active Learning Trust

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/lynsey-holzer-ceo-active-learning-trust/
November 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
❗A cash-strapped council facing a £183 million SEND black hole is warning ministers the deficit is 'forcing' them to make 'impossible financial decisions' with 'devastating consequences', ahead of tomorrow’s budget

schoolsweek.co.uk/council-faci...
Council facing £183m SEND deficit warns of 'devastating consequences'
A council facing a £183 million SEND black hole is warning ministers the deficit is “forcing” them to make “impossible financial decisions” with "devastating consequences”
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 5:35 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
The NAHT leaders’ union has lost its appeal against a decision by the High Court to throw out its legal challenge to new Ofsted inspections

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/naht-loses-appeal-against-ofsted-judicial-review-refusal/
NAHT loses appeal against Ofsted judicial review refusal
Union leader speaks of 'disappointment' as leaders report 'massive' demands of new inspections
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 3:44 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
Another way for school readiness, why phone bans ARE the brave choice and enrichment's GCSE blinkers problem

This week’s best responses from our readers

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/this-weeks-best-responses-from-our-readers-7/
This week’s best responses from our readers
Another way for school readiness, and why phone bans ARE the brave choice
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
'Local education partnerships' can foster collaboration between maintained schools and academies and fill the 'policy vacuum' left by the fragmentation of the system, a former education secretary and Ofsted chief have said

schoolsweek.co.uk/call-for-loc...
Call for education partnerships to fill MAT 'policy vacuum'
Local groups of schools are 'providing the missing link' in a 'fragmented' system
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 12:37 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
The Church of England’s chief education officer has been appointed to lead the adjudicator that oversees school admissions across England

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/church-education-chief-to-lead-school-admissions-adjudicator/
Church education chief to lead school admissions adjudicator
The Reverend Nigel Genders will be the new chief schools adjudicator
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 11:36 AM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
'You should know your schools inside out: if they fail, you should too'

Meet Lynsey Holzer, CEO of the Active Learning Trust

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/lynsey-holzer-ceo-active-learning-trust/
November 25, 2025 at 5:45 AM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
👤 A former regional schools commissioner is set to take the reins at a 24-school academy chain, his third CEO role and fourth trust role in four years
Paul Smith to be a CEO again with move to EMET
Former regional schools commissioner set to lead 24-school Midlands trust, it has been announced
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
❌ Exclusive: A MAT chosen to support struggling schools through the government’s RISE programme has had its bid to absorb three new academies knocked back amid concerns that its outcomes are not good enough
RISE support trust refused new schools over low outcomes
Government officials raise 'quality' concerns as they tell trust 'sustained improvement' needed to grow
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 5:11 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
'Local education partnerships' can foster collaboration between maintained schools and academies and fill the 'policy vacuum' left by the fragmentation of the system, a former education secretary and Ofsted chief have said

schoolsweek.co.uk/call-for-loc...
Call for education partnerships to fill MAT 'policy vacuum'
Local groups of schools are 'providing the missing link' in a 'fragmented' system
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 4:50 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
‘If there is to be no more money – and we have to make do with less (again) – then there are some real expenditures the Department for Education could actively work on reducing that would help hugely’

schoolsweek.co.uk/5-helpful-wa...
5 helpful ways ministers can support schools to cut costs
With no new funding expected for schools at the budget, one leader outlines how costs could be cut
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 2:58 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
👤 A former regional schools commissioner is set to take the reins at a 24-school academy chain, his third CEO role and fourth trust role in four years
schoolsweek.co.uk/paul-smith-t...
Paul Smith to be a CEO again with move to EMET
Former regional schools commissioner set to lead 24-school Midlands trust, it has been announced
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 12:47 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
📰 Schools news: The weekly round-up

Check out this week's news summary. If you still need to register for our newsletter updates, you can sign-up at the below link.

🔗 mailchi.mp/mkt.educatio...
November 24, 2025 at 12:37 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
❌ Exclusive: A MAT chosen to support struggling schools through the government’s RISE programme has had its bid to absorb three new academies knocked back amid concerns that its outcomes are not good enough
schoolsweek.co.uk/rise-support...
RISE support trust refused new schools over low outcomes
Government officials raise 'quality' concerns as they tell trust 'sustained improvement' needed to grow
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 9:37 AM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
'A skills passport would capture progress, be a record of achievement and allow young people to articulate their skills to employers, universities and FE colleges – as well as, crucially, to themselves'

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/a-curriculum-without-a-skills-passport-cant-take-off/
November 24, 2025 at 8:15 AM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
'High-performing, financially stable schools that are deeply rooted in their communities need ways to collaborate without sacrificing their autonomy'

The case for making school-led partnerships an alternative to MATs

schoolsweek.co.uk/why-the-mat-...
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 5:30 AM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
'I’m calling on government, youth organisations and businesses to collaborate to design a nationally recognised skills passport – a digital portfolio of the essential skills young people have developed'

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/a-curriculum-without-a-skills-passport-cant-take-off/
November 23, 2025 at 4:15 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
'Above all, we encourage you to be excited about a subject that will intellectually stimulate your students and build stronger, more understanding relationships among their peers, their community and the world beyond'

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/what-next-after-res-historic-moment/
November 23, 2025 at 10:00 AM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
'What isn’t measured isn’t valued, and if we don’t have a formal (but light-touch) way of capturing the skills young people are developing, these reforms risk not landing'

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/a-curriculum-without-a-skills-passport-cant-take-off/
November 23, 2025 at 9:15 AM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
A Camden primary school has been running parent absent awareness courses for two years - and says attendance has improved for 75% of participants
schoolsweek.co.uk/the-school-r...
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 9:00 AM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
A Camden primary school has been running parent absent awareness courses for two years - and says attendance has improved for 75% of participant's children
schoolsweek.co.uk/the-school-r...
November 22, 2025 at 4:01 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
'Inclusion in the national curriculum, we hope, alongside more robust accountability measures, will allow every young person to benefit from high-quality RE wherever they live'

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/what-next-after-res-historic-moment/
November 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM
schoolsweek.bsky.social
ICYMI: School leaders who volunteered for new Ofsted inspections said they were much more collaborative, but warned about the toll on staff of the 'far more rigorous' checks

schoolsweek.co.uk/more-collabo...
Heads issue report cards on new Ofsted inspections
Here’s what five leaders inspected under the new regime had to say about their experience...
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 22, 2025 at 3:42 PM