Our news and press releases

Louise Hatswell, pay specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on research by the National Foundation for Educational Research showing that the Department for Education’s teacher pay proposals are unlikely to solve teacher supply problems in STEM subjects.  

• Pay
• Funding
• Teaching
• Recruitment and Retention
• STRB

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Department for Education statistics on secondary and primary school applications and offers for entry in September 2022.

• Data
• DfE
• Admissions

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on changes* to school and college performance tables announced by the Department for Education.

• Leadership
• Assessment
• Accountability
• Data
• Performance Tables
• Coronavirus
• Performance measures

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru comments on Estyn’s announcement that school inspections from the autumn will involve a deeper focus on the progress and attainment of pupils disadvantaged by poverty.

• Funding
• Wales
• Accountability
• ESTYN

On Monday, representatives of the Association of School and College Leaders in Northern Ireland met with the management side of the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee to consider the implications of the current NASUWT industrial action on schools. ASCL represents nearly 200 school leaders in Northern Ireland.

• Pay
• Funding
• Northern Ireland

Sara Tanton, Deputy Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the analysis published by the Education Policy Institute on the post-pandemic school workforce.

• Conditions
• Pay
• Recruitment and Retention
• Career Progression
• Careers

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government’s food strategy.

• Funding
• Health and Wellbeing
• Government
• Free school meals

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government press release about the creation of new school and sixth form places.

• Funding
• Post-16
• Government
• University
• Post-18

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government press release about plans to open up opportunities for teachers from across the world to teach in England.

• Funding
• Teaching
• Finance
• Government

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders,  comments on the increase in the number of pupils in England eligible for free school meals.

• Funding
• Free school meals
• DfE
• School meals

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report of the Education Policy Institute (EPI) on “stuck schools”.

• Funding
• Inspection
• Ofsted
• Government
• EPI

Teachers say worsening hunger crisis damaging children’s prospects. School and Education Union leaders representing more than a million teachers, support staff and others working with children have written to the chancellor Rishi Sunak and the education secretary Nadhim Zahawi demanding free school meals are offered to all children in families receiving universal credit or equivalent benefits.    

• Funding
• Inclusion
• Health and Wellbeing
• Primary
• Parents
• Free school meals

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, pledges support to the Food Foundation’s demand for action on free school meals.

• Funding
• Health and Wellbeing
• Primary
• Health and safety
• Pupil Premium
• Free school meals
• School meals

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, pledges support to ‘Thank a Teacher Day’ 2022.

• Teaching
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery
• Education system

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the government press release on a renewed focus on teacher training.

• Leadership
• Teaching
• Recruitment and Retention
• Early Career Framework
• Training

Julia Harnden, Funding Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the government’s announcement that education recovery funding for secondary school pupils will double next year.  

• Funding
• Financial planning
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the government press release on the next steps towards all schools being in, or in the process of joining, multi-academy trusts by 2030.

• Governance
• Governors and Trustees
• MAT
• Policy
• DfE
• Strategy

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the government press release on plans for a fundamental shift in children’s social care.

• Funding
• Pastoral
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Safeguarding
• Mental Health

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on research from the Education Endowment Foundation that found four and five-year-olds were less likely to meet the expected levels of development in 2021 than before the pandemic.

• Funding
• Teaching
• Learning
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Remote learning
• Education recovery
• Education system

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on research by the National Foundation for Education Research revealing that the most significant ethnic disparities in teacher career progression occur during early career stages.

• Leadership
• Recruitment and Retention
• Professional Development
• Diversity
• Careers
• NQTs
• Early Career Framework

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the Welsh government’s announcement of more support and learning for school leaders ahead of the introduction of the new national curriculum in September. 

• Curriculum
• Cymru
• Wales
• Professional Development
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Department for Education press release about measures in the new Schools Bill.

• Leadership
• Government
• Policy
• DfE
• Strategy

More than 80% of headteachers have reported that stress and anxiety among students taking their exams this summer is higher than in pre-pandemic years, according to a survey by the Association of School and College Leaders.

• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Examinations
• Mental Health
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Schools Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech.

• Funding
• Legislation
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the subject content and assessment arrangements in the academic year 2022 to 2023 announced today.

• Curriculum
• Assessment
• Examinations
• Ofqual
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery
• Qualifications

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on exam watchdog Ofqual’s three-year plan and the use the technology in assessments.

• Assessment
• Examinations
• Ofqual
• Education system
• Technology

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the Welsh government’s announcement that Covid measures in schools will be relaxed, effective from 9 May.

• Cymru
• Wales
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the Department for Education press release about plans to publish data on each school’s take-up of the National Tutoring Programme.

• Funding
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery
• National Tutoring Programme

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the publication of the third thematic report by the Commission on Young Lives calling for an end to ‘exclusions culture’.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Pastoral
• Safeguarding
• Education system

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the publication by Estyn of the leaflet We don’t tell our teachers, but schools need to know – a report for learnerson peer-to-peer sexual abuse.

• Cymru
• Wales
• Safeguarding
• ESTYN
• Sexual harassment
• Sexual violence

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the publication by Ofsted of its strategy for the next five years.

• Accountability
• Inspection
• Ofsted

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on a survey conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research for the Sutton Trust, showing that two thirds of primary school heads have insufficient catch-up funding.

• Funding
• Finance
• Government
• Coronavirus

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Department for Education’s announcement that it will introduce a new GCSE in natural history and launch a Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Curriculum
• GCSE
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the school attendance statistics published today by the Department for Education.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Staff absence

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to Michael Fabricant MP’s comments.

• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on today's updated guidance from JCQ on summer exams and Covid-19. 

• Assessment
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Ofqual
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

Hayley Dunn, Business Leadership Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on a Labour press release claiming that children’s learning and opportunities are being put at risk by rising energy prices.

• Funding
• Business Leadership
• Budget
• Finance
• Resources
• Energy costs

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the Welsh government’s announcement that school placements for newly qualified teachers will be extended until the end of the 2022 summer term. 

• Teaching
• Cymru
• Wales
• NQTs

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the school attendance statistics published today by the Department for Education.

• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Trade unions representing most of England’s school and college leaders have written jointly to Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi calling on him to reconsider the decision to withdraw free Covid testing from pupils and staff. 

• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment
• DfE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the news that ministers will overhaul the National Tutoring Programme.

• Funding
• Teaching
• Government
• Tutoring

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on Department for Education information sent to schools and colleges today about ‘living with Covid’ plans from 1 April.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Examinations
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the joint announcement by the Welsh government and Plaid Cymru that free school meals will be made available to all primary school pupils in Wales by September 2024.

• Inclusion
• Cymru
• Wales
• Primary
• Free school meals

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government press release about the launch of the SEND and alternative provision green paper on Tuesday.

• SEND
• Government
• DfE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Department for Education press release outlining the schools white paper being launched on Monday.

• Leadership
• Parents
• Collaboration
• Literacy
• Government
• Policy
• DfE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on research carried out by the Education Policy Institute into learning loss from the pandemic published by the Department for Education.

• Leadership
• Teaching
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Department for Education press release which says that schools will be asked to offer at least a 32.5 hour school week by September 2023 under plans due to be published in the schools white paper.

• Teaching
• Learning
• School Week

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report of the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) on the finances of academy trusts.  

• Funding
• Business Leadership
• Finance
• Trusts
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government’s confirmation that Ofsted will use results from this year’s SATs and GCSEs to judge the impact of school curriculums.

• Curriculum
• Assessment
• Ofsted
• Examinations
• GCSE
• Coronavirus
• SATs

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Chancellor’s spring statement.

• Funding
• Budget
• Finance
• Government

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the latest school attendance statistics published by the Welsh government.

• Funding
• Cymru
• Wales
• Health and safety
• Attendance
• Risk assessment
• Strategy

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Education Policy Institute (EPI) report revealing that student entries in design and technology have halved over the last decade.

• Curriculum
• Performance Tables
• EPI
• Design and Technology

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) which warns of a substantial risk that teacher recruitment targets will not be met this year across a large range of secondary subjects.

• Pay
• Teaching
• Recruitment and Retention
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the school attendance statistics published today by the Department for Education.

• Health and Wellbeing
• Data
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the Welsh government’s announcement that it will invest £25m in the coming financial year to help operate and develop Community Focused schools. 

• Funding
• Cymru
• Wales
• Finance
• Government
• Community
• Disadvantage Gap

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the review by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) of approaches to improving pupils’ school attendance.

• Learning
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the National Foundation for Education Research report into the impact of partial school closures during the coronavirus pandemic.

• Learning
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery
• Social Mobility

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, will today [Saturday 12 March] call for a “curriculum for childhood,” in his speech to the association’s annual conference in Birmingham.

• Curriculum
• Government
• Education system
• Blueprint

ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton's address to ASCL Annual Conference 2022.

• Leadership
• ASCL

The President of the Association of School and College Leaders will today [Friday 11 March] warn that schools and colleges are being “thrown to the wolves” by the government’s decision to publish performance tables despite the disruption caused by Covid.

• Data
• Examinations
• Performance Tables
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Performance measures

ASCL President Pepe Di'lasio's keynote address to ASCL Annual Conference 2022 on 11 March 2022.

• Leadership
• ASCL

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on research by the Sutton Trust revealing that more than a third of secondary school pupils do not feel confident in taking their next steps in education and training.

• Curriculum
• Post-16
• Careers
• Secondary
• Post-18
• Careers Advice

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the school attendance statistics published today by the Department for Education.

• Leadership
• Data
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, summarises the pay award evidence presented by the Association of School and College Leaders to the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body (IWPRB) about teacher pay awards for 2022 and 2023.

• Conditions
• Pay
• Cymru
• Wales

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report of the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts, ‘Financial sustainability of schools in England’.

• Funding
• Financial planning
• Budget
• Finance
• Government

On Thursday 3 March, organisations representing virtually all teachers and school leaders in England submitted a joint statement to the School Teachers’ Review Body.

• Conditions
• Employment
• Pay
• STRB

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Education Secretary’s evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) about teacher pay awards for 2022 and 2023.

• Conditions
• Pay
• Funding
• STRB

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on research on future employment skills from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) which suggests problem-solving, critical thinking and communication will become increasingly essential in the next 15 years.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Curriculum
• Education system
• Blueprint

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Department for Education press release that a consultation will be launched on Wednesday seeking views on plans to reform post-16 qualifications at level 2 and below.

• Assessment
• Post-16
• Qualifications

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Department for Education’s announcement of changes to the higher education system.

• Finance
• Government
• HE
• University
• Post-18

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Department for Education’s announcement on post-qualifications admissions as part of the consultation on its higher education policy statement and reform.

• Assessment
• Post-16
• Examinations
• A Levels
• BTEC
• HE
• University
• Post-18
• College
• FE
• Qualifications

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the Sutton Trust research showing that socio-economic barriers remain in engineering following the downgrading of Design and Technology qualifications.

• Curriculum
• Qualifications
• Social Mobility

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the school attendance statistics published today by the Department for Education.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the government’s announcement that Covid self-isolation and testing rules will end on Thursday 24 February.

• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the Department for Education press release about new guidance to be published on Thursday to support teachers in tackling sensitive issues in the classroom in a politically impartial way.

• Teaching
• Social Media
• Government
• Guidance

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the UCAS press release stating that a record number of disadvantaged students have applied to start university or college this autumn.

• Post-16
• UCAS
• University
• Post-18

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government’s announcement that the Covid-19 workforce fund will be extended until 8 April.

• Funding
• Budget
• Finance
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Health Secretary’s announcement that he accepts the JCVI recommendation to offer Covid vaccinations to primary school-aged children from April.

• Primary
• Key Stage 1
• Key Stage 2
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

Robert Wilson, Regional Officer at ASCL Northern Ireland, comments on CCEA’s announcement of a reserve series of A-level and some GCSE exams for candidates who miss exams due to illness or self-isolation.

• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• Northern Ireland
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the EPI report highlighting the need to improve outcomes of GCSE pupils in poverty and close the disadvantage gap for college and sixth form students.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Government
• EPI
• College
• Social Mobility

Robert Wilson, Regional Officer at ASCL Northern Ireland, comments on Education Minister Michelle McIlveen’s announcement on exams.

• Assessment
• Examinations
• Northern Ireland
• Coronavirus
• Performance measures

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the announcement by Digital Minister Chris Philip that the Online Safety Bill will be strengthened to better protect children from online pornography.

• Safeguarding
• Social Media
• RSE
• Digital
• Everyone's Invited
• Sexual harassment

Kevin Gilmartin, Post 16 Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the call by the Office for Students (OfS) for universities and colleges to work much more closely with schools to improve exam results.

• Post-16
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• UCAS
• University
• College
• FE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the school attendance statistics published today by the Department for Education.

• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Department for Education press release about the publication on 7 February of revision help for students.

• Assessment
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Ofqual
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the publication of an Ofsted report into attendance levels in schools. 

• Funding
• Teaching
• Ofsted
• Safeguarding
• Attendance

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the release today [7 February] of details of exam adaptations and advance information.

• Curriculum
• Assessment
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Ofqual
• Coronavirus

Margaret Mulholland, SEND and Inclusion Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Local Government Association’s report showing a surge in children with mental health problems seen by social workers during the pandemic.

• Health and Wellbeing
• Mental Health
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government’s proposal to ‘level up’ opportunities for every child, including a register of children not in school, new proposed guidance on behaviour, and the School Rebuilding Programme.

• Funding
• Learning
• School Improvement
• Government
• Remote learning
• Education recovery
• Behaviour
• Strategy
• Education system

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the latest school attendance statistics published by the Welsh government. 

• Cymru
• Government
• Attendance
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report of the Independent Assessment Commission (IAC) on the future of assessment and qualifications in England.

• Assessment
• Examinations
• GCSE
• Education system
• Forgotten Third

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the announcement by the Welsh government of a trial of longer school days to aid education recovery. 

• Learning
• Cymru
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery
• Social Mobility

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the press release about the government’s levelling up white paper.

• Leadership
• Funding
• Post-16
• Finance
• Government
• Early years
• Policy
• DfE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the EPI’s paper, calling for schools to be assessed on pupil inclusion as well as attainment.

• Inclusion
• Accountability
• EPI

Kevin Gilmartin, Post 16 Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the UCAS 2021 end-of-cycle report.

• A Levels
• BTEC
• Coronavirus
• UCAS
• University
• Social Mobility

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the publication today of exam appeals statistics by Ofqual.

• Appeals
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Coronavirus

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the latest school attendance statistics published by the Welsh government. 

• Teaching
• Learning
• Cymru
• Attendance

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Education Select Committee’s inquiry into careers education.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Curriculum
• Careers
• Education system

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the school attendance statistics published today by the Department for Education.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Face coverings
• Education recovery

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, comments on the Education Minister’s announcement that Covid measures will be scaled down.

• Leadership
• Cymru
• Wales
• Business Leadership
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment
• Strategy

ASCL Cymru leader Eithne Hughes has warned of a potential funding crisis for schools in several areas of Wales as a result of decisions by major local authorities to not fully fund their share of the nationally-agreed pay increase for teachers.

• Pay
• Funding
• Cymru
• Wales
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Prime Minister’s announcement in the House of Commons that students will no longer be required to wear face masks in classrooms from Thursday 20 January.

• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on UCL’s paper about the government’s approach to the teaching of reading.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Curriculum
• Primary

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report from the NFER warning that recent and planned changes to free school meals eligibility will make tracking the progress of disadvantaged students ‘almost impossible’.

• Funding
• Government
• Free school meals
• Social Mobility

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on research from the Sutton Trust conducted with Teacher Tapp revealing that state schools are being more heavily impacted by Covid-related staff absences than private schools.

• Teaching
• Coronavirus
• Social Mobility
• Staff absence

ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton comments on the Department for Education announcement that it will press ahead with controversial changes to the way GCSE French, German and Spanish is assessed.

• Teaching
• Curriculum
• Assessment
• MFL
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE

ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton comments on the latest school attendance statistics.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton comments on the government’s decision to recommend that face coverings are worn in classrooms for students in Year 7 and above in light of the Omicron variant surge.

• Post-16
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Secondary
• Risk assessment
• Face coverings

Six trade unions representing the majority of education staff have issued a joint statement prior to the return of schools and colleges for the spring term. The statement is from ASCL, GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU and UNISON.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Planning
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Policy
• Risk assessment
• Face coverings
• DfE

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, comments on the Education Minister’s advice to schools, announcing new measures for the spring term in response to Covid-19.

• Cymru
• Wales
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Examinations
• Planning
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on government plans to boost teacher supply capacity by asking ex-teachers to join supply agencies.

• Employment
• Recruitment and Retention
• Government
• Education system

ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton comments on the school attendance figures published today by the DfE. 

• Data
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton comments on the school inspection results data published today by Ofsted.

• Accountability
• Inspection
• Ofsted
• Coronavirus

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee on children and young people’s mental health.

• Funding
• Learning
• Pastoral
• Health and Wellbeing
• Resources
• Mental Health
• Government

Julie McCulloch, ASCL Director of Policy, comments on Labour’s warning about the government’s failure to put ventilation measures in place in schools.

• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment
• Carbon dioxide monitors

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the publication of Estyn’s report, which found that secondary schools do not realise the extent of sexual harassment between pupils.

• Cymru
• Wales
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Mental Health
• ESTYN
• Sexual harassment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Chief Inspector’s annual report.

• Inspection
• Ofsted
• Government
• Coronavirus

Young people aged 12 to 18 are unlikely to report receiving, or being asked to share, non-consensual sexual images to their school, parents or social media platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram, finds a major new report led by UCL.

• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Safeguarding
• Social Media
• Sexual harassment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the publication by the Education Endowment Foundation of research into the impact of disruption to learning during the pandemic on younger pupils’ reading and maths skills.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Curriculum
• Assessment
• Remote learning

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) on the educational outcomes of asylum-seeking children who enter the UK separated from their parents.

• Equalities
• Inclusion
• Teaching
• Assessment
• Community

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on DfE statistics on the initial teacher training census for the academic year 2021/22.

• Employment
• Pay
• Recruitment and Retention
• Career Progression
• Early Career Framework
• Training

New analysis released today by school leaders’ union NAHT, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), the National Governance Association (NGA) and WomenEd, shows that the pay gap between male and female school leaders has worsened over the last decade.

• Pay
• Pensions
• Recruitment and Retention
• Career Progression
• STRB
• STPCD
• Governors and Trustees
• Professional Development

Sara Ford, Deputy Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government's response to the initial teacher training (ITT) market review report.

• Teaching
• Recruitment and Retention
• Career Progression
• Professional Development
• Early Career Framework
• DfE
• Training

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, comments on the First Minister’s announcement of measures to be introduced in Welsh schools in response to the new Omicron variant of Covid-19.

• Cymru
• Wales
• Health and Wellbeing
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.

• Health and safety
• Planning
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment
• Vaccination
• Face coverings

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the reopening of the Covid workforce fund to provide financial assistance to schools and colleges in covering staff absences.

• Leadership
• Funding
• Teaching
• Health and safety
• Resources
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Institute for Fiscal Studies report highlighting cuts to education spending over the last decade.

• Funding
• Finance
• Government
• Education system
• Spending Review

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government’s announcement that children aged 12 to 15 will be invited for a second Covid vaccine dose as part of the response to the new Omicron varian​t.

• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Secondary
• Risk assessment
• Vaccination

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on advice issued to schools and colleges by the Department for Education on new measures in response to the Omicron variant of Covid-19. 

• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment
• Face coverings

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report, ‘Skills for every young person’, from the House of Lords Youth Unemployment Committee.

• Employment
• BTEC
• T Levels
• Careers
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government announcement that expert attendance advisers will be brought in to reduce pupil absence.

• Funding
• Budget
• Government
• Attendance

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on a Department for Education email telling secondary schools to prepare to test their pupils on-site on return to school in January.

• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment
• DfE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on a National Audit Office (NAO) report on the financial sustainability of schools in England. 

• Funding
• Financial planning
• Finance

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the publication of the Teacher Wellbeing Index.

• Leadership
• Conditions
• Health and Wellbeing
• Workload
• Mental Health

Nine organisations directly involved in, or with an interest in, the teaching of languages in secondary schools have joined forces to call for a rethink of government proposals to reform the teaching and assessment of modern foreign languages at GCSE level.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Curriculum
• MFL
• GCSE
• Secondary

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the new statutory guidance requiring schools to keep uniform costs down.

• Parents
• Resources
• School uniforms

ASCL, NAHT, WomenEd, and NGA discuss findings from a forthcoming joint report which reveals that, regardless of school phase or structure, men are typically still earning more than women – and the more senior the position, the wider the gap becomes.

• Pay
• Equalities
• Inclusion
• Recruitment and Retention
• Career Progression
• Diversity
• Careers

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the latest school attendance statistics.

• Health and safety
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the news that Ofsted has been asked by the government to inspect all schools and further education providers by summer 2025, to give a quicker assessment of how well education is recovering from the pandemic.

• Accountability
• Inspection
• Ofsted
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), and Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), met with representatives of the social media platform TikTok today. This meeting followed a recent spate of posts on TikTok containing imagery and comments that are extremely offensive to school staff and have caused huge distress.

• Pastoral
• Social Media
• Mental Health
• Allegations
• Digital
• Behaviour
• TikTok

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, commenting on reports of the abuse of teachers in posts on TikTok.

• Leadership
• Pastoral
• Parents
• Allegations
• Government
• Digital
• Behaviour

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the outcome of the consultation on contingency arrangements for GCSE, AS and A-level.

• Curriculum
• Assessment
• Post-16
• Examinations
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Secondary

ASCL has called on Ofsted to defer school and college inspections on request because of the ongoing disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

• Inspection
• Ofsted
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Key Stage 4 performance statistics showing the widening of the disadvantage gap in 2021 compared to 2019/20 and 2018/19. 

• Assessment
• Data
• Key Stage 4
• Secondary
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the education measures on climate change and the environment being announced by Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi at COP26.  

• Teaching
• Learning
• Government
• Environment
• Climate change

Margaret Mulholland, SEND and Inclusion Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the publication of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition’s Members’ Report 2021, which calls for urgent action to plug the gaps in children and young people’s mental health support. 

• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Mental Health
• Government
• Education system

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the latest school attendance statistics in Wales.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Cymru
• Wales
• Health and Wellbeing
• Coronavirus
• Attendance

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the latest school attendance statistics.  

• Data
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on Education Select Committee Chair Robert Halfon’s Bill to keep schools open during times of national emergency. 

• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the Welsh Government’s proposal for a new Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, contained within the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill introduced on Monday 1 November at the Senedd.

• Funding
• Post-16
• Cymru
• Wales
• Finance
• Resources
• HE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the research published by the Department for Education on learning loss experienced by pupils as a result of the Covid pandemic. 

• Funding
• Learning
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on Labour analysis showing that schools face their energy costs rising by up to £80 million. 

• Funding
• Budget
• Finance
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on UCAS statistics showing that the number of students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds applying to the most selective universities and courses has increased by 8% this year. 

• Post-16
• UCAS
• University
• Post-18
• FE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to today’s Budget announcement.

• Funding
• Budget
• Resources
• Government
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders responds to news that Chancellor Rishi Sunak will announce an end to the one-year pay freeze on the majority of public sector workers in Wednesday’s Budget and Spending Review. 

• Conditions
• Employment
• Pay
• Funding
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Public Accounts Committee report into school funding, which says deprived local areas and schools have been hit hardest by Department for Education funding policies.

• Funding
• Teaching
• Planning
• Resources
• SEND
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery

ASCL Cymru Director Eithne Hughes warns that Covid continues to cause educational havoc as an ASCL Cymru member survey reveals that almost 98% of headteachers say teaching and learning has been impacted by pupil and staff absence during the autumn term.

• Teaching
• Cymru
• Wales
• Health and safety
• Examinations
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment
• Education recovery

ASCL comment on IFS report showing school spending per pupil in Northern Ireland is lowest in the UK comments on the report published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies showing that school spending per pupil in Northern Ireland was the lowest in the UK and around £1,200 less than in Scotland.

• Funding
• Finance
• Resources
• Northern Ireland

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the publication of the Education Policy Institute (EPI) research on learning loss and education recovery ahead of next week's Spending Review 2021.

• Funding
• Financial planning
• Finance
• Coronavirus
• EPI
• Education recovery
• Spending Review

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the statistics from the Department for Education on attendance in education settings.

• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment
• Vaccination
• Carbon dioxide monitors

ASCL leader Geoff Barton today warned that Covid is continuing to cause educational havoc as a survey conducted by the union revealed that more than 90% of headteachers say teaching and learning has been impacted by pupil and staff absence during the autumn term.

• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Mental Health
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Vaccination

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on UCL research which highlights how the Covid pandemic has shown the extent to which families rely on schools for ‘basic needs’. 

• Health and Wellbeing
• Government
• School meals
• Social Mobility

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the publication of the Right Choice for Wales Decisions report by Qualifications Wales and the proposals contained within it to reform GCSEs in Wales.

• Curriculum
• Wales
• GCSE
• Qualifications

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the Education Minister’s written statement announcing an independent review into attendance statistics in Welsh schools.

• Cymru
• Wales
• Data
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, showing that the gap in spending per student between private and state schools has more than doubled over the last decade.

• Funding
• Finance
• Education recovery

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru comments on the 2021 National Education Workforce Survey report.

• Employment
• Cymru
• Wales
• Recruitment and Retention
• Career Progression
• Workload

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the statistics from the Department for Education on attendance in education settings.

• Leadership
• Data
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment
• DfE

ASCL has called for extra funding for schools, post-16 education, and special educational needs support in England amounting to at least £5.76 billion over the next three years in our submission to the government’s spending review.

• Funding
• Government
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the exam arrangements and contingency proposals for next summer’s exam series.

• Assessment
• Examinations
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the education ‘National Excellence Programme’ being announced in Labour leader Keir Starmer’s speech to the Labour conference. 

• Teaching
• Learning
• Ofsted
• Government
• Education system

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the rising number of positive coronavirus cases across Wales and its effect on schools.

• Teaching
• Learning
• Cymru
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the statistics from the Department for Education on attendance in education settings.

• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment
• Vaccination

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the rollout of Covid vaccinations to 12 to 15-year-olds.

• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Vaccination

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on Nick Gibb’s departure from the role of school standards minister. 

• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the guidance published today for schools on the coronavirus vaccination programme for 12 to 15-year-olds. 

• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Vaccination

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the appointment of Nadhim Zahawi as the new Secretary of State for Education

The joint response to the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) report from the ASCL, NAHT, NEU and Voice Community underlines the profession's opposition to the Government's imposition of a pay freeze on teachers and school leaders. There is no justification for the pay freeze, which has been greeted with dismay by teachers and school leaders. They have made an immense contribution to the country's pandemic response, but instead of supporting them the Government continues its attacks on their pay. 

• Pay
• STRB
• Government

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, comments on the decision to offer Covid vaccinations to all children aged between 12 and 15 in Wales.

• Cymru
• Wales
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Vaccination

The Association of School and College Leaders today proposes a potential change to school admissions in England to give priority to places for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

• Leadership
• Equalities
• Social Mobility
• Blueprint

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) and Royal Society on declining diversity in post-16 subject choices.

• Post-16
• Curriculum
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• T Levels
• College

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the recommendation of the chief medical officers to offer Covid-19 vaccinations to 12 to 15-year-olds.

• Health and safety
• Parents
• Key Stage 3
• Key Stage 4
• Coronavirus
• Secondary
• Risk assessment
• Vaccination

Robert Wilson, Regional Officer of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Northern Ireland, comments on plans for the Public Health Agency to take over contact tracing in schools in Northern Ireland from Friday. 

• Pastoral
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Northern Ireland
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report, ‘Addressing Extremism Through the Classroom’, by researchers at the UCL Institute of Education.

• Safeguarding
• Social Media
• Education system

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, commenting on the report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on home learning experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. 

• Teaching
• Learning
• Coronavirus
• Remote learning

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the decision of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) not to recommend Covid vaccines in general for children aged between 12 and 15. 

• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Secondary
• Vaccination

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the publication of research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies showing school spending per pupil in England fell by 9% in real terms between 2009-10 and 2019-20. 

• Funding
• Finance
• Government
• Education recovery
• Education system

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), on the on-going impact of Covid-19 on schools serving predominantly deprived populations. 

• Funding
• Learning
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Mental Health
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery

ASCL has joined with a range of education leaders in writing to Gavin Williamson with a proposal for a £5.8 billion education recovery plan following the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Leadership
• Funding
• Finance
• Collaboration
• Resources
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on Labour’s ‘back to school report’ showing that the UK has outstripped European countries in the length of school closures. 

• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery
• Education system

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the launch of the Welsh government’s contingency framework for schools. 

• Cymru
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment
• Education recovery

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the release of a report to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) by the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M), warning of ‘exponential increases’ in coronavirus infections in secondary schools. 

• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the launch of the government’s back to school campaign.

• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Remote learning
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government’s plan to provide schools and colleges with carbon dioxide monitors.

• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus

Tiffnie Harris, Primary Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Sutton Trust report highlighting that three and four year olds are being ‘locked out’ of crucial early years opportunities. 

• Funding
• Teaching
• Learning
• Primary
• Early years
• Social Mobility

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the IFS report which says that a large increase in student numbers means additional spending on sixth forms and colleges has done little to reverse a decade of cuts in funding per student.

• Funding
• Assessment
• Post-16
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• HE
• College
• Apprenticeships
• FE

Education unions, together with Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP, have today written to Gavin Williamson urging the government to take firm action to improve ventilation in schools to reduce further Covid disruption.

• Business Leadership
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

School and college leaders have called on the Education Secretary to end his ‘fixation’ with banning mobile phones in classrooms in their response to a government consultation on student behaviours.

• Behaviour
• DfE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the publication of GCSE results.

• Assessment
• Examinations
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE
• Secondary

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru comments on the publication of GCSE results in Wales.

• Assessment
• Cymru
• Wales
• Examinations
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE
• Secondary

Robert Wilson, Regional Officer at ASCL Northern Ireland, comments on the publication of GCSE results in Northern Ireland.

• Assessment
• Examinations
• GCSE
• Northern Ireland
• Secondary

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments ahead of the publication of GCSE results on Thursday 12 August. 

• Examinations
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE
• Secondary

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments ahead of the publication of GCSE results in Wales on Thursday 12 August.

• Assessment
• Cymru
• Wales
• Examinations
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE
• Secondary

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on results for A levels, AS levels and vocational qualifications published today,

• Post-16
• Examinations
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• College
• FE

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on results for A levels, AS levels and vocational qualifications published in Wales today. 

• Cymru
• Wales
• Examinations
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• College
• FE

Robert Wilson, Regional Officer at ASCL Northern Ireland comments on results for A levels, AS levels and vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland published today. 

• Post-16
• Examinations
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• Northern Ireland
• College
• FE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments ahead of the publication of results for A levels, AS levels and vocational qualifications on Tuesday 10 August. 

• Post-16
• Examinations
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• Ofqual
• HE
• FE

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on the publication of results for A levels, AS levels and vocational qualifications in Wales on Tuesday 10 August.

• Post-16
• Cymru
• Wales
• Examinations
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• College
• FE

Anne Murdoch, Senior Adviser, College Leadership, at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on UCAS research showing that 42% of UK 18-year-olds are currently holding an offer to commence a full-time undergraduate degree in autumn 2021, leaving 58% not doing so.

• Careers
• UCAS
• University
• Post-18
• Apprenticeships
• FE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to reports that all over-16s in Britain are set to be offered coronavirus vaccinations. 

• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Vaccination
• Education recovery

Tom Middlehurst, Curriculum and Inspection Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on Pearson Edexcel’s decision to give schools and colleges a rebate of 33% on fees for GCSEs and A-levels.

• Funding
• Finance
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Exam fees

Tom Middlehurst, Curriculum and Inspection Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the consultation on adaptations to GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022.

• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the Sutton Trust research ‘A-levels and university access 2021’.

• Assessment
• Post-16
• Parents
• A Levels
• Pupil Premium
• Coronavirus
• University
• Grading
• Qualifications

Twelve organisations that represent and support staff and students in schools, colleges and universities have today written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson urging him not to scrap the vast majority of applied general qualifications such as BTECs. 

• Assessment
• Post-16
• BTEC
• T Levels
• HE
• Post-18
• College
• FE
• Qualifications

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government’s announcement that 74% of eligible mainstream secondary schools across England have opted to host a summer school.

• Teaching
• Transitions
• Secondary
• Education recovery
• Summer schools

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on OCR’s decision to give schools and colleges a rebate of 42% on fees for GCSEs and A-levels. 

• Financial planning
• Finance
• Examinations
• Exam fees

Joint press release by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), National Education Union (NEU) and Voice Community Section in response to the publication of STRB report on pay. 

• Pay
• Recruitment and Retention
• Career Progression
• STRB

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the report of the school teachers’ pay review body and government decision to freeze pay in 2021/22.

• Pay
• Recruitment and Retention
• STRB
• STPCD
• Planning

Tiffnie Harris, Primary Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report from EPI and the National Day Nurseries Association showing that four in ten early years settings across England, Wales and Scotland were forced to close during the spring as a result of Covid isolation. 

• Funding
• Teaching
• Learning
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the publication of the Social Mobility Commission’s ‘State of the Nation’ report. 

• Funding
• Teaching
• Learning
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery
• Social Mobility

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Week 29 school attendance figures published by the Department for Education today. 

• Funding
• Teaching
• Learning
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the government’s decisions over school performance tables in 2021/22. 

• Learning
• Data
• Performance Tables
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) against routine Covid vaccination of children outside of higher risk groups.

• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment
• Vaccination

A coalition of education organisations representing most teachers and leaders in England has written to Schools Minister Nick Gibb calling for an immediate halt to a consultation about an overhaul of teacher training because of the danger that it will damage the supply of high-quality teachers to schools.

• Teaching
• Career Progression
• Careers
• Government
• Training

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on AQA’s announcement of a 26% rebate on exam fees.

• Funding
• Budget
• Finance
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• Coronavirus

Sara Ford, Deputy Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report from EPI showing that giving teachers a formal entitlement to high-quality training and development would only cost the government an extra £210m in funding a year. 

• Employment
• Funding
• Career Progression
• Professional Development
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Week 28 school attendance figures published by the Department for Education today. 

• Data
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the National Foundation for Educational Research policy briefing, in which school leaders warn that the current approach to learning recovery is “misconceived and inadequate”. 

• Teaching
• Learning
• Health and Wellbeing
• Mental Health
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the proposed adjustments for exams in 2022. 

• Assessment
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• Ofqual

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the EPI study comparing pupil performance among UK nations.

• Teaching
• Curriculum
• Assessment
• Data
• Performance Tables

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru comments on the EPI study comparing pupil performance among UK nations.

• Teaching
• Assessment
• Cymru
• Wales
• Data
• Examinations
• Performance Tables

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on Department for Education research showing that pupils who achieve higher grades at GCSE can expect to earn significantly more over their lifetime.

• Assessment
• Data
• Examinations
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE
• Secondary
• Qualifications

Robert Wilson, Regional Officer at ASCL Northern Ireland comments on the EPI study comparing pupil performance among UK nations.

• Teaching
• Assessment
• Data
• Examinations
• Performance Tables
• Northern Ireland

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on undergraduate application data from UCAS showing an increase in the number of applicants for universities and colleges.

• A Levels
• Careers
• Coronavirus
• UCAS
• University
• Apprenticeships

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the school funding consultation published by the Department for Education.

• Funding
• Business Leadership
• Financial planning
• Finance
• Resources
• Government
• DfE

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Week 27 school attendance figures published by the Department for Education today.

• Business Leadership
• Data
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the government’s new rules for Covid management in schools and colleges as part of step 4 of the roadmap for England.

• Leadership
• Learning
• Business Leadership
• Health and safety
• Planning
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment
• Face coverings
• DfE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on Labour’s call for the government to set out plans for assessments in 2022 by the return to school on 1 September.

• Teaching
• Assessment
• Post-16
• Curriculum
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Planning
• Lesson planning
• BTEC
• Coronavirus
• Secondary
• Risk assessment
• FE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Prime Minister’s statement on step 4 of the roadmap in England.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Three education unions have written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson expressing our anger and dismay at the way in which the government is treating school and college leaders.

• ASCL
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the National Audit Office (NAO) report ‘School funding in England’.

• Funding
• Finance
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, is today writing to the Prime Minister over reports of Downing Street criticism about the management of Covid cases in schools.

• ASCL
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Education Secretary’s launch of a consultation on behaviour and discipline in schools.

• Safeguarding
• Government
• Behaviour

Yesterday afternoon the Department for Education sent an email advising secondary schools and colleges that they may be required to set up on-site Asymptomatic Test Sites from the start of the autumn term. It said: “Schools and colleges may choose to start testing students and pupils no earlier than three days before the start of term, or stagger the return of pupils during the first week of term if they would like to do so.”

• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• DfE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Week 26 school attendance statistics published by the Department for Education today. 

• Teaching
• Learning
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru, comments on Education Minister Jeremy Miles’ statement on Covid-related absences in Welsh schools.

• Learning
• Cymru
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Week 25 school attendance statistics.

• Teaching
• Business Leadership
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Unions have launched a new campaigning website to put pressure on the government to remove all asbestos from educational buildings.

• Funding
• Health and Wellbeing
• Business Leadership
• Regulations
• Health and safety
• Government
• Risk assessment

Eleven organisations that represent staff and students in schools, colleges and universities have today issued a joint statement urging the government to rethink plans to remove funding for the majority of applied general qualifications such as BTECs. 

• Employment
• Post-16
• BTEC
• College
• FE
• Qualifications

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on Ofsted’s review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges.

• Health and Wellbeing
• Ofsted
• Health and safety
• Safeguarding
• Mental Health
• RSE
• Risk assessment
• Everyone's Invited
• Sexual harassment
• Sexual violence

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the school attendance statistics published by the Department for Education today.

• Data
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on Ofsted’s research review on languages education.

• Teaching
• Curriculum
• Assessment
• Inspection
• Ofsted
• MFL

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the government announcement about the post-Covid education recovery plan.

• Funding
• Financial planning
• Finance
• Resources
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders responds to reports that Sir Kevan Collins has offered his resignation as Education Recovery Commissioner.

• Leadership
• Funding
• Resources
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Education recovery

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Week 21 school attendance statistics.

• Data
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on plans to fund education initiatives in some areas of England as outlined in the government press release ‘Prime Minister hails levelling up in action as government unveils raft of new policies’.

• Leadership
• Funding
• Business Leadership
• Finance
• Resources
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Prime Minister’s announcement about face masks in secondary schools and colleges.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

Julie McCulloch, Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Week 18 school attendance statistics published by the Department for Education today.

• Leadership
• Data
• Health and safety
• Parents
• Attendance

Kevin Gilmartin, Post 16 Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the publication of the UCAS report ‘Reimagining UK Admissions’, outlining the UCAS position on admissions reform.

• Post-16
• UCAS
• HE
• University
• Post-18
• College
• FE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the recommendations for education in the report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities.

• Leadership
• Funding
• Equalities
• Diversity
• Community

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the launch of a review into sexual abuse in schools.

• Pastoral
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Safeguarding
• Parents
• PSHE
• RSE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the latest school attendance statistics.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Attendance

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) report on the teacher labour market in England.

• Conditions
• Employment
• Pay
• Recruitment and Retention
• Career Progression

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the latest school attendance statistics.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Parents
• Coronavirus
• Attendance

Robert Wilson, Regional Officer at ASCL Northern Ireland, comments on the phased reopening of schools and plans for older pupils to receive lateral flow tests in Northern Ireland from Monday 22 March.

• Post-16
• Health and safety
• Government
• Northern Ireland
• Coronavirus
• College

ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton's keynote to ASCL Annual Conference 2021.

• Leadership
• ASCL
• Funding
• Teaching
• Curriculum
• Assessment
• Recruitment and Retention
• CPD
• Mental Health
• Diversity
• Government

ASCL President Richard Sheriff's keynote to ASCL Annual Conference 2021. 

• Leadership
• Professional Development
• CPD

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the full return of pupils to England’s schools and colleges from tomorrow.

• Leadership
• Teaching
• Learning
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on today’s Budget announcement.

• Financial planning
• Budget
• Finance
• Resources
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the latest statistics on school attendance.

• Leadership
• Teaching
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Attendance
• Remote learning

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Children’s Commissioner’s report on gang involvement and youth violence.

• Leadership
• Pastoral
• Health and safety
• Safeguarding
• Community

Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru comments on the return to primary schools of the youngest pupils in Wales on 22 February.

• Cymru
• Wales
• Primary
• Health and safety
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

A set of principles to ensure that students are assessed fairly following the cancellation of exams in England has been drawn up by six education unions and professional associations.

• Assessment
• Post-16
• Governors and Trustees
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• T Levels
• Ofqual
• Coronavirus
• Secondary

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders responds to the report of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee on the national food voucher scheme.

• Health and Wellbeing
• Business Leadership
• Resources
• Procurement
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Free school meals

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the first wave of the school rebuilding programme.

• Funding
• Business Leadership
• Finance
• Health and safety
• Resources

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the latest school attendance statistics.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Parents
• Planning
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

Robert Wilson, Regional Officer for ASCL Northern Ireland comments on the announcement of changes to the qualification system for summer 2021.

• Assessment
• Post-16
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• Northern Ireland
• Coronavirus
• Secondary

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the announcement that the full reopening of schools is planned to begin from 8 March.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Parents
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the question of the full reopening of schools, and research published by Ofsted on remote education.

• Teaching
• Ofsted
• Health and safety
• Parents
• Planning
• Coronavirus
• Remote learning
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on government statistics on school attendance and delivery of laptops.

• Leadership
• Funding
• Resources
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Digital
• Attendance
• Risk assessment

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru comments on the decision of the Welsh Government to move schools and colleges to remote learning until 18 January. 

• Leadership
• Teaching
• Cymru
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Remote learning

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders responds to the Prime Minister’s announcement about the spring term in England.

• Leadership
• Teaching
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Remote learning
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the situation regarding plans for the start of the spring term. 

• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

An emergency meeting of ASCL’s executive committee held this afternoon agreed to call on the government to move all schools and colleges in England to remote education for at least the first two weeks of the spring term in the light of rising Covid infections and the impact of the new variant of the virus.

• Teaching
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Remote learning

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders responds to the Education Secretary’s announcement today on arrangements for the spring term in England. 

• Funding
• Post-16
• Health and Wellbeing
• Primary
• Health and safety
• Government
• Early years
• Coronavirus
• Secondary
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the government guidance published today on rapid Covid tests in schools and colleges. 

• Health and safety
• Planning
• Resources
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Education Policy Institute (EPI) report, ‘Assessing Covid-19 cost pressures on England’s schools’.

• Funding
• Business Leadership
• Finance
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• EPI

Education unions and associations have today joined together in advising secondary schools and colleges that they are not required to begin mass Covid testing from the start of the spring term.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on government plans to roll-out rapid Covid lateral flow tests in schools and colleges.

• Funding
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus

Robert Wilson, Northern Ireland regional officer at the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to plans announced in Northern Ireland today for exams in 2021.

• Assessment
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Northern Ireland
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on plans for Covid testing of secondary school-aged children in parts of London, Essex, and Kent. 

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Risk assessment

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the publication of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019.

• Funding
• Learning
• Curriculum
• Recruitment and Retention

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on news that schools will be allowed to take an inset day on Friday 18 December. 

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Planning
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Chancellor’s spending review announcement.

• Pay
• Funding
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the announcement of a £170m Covid Winter Grant Scheme and the expansion of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme in 2021.

• Funding
• Pastoral
• Health and Wellbeing
• Government
• Free school meals

Geoff Barton, ASCL General Secretary responds to the Prime Minister’s announcement that schools will remain open in a second national lockdown in England.

ASCL response to Ofqual's reply to our proposal to address some remaining injustices around centre-assessed grading. 

• Assessment
• Post-16
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• Ofqual
• Coronavirus

Four education unions – ASCL, NAHT, NEU and Voice – have today written to education secretary Gavin Williamson regarding the Government’s response to the recommendations of the 30th report of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). The deadline for submissions is today.  

• Conditions
• Employment
• Pay
• Funding
• Recruitment and Retention
• Finance
• Government

ASCL leader Geoff Barton today warned that the work of schools and colleges in reopening to all students is being undermined by widespread problems in accessing Covid-19 tests.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on Ofqual’s evidence to the House of Commons Education Select Committee regarding the awarding of grades this summer. 

• ASCL
• Assessment
• Post-16
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• Ofqual
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on Ofsted’s plans to visit schools and colleges in the autumn term.

• Accountability
• Inspection
• Ofsted

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the statement by the Secretary of State for Education on qualification results and school openings for the autumn term.

• Leadership
• Funding
• Assessment
• Finance
• Examinations
• Resources
• Ofqual
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on Labour’s call to push back the date of next year’s GCSE and A level exams in England. 

• Assessment
• Post-16
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• Ofqual
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leader comments on government guidance published tonight on contingency planning for schools.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Planning
• Resources
• Government
• Coronavirus

Our statement on this year's exam grading process.

• Assessment
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• BTEC
• Ofqual
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on news that Department for Education permanent secretary Jonathan Slater will step down on 1 September. 

• Assessment
• Examinations
• Government
• Coronavirus

Letter from ASCL to Sally Collier, Chief Regulator and Chair, Ofqual on the injustice some students may have suffered as a result of the decision to revert to the higher of either centre-assessed grades (CAGs) or calculated results for most qualifications this year.

• Assessment
• Examinations
• Ofqual
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders following the decision in Scotland over face coverings in schools.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Planning
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the announcement that Sally Collier is standing down as chief regulator of Ofqual.

• Assessment
• Examinations
• Ofqual
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders responds to the new policy on face coverings in secondary schools and colleges in England.

• Leadership
• Health and safety
• Planning
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the GCSE results awarded to students today. 

• Assessment
• Examinations
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE
• Ofqual
• Government
• Coronavirus
• Secondary

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru comments on GCSE results issued in Wales today.

• Assessment
• Cymru
• Wales
• Examinations
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE
• Government
• Coronavirus

Robert Wilson, Northern Ireland regional officer of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on GCSE results awarded in Northern Ireland today. 

• Assessment
• Examinations
• GCSE
• Government
• Northern Ireland
• Coronavirus

Letter from ASCL to Peter Weir MLA, Minister of Education, formally requesting the Department of Education commissions an independent review as a matter of urgency into the process for awarding grades in GCSE, AS levels, and A levels in Northern Ireland in summer, 2020. 

• Assessment
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Northern Ireland
• Coronavirus

Letter from ASCL to Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Education, formally requesting the Department for Education commissions an independent review as a matter of urgency into the process for awarding grades in GCSE, AS levels, A levels and Vocational and Technical qualifications in summer, 2020. 

• Assessment
• Post-16
• Examinations
• Appeals
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• T Levels
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on GCSE results day tomorrow. 

• Assessment
• Examinations
• Appeals
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE
• Ofqual

The Association of School and College Leaders will be formally writing to the Secretary of State for Education to request an immediate independent review into the grading fiasco.

• Assessment
• Post-16
• Examinations
• Appeals
• Key Stage 4
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Ofqual
• Government

Robert Wilson, Northern Ireland Regional Officer, of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Northern Ireland Department of Education’s decision over changes to the awarding of grades for GCSEs, AS and A levels. 

• Assessment
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Government
• Northern Ireland

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru comments on the Welsh government’s decision to revert to teacher-assessed grades in A-levels and GCSEs, instead of grades which have been moderated down. 

• Assessment
• Cymru
• Wales
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on Ofqual’s decision to revert to teacher-assessed grades in A-levels and GCSEs, instead of grades which have been moderated down.

• Assessment
• Post-16
• Examinations
• Key Stage 4
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Ofqual
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders responds to Ofqual’s criteria on using mock results in GCSE and A-level appeals.

• Examinations
• Appeals
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Ofqual
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on today’s A level results in England.

• Assessment
• Post-16
• Data
• Examinations
• Appeals
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Ofqual
• Government
• Coronavirus

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru comments on today’s AS and A-level results in Wales.

• Assessment
• Cymru
• Wales
• Examinations
• Appeals
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Government
• Coronavirus

Julia Harnden, funding specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the analysis from the Education Policy Institute on the school funding allocations for 2021-22. 

• Funding
• Finance
• Planning
• Resources
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the proposed teacher pay award for 2020/21.

• Conditions
• Pay
• Funding
• Pensions
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the announcement of the school funding settlement for 2021

• Funding
• Coronavirus

ASCL says proposed changes to next summer’s GCSEs and A levels fail to fully recognise the disruption to students of the coronavirus pandemic and amount to no more than tinkering at the edges.

• Post-16
• Examinations
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE
• A Levels
• AS Levels
• Ofqual
• Coronavirus

Joint statement by the Joint Trade Unions (ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU) following the meeting on 14 July 2020 with representatives of the Isle of Man Government to resume pay dispute negotiations paused on 17 March due to the Covid crisis. 

• Conditions
• Employment
• Pay
• Government
• Isle of Man

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the relaxation of the 2m distancing rule.

• Regulations
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the government’s announcement of a one billion pound Covid catch-up plan for children.

• Funding
• Finance
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders responds to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson’s comments about schools reopening to all pupils in September. 

• Leadership
• Learning
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus

ASCL comment on today’s government confirmation of the wider opening of schools from Monday.

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on today’s announcement from Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the wider opening of schools and colleges.

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the publication of scientific evidence underpinning the government’s approach to the wider opening of schools and colleges.

• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Prime Minister’s speech and the phased reopening of schools.  

• Leadership
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Government
• Coronavirus

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru comments on Welsh Education Minister Kirsty Williams’ statement that the situation for schools in Wales will not change on 1 June. 

• Cymru
• Wales
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Planning
• Government
• Coronavirus

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru responds to the comments of Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show today about the potential reopening of schools in Wales at the beginning of June.

• Leadership
• Cymru
• Wales
• Health and Wellbeing
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson’s announcement about a new package to support online learning during the coronavirus emergency

• Teaching
• Learning
• Curriculum
• Parents
• Lesson planning
• Government
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Sutton Trust poll showing that only two-fifths of parents feel confident about teaching their children at home.

• Parents
• Coronavirus

Duncan Baldwin, Deputy Director of Policy, at the Association of School and College Leaders comments on guidance from Ofqual about the grading of vocational qualifications following the closure of schools and colleges. 

• Post-16
• Examinations
• BTEC
• T Levels
• Ofqual
• Coronavirus

Julia Harnden, Funding Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the extra support for schools announced by the government.  

• Funding
• Business Leadership
• Financial planning
• Finance
• Income
• Resources
• Coronavirus

Eithne Hughes of the Association of School and College Leaders, Wales comments on the plan published today by Qualifications Wales for grading A-levels and GCSEs this summer.

• Assessment
• Cymru
• Wales
• Examinations
• GCSE
• A Levels
• Coronavirus

Today three education unions, NEU, ASCL and NAHT have issued joint advice to their members relating to Coronavirus

• Safeguarding
• Mental Health
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on government guidance about sectors prioritised for educational provision during the coronavirus crisis.

• Leadership
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Parents
• Planning
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders responds to the government announcement about how grades will be awarded following the decision to cancel all exams. 

• Assessment
• Key Stage 2
• Examinations
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE
• AS Levels
• BTEC
• Ofqual
• Coronavirus

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders responds to today’s announcement that routine Ofsted inspections will be suspended in response to coronavirus.

• Accountability
• Inspection
• Ofsted
• Government

Three-quarters of school and college leaders believe Ofsted’s new approach to inspections is an improvement on previous frameworks, according to an ASCL survey.

• Accountability
• Ofsted

Eighty six per cent of school and college leaders have called for GCSEs to be reformed or scrapped in a survey carried out by ASCL.

• Assessment
• Examinations
• Key Stage 3
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders responds to today’s Budget statement.

• Funding
• Post-16
• Budget
• Government

Kevin Gilmartin, post-16 and colleges specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) comments on the Education Policy Institute (EPI) report, ‘An international comparison of technical education funding systems’.

• Funding
• Curriculum
• Post-16

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the Education Policy Institute report ‘Teacher shortages in England’.

• Pay
• Funding
• Recruitment and Retention

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on national offer day for secondary school places on Monday 2 March.

• Parents

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Sutton Trust’s report about making school admissions fairer.

• Post-16
• Primary
• Parents

ASCL has warned that some 2,900 schools and colleges would be treated unfairly under government plans to remove the ‘outstanding exemption’.

• Accountability
• Inspection
• Ofsted

Stephen Rollett, Curriculum and Inspection Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to comments made by Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman.

• Funding
• Accountability
• Inspection
• Ofsted

Four education unions - The National Education Union (NEU), National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), Voice, and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) - are warning that government pay proposals would short-change most classroom teachers and all senior leaders. 

ASCL today warns that almost all of the extra £7.1 billion pledged for schools over the next three years will be eaten up by government spending commitments and increased costs.

• Funding
• Financial planning
• Budget
• Finance
• Government

Duncan Baldwin, Deputy Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the publication of revised Key Stage 4 performance tables. 

• Accountability
• Inspection
• Key Stage 4
• Performance Tables
• Progress 8

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the report of the Children’s Commissioner ‘The state of children’s mental health services’.

• Pastoral
• Health and Wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Mental Health
• SEND

Members of the Association of School and College Leaders on the Isle of Man will withdraw their cooperation from a range of duties from today after recently voting for industrial action.

• Conditions
• Pay
• Isle of Man

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the report by the National Foundation for Educational Research about teacher autonomy.

• Leadership
• Teaching
• Career Progression
• Professional Development
• CPD

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru comments on the publication of the revised Curriculum for Wales guidance. 

• Leadership
• Learning
• Curriculum
• Cymru
• Wales
• Curriculum

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the report from the Education and Skills Funding Agency on the school resource management adviser (SRMA) pilot programme.

• Funding
• Business Leadership
• Financial planning
• Budget
• Finance
• Resources

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has today called for an uplift to all teacher pay scales over the next three years in line with the government’s proposal to increase starting salaries to £30,000 by 2022/23.

• Employment
• Pay
• Funding
• Recruitment and Retention
• Financial planning

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the report by the Education Policy Institute Access to child and adolescent mental health services in 2019.

• Funding
• Pastoral
• Health and Wellbeing
• Resources
• Mental Health
• SEND

Duncan Baldwin, Deputy Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the government announcement that it is launching a consultation on the removal of the outstanding exemption.

• Post-16
• Primary
• Accountability
• Inspection
• Ofsted
• Key Stage 3
• Key Stage 4

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the education briefing accompanying the Queen’s Speech.

• Funding
• Post-16
• Financial planning
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on UCAS statistics which show that ‘conditional unconditional’ offers continue to rise.

• Assessment
• Post-16
• A Levels

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the reappointment of Gavin Williamson as Education Secretary.

• Leadership
• Government

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has written to all Northern Ireland’s main political party leaders reminding them of the “bleak financial situation” in schools in Northern Ireland, and as the talks at Stormont resume with a view to re-establishing the Executive.

• Leadership
• Funding
• Resources
• Mental Health
• Government
• Northern Ireland

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders responds to the new report on T levels from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).

• Funding
• Teaching
• Post-16
• Examinations
• BTEC
• T Levels

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the analysis by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) of the political parties’ education plans. 

• Leadership
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on research by the Sutton Trust on the impact of GCSE reforms.  

• Assessment
• Examinations
• Key Stage 4
• GCSE

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on Labour’s plans for education being announced today.

• Leadership
• Funding
• Recruitment and Retention
• Financial planning
• Finance
• School Improvement
• Resources

Joint press release by the School Cuts coalition: School Cuts website updated to reflect what manifestos mean for every school in England

• Funding
• Financial planning
• Budget
• Finance
• Government

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the UK results in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

• Assessment
• Examinations
• Mental Health

Eithne Hughes, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, comments on the results in Wales in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

• Assessment
• Cymru
• Wales
• Examinations
• International
• Performance Tables

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Conservative Party’s plans to give Ofsted greater powers and more funding.

At the ASCL Northern Ireland Annual Conference on 29 November 2019, ASCL Northern Ireland President Amanda McNamee paid tribute to the resilience of school leaders in challenging and demanding times.  

• Membership
• CPD
• Northern Ireland

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders comments on the letter from headteachers supporting the Worth Less? campaign to all prospective parliamentary candidates.

• Leadership
• Funding
• Financial planning
• Budget
• Finance
• Parents

A coalition of education unions has today welcomed Labour’s manifesto commitment to reverse all cuts to school budgets and to make a once-in-a-generation investment in education.    The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the National Education Union (NEU) are all non-politically affiliated unions and believe we are speaking for the profession in welcoming these proposals.

• Funding
• Post-16
• Primary
• Financial planning
• Budget
• Government

Education unions NEU, NAHT, ASCL and Voice, together representing the overwhelming majority of teachers and school leaders in England, have submitted a joint statement to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), demanding a significant, above-inflation pay increase for all teachers and leaders, in order to reverse the real-terms cuts to salaries since 2010.

• Jobs
• Employment
• Pay
• Funding
• Recruitment and Retention
• STRB
• Financial planning

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Education Policy Institute’s report ‘Further Education Pathways’.

• Funding
• Post-16
• Examinations
• GCSE
• T Levels

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the National Audit Office report on University Technical Colleges (UTCs).

• Funding
• Post-16

Today, the School Cuts coalition launches a fully updated interactive map of England’s schools. It shows that 83% of schools will be worse off next year than they were in 2015.

New figures, released today by the School Cuts coalition, reveal that four in five of England’s schools will be worse off next year than they were in 2015.

Eight in ten school leaders say that tough new GCSEs are having a detrimental impact on struggling students, according to a survey by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL).

Media release from the National Education Union, the Association of School and College Leaders, the National Association of Head Teachers, and the f40 education fair funding campaign group