Education
Queen's Speech: New measures to raise education standards
Local authorities will have a new duty to provide support to home-schooling families under new measures to reform education.
Slough SEND services ‘not fit for purpose’ due to resources
Services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at Slough Council have been under-resourced for 18 months, councillors have heard.
Dundee: the UK’s best-kept life sciences secret
Dundee is mapping out the young and dynamic city’s economic revival through its approach towards the development of life sciences, says Cllr John Alexander.
The appliance of science
Nesta’s behavioural insights team have developed a toolkit to help councils run projects to increase engagement with childcare services. Fionnuala O’Reilly and Dave Wilson explain the approach.
An end to the SEND lottery?
The new Green Paper on special educational needs and disability received a generally warm reception from the sector, but concerns remain around funding and delivering cultural change. Chris Mahony reports.
Nine councils to receive £300m in SEND deficit deals
The authorities have reached agreements with the Government to wipe out their special educational needs (SEND) deficits.
A bright Tory story
One of the main tasks of any self-respecting SPAD is to ensure their minister ‘feels the pain’ of the little people. They get it. They understand life is tough.
Government vows to end 'postcode lottery' on SEND
Schools, councils and health providers will need to work together to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) with more targetted funding, a Government Green Paper said today.
Councils to be allowed to set up multi-academy trusts
Local authority leaders have welcomed the Government’s plan to allow councils to set up and run their own multi-academy trusts.
London’s continuing uncertainty over UKSPF
Cllr Nesil Caliskhan says London boroughs waited in vain for an update in the spring statement on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and concerns remain that the capital will lose out.
Counties warn of school transport crisis
Hikes in fuel costs are meaning local authorities are having pay providers significantly more, according to a report published by the County Councils Network (CCN) today.
Future Forum North: Investment in skills ‘comes without guarantees’
Investment in improving skills and qualifications ‘comes without guarantees’ that workers will stay local rather than move away once qualified, a council chief told Future Forum North.
Give communities a real stake in skills improvement
Dr Marius Ostrowski says Local Skills Improvement Plans, one of the Government’s key Levelling Up White Paper commitments, must be made truly representative of the communities they intend to serve.
Council to bring some services back in-house
Staffordshire CC will bring a small number of services back in-house following a review of its 10-year joint venture with Capita.
Devolution for all: Gove unveils long-awaited White Paper
By 2030, every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal, the Government’s long-awaited levelling up White Paper has promised.
Local government: too big and too small?
Local government could be strengthened and made more democratically responsive by making it smaller in population, but bigger in terms of what it is responsible for, argues Professor Colin Talbot.
Councils warned against ‘precautionary’ school closures
The Government has told councils schools should not be closed unless there is a ‘public health emergency’.
Spielman: No silver bullet for children's social care
Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman has warned there is no ‘silver bullet’ to the long-term problems in the children’s social care sector.
Rethinking support for young people
The Connected Futures Fund seeks to transform how young people are supported into work in places with higher levels of disadvantage. Anna Smee explains the aims of the multi-sector partnership approach.
Call for fresh powers from ombudsman
England’s local government ombudsman today demands wide-ranging new powers to investigate complaints across town halls, social care and education amid concern current regimes are outdated.
