Digging around in the undergrowth of schools reform in England Warwick Mansell's news and analysis site
United Learning Trust now 50 per cent larger than any other MAT in England, new data reveal
No sign of DfE “action plan” on improving its handling of Freedom of Information requests, months after deadline it was set by the transparency watchdog
“Brutal”: how Harris changed school’s name and uniform and even dismantled its trophy cabinet within weeks of academy’s approval by new government
Forced academisation placed additional pressure on inspection for schools – and former chief inspector argued against this – independent report for Ofsted concludes
Make children with SEND central to all education policy and end “blame” culture, psychologists advise the new government
Government appears to scrap the forced academies policy – in one sense, at least
Lord and Lady Nash stand down as trustees of the academy chain they founded. Or do they?
Suggestion by Little Wandle that Ofsted requires schools to buy resources matched to phonics scheme appears to be contradicted by inspectorate
Governors’ deliberations on school’s choice to join a MAT kept secret – while staff also not given details on what it will get in return for £400,000 “topslice”
Divide between London and the South East, and rest of England, showing up in school exclusion figures
Claims that major phonics programme, tied to resources sold by publishing giant, is “not-for-profit” prompt questions from rivals
Ofsted upgraded academy from “requires improvement” to “good” despite nearly half of surveyed staff saying it had got worse – and nearly third of responding pupils saying they rarely felt safe
Inspection hears argument that high staff turnover at academy was because of financial inheritance of trust which took it over, nearly six years ago
Council which employed Ruth Perry calls for forced academisation policy to be scrapped
“Alternative Big Listen” includes string of damning findings about accuracy and meaning of Ofsted reports
School’s escape from forced academisation prompts criticism of policy by senior Labour local government figure
Secondary school celebrates escaping forced academisation
Newly-elected MP, for town whose only two secondary schools are run by same academy trust, has backed change of control
