Latest Updates
National Funding Formula Update
Schools minister Nick Gibb has said that the new national funding formula will come in in 2018-19, according to TES (published 4 July).
He also said that the DfE will be responding to the consultation on the formula "very shortly", and reiterated the Government's commitment to making sure no school has its budget cut as a result of the new formula, which was included in its election manifesto.
Government pledges Mental Health First Aid training for every secondary school by 2020
The Department for Education and the Department of Health have confirmed that teachers in secondary schools will be offered to take part in a new mental health first aid training programme to help them identify and respond to early signs of mental health issues in children.
The programme will be delivered by Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, and will be backed by £200,000 of government funding.
One thousand staff will be trained in year one of the programme which will be extended in years two and three to cover every secondary school in England. Schools will receive practical advice on how to deal with issues such as depression and anxiety, suicide and psychosis, self-harm and eating disorders.
Participants in the training programme will be invited to become a Youth Mental Health First Aid Champion, and will help to share their knowledge and understanding of mental health across the school and wider community.
You can read the full press release here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-mental-health-training-for-teachers-will-make-a-real-difference-to-childrens-lives
Some Warwickshire secondary schools have already received some mental health first aid training, offered through the Area Behaviour Partnerships. Two of the providers used to deliver this programme are:
LifeSpace
Educational Psychology Service
Fire safety in schools
The government is analysing school buildings to identify those that are over four storeys high (18 metres) and establish which, if any, external cladding has been used on them. The DfE is also reportedly dropping proposals to change fire safety rules around the installation of sprinklers. Schools Week
DfE Ministerial Portfolios Announced
The Department for Education announced it's ministerial team's portfolios on Monday 3 July 2017:
Justine Greening will continue to have overall responsibility for the Department for Education and the Government Equalities Office
Nick Gibb will continue as Minister of State for School Standards, and has also been appointed Minister for Equalities
Robert Goodwill has been appointed Minister of State for Children and Families
Jo Johnson will continue as Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, covering both the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), where he has an expanded role
Anne Milton has been appointed as the Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills and Minister for Women
Lord Nash will continue as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System