Department for Education – latest news

Pay rises and teachers’ pay grant details confirmed

The final version of the 2018 School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), alongside initial information about how the teachers’ pay grant will be calculated for the upcoming year has been published.

STPCD: www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-teachers-pay-and-conditions

How the teachers’ pay grant will be calculated: www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-pay-grant-methodology/teachers-pay-grant- methodology

Workload Toolkit

In July the government published the workload toolkit and video on curriculum planning – both of which can be found here. The teacher workload team is keen to receive feedback on the toolkit and is looking for schools to help them in their user research during the year – if you would like to get in touch, they can be contacted at: Workload.SOLUTIONS@education.gov.uk

Information: free school meals pupils should remain eligible until at least 2023

Pupils in receipt of FSM immediately prior to 1 April 2018, and those who become eligible during Universal Credit roll out, will retain eligibility until the end of this roll out period. Following this, if they are still in education, they will continue to be eligible until the end of their phase of education. This means that schools should not remove FSM eligibility from pupils until at least 2023, continuing to offer them meals and record them as eligible on the census.

For more information, please see the free school meals guidance for schools and local authorities, or contact the free school meals team at Freeschoolmeals.MAILBOX@education.gov.uk.

Other DfE updates

• FE college groups and multi-site colleges – consultation response
• Multi million investment in early years education and boost social mobility
• New technology to spearhead classroom revolution
• School culture and practice: supporting disadvantaged pupils
• Next generation of young people gaining the skills Britain needs
• 16 to 18 qualifications, discount codes and point scores
• Secondary accountability measures – Progress 8 and Attainment 8
• GCSE pupils gaining knowledge and skills for future success
• Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006
• Data protection: toolkit for schools (updated)
• Keeping Children Safe in Education (updated)

Ofsted News (July and August 2018)

• New website for inspection reports – meeting users’ needs
• Ofsted calls for early years experts
• Staff qualifications in nurseries and pre-schools: do they make a difference to outcomes?

Ofsted News (July 2018)

Ofsted News (August 2018)