Policy
March 6, 2024
As with the Autumn Statement in November, it is not clear from today’s budget that the government has fully appreciated the challenges facing schools. Schools urgently need an adequately resourced and strategic plan, to address the educational challenges that the North East and areas like our region face. However, education does not appear to be a priority in the budget.
November 22, 2023
Although the confirmation of additional spending to education, announced in previous budgets and spending reviews, is welcome, it is not clear from this year’s Autumn Statement that the government has fully appreciated the challenges facing schools.
September 12, 2023
The KS2 attainment data released today by the DfE highlights the amazing work school staff in our region have done to support children as they recover from the pandemic and cost of living crisis. Despite the unprecedented disruption this cohort of pupils has experienced, and the higher rates of long term disadvantage amongst students in our region, the North East saw the second highest percentage of pupils reaching expected standard in reading, writing, and maths.
September 1, 2023
While it is right that schools are closed where structures aren’t safe, it is frustrating that it has taken until the week before the new term for this information to be communicated to schools.We saw during the pandemic the impact that disruption to education had on students, and this disruption was all too often exacerbated by policy announcements without prior warning or time for putting in place new measures.
August 24, 2023
Schools North East wants to pass on its congratulations to all North East students on their amazing 2023 GCSE results. These results have been achieved despite the disruption students have faced over several academic years. Their efforts should be applauded and celebrated.#
August 17, 2023
Schools North East wants to congratulate all North East students on their amazing 2023 A Level, T Level, and BTec results. These results have been achieved despite the severe disruption this cohort of students has faced over several academic years, including the cancellation of their GCSE exams in 2021. Their efforts should be applauded and celebrated.
June 28, 2023
Recent data has revealed an apparent North-South divide in the condition of school buildings, as well as the success rates of different regions in accessing additional funding to meet this need. The NE region would appear to be seriously disadvantaged in regard to school condition, combined with the lowest success rates in accessing key additional funding sources.
June 1, 2023
The Department for Education’s most recent data highlights the ongoing post-pandemic challenge schools face on attendance. So far this academic year, the North East has had marginally above average absence rates, and the highest levels of persistence absences in England (students missing 10% or more of possible sessions).
May 16, 2023
Schools recognise that SATs can be a useful baseline assessment, to measure progress students are making and inform gap analysis. However, school leaders are concerned about the unnecessary pressure SATs can put on pupils, and the way in which results are used in accountability measures, often without context or proper qualification.
April 11, 2023
It is clear from the data that DfE ministers are disproportionately visiting schools in London.Schools in the North East face a range of contextual challenges, and a failure to engage with our schools over decades has led to ‘one-size-fits-all’ policies that are not always implementable in our region.
March 31, 2023
The response to our survey highlights the strength of feeling amongst school leaders and staff. In November 2021, Schools North East wrote to the Education Secretary about the urgent need to ‘depressurise’ the education system, including a call to review Ofsted’s role.
March 23, 2023
Addressing persistent absence is not a new issue for North East schools. Our region has some of the highest levels of long-term disadvantage, with students from these backgrounds having higher absence rates than their less disadvantaged peers.
March 9, 2023
The Sutton Trust’s report on tutoring highlights the inequalities in access to tutoring, between disadvantaged students and their peers, as well as between regions. Data Schools North East collated from the region’s school leaders likewise identified these challenges when accessing tutoring for the delivery of catch-up.
January 19, 2023
Since the pandemic, the system for supporting the mental health of children and young people has been under serious pressure. Schools and other agencies are struggling with significant backlogs, with long waiting lists for educational psychologists, children and young people's mental health services (CAMHS), and educational, health, and care plans (EHCPs).
January 5, 2023
Ongoing persistent absences since the pandemic have been a key concern for North East schools this academic year. In the week commencing 5th December 2022, pupil attendance in North East schools had dropped to 89.2%, compared with 94.5% at the beginning of the Autumn term. This mirrors a similar trend seen across the country.
January 4, 2023
While the Prime Minister’s prioritising of education and post-16 in his first speech of 2023 is welcome, it is not clear what the evidence base is for the ambition for all pupils in England to study some form of maths to the age of 18. Additionally, it is unclear how this policy will be resourced, both in terms of staff and finances.
November 23, 2022
In light of the impact of the pandemic, as well as the significant changes to education inspection framework since many outstanding schools were last inspected, it is unsurprising that many outstanding schools have seen changes to their inspection grades.
September 6, 2022
The KS2 attainment data released by the DfE today highlights the widening gap between disadvantaged pupils and other children. While the gap had been declining prior to the pandemic, the disadvantage gap index has increased from 2.91 in 2019 to 3.21 in 2022.
August 25, 2022
Schools North East wants to pass on its congratulations to all North East students on their amazing GCSE results. This years’ cohort of students have faced unprecedented disruption throughout their GCSEs.
August 18, 2022
Schools North East wants to pass on its congratulations to all North East students on their amazing 2022 A Level, T Level, and BTec results. This years’ cohort of students began their studies in the middle of the pandemic, having not previously sat formal exams following the cancellation of GCSEs in 2020.
June 10, 2022
Since 2015/6, the North East has consistently had the highest rates of students eligible for Free School Meals (FSM), rising from 18.4% to 29.1% in 2021/22 (compared with a national average of 22.5%)
February 14, 2022
Despite the easing of Covid-related restrictions last month and opening up of society, schools continue to face significant operational challenges resulting from the pandemic, and are far from returning to ‘normal’.
January 3, 2022
Covid-related disruption has been a major challenge for schools during the pandemic, with large numbers of students and staff absent. This disruption has continued on into this academic year,with staff absences impacting on the ability of schools to remain fully operational.
December 6, 2021
Covid-related disruption has been a major challenge for schools during the pandemic, with large numbers of students and staff absent. This disruption has continued on into this academic year,with staff absences impacting on the ability of schools to remain fully operational.
December 2, 2021
The Times’ school performance tables, ranking schools by their examination results from 2017-19, highlights ‘top performing’ schools across the country and in the North East, at primary and secondary, and in the state and independent sectors. Schools North East congratulates those schools that have made it into the top ten in our region. Several of the region’s primary schools have performed particularly well in the national rankings as well, with St Joseph’s RC Primary School in Sunderland ranking 24th in the country
November 11, 2021
Schools North East strongly condemns the vile abuse some schools have received in posts on platforms like TikTok, across the country. Schools in our network have reported teachers receiving abhorrent abuse, with those targeted by these offensive posts undergoing real distress.
September 27, 2021
Schools North East broadly welcomes the plans for schools announced by Sir Keir Starmer ahead of his keynote conference speech. These plans would be a welcome support for children and young people in our region, especially the focus on digital skills, access to appropriate IT devices in the home, and a broader curriculum offer.
March 3, 2021
It is incredibly disappointing to see no provision for education in the Budget. The Covid-19 pandemic has illustrated how integral schools are as national strategic infrastructure and how they need to be protected as such.
February 26, 2021
The announcement of more funding to aid the recovery of our students who have now seen two academic years of their education significantly disrupted, is very welcome. This is important particularly for our most disadvantaged students who have suffered the most learning loss throughout the pandemic.
February 22, 2021
The Prime Minister has announced that all students will be returning to school from 8th March.Despite calls from Head Teachers and Unions, including Schools North East’s own ‘Roadmap to reopening’ for a phased reopening, the return will be for all students.
February 1, 2021
Proposals for the steps required to allow schools to plan a safe return for all students and staff
January 13, 2021
We are pleased to see that the Education Secretary has proposed alternative arrangements for this year’s exams which incorporate trust in the profession through teacher assessment and will take views of all of those affected through a consultation.
August 17, 2020
We welcome the Government’s announcement to use Centre Assessment Grades for this year’s A levels and GCSEs. This is the swiftest and most effective means of remedying the current situation around exam grading, without overburdening school leaders as they prepare for September re-opening.
August 17, 2020
Last week saw the huge impact that disruption caused by Covid-19 had on this year’s A level examinations. A fundamentally flawed moderation process has resulted in many students,disproportionately from our most disadvantaged and deprived communities, receiving lower grades than predicted.
August 14, 2020
This year has seen enormous challenges for our school leaders and staff, as well as for their students and families. The systemic disruption caused by Covid-19 has had a huge impact on this year’s A Level examinations.