Editor’s blog: It’s time to scrap the one word Ofsted ratings

An inquiry into why teachers are quitting begins on November 14

Its acronym alone can strike fear into the heart of the average teacher. I speak of Ofsted of course – the school inspection regime for England. The system – widely hated by teachers – is being reviewed after headteacher Ruth Perry took her own life shortly after inspection into the leadership and management of her […]

Young pupils recovering from Covid learning gap

The Covid learning gap is starting to narrow. Female teacher is teaching shapes to her primary school students. She is asking hem a question and some of the students have their hand in the air to answer.

New research suggests the Covid learning gap suffered by young pupils as a result of the pandemic is starting to narrow. The difference between reading and maths scores of Year 3 and 4 pupils in the 2022/23 academic year compared to those before Covid is smaller than it was. But the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their […]

GCSEPod offers pupils access to over 500 hours of free content during NEU strikes

School children working at computers

One of the UK’s leading education software providers, GCSEPod, will offer 525 hours of free content to students on 1 February, and all future strike days, to support teachers and help ensure learning is uninterrupted while members of the NEU union go on strike. The content being made available has been hand-picked to align with […]

University refurbishment sees new flooring laid in Peel Hall

university refurbishment – flooring in Peel Hall lecture theatre

Based just one mile west of Manchester, the University of Salford has been established since 1967. Home to over 19,500 students and 2,700 members of staff, the University is made up of two campuses which are part of a £650m regeneration scheme for the local area. The university refurbishment began in 2014, when a number of […]

Why cybersecurity needs to be a priority for the education sector

Adrian Jones from Swivel Secure on cybersecurity

Adrian Jones, CEO at Swivel Secure Education institutions need to make cybersecurity a priority. Despite the sector facing major challenges such as a lack of staffing and a lack of funding and resources, cyber attacks are no less frequent or less severe in education. In fact, they seem to be gaining ground in prevalence year-on-year […]

DBS check mythbuster – avoid costly delays when applying

Teaching application form – a DBS check is carried out on new employees

As most people working within education will know, all staff in schools and nurseries are subject to a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check. Schools can encounter staffing problems if DBS checks aren’t done quickly and efficiently. Here, QA Education editor Victoria Galligan busts some of the myths regarding DBS checks and explores what a […]

Students taste life in the food industry with Future First

Future First take students to The Flava People factory

School students interested in a career in food are taking part in a programme to demonstrate the breadth of jobs available in the industry and increase their work skills. National education charity Future First has partnered with The Flava People, who supply the UK’s leading retailers, restaurants and food manufacturers with sauces and seasonings, to […]

The Growing Role of College Mergers

Birmingham has seen several college mergers

Mike Hopkins, Principal of South and City College Birmingham, comments on the role of college mergers and keeping the students’ best interests at heart… Mergers and acquisitions previously carried a stigma in higher education, but the sector is seeing more than ever before. College mergers offer relief for a struggling establishment and provide a strong cultural change. […]

Zoom video platform improves communication in education

Zoom video platform - Jane Ross

Jane Ross, head of public sector at the Zoom video platform, discusses how it’s helping schools both in meetings and in the classroom… Could you explain what the Zoom video platform is, and how it helps teachers? Zoom is a unified video-first communications platform that provides remote communications services using cloud computing. It offers software for video, […]