Due to changes in how money is allocated, schools in the North East will lose between £5.16m and £7.26m, according to estimates by headteachers network Schools North East.
Pupil Premium grants are calculated using the number of students eligible for free school meals, receiving £1,345 per primary pupil and £955 per secondary school pupil.
According to the new rules, the size of the grant for the fiscal year 2021-22 is based on the number of eligible pupils in October last year. Previously, the figure was calculated for January. The number of students eligible for free school meals rose by about 5,400 pupils between October and January because of the economic impact of the pandemic, meaning the Grant is based on outdated statistics which are an underestimate.
Schoolchildren won t have to wear face masks in classrooms from May 17 as Boris Johnson defies unions
Boris Johnson is set to defy teaching unions and announce schoolchildren no longer have to don face coverings or face masks while at school
06:41, 7 MAY 2021
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Secondary school kids WONâT have to wear masks in class after May 17, it is now being reported.
Boris Johnson is set to defy teaching unions and announce schoolchildren no longer have to don face coverings or face masks while at school.
Why we should drop the IHRA definition of antisemitism
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) adopted a working definition of antisemitism in 2016. In October 2020, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson tried to impose this definition on universities, threatening their funding if they refused. This intimidation is part of the reason why 85 British higher education institutions have adopted it to date. Nevertheless, the IHRA definition remains severely problematic, and should be abandoned by both universities and the government.
The 38-word definition is vague, and in full reads:
‘Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.’
The budget cuts follow a six-week consultation by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and the Office for Students, the independent regulator for higher education in England, that found arts education subjects were not “strategic priorities”.
The deadline for consultation on the budget cuts, which may come into effect during the 2021-22 academic year, is today. Other proposals include increased funding for courses “identified as supporting the NHS”, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
The reduction in funding, which would affect performing and creative arts, media studies and archaeology courses, has been described by the Public Campaign for the Arts as “catastrophic” and “an attack on the future of UK arts”.
Government set to lift school face mask rule despite warning from unions May 6, 2021, 11:18 pm
The Government is planning to remove the face mask rule for secondary school pupils (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
The Education Secretary has said the Government is planning to lift the face mask requirement for secondary school pupils in England despite opposition from unions.
Gavin Williamson told the Telegraph that the Government planned to remove the measure at step three of its road map out of lockdown, which will be no earlier than May 17.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to make the announcement on Monday, according to the newspaper.