Teach-Secondary-14.1

THE SPEECH: Education Secretaryaddresses Confederation of School Trusts WHO? Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education WHERE? CSTAnnual Conference 2024, Birmingham ICC WHEN? 7th November 2024 “Now is the time for bold reform. And let me be clear – the direction of that reform is inclusive mainstream. That is why we will bring a new focus on improving inclusivity and expertise inmainstream education settings. I have been really encouraged to see some great examples of mainstream schools delivering specialist provision and showing what is possible – including through the use of SEN Units and Resourced Provision. And our actions will go deeper. The Curriculum and Assessment Review will look at the barriers which hold back those with SEND. Early intervention is vital – so there’s increased training for early years providers to identify and support children sooner. We’re making progress to support the workforce inmainstream to increase SEND expertise, including through changes to initial teacher training. We will strengthen accountability onmainstream schools to be inclusive, including through Ofsted inspections. And I’m pleased to announce that we are bringing together leading neurodiversity experts – including those with lived experience – to work closely withmy department. They’ll help us to understand how to improve inclusivity and expertise inmainstream, in a way that works for neurodivergent children and young people. And they’ll work closely with the NHS England ADHD taskforce. We have to get this right – a comprehensive system of support from birth to age 25.” THE RESPONSE: ASCL responds to initial teacher training census FROM? Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary ofASCL REGARDING? The DfE’s publication of its initial teacher training census for 2024/25 WHEN? 5th December 2024 “The problems in recruiting trainee teachers clearly continue to be grave but this is only one of the issues behind teacher shortages across the country. Another is that many teachers leave the profession early in their careers. The only answer to this is a significant improvement in pay and conditions...” Feeling the pressure Education Support has published the latest edition of its annual Teacher Wellbeing Index – and the key takeaways would seem to be that a majority of school staff feel stressed, that student behaviour is worsening, and that parental attitudes are becoming more challenging – all while little in the way of support or assistance is provided by public bodies such as CAMHS and the NHS. Based on a survey of 3,025 education staff around the country, the ‘Teacher Wellbeing Index 2024’ report states that 78% of all staff feel stressed, and that 77% have experienced physical, psychological or behavioural symptoms due to their work. 57% meanwhile perceive that disruptions in lessons have become more frequent compared to last year, with 70% stating that challenging behaviours from parents and guardians is on the rise. This year’s respondents paint a fairly bleak picture of the public bodies ostensibly there to provide support and assistance. Just 26% felt that CAMHS, the NHS and other such bodies were able to provide ‘considerable’ or ‘some’ support; among those regularly working with such organisations as part of their role, 69% felt they provided ‘little’ or ‘no’ support. Education Support’s CEO, Sinéad Mc Brearty, commented, “ Disturbingly high rates of stress, anxiety, and burnout continue to affect education staff, exacerbated by pupil and parent behaviour, and a lack of support for students from public services. The impact on teachers’ mental health is profound... These issues point to deeper societal problems that extend beyond our schools and colleges. ” Download the full report via tinyurl.com/ ts141-NL1 SPEECHES AND CORRESPONDENCE Forget the media-friendly soundbites – what else was in those announcements and letters you missed? 22-24 JANUARY 2025 Bett | 15 MAY 2025 Schools & Academies Show | 27 JUNE 2025 The Northern Education Show SAVE THE DATE 22-24 JANUARY 2025 Bett ExCeL London uk.bettshow.com January will once again see this long- running stalwart of the education calendar set up shop in ExCeL London for three days of keynotes, workshops, meetings and encounters with cutting- edge edtech around the events’ extensive exhibition space. With this year marking Bett’s 40 th anniversary, visitors can expect an even more positive and celebratory air than usual. 26 JUNE 2025 The Northern Education Show Bolton Stadium Hotel northerneducationshow.uk Free to attend for school leaders, administrative staff and local government representatives, The Northern Education Show will give key education decision-makers the chance to meet directly with educational suppliers, and hear first-hand from government officials about the latest policy trends and developments set to shape the profession. 15 MAY 2025 Schools & Academies Show ExCeL London schoolsandacademiesshow.co.uk If you’re a school leader looking to boost student outcomes while managing costs, you’ll find plenty of innovative ideas, informative discussions and inspirational talks taking place at this day-long event, which is set to include an extensive exhibition floor, a packed CPD agenda and opportunities to obtain one-to-one practical advice from representatives of the DfE. 07 teachwire.net/secondary N E WS | J A N / F E B