PA MediaEducation Secretary Jenny Gilruth says the government cannot afford to provide free school meals for all primary pupils The Scottish government has been defeated in a vote calling on ministers to expand free school meals to all primary school pupils.Parliament also backed another non-binding motion calling on the SNP administration to reverse its decision to reintroduce peak rail fares.Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said the government was committed to the
A junior school has been closed after a building surveyor identified "urgent concerns" with some of its ceilings.The survey at Avenue Junior School in Norwich was taken on Tuesday night following concerns raised about other Norfolk schools of a similar age. Mike Hooper, the head of the school, said the decision to close was "to ensure everyone’s safety" and the school was working closely with Norfolk County Council. Norfolk County
Getty ImagesSurplus capacity in Westminster's primary schools has increased since 2022More than a quarter of primary school places in Westminster are empty, according to a council report.According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Westminster City Council has warned of financial implications of falling pupil numbers.Declining numbers were raised as a risk to school budgets in a report reviewing the council's financial performance in the first few months of 2024/25.Westminster Council
Children in care: 'Stop moving our things in bin bags'When Elliott was taken into care at 12 years old, he was told to pack all his belongings into black bin bags.A pendant given to him by his nan - who he did not know when he would see again - was lost on the way.He is not the only child in care that this has happened to. BBC Wales has
Getty ImagesThe report says there is a correlation between deprivation and exclusion ratesA new study says north-east England will continue to have the highest rate of children being excluded and suspended from schools in England.According to research by the thinktank IPPR and charity The Difference, Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Newcastle are among the worst places for children missing out on education.The reports also highlights a direct link between
BBCChair of Governors Loraine Atherton said parents were praying for a miracle while head teacher Dan Hood described the situation facing teachers and pupils as dreadfulThe head teacher of a private school which is set to close has described the Government’s planned VAT increase on fees as a "final straw" leading to a "dreadful" outcome.Amid trustees' admission of "financial challenges", St Joseph’s Preparatory School in Stoke-on-Trent announced this week it
Getty ImagesThe start of term is around the corner for university studentsBritish universities say they are at "a fork in the road" and will "slide into decline" without action to sort out their finances.Universities UK president Prof Dame Sally Mapstone will call on the government to rethink how they are funded, as universities prepare to make more cuts this year.Vice-chancellors are gathering in Reading this week, ahead of a new
A private school in Staffordshire has announced it will close due to “financial challenges”, ahead of the imposition of VAT on its fees.St Joseph’s Preparatory School in Stoke-on-Trent made the announcement on its website, citing “changes coming regarding independent school funding”.Labour pledged to end private schools' VAT exemption and business rate relief if it got into government.VAT at the standard rate of 20% will be charged on private school fees
From September 2025, after a consultation, a new "report card" will come into effect. The frequency of future inspections will also be determined by the consultation.The changes are partly in response to the wave of criticism that the rating system received after Ruth Perry's death in January 2023. The coroner who investigated her death highlighted concerns that one-word judgements meant the same grading of "inadequate" could be given to a
Family handoutAngela Wilson said it was important not to disrupt Finn's morning routine"He's standing at the window, looking out the window, saying, 'Mummy, where's my bus? Where's my bus?' and it's heartbreaking."Angela Wilson's son Finn, who has Down's syndrome, was due to have his first day of the new school year in St. Gerard's School in west Belfast on Monday.But a bus organised by the Education Authority (EA) to take
