A church school in Huddersfield has removed the cross from its logo, sparking anger amongst parents. The religious symbol has been quietly taken off the badge of Oak CE Primary School, which only opened on May 3. The religious imagery has been replaced with three branches of a tree which the head says is ‘an ancient symbol representing many beliefs’. Read more
A ‘good’ primary school has been marked down because children do not have ‘a good enough understanding’ of homophobia and different types of relationships. St Stephen’s (Kearsley Moor) CE Primary School’s results are above average despite children’s starting points. But the school has been criticised by inspectors because pupils do not have a good enough understanding of diversity or the impact of prejudice-based behaviour, particularly homophobic behaviour. Read more
There are not many projects about manners and morals that begin with someone being kicked in the leg by a stranger. But Howard Jameson’s inspiration for a project to promote respect among young people began when he was the victim of an unprovoked kick in the leg from a child while walking in London’s West End. The theatre owner and entrepreneur described the moment: “A child kicked me and looked at me – and I said ‘What’s that for?’” Read more
Nicky Morgan has said the issue of voting age is ‘a nettle we absolutely have to grasp’. The voting age in Scotland was lowered to 16 for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, and was extended to all elections north of the border last year. Read more
When the letter arrived through Steve Barker’s door before Christmas last year, he was ‘flabbergasted’, the IT worker says. It was a document, from the chief executive of a proposed free school, telling him that the playing field barely eight metres from the front door of his quiet cul-de-sac home in Blackheath, south London, had been bought by the government’s Education Funding Agency. Read more
Schools may not just be forced to become academies, they may have to become part of a multi-academy trust, too. That’s the message seemingly being given to head teachers by England’s regional schools commissioners. These are the eight super-officials who seem to have been tasked with enforcing ministers’ vision of an all-academy future. Read more