The Royal National Children’s Foundation and the Spring Board Bursary Foundation will unite to form new organisation later this month allowing hundreds more vulnerable or disadvantaged children to receive bursaries to attend boarding school. The aim of the charity is to touch lives and bring a strong pastoral connection into the home life of the community. Read more
School governing bodies are to be given new powers to sack maverick, corrupt and incompetent parent governors. Head teachers have campaigned for the change, saying the ‘destructive actions’ of rogue governors can stop schools in England running smoothly. The new Department for Education guidelines close a loophole that prevents elected governors from being removed even if they misbehave. Read more
Parents should choose nurseries and schools on criteria such as whether they feature same-sex family books and how they mark LGBT History Month, a homosexual campaign group has said. Parents should also walk past schools at the end of the day to listen out for any discriminatory language, the ‘Inclusion Matters’ guide states. Read more
‘Poverty is stitched into the system,’ says Lord Bird, the outspoken and larger-than-life Big Issue founder and campaigner on homelessness. But he has plans to unpick it – and says he has been in talks with Theresa May about a new approach to tackling poverty if she is re-elected as prime minister. ‘I’m expectant. I have great expectations,’ he says of his discussions with Mrs May about a new focus on preventing poverty before it takes root. Read more