Our Free Schools Round Up will provide you with education headlines from the past month, featuring key updates on each of the free school waves including education and academy news highlights.
Key Updates on Waves
Special Wave
The successful Local Authorities for Wave 4 of the SEND free school waves have now been announced. The complete list of all LAs approved to run the new special schools and their specifications can be found here. All successful applicants for SEND wave 3 have now been informed of the DfE’s verdict.
If you are interested in applying for Wave 4, please get in touch with one of our advisors via hello@createschools.co.uk
AP Wave
March saw the announcement of approved AP partnerships across England. The full list can be found here, along with a summary of the region, LA, age range, and other relevant information.
Wave 15
Successful wave 15 applications have now been confirmed, with a published list of all submitted applications available here. Applicants faced an initial round of assessment, followed by the interview stage, before successful applicants were informed of their application status. The published list of successful applications can be found here.
Free Schools in the News: This Month's Top Stories
A DfE survey has found that schools report an average loss of seven minutes per lesson due to misbehaviour in classrooms. A spokesperson from the NASUWT teachers’ union spoke on the scale and depth of the UK’s behaviour crisis, viewing the findings as confirmation.
A report by the charity Speakers for Schools identified the significance of work experience for students applying to Russel Group universities, revealing the implications for many state school students who often do not have access to such opportunities. The report considered this a ‘double disadvantage’ for students from less affluent areas.
Research undertaken at the University of Exeter, the London School of Economics, and the University of Strathclyde anticipates fallout from lockdown learning to affect GCSE results ‘well into 2030s’, with damage costing into the billions.
Excessive internet usage for teenagers has been found to increase the likelihood of missing school due to both illness and truancy. The study found five lifestyle factors which are influenced by internet use: neglect of family, friends and study; anxiety if not online; and failure to eat or sleep because of being online.
New research has suggested that bullying and discrimination towards transgender students severely limits the ability for students to concentrate during lesson-time. These findings warn that attainment of transgender students is limited by the treatment of other students, with many dropping out of education altogether.
Findings published in April revealed the DfE estimate approximately 85,000 new childminder and nursery places will be required to meet the demand for government-funded childcare hours.
BBC Bitesize revamp Investment into BBC Bitesize, a tool used by students of all ages across the UK, is set to improve interactivity with learners. Part of the transformation will incorporate AI to create a more personalised learning platform.
Lindale Primary School in Cumbria has pioneered a woodland-themed classroom. The creative use of the space is said to support post-Covid pupils who may need additional development support, whilst encouraging pupils to engage with their learning space.
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