Amy Walker
@amyrwalker
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Journalist @bbcsoutheast , occasionally @BBCLondonNews and @BBCNews
London
Joined June 2011
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🚨 Personal news 🚨 after a few months freelancing
@theipaper
today is my last day as a shifter. I’m off on hol (🍻) but when I’m back I’ll be returning as a full-time reporter.
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In keeping with my tendency to only tweet about myself, I have a new job! Starting as a senior reporter
@SchoolsWeek
tomorrow, getting stuck into beat reporting + investigations🧐
Education tips, scoops, and all that stuff v welcome in the DMs x
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Ruth Perry’s sister Prof Julia Waters tells
@NAHTnews
conference that her family has been offered condolences ‘from the very same people’ that continue to defend the ‘indefensible’
@Ofstednews
system
‘We don’t want warm words’
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Joint education union press briefing on industrial action is taking place at
@NAHTnews
national conference
@cyclingkev
@PaulWhiteman6
@PatrickR_NASUWT
@RealGeoffBarton
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My FOI story on sexual misconduct within police forces:
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🚨Been so hectic preparing for it I forgot to do the obligatory✨‘I’m going freelance’✨tweet after nearly a year
@theipaper
!
I’ll be hanging about at my old stomping ground
@guardian
among other places over the next few months but am open to new work and commissions
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Morning, I'm at Berkshire Coroners' Court on day 5 of the inquest into headteacher Ruth Perry's death
Chris Russell, national director of education at
@Ofstednews
is currently giving evidence in relation to regulation 28 (prevention of future death reports)
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📉New analysis shows
@educationgovuk
is on track to recruit less than half of the required secondary trainee teachers this year
@JackWorthNFER
says the latest figures show the sector's recruitment woes are 'spiralling out of control'
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🪧 I’m outside Bishop Thomas Grant School in south London this morning for the first day of
@NEUnion
strikes.
@MaryBoustedNEU
is here and says teachers would much rather be in a classroom “but they’re not doing that because they’re standing up for education”
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At Berkshire Coroner's Court again this morning for the last day of the inquest into the death of headteacher Ruth Perry
We should hear a pen portrait of Ruth, the senior coroner Heidi Connor's conclusion, as well as whether she will issue a report to prevent future deaths
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Ofsted and
@educationgovuk
have been given 56 days to set out what action they will take in response to a prevention of future deaths report following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry
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Russell is 'not aware' that Ofsted policy sets out that there is an opportunity to raise such complaints
'We'll look to see if we need to be explicit within the handbook,' he adds
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🪧More teacher strikes are on the cards as
@NEUnion
members vote to reject the government's 'final' pay offer
@cyclingkev
said the education secretary was not 'reading the room'
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Joined
@bbcsoutheast
as a journalist this week ✨
Unfortunately not leading the lunchtime bulletin despite my protestations…
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I'm at Berkshire Coroners' Office today for the opening of the inquest into the death of headteacher Ruth Perry
I'll be tweeting updates below once the hearing begins...
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🚨Nearly 40,000 teachers quit the profession last year for reasons other than retirement - the highest in recent record and 7,800 more teachers than in 2020-21
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Headteacher Ruth Perry's sister has called on leaders who work as inspectors to 'hand in your badges' and 'refuse to be complicit in
@Ofstednews
reign of terror'
Prof Julia Waters addressed the annual conference of school leaders' union
@NAHTnews
today
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After a pandemic-induced few months out of the game, I'm entering the world of freelance journalism at the start of next month. Any tips and tricks for time management, keeping on top of invoices, and making tax returns as faff-free as possible would be much appreciated!
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Reading's director of education Brian Grady previously told the inquest it didn't complain about the inspection because it didn't think it had the grounds to
But Russell says if they 'felt the inspection was wrong, they had a strong responsibility to bring it to our attention'
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The UK's new scheme to take in refugees from Ukraine seems to have posed more questions than answers.
One is why have the more than 3,000 spare rooms that were offered to Afghan refugees (without financial incentive) last year still not been used?
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Russell tells the coroner there is no specific written guidance to inspectors on the signs to look out for and what to do if 'signs show up' of heads being distressed during Ofsted visits
But he says it is going to 'reflect on everything' it has heard in the inquest
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Ofsted inspectors were not given written guidance on modifying inspections where heads were under 'high levels of stress', a senior official has admitted during the inquest into Ruth Perry's death
You can read the full report from day one below
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Asked who a HT should raise concerns about the conduct of an Ofsted inspection with, Russell says the lead inspector, even if the concern is about their conduct
But he adds that the local authority or CEO of an academy trust could make this complaint on behalf of a head
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Not a dog napper but have fallen into a routine of slyly bringing the neighbour’s dog back to ours for carrot sticks whenever we walk him (which we offer to do even when they’re at home lol).
Much cheaper than an SAD lamp - would recommend.
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Diane Wilkinson, head of French and Spanish at the school and a union rep, disagrees with the idea that strikes will cause undue disruption to kids.
“If we don't have teachers to teach them in the future - it's a no brainer really, isn't it?” she said.
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Just to note - hearing has finished for the day and won’t reconvene until Thursday, when we’ll hear the coroners’ conclusions
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Mixed feelings as today is my last day
@SchoolsWeek
🥲
It’s been such a fascinating time to be on the education beat - especially with Ofsted as a patch - and I’ve worked with the best team in the game
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Brian Grady, director of education for Reading, is now in the witness box
He says the council is going to take a 'much stronger, more proactive and more robust role' to 'seek information' about the conduct of inspectors during Ofsted visits following Ruth Perry's death
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Sharing festive pics from other sides of the country with my mum this morning, truly heartwarming stuff.
How do I not spend the next 10 days banging my head against a wall?
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Heartbreaking to hear from Sabina Nessa's sister and deeply moving to see the turnout at this evening's vigil.
Just as the event began in Pegler Square, police sealed off an area behind it, with forensics teams combing bushes as speakers paid tribute.
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Ofsted inspector who was part of Caversham visit told inquest last week that there are tears 'more times' than not during inspections
Russell says he's 'not denying that there are sometimes tears', but that those responses are usually 'short-lived'
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Bit disappointing to see BBC Three hasn't relaunched with back to back reruns of Snog, Marry, Avoid tbh
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Reading will support school leaders to 'understand their entitlements' regarding Ofsted complaints and take a 'more strong and robust role to advocate' on their behalf, Grady adds
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And he says 'progress' has been made already...The council raised concerns with the Reading link inspector about the conduct of a lead inspector during a school inspection in March
'We were able to recalibrate the behaviours relatively quickly,' says Grady
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He adds that to the best of his knowledge, concerns the local authority had about Caversham's inspection in November 2022 haven't been raised 'until these proceedings'
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💰Asked about argument that govt has no money in its coffers,
@PaulWhiteman6
says ‘the money’s there’ and it’s a ‘policy decision’ not to spend it
‘We’ve done education on the cheap for well over a decade now’ and we’re beginning ‘to see the damage and cracks in the system’
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But she adds that the family would have been at a 'significant disadvantage' without legal representation during the inquest, which they crowdfunded for in the days before it began
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Ruth's family will make a statement outside the court following the conclusion
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But he admits, as he did last week, that there 'isn't a policy around pausing inspections'
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Google translate, lots of PlayStation and homemade borscht...
How one family are settling into life in Somerset after arriving in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
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As a side note, I know these ‘announcements’ can be disheartening when prev failures aren’t acknowledged. Had a few setbacks over the last year.
Rest assured I’m mainly posting so ppl send their ideas, stories and scoops my way!!! DMs open. Email is: amy.walker
@inews
.co.uk
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There are no Gov figures to show how successful the
#HomesforUkraine
scheme has been so far, but the trickle of good news stories coming out of it are truly heartwarming.
Was an absolute pleasure to speak to
@nataliesdyson
and Kristina yesterday.
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Have been wondering about this after getting mixed messages from lateral flow tests myself...
Experts say you should swab both your throat and nose for more accurate results
@i_petersen
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🔍 NAHT lawyers are ‘putting the finishing touches’ to a legal challenge against
@Ofstednews
over its decision not to pause inspections following the recent backlash against the watchdog
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The council is yet to enshrine this new approach within written policy though
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In response to the coroner asking if the process of pausing inspections when a head teacher is under distress is a 'mythical thing', Russell says it 'does happen'
Last year it paused around a dozen inspections 'for a whole range of reasons'
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He adds that this is a govt ‘that wants education on the cheap - they don’t want to pay teachers’
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We'll find out if senior coroner Heidi Connor will decide to issue a report on Thurs, during the conclusion of the inquest
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'In most cases, inspectors are giving good news', says Russell, adding that it's more common to see tears when the Ofsted outcome is a 'celebration of the school's work'
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Plans to review inspectors induction are 'already underway'
Russell says Ofsted feels its training enables inspectors to inspect in a way 'that minimises stress and anxiety' but that 'doesn't mean there isn't more we can do'
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🪧 If all four unions take coordinated strike action, 300-400k teachers could be involved, with every state school affected, says
@cyclingkev
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Morning. I’m back at Berkshire Coroner’s Office for day two of the inquest into the death of headteacher Ruth Perry
Follow below for updates
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Art teacher Sandrine Baker says she’s striking today to show solidarity with colleagues and against low pay for NQTs.
She says some of her ECT cohort are considering leaving and going into retail because of “the level of stress they’re under”.
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Ruth Perry thought the 'inadequate' grade her school was given by Ofsted 'was the end of her job and her career', an inquest into the headteacher's death has heard
It came during emotional testimony from her husband Jonathan during day two of the hearing
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Worth noting that those examples come from our
@SchoolsWeek
long-read (that Sophy cites):
School funding shortfalls starting to get the attention of political commentary big-guns like
@SophyRidgeSky
.
Her column this week has fierce, specific examples of the cuts that schools must now make:
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👩🏫Top-performing
@HWSFNews
has banned pupils from using the ‘deeply unequal’ terms ‘sir’ and ‘miss’
Executive principal
@JamesHandscombe
said the latter was ‘how you refer to a small girl, or an Edwardian shop assistant’
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More confusion for people hoping to sponsor refugees under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Applicants say uploaded documents have disappeared, but the Home Office has brushed off the claims.
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Connor said evidence given by deputy head Claire Jones-King that the lead inspector was 'mocking' and 'unpleasant' during a meeting with Ruth was 'more convincing' than that of the inspector
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Russell says if Ofsted inspectors are working in a way they wouldn't expect them to, the watchdog would stop working with them
He doesn't have 'numbers at [his] finger tips' but it 'absolutely happens'
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Ruth’s family are now giving a statement to the press following the inquest
They say the conclusion has validated what they have ‘known all along’
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The planned
@Ofstednews
boycott at John Rankin Infant School is off👇
But pressure on the watchdog continues...
@NAHTnews
,
@ASCL_UK
and
@NEUnion
have called for all inspections to be halted
An Ofsted inspection at a Berkshire School will go ahead today, despite its headteacher saying she would refuse inspectors entry
@FloraSCooper
had said she wanted to make 'stand' but had been unaware of the 'legal implications'
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Connor says she has 'no concerns' whatsoever about the support offered to Ruth by Caversham's SLT during or after the inspection
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Drove back from Glastonbury on 3 hours sleep with only a video of me singing (awfully) to Sugababes and a blurry photo of Kendrick Lamar in the old camera roll – true feral girl summer energy
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📋Will likely pile more pressure on the watchdog following its own admission that it's complaints process "is not working"
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🔍 Heads want more details about a rare
@Ofstednews
reinspection process that can lead to upgraded judgments
@SchoolsWeek
can reveal just 37 occurred since Sept 2019 - <1% of inspections - with one school's head sitting on the Ofsted board
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Breaking: coroner records in her conclusion that Ruth died of suicide, 'contributed to by an Ofsted inspection' carried out in November 2022
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One of these interviewees was so upset by the latest Partygate details they cried throughout most of our call...
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Covering
#GCSEs
today. Got a call from the dad of a state school pupil with 11 A*s (or 9s) to say she was nervous pre-interview about coming across as cocky. 🥺🥲
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Super excited to get my teeth stuck back into original reporting and to work with such a lovely, talented bunch of reporters + editors
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Eight hours since Cressida Dick was on BBC Radio London saying she had “absolutely no intention of going”. Never a dull day…
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.
@PaulWhiteman6
says the fact that all of the unions have got together is a ‘tangible demonstration of how bad things have got’…
Govt should meet them ‘round the table as quickly as possible’
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‘This is quite a moment isn’t it,’ says
@RealGeoffBarton
Says members asked for formal ballot on strike action because anything less won’t send out the ‘seriousness and urgency’ of the message the govt ‘appears to not be hearing’
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Finding a home on London's insane rental market twice in one year - once because the landlord is selling - has left me longing to leave like never before. But it's not much better elsewhere.
Why is something as fundamental as secure housing so elusive?
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📉The government has missed its own target for new trainee secondary teachers by 41 per cent this year,
@educationgovuk
figures show.
Amid a backdrop of ongoing recruitment and retention challenges in the sector,
@ASCL_UK
called the stats "catastrophic".
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@cyclingkev
adds they would ‘sincerely apologise’ to parents for disrupting education if coordinated strikes go ahead
But ‘disruption is there every day’ because of the recruitment crisis
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@PatrickR_NASUWT
says parents understand the ‘sheer level of frustration and desperation’ teachers are feeling
And they understand the ‘gaps in their children’s education’ as a result of vacancies in schools
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🕵️Great to have played a small part in this investigation on the underground world of car meets...
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A shift to self-contained spaces at night shelters is seen as a step in the right direction, but charities are worried it could lead to some rough sleepers being left out this winter. Read my exclusive for
@theipaper
here:
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Got given a box full of ridiculously cool pics of my grandma as an Xmas gift
2024 res is ofc now to force everyone I know into chic ‘candid’ film photoshoots
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Connor has refused a renewed Article 2 application from the family, which would mean the state have to carry out an 'enhanced investigation' into a death
She says she does not have 'sufficient concern about systems to protect life'
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As much as £2.5m of taxpayer money will be used to pay the salaries of 86 MPs' family members this year.
More than half of those MPs are male Conservatives who employ their wives/partners as parliamentary staff.
Eye-opening stuff from
@poppyeh
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She found that 'in essence', parts of the inspection were carried out in a manner that lacked 'fairness' and 'sensitivity' and it was at times 'rude and intimidating'
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Qs from ASCL director of policy
@juliecmcculloch
and Vice President Manny Botwe now
@bphillipsonMP
says support for kids with SEND is a ‘major concern’ alongside recruitment and retention
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🔍
@Ofstednews
inspectors received emergency training this week on how to manage school leader anxiety, after a coroner ruled inspection contributed to the death of a headteacher
I spoke to inspectors about what it covered, what's new and what's to come
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Less than 10% of Homes for Ukraine applications have been approved so far, new Gov figures show
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She says she is 'concerned about the impact on school leader welfare' that the current Ofsted system will continue to have, as well as the 'almost complete absence' of guidance to inspectors on managing headteacher distress during inspection
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New: A head plans to boycott an Ofsted inspection tomorrow - telling the HMI she will refuse entry to her school
It follows the death of headteacher Ruth Perry, with growing calls for an inquiry into the watchdog
Exclusive: 'I could lose my job, but I feel like if I don't stand up...the system will never change,' says
@FloraSCooper
as she plans to boycott an
@Ofstednews
school inspection tomorrow
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Private schools saw the biggest drop in top A-level grades this year, with the proportion of pupils getting A* in every subject down 11 percentage points on 2021.
But
@ofqual
data shows they still saw the highest proportion of top grades..
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Only
@GillianKeegan
can settle the teacher pay dispute and she can’t ‘outsource’ her problems to the STRB, says
@cyclingkev
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📱New: FOIs to police forces show the extent of social media abuses linked to schools
Incidents investigated since 2018 include homophobic and racist abuse, as well as threats to kill
And leaders say they are dealing with cases on a "daily" basis
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🏫
@NickGibbUK
said guidance on funding for schools closed by RAAC had been 'misinterpreted', but confirmed revenue costs - which include hiring off-site accommodation - won't be covered
Here's everything we know so far 👇
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🔍
@Ofstednews
is reviewing its training for inspectors to include more guidance on managing headteacher stress during inspections, a senior official has told an inquest into the death of Ruth Perry
Read the full report from day five below
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Miriam Margolyes tells
@BBCr4today
she wishes she’d told the new chancellor: “fuck you, bastard”
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In the statement being read out by Julia, Ruth's husband Jonathan says 'marrying Ruth was the best thing I've done, she was the best thing in my life'
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I'm looking to speak to people already feeling the strain because of the cost of living crisis for
@theipaper
.
Are you making difficult choices about which essentials you can afford? Have you massively cut back on less necessary stuff?
DMs open.
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👩🏫According to
@TheNFER
, latest ITT recruitment figures suggest the government will only meet 47% of its 26,360 target for new secondary teachers
It follows an abysmal recruitment drive last year, when targets for primary and secondary were also missed
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