Education
Breathing new life into the City
As the nation begins to emerge from lockdown, leader of Westminster City Council Cllr Rachael Robathan describes some key elements of a rolling renewal programme for the heart of the capital.
‘Vast majority’ of primary schools to reopen next week
The Government believes most councils plan to partially reopen primary schools from Monday.
Ministers under pressure over school opening
Ministers are under increasing pressure to rethink its plans to open schools on 1 June after more councils highlighted safety concerns.
MPs tell department to 'get a grip' on SEND
The Department for Education (DfE) does not have a grip on mounting pressure in the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system, a watchdog has found.
Charity launches Care academy
Education charity, The Shaw Trust, has launched a new Care Academy in response to the national skills shortage that has been highlighted during the COVID-19 crisis.
Civic engagement for regional growth in Tees Valley
Teesside University is working with Tees Valley Combined Authority to ensure businesses are ready to grow once the crisis is over, says Professor Jane Turner.
Teamwork in a crisis
In the face of the coronavirus crisis, Stuart Carlton explains why he is so proud of the passion, zeal and determination of his children’s services staff who are dealing with this on the frontline.
Children's charities issue warning over emergency laws
Eleven groups have warned of the impact of coronavirus disruption on vulnerable sections of society.
Accessing the arts in Islington
The 11 by 11 partnership provides outstanding cultural experiences to all children and young people in Islington’s schools – and Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz says opportunities like these ‘shouldn’t be based on chance or good fortune’.
Aspire towards achievement
Rachel Dickinson argues the review of children’s care in England must challenge the stereotype that care is a bad place to end up and be more ambitious about what children can achieve.
Government warned of coronavirus impact on council resources
Council officers are working ‘round-the-clock’ in the battle against the spread of COVID-19.
Kier ends contract with Hackney
Hackney LBC has brought a £2.5m outsourcing contract with Kier in-house.
Essex challenges evidence base for Basildon unitary bid
Essex CC’s leader has questioned the benefits of Basildon BC’s pursuit of unitary status.
Scottish councils’ improvements ‘stalling’
Spending on culture and leisure, economic development, and roads all fell by around a quarter last year, according to a study.
Examining the boarding school effect
Councils appear to be reluctant to explore the option of placing the children they support at boarding schools, but Paul Marinko finds that the evidence points to improvements in outcomes.
Cyber Central transformation
Rather than wait for a private developer to buy land next to the GCHQ building, the council stepped in to ensure the site is used for inclusive economic growth. Heather Jameson talks to acting chief executive of Cheltenham BC, Tim Atkins.
Medway caves after Ombudsman rap
Medway Council has finally accepted the recommendations in a Local Government Ombudsman public interest report after a two-year stand-off.
Let's put investment into our school buildings
Schools capital allocations have been skewed by political priorities, says Gary Fielding As a result, North Yorkshire CC 'find ourselves with swathes of the country having insufficient places to meet demand and/or poor building conditions'.
Sutton set to take full ownership of outsourced education company
An independent report has found that the company had ‘moved away’ from the council’s ‘ambitions and values’.
A gap that will prove hard to close
Dan Peters investigates the scale of the funding challenge faced by the 32 councils told by the Government to bring their SEND funding deficit back into balance within three years.
