28 April 2020 Ofsted unlikely to resume routine inspections of schools before the end of the academic year

Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector of schools, appeared in front of the Parliamentary education committee by video link yesterday morning

She told the committee that she was 'not expecting to be asked to resume full routine inspections before the end of the summer term'

The chief inspector said that there was too much uncertainty to be able to say how long schools will get before they are inspected once inspections resume

She also said that Ofsted would not be 'judging schools per se on their response to COVID-19' but was seriously concerned about the impact of the partial school closures on the most vulnerable pupils, including those in alternative provision

21 April 2020 Education committee to investigate the underachievement of white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds

The education select committee is to investigate the underachievement of white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds

It will form the first part of a bigger inquiry into the issues faced by pupils from 'left behind groups' and will run alongside the committee's COVID-19 inquiry

The committee pointed to statistics showing that the average attainment 8 score for white boys eligible for free school meals in the GCSE examinations in 2018 was 28.5, whilst the national average was 46.5

The committee is inviting submissions by 5 June 2020