Network Whispers

1. INTERGENERATIONAL TANTRUMS

Do parents regress when at school? One case study in a report evaluating universal infant free school meals reads, ‘When children do not want to eat the food on their trays, some throw it on the floors under the tables. When parents have visited the schools, staff have noted that parents do this too with food they do not want to eat.’

2. TIGHTS IN A TWIST

Rumours have abounded that members of the DfE’s T Level panels have been contractually barred from talking to the press, rendering it even harder to unpick what these panels actually do. When we asked the DfE, they were perplexed. Having gone through these contracts at our request, the DfE has confirmed that there are no such restrictions. What’s more, these panel members are in fact skills superheroes, acting as ‘ambassadors’ for the programme.

3. SICK JOKE

Since 2014, settings have not been able to reclaim statutory sick pay under a piece of Government wisdom otherwise known as ‘fit for work’. With nurseries losing thousands under the scheme, are some now stooping to desperate measures as a result? One nursery manager has reported that she is not actually paid when off sick – with the setting’s owners forcing staff to take a day’s holiday instead, which is against the law. A few sick days could leave this setting with a very expensive legal bill…

4. CLASS DIVIDE

NDNA comments about schools adopting an ‘open-house’ policy with parents have provoked howls of protest on Twitter from teachers. Suggestions that parents should be encouraged to see what their child has done during the day and ask teachers regular questions prompted responses such as ‘exactly what we don’t need’, ‘when will we have time for this?’ and ‘like a hole in the head…can we just teach please?’.