Schools Week LIVE

@SchoolsWeek @GillianKeegan @munirawilson Keegan said the NEU had not yet responded formally to the DfE's 'serious offer' of talks on all areas if upcoming teacher strikes this week were called off. She urged the union to follow the Royal College of Nursing's lead in pausing action. schoolsweek.co.uk/neu-dfe-teache…

@SchoolsWeek @GillianKeegan @munirawilson Valerie Vaz said a local head reported 'material errors' in how their bid for DfE capital support improving their heating systems was assessed/reviewed. Gibb said he was happy to meet with her, officials and schools to go through 'what went wrong' with that bid.

Education secretary @GillianKeegan is taking questions from MPs in the Commons now. She starts by paying tribute to Baroness Boothroyd, the first female Commons speaker, and then defends DfE levels of support for rural schools and SEND budgets.

@SchoolsWeek @GillianKeegan @munirawilson Minister Nick Gibb said a fellow Conservative MP had made a 'compelling' case for the Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey to be replaced by two schools, given its split sites two miles apart and having 'more than enough' pupils for two schools. schoolsweek.co.uk/oasis-academy-…

The government wants to cut 'unproductive tasks' from teacher workload. What happens if you ask 9,000 teachers to give examples of the unproductive tasks they spend most time on? 🧵 Here's what we found via @TeacherTapp ....

She also namechecks four schools she attended, saying she’s not sure they all know she went there. And Keegan praises a Mr Ashcroft who stayed late to help her. She wants all leaders to think about @educationgovuk’s 150,000 promised fully funded NPQs by 2024.

The DfE was “one of the very few government departments” to get such big extra funding. “The unions asked and we delivered,” she says pointedly in the middle of industrial unrest.

Education secretary @GillianKeegan is about to address school leaders and students at the CofE national education conference at the Union Chapel in north London - stay tuned for updates