Covid-19: Easing the lockdown in France
France has started to ease its lockdown. Andrew Crompton writes about living through the ‘confinement’ in France as he looks across to the UK.
Global Blog Post
Author: John Fowler
Covid-19: what about free school education? A personal view
It’s the 75th anniversary of abolition of school fees this month, but what does it mean when perhaps 95% of children and young people are now home learning? And should the additional costs of home learning be met by the state? John Fowler, Policy Manager, LGIU tries to answer these questions.
England & Wales Blog Post
School’s out! … not
Colin Pettigrew from Nottinghamshire County Council on how schools are responding to the need to support children of key workers and the most vulnerable children in society.
England & Wales, Global Blog Post
Children’s social care: the political party manifestos and the election debate
Children’s social care – what local authorities do to protect children from harm, including taking children into care, and the fostering and adoption of children to new families – is one of those issues which has not featured in the 2017 election debates, writes John Fowler. Perhaps it was ever thus. We all need public…
England & Wales, Scotland Blog Post
Viewpoint: Untangling the next steps in DfE education legislation
Many commentators were rushing to hail the ending of the government's policy on forced academisation - but, wonders John Fowler, were they a bit premature? The devil, as always, is in the detail.
England & Wales Blog Post
Personal comment: Implementing the Education White Paper and the Education for All Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech
In what could be a crucial year for the future role of local government in education and children’s services, John Fowler looks at the implementing of the Education White Paper (EWP), Educational Excellence Everywhere, in the light of the Queen’s Speech on 18 May and the forthcoming Education for All Bill. The Queen’s Speech is short,…
England & Wales Blog Post
Viewpoint: Implementing the Education and Adoption Act
The Education and Adoption Act 2016 commenced on Monday 18 April 2016. John Fowler, Policy Manager, LGiU, looks behind the implementation and finds the DfE must do better. [This is an updated blog of one originally published on 4 April 2016]
England & Wales Blog Post
Viewpoint: Farewell Education and Adoption Bill, welcome the Act
As the Education and Adoption Bill becomes an Act, John Fowler reflects on the lack of public debate that accompanied its passage through Parliament; a marked difference from the progress of the Education Reform Bill almost 30 years previously.
England & Wales Blog Post
Viewpoint: What “We will make local authorities running schools a thing of the past” might mean
Tucked away in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement speech is “we will make local authorities running schools a thing of the past”. John Fowler, Policy Manager, LGiU, looks at what this might mean for local and national government. With one sentence, “We will make local authorities running schools a thing of the past”,…
England & Wales Blog Post
Tackling child sexual exploitation
John Fowler on the eye-catching statements made by the Prime Minister at last week's Downing Street summit on preventing child exploitation.
England & Wales Blog Post