Education leaders' guide to...what's coming in 2012

The new curriculum is likely to be the major preoccupation for most school leaders through 2012, and apparent delays in the process of getting the first drafts out for consultation may lead to a more hurried process in the spring term than the official timetable currently suggests.

 

Other major changes coming up in the next year include the implementation of the new Ofsted school inspection framework in January, as well as the new schools admissions and appeals codes and major changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage.

 

School leaders will also need to be aware of forthcoming changes to the regulations surrounding induction and performance management, which will also be affected by the final demise of the General Teaching Council for England.

 

Plans to transform the way in which schools are funded are also likely to take a more concrete shape in the near future.

 

December 2011

January/February 2012

March 2012

April 2012

May 2012

June 2012

September 2012

November 2012

February 2013

Spring 2013

September 2013

 

 

December 2011

 

• Announcement on future distribution of the pupil premium and whether it will be extended to cover pupils previously eligible for free school meals.
• DFE plans to complete project to identify "burdens" and "dramatically reduce" volume of guidance to schools this month.
• School revenue funding allocations for next academic year announced.
• Completion of review of schools revenue funding model -- likely to lead to some kind of national funding formula.
• Closure of consultation on proposed changes to NQT regulations for England. (December 1)
• Closure of consultation on changes to school admissions regulations (December 5)
• Closure of consultation to allow qualified teachers from FE and also Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US to become permanent teachers in English schools. (Friday 16 December)

 

January/February 2012

 

• New Ofsted school inspection framework comes into use on January 1.
• Announcement on which qualifications will be included in KS4 performance tables for courses beginning Sept 2012.
• Revised School Admissions and Appeals Codes come into use for academies, free schools and maintained schools
• Consultation from January until March on revised framework for inspection and regulation in Early Years and Foundation stage till March. Piloting of new arrangements begins in February and runs till April.
• Expect consultation to start around now on now the new curricula for English, maths, science and PE may look.
• Closure of consultations on removing the statutory duty to deliver work related learning at KS4 and the 16-19 funding formula review (January 4).
• Closure of consultation on study programmes for 16-19 year olds, as outlined in the Wolf report (January 4)
• Closure of consultation on roles and responsibilities of the Director of Children's Services and the Lead Member for Children's Services (January 6)
• Closure of consultation on proposals for transferring land no longer used by local authority schools to free schools or academies (Wed 18 January)
• Closure of consultation on revised school premises regulations (Thursday 26 January)  
• Closure of consultation on proposals for new early education entitlement for disadvantaged two-year-old and also proposals on quality and flexibility of the entitlement for 2-4 year olds. (Friday Feb 3)