Here are 3 of the latest UK education and education technology news stories from April…

One in five teachers say their schools have asked parents for money amid funding pressures

‘Parents are effectively plugging the gap on school funding,’ union leader suggests. One in five teachers have said their school has been forced to ask parents for financial contributions to help with funding, a new survey has found. And in some cases parents are being asked to fork out hundreds of pounds over a school year to plug the gap, the research suggested. The new poll, of 900 members of the National Education Union (NEU), comes amid continuing concerns about a squeeze on school budgets. But ministers have insisted that more money is going into schools.

Are you looking for funding help for your school? Apply for the Promethean Grant to win 1 of 30 ActivPanels. You can get the latest in front-of-class technology using your digital skills, a dose of innovation and a spark of creativity. All you need to do is create a short video that tells us why your class or school would benefit from an ActivPanel. The rest is up to you!

#SBL: Using Twitter to build a school business community

For some people, the use of social media can seem pointless, but Hilary Goldsmith explains how she and ‘a hardcore group’ of tweeters are using Twitter to bring school business leaders together.

Social media has taken over the world, and no more so than in the world of education. Many of our top educators and education policymakers are spending time online, joining the live education debates, networking, sharing good practice and their own experiences with a huge network of like-minded people. It’s a place where an NQT can chat to Ofsted, where headteachers can share their ideas on reducing teaching workload, but also a place where you might find a Friday night virtual singalong or even your next career move.

The SBL and SBM community has a growing and increasingly active online presence, and we’re really keen to grow that network, so that all school business leaders can benefit from the great support, CPD, interactions, humour and experience that is openly shared. Everyone is welcome and you can join in as much or as little as you like. It’s not all work though, and many people have developed long lasting friendships, and have been supported to find their professional voice through the confidence brought about by sharing ideas in a non-hierarchical virtual setting.

MPs to question George Osborne about education in the North

Education select committee to quiz former chancellor on state of education in the north of England and how to improve schools.

Former chancellor George Osborne will be questioned by MPs about the state of education in the North of England. The Commons Education Select Committee will quiz him in his capacity as chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP), asking about the current state of education in the North of England and how to improve schools and training. He will be joined at Wednesday’s session by NPP vice-chair Lord Jim O’Neill and director Henri Murison.

The NPP was set up in 2016 to represent the voice of business and civic leaders across the North. It published its third report on Educating the North in February, which said improving schools there should be at the top of the in-tray of education secretary Damian Hinds. Education in the North has come under repeated criticism recently, with the children’s commissioner highlighting “poor schools” in the area, and former Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw saying acadamisation has failed to raise standards in the region.

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