Teaching unions have called for Ofsted inspections to be halted after the family of a Reading headteacher, who took her own life ahead of an inspection report, said she was under "intolerable pressure". Relatives of Ruth Perry, who was awaiting a report that would rate her school as inadequate, have echoed calls for a "massive reform" of the inspection system. By Branwen Jeffrey, Indy Almroth-Wright and Stephen Stafford, BBC News.

Writing in The Times, Sir Anthony Seldon, head of Epsom College, calls for Ofsted to be reformed. In light of findings from a recent Teacher Tapp survey, which found only nine per cent of teachers have confidence in Ofsted, Sir Anthony says: "The body that replaces Ofsted needs to dispel the fear throughout the school system that it trades on. It needs to get alongside schools, not sit in Olympian judgment, particularly when so many of its judgments are narrow and inconsistent."

Writing in The Times, Jonathan Marchant, deputy head (academic) at Fettes College, responds to the decision by the International Baccalaureate (IB) to allow pupils to use ChatGPT for essays. Fearing the artificial intelligence (AI) programme "robs the student of the opportunity to experience the learning process", Mr Marchant says: "The more serious concern is the idea that we should spend less time teaching the mechanics of essay-writing and more time describing and analysing problems."

In an accompanying news item in The Times following Mr Marchant's comments, Matt Glanville, head of assessment principles and practice at the IB, says AI software should not be seen as a threat and "we must accept that it is going to become part of our everyday lives". By Mike Wade.

Campaigners have accused Tes of running a "Wild West marketplace", after The Times, found it did not vet the content of all relationships and sex education (RSE) teaching resources available on its website. By Ben Ellery.

In light of the Government's proposed reforms to RSE lessons in schools, Schools Week reports that demand from schools for RSE experts appears never to have been so high and speaks to the co-founder of Split Banana, Matilda Lawrence-Jubb, about what organisations such as hers can offer to help teachers navigate RSE. By Jessica Hill.

The Education Select Committee has announced a new inquiry into teacher recruitment, training and retention in state schools in England, after the highest number of vacancies in 11 years was recorded in 2021. Ministers are expected to investigate the leading factors behind recruitment and retention issues, in addition to the impact it has on pupils. By Amy Walker, Schools Week.

In an interview with The Guardian, Bridget Phillipson says she is determined to put childcare at the heart of Labour's education policy. Reflecting on her own journey to becoming the party's shadow education secretary, Ms Phillipson refers to, but does not expand on, Labour’s 'fully costed plan' for a complete childcare package, to be funded at least in part by removing independent schools' tax reliefs. By Zoe Williams.

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