Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver has taken the main stage at @CSTvoice's annual conference in Birmingham.

Follow live updates below... He begins by focusing on the theme of the conference - 'flourishing'. He says the theme "chimes with" the three tenets at the heart of @Ofstednews' new approach to inspection: 'achieve, belong, thrive'

Schools minister @NickGibbUK and senior @educationgovuk official Graham Archer will give evidence to @CommonsEd shortly - stand by for tweets! #edselctte @NickGibbUK @educationgovuk @CommonsEd Here we go. First Q is what DfE is doing to drive down increasing absence rates. Gibb says reducing absence has been key priority since 2010. Taylor review resulted in change to persistent absence definition and fines increase, and absence has reduced #edselctte

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted chief inspector, is due to give a keynote speech at #EducationFest - follow for live tweets 'So I’m going to practice what I preach today and steer well clear of Westminster speculation. There are times I’m very happy to remind everyone that the post of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is, as the name suggests, a crown appointment,' she begins

.@CommonsEd will question Ofqual and DfE about the summer results and 2022 exams this morning. We will hear from schools minister @NickGibbUK, DfE's permanent secretary @SusanAclandHood, Ofqual chair @IanBauckham and chief regulator Simon Lebus. Follow for live tweets⬇️ .@halfon4harlowMP asks about JCVI's decision to not recommend vaccines for 12-15 year olds. Gibb said if the decision is to go ahead with the jabs 'we will get through the whole population very swiftly'. He adds they don't think it will require extra resource at the school level

.@GavinWilliamson and his ministers will take questions from MPs at #eduQs from 2.30pm today. Stand by for live tweets... @GavinWilliamson .@halfon4harlowMP asks about the attainment gap. He asks Williamson what he will do "to ensure boys are not left behind". The ed sec says there "is a concern", but govt has already introduced some initiatives like summer schools, tutoring programme, but "more to do" #eduQs

Government deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries and DfE chief scientific adviser Osama Rahman are among witnesses giving evidence to @CommonsEd shortly on the science of school closures. Stay tuned for live tweets...

committees.parliament.uk/committee/203/… @CommonsEd First question to the scientists is about school reopenings.

Harries says ambition "should always be that schools should be open where that is appropriate", but there's a caveat around "current epidemiology" and "very high rates" seen recently.

#edselctte

Gavin Williamson and his ministers will take questions from MPs in the House of Commons shortly. Stay tuned for live tweets #eduQs Williamson is asked whether parents should challenge schools over remote education provision. He says he'd always encourage parents "in the first instance" to speak to teachers and heads, and then only go to Ofsted as a "last resort" #eduQs

Right - your three-minute warning. Just enough time to grab a cuppa' and get comfortable before @GavinWilliamson makes his announcement on replacing GCSE and A-level exams this year

https://twitter.com/SchoolsWeek/status/1346806217138704384

@GavinWilliamson .@GavinWilliamson says this isn't a decision the government wanted to take. 'Our schools have not suddenly become unsafe, but limiting attendance essential when Covid rates are climbing'

Prime minister Boris Johnson is about to address the nation on new covid measures. Follow this thread for updates Johnson has announced a new national lockdown. Schools and colleges must move to remote provision from tomorrow, except for vulnerable children and children of key workers, he said

Education secretary @GavinWilliamson and his ministers will shortly take questions in the House of Commons. Stand by for live tweets #eduQs @GavinWilliamson .@halfon4harlowMP says Williamson is right to delay exams, but asks what assessment has been made of catch-up needed by pupils who have lost learning, and what plan is to ensure they carry on learning if they're sent home again #eduQs

PM Boris Johnson tells #DowningStreetBriefing he believes the government "we will be in a position to move to step 2 of our plan", which involves the phased reopening of schools Johnson says government intends to go ahead with plan for early years, reception, year 1 and 6 pupils to return on June 1, and then year 10s and 12s will start to receive some face to face contact from June 15

Lib Dem education spokesperson @LaylaMoran will shortly ask an urgent question in the House of Commons about plans to reopen schools. Follow for live tweets

#urgentquestion #schools @LaylaMoran .@GavinWilliamson says he wanted to make a statement this week but couldn't because of restrictions, so he's "grateful for the opportunity to answer questions today"

#urgentquestion #schoolsreopening

Good afternoon from #NEU19, where Labour leader @jeremycorbyn will address delegates shortly @jeremycorbyn Corbyn arrives to cheers, applause and chants, predictably, of "Oh, Jeremy Corbyn". He starts by thanking teachers for their work, says he's honoured to be here for first ever conference of the @NEUnion #NEU19