A big picture recovery is required 5 July 2021 Recovery from the setbacks of the pandemic runs deeper than just education, and it is time the government acknowledged this, says Matthew Dodd
Resetting the basics and restoring resilience 28 June 2021 As we slowly recover from the pandemic, it would be a mistake to leap back into academic study from September without also tackling the long-term impact of Covid-19 on our pupils’ wellbeing, says Abbey Jones
Long Covid: We demand protection in law 18 June 2021 Teachers dealing with the often-devastating impact of long Covid are not protected by legislation. Dr Patrick Roach urges everyone to get behind a new campaign to change this... 1 comment
Penny-pinching and piecemeal: This is no way to plan a long-term recovery 11 June 2021 The Department for Education’s penny-pinching, piecemeal announcements and politicians’ quick-fix solutions will put long-term education recovery at risk, says Deborah Lawson
No child left behind? Really, Boris? 3 June 2021 The paltry investment in education recovery unveiled by the DfE has been met, quite rightly, with derision. We can only conclude that schools and young people are not the government’s priority, says Paul Whiteman
Lies, damn lies and variants 1 June 2021 The DfE is withholding data about the extent of the spread of the ‘Indian’ Covid variant in schools. Jon Richards wonders if we are dealing with evidence-based policy-making or policy-based evidence-making...
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award: More relevant than ever 31 May 2021 The death of the Duke of Edinburgh has shone a spotlight on the legacy of the award that bears his name. Martin Myers-Allen – who has overseen 6,000 students through the award – says it is more relevant today than ever before
Student leadership is key to genuine whole-school diversity 24 May 2021 Where do we start when it comes to ensuring our school has a genuinely diverse ethos and avoids tick-boxing and tokenism? One answer lies in student leadership and empowerment, says Dr Gohar Khan
At the chalkface: Build back better? Well, we can’t go back 21 May 2021 Could this be a 1945 moment? A Post-Covid Dream? We certainly need a sea-change. We can’t go back to the old normal. The plague has surely caused some enlightenment...
This is a cruel way to treat young people 17 May 2021 Child poverty levels have risen, yet again, and now stand at 4.3 million. The impact of this is severe, far-ranging and cruel, says Dr Mary Bousted 1 comment
The fault line in our society... 8 May 2021 The attainment gap between rich and poor has become a fault line in our society and there are clear links to poverty and disadvantage – yet this does not appear to be on the to-do list of the current government, says Geoff Barton
We are professionals: The proletarianisation of teachers 4 May 2021 The proletarianisation of teachers began in the 1980s and continues today. The impact of this has been revealed most starkly during the Covid crisis. We must once again recognise teachers as professionals, not workers, says Dr Alex Gardner-McTaggart
The arts must be at the heart of Covid recovery 3 May 2021 As ministers think about what the framework of the education recovery will look like, it is vital that pupils are able to access a broad, balanced and rich curriculum, says Dr Patrick Roach
Recruitment & Covid: What is in store for schools? 26 April 2021 The stresses on the profession this year have been immense. What will the impact of this be? Will we see a flurry of resignations before the May 31 deadline? Former National Schools Commissioner Sir David Carter gives his view on the recruitment picture facing schools in the months ahead
Social mobility vs equity: What can Ofsted learn from other UK school inspectorates? 19 April 2021 Ofsted’s approach to inspection has resulted in unintended consequences and a high-stakes, oppositional culture of accountability. Dr Dana Dabbous considers what lessons Ofsted might learn from inspection approaches in the other home nations
The unsung heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic… 13 April 2021 The Unsung Heroes report has revealed the key role played by teaching assistants during the pandemic. However, Jon Richards says that if these support staff are to play their part in the recovery effort, then they need proper training, a healthy career path and a decent wage
Model curriculum has potential to reverse decline in GCSE music take-up 5 April 2021 With music up-take declining at GCSE and A level, the DfE’s new Model Music Curriculum for key stages 1, 2, and 3 can help schools to emphasise the practical craft of music-making, says Chris Cobb
Government incompetence on a huge scale 23 March 2021 Free school meals – exams – Covid testing – the digital divide. Schools are doing everything they can to support young people but are working in the face of incompetent national leadership, says Kevin Courtney
Education recovery: Let’s stop the eye-catching policy wheezes 16 March 2021 Education recovery must not be put at risk by rushed, unproven solutions before we have understood the problem we are trying to solve, says Geoff Barton
From funding to staff wellbeing: A sustained approach to recovery 8 March 2021 From funding to staff wellbeing, education recovery needs a sustained approach if it is to succeed in the long-term, explains Dr Patrick Roach
Pupil voice: Collaboration with pupils can no longer be optional 2 March 2021 Collaborative decision-making means teachers involving pupils in decisions about what goes on in their classrooms – and it can be transformational. Dr Geraldine Rowe argues the case
At the chalkface: Catastrophic notions of Cultural Capital 1 March 2021 Little seems to have changed since the fifties – the 1850s. Matthew Arnold, patrician incarnate, still rules. His prescribed essential knowledge for paupers is Ofsted’s – “the best that has been thought and said”. By whom?
SENCOs under siege 23 February 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic has heaped much more pressure on an already stretched SEND system. In part one of a new series on the state of our SEND system, Daniel Sobel considers the key problems and outlines how we must move forward...
Recovery won't be easy – but we must succeed 22 February 2021 How must education build back better following the pandemic? Deborah Lawson says that what is needed might not be easy and it won’t be convenient – but we must act all the same, beginning perhaps with our outdated assessment system
Full school re-opening: Bitten too many times? 16 February 2021 Re-opening schools to all pupils on March 8 will mean introducing nearly 10 million pupils and staff into daily circulation. If this is indeed what Boris Johnson announces next week, he must be certain that it is the safest approach, says Geoff Barton
23 February 2021