Just think, they could call it social justice... 18 October 2021 The chief inspector does not realise just how badly her food parcel comments have landed. There is nothing new in schools supporting disadvantaged families – so how about we drop the meaningless ‘levelling up’ refrain and focus on real change, says Geoff Barton
Do we value democracy in schools? 13 October 2021 Giving students power over decisions that affect them is not radical, it is simply democratic. If we truly value democracy, we must balance teacher authority with student autonomy, says David Kazamias
Comprehensive Spending Review: A moment of truth 11 October 2021 A pay-freeze, a 3.2 per cent rise in the cost of living, real-terms cuts to school funding – the government needs to change tack quickly if we are to prevent teachers from quitting the chalkface post-pandemic says Dr Patrick Roach
Mental health: A false dichotomy 11 October 2021 Mental health and academic achievement are not an either/or. As we respond to the pandemic, we must involve children and look beneath the surface, says Matthew Purves
We need concerted action on teacher workload 5 October 2021 Coming out of the pandemic, the number of teachers thinking about quitting is deeply worrying. Deborah Lawson says the time is now for concerted action on workload and wellbeing. She suggests how…
Three per cent? This must change 4 October 2021 Only three per cent of school business leaders in the UK are from a BAME background – we need to work together to set about changing this. Founder of the new ABBLed network, Cheryl Campbell, explains
Poverty is not inevitable: What can your school do about it? 28 September 2021 The facts don’t lie. Poverty is a consequence of the structures and inequalities of society. It is not inevitable. Government must act, but so can we. Luke Bramhall asks what you can do prevent poverty from limiting children’s chances…
Education recovery: Time for the DfE and the Treasury to step-up 27 September 2021 We need to see the government’s blueprint for education recovery and we need to see it now, says Paul Whiteman. Ahead of this month’s NAHT policy-making conference, he also calls for the new secretary of state to stand up to the Treasury on school funding
CO2 monitoring guidance: More questions than answers 21 September 2021 The government’s guidance on ventilation and CO2 monitoring in schools is at odds with both SAGE and HSE advice, says a concerned Joanna Parry
Mind the gap: Edtech and parental engagement 20 September 2021 We must avoid mistaking parental ‘involvement’ for genuine ‘engagement’. Edtech can help us achieve this, as long as providers put the needs of disadvantaged families first, says Tom Harbour
#BlackLivesMatter: Where do we go from here? 13 September 2021 The Black Lives Matter movement has led to a year of immense change, but there have also been devastating set-backs. Angelina Idun asks where are we now in the fight for equality – and what questions must schools be asking as the new year begins?
COP26: We must create climate-literate students 13 September 2021 It is vital that every student leaves education climate-literate, equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle climate change. Kevin Courtney introduces some new resources to help schools and urges the DfE to make this a priority ahead of COP26
Covid: Preventing a chaotic autumn term... 6 September 2021 Schools are braced for an ‘exponential increase’ in Covid infections and yet the government contingency strategy remains thin. Geoff Barton offers three suggestions that could pull us back from the brink...
SEND Review: What are we waiting for? 6 September 2021 In 2019, the government promised a landmark review of the SEND sector in response to concerns that SEND provision has become a ‘postcode lottery’. Why it is taking so long?
At the chalkface: Carry On Culture Wars 6 September 2021 What’s next? The stocks? The guillotine? Cotton-picking? This may play well in the shires, but surely not on most of the country. And certainly not with our pupils. The young don’t buy it – they never have...
Assessment: We had a whiff of freedom – and blew it 31 August 2021 The cancelled examinations were an opportunity for the profession to reclaim the Holy Grail of teaching and learning. Sadly, says Joel Wirth, this opportunity has been missed and we will now slowly slide back into the cage of high-stakes, data-driven accountability
Disastrous consequences: Teacher training proposals are flawed 30 August 2021 The DfE’s proposed overhaul of initial teacher education could have been an opportunity to grow the profession – but instead it could have disastrous consequences as teacher training providers threaten to walk away. Dr Patrick Roach explains
Staff wellbeing: Self-care isn’t selfish 23 August 2021 Looking after yourself is not selfish – in fact it is a vital part of being able to perform at your best as a teacher or school leader. As a new school year begins, Sophie Howells reminds us all to prioritise self-care
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
13 October 2021