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what is needed might not be easy and it won’t be convenient – but we must act all the same, beginning perhaps with our outdated assessment system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
Finding your balance in the mad new world of teaching 8 February 2021 Finding balance in your professional life as a teacher has been increasingly challenging since the pandemic began. Martin Matthews offers some empathy, advice and encouragement…
Staff wellbeing: Are you looking out for your colleagues? 1 February 2021 With more and more teachers experiencing symptoms related to depression and anxiety amid the pressure of the pandemic, Sophie Howells looks at how we can approach conversations with colleagues who may be struggling
Are we testing the right science? 1 February 2021 Do current methods of external assessment accurately measure the skills and abilities of science students? Or more simply, are we testing the ‘right’ science? Gerry Mallaghan asks the question...
A lack of research? How Ofsted misrecognised Cultural Capital 26 January 2021 What is cultural capital and why should we be questioning it? Phil Beadle explains how Ofsted has catastrophically ‘misrecognised’ the concept of cultural capital in its Education Inspection Framework...
Exams 2021: Whistling in the dark, once again 25 January 2021 As Ofqual consults over how this summer’s examinations are to be graded, Dr Mary Bousted is saddened yet not surprised that teachers will once again be left to pick up the pieces from a lack of government planning
Laptops for all, exams, digital learning? Where next for edtech post-pandemic? 19 January 2021 Setting aside government threats over remote education and its slow response over laptops, politicians must seize the ‘accidental opportunity’ to put technology at heart of education, says Geoff Barton
Compulsory GCSE languages? 18 January 2021 It was once a highly esteemed part of the curriculum, but MFL has been thrown into the ‘too hard’ basket. The time has come to make languages compulsory at GCSE once again, says Ellie Baker 5 comments
Covid: Is the government finally beginning to listen to professionals? 18 January 2021 Earlier this term, as tensions over school re-opening mounted, UNISON and the NEU advised their members that they had the right to refuse to go into work on safety grounds. Jon Richards looks back at a chaotic few days and is hopeful of better collaboration with government in the months to come
From vaccines to laptops: The pandemic to-do list for education grows... 11 January 2021 From the digital divide to teacher vaccination, the government’s pandemic to-do list for education is growing longer by the day. Dr Patrick Roach calls for definitive action and a national plan for schools
At the chalkface: Because you’re poor 11 January 2021 I still can’t do enough penance. I should have been burned in the last circle of hell. She never quite forgave me...
Poverty-proof your school uniform 5 January 2021 As the pandemic hits many families’ finances hard, and the extra costs of winter take their toll, let’s not add excessive school uniform costs into the mix, says Dustin Hutchinson
The lost power of subject? 5 January 2021 Teaching today has become too obsessed with pedagogical theory or, even worse, the hoops of assessment objectives and examination criteria, writes Gus Lock
Hang in there! Surviving and thriving as a new teacher 8 December 2020 The NQT year is commonly accepted to be one of the most challenging in teaching. However, despite the challenges that many of you are facing – especially at a time of Covid-19 – now is not the time to think about quitting. You must hang on in there. Matt Bromley explains why... 1 comment
Building back better: The curriculum and assessment 1 December 2020 Many have said that the pandemic offers us a chance to build back better. But what would this look like for education? Deborah Lawson on how curriculum and assessment might change 2 comments
35 hours? The case for an annual CPD entitlement 24 November 2020 An entitlement to 35 hours of high-quality CPD for every teacher and more effective support for new headteachers are two keys to school improvement according to the School Improvement Commission. Nick Brook explains
Full sick pay is essential to Covid safety 16 November 2020 Catering and cleaning staff in schools are more likely to catch Covid, but many do not receive access to full sick pay if they have to self-isolate. Jon Richards says this has to change
#SayTheWords: Supporting grieving children during the pandemic 10 November 2020 Children’s Grief Awareness Week runs from November 19 to 26 and is especially poignant this year given the on-going impact of the Covid-19 pandemic
23 February 2021