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13 April 2026

Author: Expert Contributor

Why reinvent the education wheel, when a solution already exists?

It’s great that we’re talking about alternatives to GCSEs and A-Levels, but we don’t need to start from scratch – there’s already a qualification out there, says Ryan Kelsall Robert Halfon this week advocated the scrapping of GCSEs and A-Levels in favour of a broader baccalaureate-style education, with a mix of academic and vocational subjects, and […]

Should headteachers let children miss school to take part in social action?

Should school leaders let children miss school to take part in social action? Sarah Hannafin shares her advice… There has been some press coverage this week regarding UK Youth Strike 4 Climate and young people across the country taking a coordinated day of action. NAHT is  clear that a school leader’s job is to ensure children […]

How can we build a rich music curriculum?

The school minister’s plans for music will not come close to resolving the real issues surrounding the subject, says Emily Crowhurst Last week I asked a year 11 music student what he thought our school’s music curriculum was about. He wrote… “School21’s music curriculum is about everyone having the opportunity to create music no matter […]

How teachers are really using research

Not all research is top-down from senior teams, says Tim Cain. Teachers are finding out for themselves how research can influence what they think about and how they think From the Department for Education, Ofsted, the Chartered College of Teaching and beyond, the message is clear: teachers should use research evidence to inform their decisions. […]

Amir Arezoo’s top blogs of the week 4 Feb 2019

Core and hinterland @adamboxer1 Given the refocusing on the EBacc subjects of science, languages, history and geography, teachers understand that students must be grounded in the broad knowledge base that these subjects hold. But what knowledge actually matters in school? As a maths teacher, is it enough for me to teach students the Pythagorean theorem […]

Being the CEO: the six dimensions of organisational leadership

Michael Pain, the founder of the consultancy business Forum Strategy, has written a coherent and accessible book aimed at new chief executives of multi-academy trusts. It begins with what he proposes are the four foundations of the role: knowing what business you are in; contextual wisdom and knowing your “outside”; a legacy mindset; and ethics […]

Character or attainment: which would you choose?

Parents and teachers value the character development of young people more than exam results, but may need support to recognise that they share this priority, says Rachael Hunter The inclusion of character education in the draft Ofsted framework for inspection of schools was another significant step towards ensuring children receive an education that prioritises academic […]

The Bright Ideas Challenge: Inspire innovation

Inspiring creativity and innovation with The Bright Ideas Challenge The UK needs a rich and diverse pool of future scientists and engineers. Their skills are essential to supporting the UK economy and helping to tackle some of the big global challenges that lie ahead, including the need to create more and cleaner energy. And yet, […]

Children shouldn’t be able to skip RE

High quality religious education should be a fundamental part of every school’s offer. It’s too important for young people to miss, writes NAHT’s Sarah Hannafin, a former RE teacher I chose to teach religious education. After graduating, I started work as a teaching assistant in my local secondary school to see what I thought about […]