Expert Contributor | Schools Week

What the new Ofsted framework says about the curriculum

Ofsted doesn’t need a new inspection framework, says Frank Norris. But as it’s here, he urges “all colleagues to analyse each word, sentence and paragraph closely” In 2004, I was asked to join the development HMI team for the new school inspection framework that was implemented in 2005. I redesigned the joint area review framework […]

Hairdresser or Footballer – Bridging the gender gap in schools

Hollie Anderton and Ross Morrison McGill have produced an accessible guide to an issue that’s high on the public agenda. As newspapers and bloggers hone in on gender, Hairdresser or Footballer looks at some of the reasons why there are still huge differences in career and academic learning choices between young men and women leaving […]

Hannah Wilson’s top blogs of Jan 2019

Fake it till you make it they say . . . But what if you don’t? (make it, that is!) @LyndsayBawden Writing on the #WomenEd blog, Lyndsay Bawden shares the journey of her return to work after maternity leave, through navigating the seas of anti-depressants to applying for a promotion – despite her feelings of […]

The Early Career Framework will stop us throwing new teachers in at the deep end

Clare Sealy explains why the new early career framework is the best bit of edu-news she’s seen for some time Education is going to have a tough job if it wants to top this January in terms of important, sector-defining announcements. The new Ofsted framework brings renewed hope that the inspectorate can become the organisation […]

Don’t underestimate the importance of school culture for retaining teachers!

Support for new teachers needs something more intangible than a framework; the right environment is vital too, says Cat Scutt The new Early Career Framework released this week has the potential to radically improve the experience of new teachers. It marks a step-change in the support that they will receive at the start of their […]

The Early Career Framework: disconnected, piecemeal and lacking ambition!

The government’s teacher recruitment and retention strategy has been warmly welcomed in most quarters, but David Spendlove finds it seriously lacking The Early Career Framework launched by Damian Hinds on Monday has been described as “bold” and as “game changer” so why do I see it as a low cost, low ambition gesture? Firstly, let […]

Hinds is right to shift focus from recruitment to retention

The recruitment and retention strategy covers the right areas, but will need to develop effective policy detail quickly to deliver what is needed, says Jack Worth I was chatting to a teacher recently, speculating on what might be included in the Department for Education’s long-awaited teacher recruitment and retention strategy. “Why is recruitment always seen […]

Robin Conway’s top blogs of Jan 2019

Our blog reviewer of the week is Robin Conway, who is director of research and innovation at John Mason School @JMSREFLECT Forming good habits, breaking bad habits: what works? @HFletcherWood Harry Fletcher-Wood’s work is always engagingly written and combines relevant educational or psychological research with practical advice. This blog is true to form as he […]

Including children and young people with special educational needs: How far have we come since the Warnock Enquiry – and where do we go next?

This collection of essays from specialists in the field of special educational needs provides a welcome update on how far we have come since the well-respected Warnock Enquiry, which fed into the 1981 Education Act and brought a sea-change for children with SEND and their families. One thing that is clear from this book, however, […]