Expert Contributor | Schools Week

Schools must take a business-like approach to wellbeing

The OECD reported yesterday that test anxiety of UK students is the third highest of 72 countries. The school leaders I speak to are fully aware that too much pressure can create unhealthy levels of stress in teachers and students alike. On the other hand, there is an accountability regime that means that small changes […]

‘My wish for the General Election 2017’ – School experts give their view

So there’s going to be a general election. But what should it mean for schools? We asked a handful of education leaders and policy specialists: “If you could make one wish for the general election, what would it be?” Here are their answers. We’d love to hear your education election wishes – leave them as comments below! […]

The history curriculum has a Western bias – that needs to change

One of the striking omissions when I studied A-level history was the lack of opportunity to study anything of my own heritage or of other non-western civilisations. And in the few opportunities that there were, the story was always told from a western perspective. This bias in history and across the curriculum has a profound […]

UTCs are NOT an educational experiment gone wrong

It’s too early to talk of abandoning UTCs, says Sally Dicketts. The key to success is to hold true to their core principles – and find a formula that works for you A quick scan of recent media coverage of university technical colleges (UTCs) could lead you to believe that this is nothing more than […]

How schools can avoid social media teacher scandals

Regularly updated codes of conduct must guide staff on how to use social media, says James Lynas. Leaving it to common sense exposes the school and staff to disaster Career death awaits school staff who use social media carelessly. Be wary of sharing a “sexy selfie” with Facebook friends who then tell your head; never […]

Which is better: traditional or progressive teaching?

Which is the best style of schooling: “traditional” or “progressive”? Schools Minister Nick Gibb fights on the side of the former. He can hardly make a speech without blasting progressive methods. He hopes the controversy will be settled once and for all and only government-approved methods will be allowed in English state schools. But controversy […]

Teacher recruitment and retention is all about talent management

Teacher recruitment and retention is not a government problem – it’s schools that need to embrace new technologies and adopt a servant-manager mentality, says David Cobb The debates rage on about grammar schools, free schools and funding, but without dealing with teacher recruitment and retention, those policy debates are largely irrelevant. These are the facts: […]

Tech in schools isn’t all bad: it can help manage behaviour

Tom Bennett’s report on behaviour misses the opportunity to talk about how edtech can help schools to manage behaviour, says John Roberts Tom Bennett’s behaviour review is spot-on in many ways. Not least his insistence on a strongly defined school “culture and ethos”. Leaders must define a clear behaviour policy that is communicated to the […]

Good riddance to secure-fit writing assessment

The secure-fit model of writing assessment is on its way out and teachers will not be sorry to see it go, says James Bowen A proposal to move away from the secure-fit model of writing assessment must be one of the most welcome aspects of the government’s primary assessment consultation. NAHT has campaigned hard for this approach to […]