Expert Contributor | Schools Week

Governors, look at the bigger picture

The new framework for governance is missing any acknowledgement of the need for governors to engage with the complexity of issues that their schools face I was really looking forward to seeing the National Governors Association/Wellcome Trust’s new framework for governance. Previous outputs from this interesting collaboration have been great, and the new framework, based […]

Why you should care about sibling young carers

As many as two pupils in every classroom have a sibling with special educational needs or disability and are at risk of becoming young carers. They’re more likely to have problems with progress in school – so it’s vital that you know who they are I was a sibling young carer who grew up in […]

It’s not unusual… to have conflicts

Properly managing conflicts of interest and related party transactions is an essential part of the proper management of a school At the end of 2014, the National Audit Office highlighted concerns about the high level of “related party transactions” entered into by academy trusts. While the report and much of the linked media coverage focused […]

What would be the benefit of a philosophy GCSE?

The answer’s easy: it would give young people the opportunity to discover the subject as a centuries-long conversation amongst the world’s deepest minds Children are natural philosophers. If you doubt the capacity of young people to engage fruitfully with life’s deepest questions, drop a philosophical question into one of your lessons or a tutor group […]

Why linear A-levels will work best

Recoupling will snatch what space there is in the post-16 curriculum to teach skills that are no longer examined, giving pupils the space to explore subject areas that they’re interested in As a senior leader and English teacher, the removal of coursework meant an end to the relentless chasing of year 11s for those essays […]

Awards will inspire schools to turn around children’s lives

The whole point of the awards is to highlight successful approaches we didn’t even know existed Scientific evidence shows that well-designed prizes can be powerful drivers of behaviour change. For example, the Ansari X Prize – which offered $10 million for whoever could get a manned spacecraft into space, twice, in two weeks – prompted […]

The third member of a school’s holy trinity

School business managers are more than a finance manager or an admin officer. But exactly what their role is should be clarified as schools take on more responsibility The emphasis on performance and standards in the education sector is exacting; financial pressures are significant. In the future, both will continue to rise and accountability will […]

What are the implications of Tristram Hunt’s private school plans?

Tristram Hunt’s recent speech turned the spotlight on the benefits independent schools receive as a result of their charitable status. His focus was the business rate relief that all charities enjoy: a mandatory 80% reduction with discretion for the local authority to grant up to 100% relief. Mr Hunt asserted that independent schools did not […]

Do we need autism-specific schools?

All children and young people deserve an inclusive and fulfilling education. But mainstream schools are not always the answer for those with autism who must have access to a range of provision Autism is a spectrum condition so, while all children and young people with the lifelong disability share certain difficulties around social communication and […]