JL Dutaut | Schools Week

Mental health disclosure is on the up – and that’s good

New UCAS figures show that a culture of positive mental health disclosure is growing among university applicants – and room for improvement, writes Nicola Turner Over the past decade, there has been a 450 per cent increase in the number of people sharing a mental health condition in their UCAS application. It’s a positive sign […]

The Duchess, the First Lady and a new focus on early years

As a school leader, I’ve never been more convinced of the importance of the early years, writes Ed Vainker. And now the sector has two powerful allies Despite education having spent weeks on the front pages since March 2020, we have heard far too little about Early Years (EY), given its importance and the impact […]

Why is the NEU finding it so hard to retain Jewish members?

Jewish teachers just want to be represented and supported in the face of antisemitism, writes Madeleine Fresko-Brown, so why are the NEU finding that so difficult? The actions of some NEU leaders over the past few weeks have reignited questions about its ability to represent its Jewish members. The 1996 Education Act mandates that schools […]

Tacking sexual abuse is urgent – and an INSET won’t cut it

Our review into sexual abuse and harassment has been widely accepted, writes Amanda Spielman. So how can leaders make a start tackling the issues it raises? Last week we published our review into sexual abuse in schools and colleges. While we knew these issues were a problem, it’s appalling to see that so many children […]

What do we know about the hidden lives of learners?

This week’s research looks at one man’s efforts to uncover the processes of learning and memory from the hidden aspects of the student experience If we are truly to meet students’ needs, then we must never lose sight of what they think, know and believe. One researcher understood this profoundly, and his work offers us […]

Writing for pleasure by Young and Ferguson

There’s plenty in this book for busy teachers once you get past the dense academic opening, writes Louise Quinn, but too few examples of its recommendations being put in to practice As an English teacher, for many years I have found myself both perplexed and frustrated at the lack of high-quality writing instruction that goes […]

Mary Hind-Portley’s blogs of the week, 14 June 2021

Our guest reviewer, Mary Hind Portley selects three blogs with a focus on improving teaching, leadership and schools, and one on the beauty of knowledge The leverage of professional discourse @saysmiss This is the final post in a series of six exploring the intricacies of effective professional development in schools, and a post that […]

Turning the corner to a more sustainable improvement model

There are encouraging signs that school improvement is being put on a more sustainable footing, writes David Weston. And not a minute too soon Exhausted by Covid. Worn down by waves of change. Teachers and school leaders have never been asked to give so much nor to be more resilient. But, just in time, policy […]

Better funding will only come with a better evidence base

Looking past our disappointment at the Treasury’s funding of the recovery package, it’s easy to see why the DfE failed to secure more money for interventions, writes Ian Rowe The £1.4 billion offered by the government to help children catch up on their education after the pandemic was largely condemned as insufficient. The former recovery tsar, Sir Kevan […]