JL Dutaut | Schools Week

Everyone’s Invited: Policies alone can’t solve the problems

The sector’s response to sexual harassment clearly requires improvement, but policies holding schools responsible for society’s ills won’t fix what’s wrong, writes Lucy Harris Ofsted is to review how schools in England have dealt historically with sexual harassment and assault amongst pupils. This follows a pledge from the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to take ‘appropriate action’ after […]

Let’s consign grades to the educational graveyard

All awarding systems must discriminate but our grades discriminate in all the wrong ways, writes Dennis Sherwood Grades, grades, grades. Why are we so obsessed with grades? Simple. Because the difference between an A and a B means a student can become a doctor, or can’t. Because a 3 rather than a 4 in GCSE […]

Local solutions are what will make music education thrive

A new curriculum and some central funding are welcome, but it’s local action that will ensure all children benefit from music education, writes Madelaine Caplin When I arrived at to take up the headship at my current school, I was struck by the fact that there was no music. The children struggled even to sing […]

Why reducing exclusions is a curriculum matter

A children’s consultation could be a game changer. But only if we’re ready to hear the truth about curriculum’s role in exclusions, writes Meena Kumari Wood “This is the moment for something big,” said new children’s commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza last week. Steered by an ambitious vision of “reducing exclusions to near zero”, she […]

The question is why MATs are so small, not why they’re so big

By almost any measure, multi-academy trusts are small organisations. Yet their benefits are many and accrue with size, writes Jon Coles In these pages last week, National Governance Association CEO, Emma Knights promoted her organisation’s latest MATs moving forward report by suggesting we are “moving towards a system dominated by larger MATs” and that this […]

A world-leading school system starts with supporting teachers

Better supporting teachers into and throughout their careers is central to reforms designed to make our schools the best place to be a teacher, writes Nick Gibb Everyone across the country knows how challenging this past year has been for schools – for staff and pupils alike. Our teachers and school leaders have rightly won […]

Our recommendations will boost schools’ ethnic minority success

Schools drive Britain’s inclusive success story. Our recommendations will shape its next chapter, writes Race and Ethnic Disparities commissioner, Martyn Oliver For generations, new arrivals to Britain have seized on the opportunities afforded by the state school system. Reporting today, the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities is in no doubt that education is the most […]

Edtech’s success depends on demystifying AI

We can only prevent more ‘mutant algorithms’ and make edtech safe with a framework for the ethical use of AI in education, writes Rose Luckin Last summer’s ‘mutant algorithm’ fiasco is an object lesson in how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) can become the subject of myths and misinformation. It’s no wonder they can often feel quite frightening to […]

The real edtech revolution is yet to come

Computers are essential. Algorithms are the norm. But the true potential of the edtech revolution is in robotics, writes Samer Al Moubayed We never did get the robotic housemaid Tomorrow’s World promised us in 1966. Nevertheless, robots have gradually been integrating themselves into our lives. And one of the areas where they are demonstrating their […]