JL Dutaut | Schools Week

The digital divide continues to disadvantage our students

Despite big promises, the government has failed to deliver for our disadvantaged students and left us to pick up the pieces, writes Gerry Robinson Chantelle shares a single room with her 3 siblings and mother in the temporary bedsit that she has been living in for the past few years. The temporary home – if […]

Schools hold the key to successful reopening

Whatever tonight’s announcement on school reopening holds, we can’t afford to forget the lessons of this extraordinary period, writes Kate Chhatwal As we await a final decision on whether the five – or is it six? – tests have been met that will start the process of expanding primary provision next week, I am reminded […]

Government owes school leaders more legal clarity and cover

As unions warn of school leaders of being legally exposed by ‘deeply flawed guidance‘, Simon Foulkes says the government must use its powers to give them the cover they need to reopen Government guidance now asks schools to open for more pupils from 1 June. With a multitude of practical issues to consider, you might […]

Why we can be confident about this summer’s grades

As Ofqual publishes further details about this summer’s exams, Tim Oates lifts the lid on the ‘black box’ of standardised centre assessment It’s not a subject that usually grabs headlines, so it’s pleasing to see so many column inches dedicated to standardised centre assessment. Yet for some, the process being used to generate millions of […]

The road to recovery is one we must uncover together

Heated debate and unhelpful commentary aside, it is by pulling together that we will do best for our teachers and their pupils, writes Amanda Spielman Wednesday’s “thank a teacher day” couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. Since schools closed to most pupils in March, you – teachers, headteachers and support staff – have […]

Policymakers need to think differently to make school reopening a success

The traditional civil service approach to decision making will not be enough to build parents’ and teachers’ confidence in a safe return, writes Natalie Perera A fundamental skill of the civil service is being able to weigh up a range of factors in order to reach a policy recommendation. It’s an important craft, particularly in […]

A ‘recovery curriculum’ or ‘recovery conversations’?

Recovery is about rethinking our values, not just rewriting our lesson plans, writes Mary Myatt It’s pretty obvious that we can’t just pick up, without missing a beat, exactly where we left off. We need to acknowledge the big event everyone will have experienced in terms of the lockdown – and for some, the significant […]

Can we educate teachers effectively in a remote learning environment?

Harry Fletcher-Wood looks at new evidence about how to educate teachers when face-to-face contact isn’t possible One problem schools face on reopening is how to help their teachers to keep improving. This is particularly acute for trainee and newly qualified teachers, both of whom have suffered from truncated training and school experiences this year. With […]

The phased return is starting. We must be ready for its challenges

Nevermind the tussle between government and unions, writes the Harris Federation CEO. This is how we’re getting on with the job of preparing for our students to return In the much-watched clip of BBC Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis blasting the myths of Covid-19, she said: “They tell us coronavirus is a great leveller. It’s not. It’s much, much harder […]