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19 April 2026

Author: Nicky Phillips

RSCs urged to step in on poor provision for special needs

Regional schools commissioners are being called on to take responsibility for rooting out schools providing poor special educational needs provision. A new report published today by education thinktank LKMco details 10 reasons why pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are not “achieving their potential”. It includes high exclusion rates for SEND pupils, a […]

EXCLUSIVE: Baseline assessments could be scrapped over comparability concerns

A multi-million pound policy piloted in thousands of primary schools this year could be scrapped over concerns regarding its comparability. A study, commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE), is understood to have found that tests from the three chosen providers for baseline assessments of reception children cannot easily be compared – putting the policy’s […]

Recruitment agency slammed for ‘Teach First only’ job advert

A teacher recruitment agency has posted a “potentially discriminatory” job advert asking for Teach First only applicants. The ad, which was posted on the Guardian Jobs website by Edustaff on February 2, shows vacancies in maths, science and English at a school in Manchester for a “Teach First qualified middle leader”. This means others who […]

Primary assessments a mess? Unions should propose a radical alternative

The schools sector is up in arms about primary assessments – both baseline and the standardised tests. I deliberately use the word “sector”. Teachers, school leaders, parents, unions, assessment providers: everyone is furious. One way to deal with late information and daft processes is a boycott. Get teachers to refuse to carry out the tests. […]

Brian Lightman, former general secretary, ASCL

Two weeks ago, just before an education debate in a small room near Westminster, a murmur whipped round the gathered crowd. Brian Lightman, the mild-mannered general secretary of school leader union ASCL, had stepped down “with immediate effect”. The news came from the union’s press office and everyone in the room – many of whom […]

Segregation is holding our children back

Next month a report on segregation will be published for the prime minister. Hopefully it will mark the point when England starts to take integration seriously In England, our faith-based admissions system has evolved a side-effect of keeping children of faith separate from children of other faiths and none. The majority of Sikh, Muslim and […]

DfE appoints experts to buy ‘best value’ free school sites

Four specialists have been appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) to buy sites for future free schools – but the full details of their role have not been revealed. As the government pushes to open 500 more free schools during this parliament, it has announced a new group who will “quickly” find sites for […]

Teachers must learn to tame technology

There are powerful tools already available in schools. Staff must realise they don’t need to upgrade, they need to maximise the use of what they have I went to the Bett Show recently. Four days – and half a mile – long, bigger than ever, stand after stand showing the latest educational technology. The show […]

Cuts to mental health services mean schools do more in-house

Self-harm, exam stress, insomnia, and eating disorders are the main problems affecting young people today, professionals say. This week marks the second annual Children’s Mental Health Week, organised by children’s mental health charity Place2Be. Education secretary Nicky Morgan has described mental wellbeing as a priority for the government and announced a £3 million investment for […]