Skip to content
19 April 2026

Author: Nicky Phillips

When tech bites back: How hack attacks affect schools

Many schools are unsure of what to do when they discover unauthorised access to their computer systems – which can include students’ Facebook pranks. But all cyber crime should be reported to the right agencies — and often the police — says Jess Staufenberg in the final of her six-part series on computers in schools […]

Joan McVittie, retired headteacher, Woodside High School

Dame Joan McVittie has already saved me twice by the time we are in her tiny car and zipping towards her house in Woodford, north east London. Having met at a nearby coffee shop she insists on buying me a hot chocolate (“you look cold”) and then rightly decides that an incoming crowd of teenagers […]

Our longer school day engages our students

Setting up a new school is, in equal measure, the hardest, most frustrating, most time consuming and most enjoyable thing I have ever done in my 17 years in education. In 2013, our new secondary school emerged into an education system with growing challenges, not least squeezing a stimulating and varied programme of study and […]

Leading Learning: privilege and responsibility

The opportunity to lead learning is a great privilege and responsibility. In recent years too many school and classroom leaders have got caught up in looking for quick fixes under the dual pressures of our accountability system and a genuine desire to do the best for the children in our care. A simple touch stone […]

Why pupils must feel connected to their learning

We must close the achievement gap” is a familiar phrase among today’s educators and politicians, reflecting the international focus on how students, schools, and nations perform on standardised tests. To narrow the achievement gap we must first understand the achievement gap is a symptom of a much greater challenge – the participation gap. Students can […]

Anxiety is on the rise

Child and adolescent mental health expert Professor Tanya Byron warned that schools are not being supported in looking after young people with mental health problems. Speaking to delegates on Friday morning, Professor Byron, an adviser to the government, explained how 1 in 10 children and young people aged between 5 and 16 suffer from a diagnosable […]

The key to SEND success is to integrate students

I am passionate about the provision for SEND students, and the opportunity to share my enthusiasm at SSAT National Conference was one I am very glad to have taken up. I met some fantastic fellow practitioners, with whom I have already established contact for the future – it is always a privilege to share good […]

It is essential to involve schools in the development of 14-16 vocational qualifications

When delivered within schools, vocational qualifications can help pupils develop work-ready, practical skills, become more confident, enhance their CV and engage in a form of learning that interests them. With the flexibility to be woven into the core curriculum, vocational qualifications can complement their academic counterparts, giving real-world context to core subjects and enabling pupils […]