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19 April 2026

Author: Russell Hobby

Government should write off teachers’ student loans

We need bold new ideas to complement pay rises and beat the retention crisis, claims Russell Hobby There is a truth at the heart of education success that is too often lost in the controversies that attract the headlines. We control the factor with the most impact on children’s education: the quality of teaching they […]

What happened to education policy in the Queen’s speech?

Education was virtually absent from the Queen’s speech, but if this means little will change, it’s only a good thing, says Russell Hobby For education, this year’s Queen’s speech was most interesting for its omissions. Given the weather, it was probably a blessing for all concerned that it was brief, and equally good for the […]

‘Mixed bag’ Conservative manifesto has surprises and threats

Coming last in the publication of your manifesto has its advantages. Other parties have shown their hand. You can tweak your messaging accordingly, exploiting the weaknesses of your opponents. After school funding pledges from Labour and the Liberal Democrats, many school leaders were keen to see if the Conservatives would deliver. We’ve been clear for […]

Budget 2017: A missed opportunity for schools

Philip Hammond’s 2017 Budget will be remembered as a missed opportunity for education, says Russell Hobby When the government announced extra money to expand grammar schools yesterday, it was clear today’s Budget would offer nothing for existing schools. And so it has proved. The question for Philip Hammond now is not how schools can make […]

How to make Opportunity Areas work: invest in local people

Opportunity areas are a welcome commitment to social mobility. They demonstrate a legitimate concern that all parts of the country should have a high quality education system. They target resources, support and attention and are no doubt inspired by the success of the London Challenge – which has been surprisingly difficult to transfer to other […]

10 ways to make workload less of a challenge

Russell Hobby and Professor Toby Salt explore what more the government can do about teacher workload and what practical steps teachers and senior leaders can take to lessen the load. Despite good intentions and warm words, teacher workload is not under control. Agencies such as Ofsted do their best to tackle myths about expectations, like […]