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18 May 2026

Author: Schools Week Reporter

What is teaching for mastery in maths?

I was very interested to read the item in last week’s Schools Week that suggested pupils in one primary school were being prevented from reading books ‘above their level’ because of a ‘mastery’ approach to English teaching. Teaching maths for mastery involves employing approaches that help pupils to develop a deep and secure knowledge and understanding of […]

Coalition by David Laws – review

Much has been made of the access David Laws, the Liberal Democrat had to Nick Clegg’s notes while writing this memoir. Paddy Ashdown, the former party leader, has even called it the “definitive account” of the coalition. However, woven throughout this highly readable story of a political party’s first forays into government, is the thread […]

St Aldhelm’s Academy: The school that got better with walls

No school managed to go from inadequate to outstanding in the spring term, Ofsted figures published today reveal. However, published on Monday (and so just missing last term’s figures) was the report for St Aldhelm’s Academy, in Poole, Dorset. The school, which has featured several times in Schools Week, has gone from special measures to good, […]

The government has abandoned the reception progress measure, but schools should not

I’m struggling to get caught up in the heat of debate over the government’s recent decision not to use the results of this year’s reception baseline testing for the purpose of comparing pupils’ progress. Why? Three different assessments were never going to provide comparable results, and comparability is, seemingly, at the heart of this decision. […]

Nick Gibb at ATL Conference: The speed-read

Nick Gibb addressed the Association of Teachers and Lecturers’ annual conference this morning, and spoke about teacher recruitment, problems with Ofsted and the DfE’s mistakes on the new key stage 2 assessments. Here are the main points made by the schools minister: Teacher recruitment There is no recruitment crisis – “it’s a challenge” – something he has said […]