Opinion

SEND reforms are a chance to change what we mean by ‘standards’

Let’s be clear about what 'exceptional' means now. Exceptional is a school where disadvantaged pupils thrive, not just attend

Freddie Whittaker
Matthew Shanks
The Research Leader

DfE should support struggling private schools to become academies

A targeted approach could help provide a high-quality state-funded education to pupils from a wide range of backgrounds

Freddie Whittaker
Tom Richmond
Opinion

SEND reforms must strengthen legal foundations, not weaken them

Ministers themselves acknowledge that families have endured too much for too long. That is precisely why legal safeguards matter

Freddie Whittaker
Madeleine Cassidy
Opinion

The white paper is ambitious, but its success hinges on the unknown details

Parents will need reassurance that tiered support and reforms to EHCPs do not simply become a new set of...

Freddie Whittaker
Jon Andrews
Opinion

Give heads what they need to make inclusive mainstream work

This is not about withdrawing support from children. It's about changing the way that support is offered

Freddie Whittaker
Cathie Paine
Opinion: Curriculum

Teachers need agency to thrive – we’re exploring how and why

Agency is often misinterpreted and overlooked, but giving teachers themselves more capacity to act would bring wide-ranging benefits, writes...

Freddie Whittaker
Lisa-Maria Müller
The Research Leader

Alignment between leadership and governance takes work

Research shows those closest to the frontline worry more over issues like finances. This means building shared understanding is...

Freddie Whittaker
Dr Rajbir Hazelwood and Kamal Bodhanker
Inclusion

Dear DfE, don’t marginalise special schools and AP!

In their quest for an inclusive mainstream setting, ministers must not push specialist settings to the margins

Freddie Whittaker
Warren Carratt
Opinion

Why many schools ignore sustainability, and how to fix that

If sustainability really matters to schools, why does it so often slip down the priority list the moment accountability...

Freddie Whittaker
Simon Lightman