White paper: How autonomy could be a spanner in the works Too few positive incentives exist to tempt headteachers to join MATs, writes Chris Hampshire, and headteachers’ autonomy trumps them all
Does the National Tutoring Programme still have a point? Concerns about the NTP are legitimate, writes Ben Gadsby, but letting heads spend the funds without accounting for how threatens the whole programme
LGBTQ+: Schools are a battleground against our rights The international day against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia is a good time to acknowledge that all three are in our schools, writes Tabitha McIntosh
Research: Why, how and with whom do children read? New research sheds light on children’s reading habits and wellbeing and draws out some interesting gender distinctions, writes Rachel Crowdy
Can we ever have an educational ten-year plan? There’s a real appetite for a clearer educational vision and long-term planning in education, writes David Jaffa, but is it a realistic expectation?
Have ministers done their due diligence on the MAT-led system? A rush to fulfil the promise of a MAT-led system carries financial risks for trusts that could undermine their improvement mission, writes Tim Warneford
Widening STEM access is necessary and far from impossible Controversial comments from the social mobility tsar aside, STEM has a diversity problem and there’s plenty we can do about it, writes Jo Foster
How to create a positive whole-school mental health culture It’ll take longer more than a mental health awareness week to combat childhood loneliness, writes Rachel Bostick, but the good news is schools can do a lot
Cost of living: Supporting families to access help pays off Accessing the financial support they are entitled to is a struggle for many families, writes Davinder Jandu, and helping them with that benefits everyone