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6 June 2026

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Opinion

Here’s how to solve the ‘hyper problem’ of interrupted learning

Delivering ‘more but faster’ is not what the evidence advises about improving learning, writes Tim Oates The development of a national approach to “learning after interruption” has been controversial. There are plenty of headline grabbing suggestions about what we might do, but it’s tricky to all at once hold in our heads everything we need to do. It’s one of those […]

PE departments shouldn’t make girls ashamed of their bodies

Women in the Olympics still have their outfits policed more than men – and it’s the same for girls in schools, writes Jules Daulby The 2021 Olympics sends a positive message to all girls in schools. More GB women than ever before are in Tokyo and these role models could encourage more girls into sport. […]

How can we get schools to offer more ITT placements?

The government wants schools more involved in initial teacher training, but how can we encourage them to offer more placements, asks Jack Worth. The initial teacher training (ITT) market review articulates a clear desire for a greater role for schools in ITT, including greater alignment between the ITT curriculum and what is done in schools, […]

Structural reform? Yes, but we need a full recovery plan first

Education urgently needs clarity about the longer-term recovery plan and the solutions are evident. Government delay will only set social mobility back further, says Sammy Wright For all the unprecedented events of the past few years – from Brexit to the pandemic, exam cancellations to the devastating (and still escalating) loss of learning – the […]

Government must act now to protect SENCO time by law

Government’s efforts to improve inclusion have instead created a race to the bottom in provision because SENCOs don’t have the time to deliver on its promise, writes Adam Boddison In 2014, there were significant policy changes in England that sought to make our schools more inclusive for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). […]

How has Covid really affected mathematics performance?

Our data reveals in great detail whose mathematics performance have been impacted and how and could help to formulate plans for catch-up and recovery, writes Craig Barton Recent research from FFT Education found a noticeable widening of the attainment gap in maths for primary children. But the researchers said they had too little data to […]

ITT review: Does government want a market or a monopoly?

The government have reviewed the ITT market and evidently decided a market is not what they want after all, writes Ian Mearns. These recommendations are a recipe for total control The November 2020 announcement that the government was rebooting its ‘Market Review of Initial Teacher Training’ caused more than a little ripple of concern across […]

How we’ll build on the relationships forged in Covid adversity

As the Cabinet Office’s National Leadership Centre launches its 2021 report, Stephen Crookbain and Leora Cruddas explain its part in recognising new models of collaboration that should shape post-Covid life The Covid-19 pandemic has changed everything, including the relationship between public services, citizens and communities. We’ve all talked for years about ‘systems thinking’, and often […]

Great professional development for all teachers? It’s more affordable than you think

How much would it cost to give teachers a formal entitlement to continuing professional development? Not as much as you might think, writes James Zuccollo. Professional development for teachers is a surprisingly controversial topic. It is widely believed by policy wonks and researchers to have enormous potential, yet many teachers consider it a distraction. How […]