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6 June 2026

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Opinion

Look to the system – not schools – for ‘moral purpose’

The academies minister is right to say collaboration between schools is a matter of morality – but she’s looking for it in the wrong place, writes Caroline Barlow  Last week, Academies minister, Baroness Berridge came out strongly for the government’s policy of expanding MATs en masse. Hardly surprising. What was surprising was that her argument […]

How can we secure the recovery without losing teachers?

NFER’s Jack Worth looks at the organisation’s latest teacher labour market research and finds the Covid recovery will require careful planning to make the most of an uptick in applications While full details of the government’s plans for post-Covid educational recovery are still coming together, the overall strategy is clearly to provide ‘more’ for pupils. That could mean a range of different […]

We must treat mental health as we do safeguarding

The experience of the past year has brought a greatly increased focus on mental health that should be sustained as a top priority, writes Michael Samuel Over the past year, schools and colleges have faced an overwhelming increase in children and young people’s mental health problems. It’s not entirely surprising. When a child’s relationships and […]

A better alternative to A-levels? We already have one

A new report recommends an alternative model of post-16 qualifications. Jo Sale agrees, but wonders why the proposed solution is to reinvent the wheel Examinations are needed for many reasons, not least because they are an important ritual of closure. Their cancellation again this year has deprived students of that and given new life to […]

ITT review: are universities heading for the ‘Ex-ITT’?

There would be nothing to fear from a genuinely impartial ITT review, writes David Spendlove, but does anyone believe such a thing possible? In normal circumstances, a review of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) might be welcome and considered long overdue. But these are not normal circumstances. And given the Sewell Race and Ethnic Disparities report, concern […]

No ifs. No buts. A national phone ban is necessary now

As a passionate advocate for school freedoms, this is why I support Gavin Williamson’s proposal to ban mobiles in classrooms, explains Anna McShane The last few days have featured a lively debate – one that has sometimes become heated – over allowing pupils to bring mobile phones into the classroom. This is not new. It […]

Research: How can we improve access to high-quality CPD?

After languishing in international league tables, change appears to be afoot for teacher CPD in England. But what do we know about improving it, asks Cat Scutt Extensive research shows how important effective teaching is for pupil outcomes – particularly for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. But how can we best develop teachers’ effectiveness? A number […]

The turning point for the teaching profession

The recommendations in this book could prove useful for small-scale improvement but the lack of a policy ‘big picture’ means its potential is likely to go unfulfilled, writes Terry Freedman When the term “teaching profession” arises, my reaction is more often than not to borrow from Gandhi and opine that such a thing would be […]

Try before you buy: The key to unlocking post-Covid support

Letting schools and trusts try out collaboration before formalising their partnerships is an idea whose time has come, writes David Carter. But it isn’t without some risks A recent headline in these pages suggests the Secretary of State is advocating a ‘try-before-you-buy’ approach to more schools joining Multi Academy Trusts. In principle it is a […]