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4 October 2026

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Opinion

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 […]

It turns out teachers aren’t being trusted on grades

On Thursday evening, Ofqual sneaked out a major and fundamental shift in the quality assurance process for this summer’s cancelled exams, almost literally under the cover of darkness. It came in a friendly, seemingly innocuous blog, rather than in proper revised guidance; it feels like a gut punch to teachers and schools, delivered by an […]

School support is vital for families being let down by the SEN system

Getting the right placement is fraught and unduly challenging, and school support is vital to families’ uphill battle, writes Bolt Burdon Kemp‘s Mollie Benjamin   As a solicitor who acts for children who have suffered brain injuries, I am all too familiar with the difficulties faced by families in navigating the special educational needs (SEN) system and […]

Is future multi-academy trust consolidation inevitable?

Unless the DfE provides an incentive, only a small number of MAT mergers are likely to take place. Dr Chris Hampshire explains why In a recent spat in these pages, National Governance Association CEO Emma Knights signposted ethical concerns with a direction of travel that seems to be towards ever larger MATs. United Learning CEO Jon Coles riposted that we […]

The recovery will need funding – but just what sums are required?

New analysis by the EPI shows the scale of ambition needed to ensure the pandemic recovery plan sets children’s lives right, writes Luke Sibieta  For many months, disruption has dominated young lives. Most have missed more than half a year of normal schooling and been starved of childhood experiences. The prime minister has responded with a pledge that no child will be “left behind as a result of the learning […]

Lost generation? This could be the luckiest!

Covid has been damaging in the short-term, but its legacy could see this generation of students benefit from a vastly improved education system, says Matthew Kleiner-Mann The past year’s ceaseless flow of negative headlines has caused us to coin the phrase ‘doomscrolling’. That’s bad enough for adults, but imagine being a child reading again and again about Covid’s ‘lost generation’.   Many have lost loved ones. All have lost some […]