Skip to content
4 October 2026

Become a member today for unlimited access to Schools Week

Enjoy expert journalism on schools policy with fewer ads and exclusive benefits
subscribe

Opinion

Our recommendations will boost schools’ ethnic minority success

Schools drive Britain’s inclusive success story. Our recommendations will shape its next chapter, writes Race and Ethnic Disparities commissioner, Martyn Oliver For generations, new arrivals to Britain have seized on the opportunities afforded by the state school system. Reporting today, the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities is in no doubt that education is the most […]

Edtech’s success depends on demystifying AI

We can only prevent more ‘mutant algorithms’ and make edtech safe with a framework for the ethical use of AI in education, writes Rose Luckin Last summer’s ‘mutant algorithm’ fiasco is an object lesson in how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) can become the subject of myths and misinformation. It’s no wonder they can often feel quite frightening to […]

The real edtech revolution is yet to come

Computers are essential. Algorithms are the norm. But the true potential of the edtech revolution is in robotics, writes Samer Al Moubayed We never did get the robotic housemaid Tomorrow’s World promised us in 1966. Nevertheless, robots have gradually been integrating themselves into our lives. And one of the areas where they are demonstrating their […]

Research: What factors affecting retention matter most to teachers?

Research has long shown what factors affect retention but not which matter more to teachers themselves, write Hui Lu and Peter Burge. Until now Maintaining an adequate supply of teachers is a challenge and an area of significant concern. Of the teachers who qualified in 2014, only 67.4 per cent remained in service after five […]

Recovery? School leaders need it as much as their students

Leaders have a chance to rest and reflect over Easter. Ministers should do the same and come up with a plan to support them better, writes Ruth Davies Challenging. Exhausting. Stressful. The School Leadership Supply Crisis report published today reveals these are the top three words school leaders use to describe their experience of the […]

Could Accelerated Reader be holding children’s reading back?

The ubiquitous algorithm to improve children’s reading is a blunt tool that could be doing more harm than good, writes Shivan Davis Allow me to lay my cards on the table: I don’t like Accelerated Reader. I don’t trust the accuracy of its Star Reader test. I don’t think their quizzes prove a student has […]

Action is needed now on school ventilation

We can’t allow complacency to set in as we battle Covid. Ventilation remains a major issue for schools and now is the time to act, writes Azeem Majeed Unless the limitations of current social distancing and infection control measures in schools is properly dealt with, the prime minister’s wish to see schools reopen for good […]

Is the teacher regulator a sledgehammer to crack a nut?

The regulator may be ‘stronger and clearer’, but if it’s leaving teachers feeling like empty husks then the balance is still wrong, writes Andrew Faux Sometime in 2019, James Morley made a mistake. He joked about his sex life on social media. His pupils found the jokes. One referred to a student’s comment during a […]

The policy of MAT expansion needs careful scrutiny

If successive ministers can’t even agree on how to define a large MAT, there should definitely be more debate about their purpose and scope, writes Emma Knights At the beginning of this month, education secretary, Gavin Williamson said he and his department will be encouraging more schools to join multi academy trusts (MATs); this was […]