Skip to content
5 June 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

Understanding the vocabulary gap at primary-to-secondary transition

Following publication of their new report, two academics explore what we know – and what we don’t –  about the word gap, how to tackle it, and the impact of transition Last Friday, Oxford University Press (OUP) and The Centre for Education and Youth (CfEY) published Bridging the Word Gap at Transition, a new report […]

Curriculum vs conspiracy. Tackling disinformation in the classroom

Ellie Fishleigh explores how to prepare for and what to do when the online world of misinformation and conspiracy manifests in the classroom Do you believe the pyramids were built by aliens? That 5G causes coronavirus? Or that the Earth is flat and the world is controlled by flesh-eating lizards and the Illuminati? Hopefully not, […]

Shift happens. Lessons from online professional development

Tom Rees sets out four crucial lessons from Ambition Institute’s transition to online CPD The last time we worked face to face with teachers and school leaders was March 13. We spent the day with 70 future heads starting their NPQH against the backdrop of an advancing global pandemic. Coffee breaks were filled with anxious exchanges about […]

Unlike government, education can talk its way out of a crisis

Oracy plays a crucial role in supporting children to get back into learning, articulate their worries and build relationships, argues Emma Hardy Before Covid struck, I and my colleagues launched a parliamentary inquiry to raise the status of oracy in our education system. At the time, schools minister Nick Gibb was calling for “a debate […]

Avoiding tough choices on exam grades won’t help anyone

There’s only really one way forward if we don’t want this year’s grades to become meaningless, writes James Handscombe This summer, after committing themselves to avoiding grade inflation and promising centres wouldn’t be the final arbiters of results, Ofqual and the politicians ended up delivering a system that was (to put it mildly) nobody’s first […]

What are the consequences of Covid for school leaders and teachers?

NFER research director, Caroline Sharp draws six key lessons from schools’ response to the pandemic so far In May and July 2020, NFER conducted surveys of school leaders and teachers in a representative sample of 2,200 mainstream primary and secondary schools in England. Six lessons emerged that every policymaker and practitioner should be aware of. […]

Those who can’t afford it can’t teach

Amelia Hepburn was left bereft by last-minute cuts to bursaries that mean only those who can afford it can train to teach, and she is not alone There are countless examples of people like me who have all the hope and knowledge to be a part of the teaching profession but lack the means to […]

The Complete Learner’s Toolkit

Reviewer Terry Freedman is underwhelmed by a book with lofy ambitions that delivers little more than a compendium of interesting lesson ideas The subtitle of this book indicates the scale of its ambition: “Metacognition and mindset – equipping the modern learner with the thinking, social and self-regulation skills to succeed at school and in life”. […]

How to ensure trainee teachers don’t miss out due to Covid

Rising numbers of applicants are welcome but how to support them in this challenging environment is a question on every training provider’s mind, writes Paul Thornton A 65 per cent rise in teacher training applications may help to tackle teacher shortages in key areas such as computing, but it also poses challenges. This would be […]