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5 June 2026

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Opinion

Knee-jerk government directives could cause an outbreak of early retirements

Expert senior leadership teams have supported one another, but they must now be afforded the space to make decisions without constantly reacting to government, writes Sarah Ray The past six months have been described as stormy. For trust and school leaders it’s been more like a hurricane. The sense of responsibility and unpredictability has been […]

What school leaders need to know about HSE spot checks

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published an Education eBulletin on 4 September announcing its intention that, alongside businesses, it will be carrying out spot checks on schools, writes Hayley Dunn. Spot checks will be in the form of a phone call to review measures taken for reopening to “minimise the spread of the virus […]

Parental engagement is key to overcoming continued disruption

Now is the time for all schools to act on the stand-out lesson from lockdown – that partnerships are central to overcoming challenges, writes Leora Cruddas We all know the challenges of Covid-19 have been significant for educators, pupils and families. So it is really important to understand how schools have coped. A new impact […]

Care is needed for an exhausted school business community

School business professionals have worked their magic again this summer – but like hand sanitiser, stores of fairy dust could run out, writes Micon Metcalfe 2020 has been a year like no other. Since March, school business professionals (SBPs) – a group that includes school business leaders (SBLs), estates and premises staff and network managers […]

Government must act to support and protect supply teachers

Supply teaching is precarious – and costly – at the best of times. These teachers need solutions to see them through Covid and beyond, writes Patrick Roach The NASUWT recognises the vital work carried out by our committed and dedicated supply teachers during the Coronavirus pandemic. Supply teachers make a really valuable contribution to pupils’ […]

“No, Minister.” Why Ofqual’s independence is no joking matter

There is room for improvement of Ofqual, but its independence is crucial to a functioning system, writes this member of its standards advisory group Ofqual, the exams regulator, has been in the firing line this summer over the way in which A-level, GCSE and BTEC results were awarded. But we do need Ofqual and we […]

Delaying 2021 exams is a good idea – here’s why

Pushing exams back a few weeks next summer is the best option. Arguments for more major exam reform fall into a series of traps, writes Jon Coles It’s clear that the Covid-19 impact on 2021’s exam groups will be greater than on 2020’s. The debate about next summer’s GCSEs and A levels is already well […]

Have changing attitudes made masks this season’s must-have?

Laura McInerney explores Teacher Tapp data showing evolving attitudes to face coverings in schools Dystopia is not what it was. Photographs from World War II show children sitting behind small wooden desks, in tiny school rooms, wearing gigantic gas masks full of vulcanised rubber. Boxes for the masks hung around their necks, tied on with […]

Ministers can’t muddle their way through to summer 2021 exams

Schools needed a plan for next summer’s exams weeks ago. Without it, we are already risking another fiasco, writes Sarah Hannafin Many in government would clearly like to put this summer’s results debacle behind them, as statements in parliament and in front of the education select committee attest. But apologies, however sincere, will do nothing for […]