Opinion

Sixth form colleges are reporting that their A-level results do not reflect the grades they provided, or three year trends. Here, Sixth Form Colleges Association chief executive Bill Watkin explains why government action is needed. There is a huge discrepancy between the teacher-led centre-assessment grades (CAGs) and the exam board algorithm-led calculated grades. Just 4 […]

Research estimating lockdown learning loss, published during the crisis, paints a grim picture of widening attainment gaps and long-term effects. But how robust are the findings? There are reasons to treat with care the reports put into the public domain so far. 1. Much of the research remains speculative Covid-19 and the school shutdowns it […]

If you are in the world of teaching, it’s likely you were once a child who couldn’t wait to return to school after the summer holidays: new pencil case, new classroom teachers, a chance to catch up with friends and the excitement of a new school year. While I hope you still feel that sense […]

Responding to a national crisis like Covid-19 takes a team – a team made up of not just teaching professionals, but experts in school business management too. Never has health and safety, estate management, and relationships with families, been so front and centre in the need to support young people access their education. Throughout this […]

Changes to the admissions code make everyone’s roles and responsibilities clearer and give every child a real opporutnity for a fresh start, writes one contributor to the consultation The new Admissions Code changes, covered by Schools Week recently, should be welcomed as the product of a great deal of thoughtful scrutiny and deliberation by colleagues […]

Schools North East is the model for the new DfE-backed network to support business professionals in the special sector. Its deputy director, Pauline Aitchison, explains its success While connectivity and collaboration are key improvement drivers for many aspects of school performance during normal circumstances, the coronavirus pandemic has illustrated that working together is vital in […]

Bailing out Transpost for London can’t be at the expense of young people’s access to education, write Andy Lewis and Sebastien Chapleau When March’s lockdown came, Londoners followed the government’s rules and stopped using public transport. This had a huge financial impact on Transport for London (TfL) and they, like many others, needed financial assistance […]