Opinion

A storm of dissatisfaction is brewing over results and if Ofqual don’t offer to change their position then ministers must make them, writes Sir Jon Coles It goes without saying that Ofqual have a tough job this year. An exam system with no exams. But they are in danger of getting it badly wrong. Schools […]

With the right planning and resources, online learning can be part of an offer that engages the whole community, writes Julian Drinkall Before lockdown, AET were already the largest user of Google classroom in the country, and I’m very proud that we have some preeminent experts in digital learning in our curriculum and technical teams. […]

Running ‘trust diaganostics’ has revealed the common challenges all MATs face in unlocking improvement in the coming months, writes David Carter When I first stepped into the trust CEO role ten years ago, I was set the challenge leading school improvement across three very different schools. Despite being one of the most vibrant, multicultural cities […]

This year’s appeals process will be far from straightforward, say Esther Maxwell and Geraldine Swanton. But schools can avoid unwanted disputes The cancellation of this year’s exams represents an unprecedented challenge to the awarding of grades. Ofqual’s consultation to decide how this should happen determined that awarding calculated grades provided the fairest means of promptly allowing […]

Students bring vitality back to school but there is precious little certainty about the future for independent school headteacher, Allana Gay Monday 29 June Being with each other brings vitality back into the building The final piece falls into place. After rewrites, reconsiderations and reviews, the timetable that brings all our class groups back is […]

League tables are here to stay, but a different approach could reduce volatility and have long-term benefits for schoo leaders too, write John Jerrim and Loic Menzies Unions and head teachers have said it would be unfair to compare schools’ performance next year, given the uneven impact of lockdown. They are right. There is clear […]

Our research shows the consensus view of how best to conduct effective professional development in education is flawed, write Sam Sims and Harry Fletcher-Wood Effective and sustained professional development is collaborative, subject-specific and practice-based, and should be supported by external expertise and teachers’ buy-in. So goes the consensus view of the research community. But in […]

This summer, around 800,000 16- and 18-year olds (Yr11 and Yr13) will be collecting their exam results and trying to decide what to do next. But this year is like no other and, as well as having had their exams cancelled, these young people are facing some serious challenges. The post Covid-19 economy will almost […]

It’s all give, give, give, but the gratification is forever delayed in this week’s lockdown diary from David Phillips