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5 October 2026

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Opinion

Making the vulnerable visible is how we will close gaps

Policy makers are able to really see vulnerable students for the first time, but will they choose to look? Ask Harry Quilter-Pinner and Kiran Gill “I had such an extreme reaction to being shouted at. I would often have big meltdowns.” It was when Tara’s headteacher understood that her mother had bipolar disorder that the […]

Covid adaptations have actually improved some aspects of school life

It’s not very new any more – and it certainly isn’t normal yet – but the adapted school day offers some benefits that might be worth keeping, says Tim Roach A month into term, the changes teachers have made to make their classrooms and their practices Covid-secure following several instalments of government guidance are now […]

Few certainties, but exams are fairest and should go ahead

Schools can be confident that Ofqual and exam boards have the tools to make summer 2021 exams fair, writes Dame Glenys Stacey Teachers and school leaders are working in truly exceptional circumstances with students both in school and at home, and to get them ready for GCSE, AS and A-level exams next summer. I know […]

Two out of 27. How government is failing the inclusion test

The government has only implemented two of 27 recommendations from the Timpson review of school exclusion. Cath Murray offers suggestions for how it could improve its score One of the Timpson review recommendations was quietly implemented over the summer. I like to think the change was made to pre-empt the findings of the online “Timpson tracker” we’ve been dropping hints […]

Special schools show how much the system’s resilience is being tested

We’re in it for the long haul but special schools are the canary in the coal mine of the school system’s resilience, writes Madelaine Caplin Despite the tiredness, there has been no better sight in the past fortnight than our classrooms being full of children again. We are all delighted to be fully re-open, but […]

Covid: We need data on learning loss and we need it fast

Summer exams will come too late to start learning useful lessons from Covid but we don’t have to wait that long, write Natalie Perera and John Moore The Covid-19 pandemic is arguably the biggest post-war challenge this country has faced. While the road to full recovery still seems a long way off, schools up and […]

How can school-charity partnerships help tackle lost learning?

With the national tutoring programme set to launch soon, a roundtable from earlier this year offers useful insights on making partnerships work effectively for all With students back in school after a year of disruption, teachers have their work cut out for them. Many will be trying to carefully balance the increased need for pastoral […]

Covid presents teacher recruitment gains but challenges lie ahead

The Covid recession presents teacher recruitment with short-term gains but now is not the time to ease off the recruitment and retention strategy, writes Jack Worh Before the pandemic, England’s school system was facing an increasingly severe challenge of training enough teachers to meet the demand caused by growing secondary pupil numbers and high leaving […]

Too many factors outside of heads’ control are causing anxieties to rise

Trying to earn the trust of communities while feeling untrusted by government is a recipe of sleepless nights, writes Alison Peacock I have worked within the teaching profession throughout my entire career, but I have never witnessed the levels of supreme professionalism that I am seeing in our schools and colleges right now. As chief […]