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5 June 2026

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Opinion

Policymakers need to think differently to make school reopening a success

The traditional civil service approach to decision making will not be enough to build parents’ and teachers’ confidence in a safe return, writes Natalie Perera A fundamental skill of the civil service is being able to weigh up a range of factors in order to reach a policy recommendation. It’s an important craft, particularly in […]

A ‘recovery curriculum’ or ‘recovery conversations’?

Recovery is about rethinking our values, not just rewriting our lesson plans, writes Mary Myatt It’s pretty obvious that we can’t just pick up, without missing a beat, exactly where we left off. We need to acknowledge the big event everyone will have experienced in terms of the lockdown – and for some, the significant […]

Can we educate teachers effectively in a remote learning environment?

Harry Fletcher-Wood looks at new evidence about how to educate teachers when face-to-face contact isn’t possible One problem schools face on reopening is how to help their teachers to keep improving. This is particularly acute for trainee and newly qualified teachers, both of whom have suffered from truncated training and school experiences this year. With […]

The phased return is starting. We must be ready for its challenges

Nevermind the tussle between government and unions, writes the Harris Federation CEO. This is how we’re getting on with the job of preparing for our students to return In the much-watched clip of BBC Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis blasting the myths of Covid-19, she said: “They tell us coronavirus is a great leveller. It’s not. It’s much, much harder […]

A week in the life of Ed Vainker

Following the Prime Minister’s Sunday evening announcement, Ed Vainker’s lockdown diary reveals a steady ship amid stormy seas

Governing boards will need even more flexibility as schools begin to reopen

As the NGA launches its 2020 governance survey, chief executive, Emma Knights praises the transformation of boards’ practices and warns of more challenges ahead There has been a revolution in the way governing board meetings are held. As with much of governance, it has been going on under the radar, but it has been a […]

A week in the life of David Preece

With university application season in disarray, UCAS coordinator, David Preece finds he is missing the joy of seeing those big decision moments in person Monday, May 4 It’s all happening so far away from normal. I miss it. It’s two weeks since our sixth form sent out a letter to students explaining what we knew […]

Why teacher expertise matters – now, and when schools reopen fully

As the government announce a gradual re-opening of schools, Cat Scutt looks at the challenges teachers will be facing and what they will need to begin closing the widening disadvantage gaps The closure of schools to most pupils is a key part of the approach to tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and fully reopening them too […]

Government promised transparency, but school leaders have been left in the dark

The response within Government to Covid-19 has been highly centralised, where decisions are conveyed but not necessarily explained. This has resulted in a ‘confidence gap’ for parents and the profession that will be hard to overcome. It could also result in schools making key decisions whilst completely in the dark about vital information. In the […]