Opinion | Schools Week

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There is no single blueprint for inclusion bases

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3d | Opinion

Start by being clear about who the base is intended to support – and the needs it is there to meet

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Leadership can mean knowing when to let go

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We are transferring two schools. It is the right decision in the interests of the schools – and their pupils

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Why Ofsted’s deferral system needs an overhaul

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The welfare of staff and pupils should have a higher priority when a school requests an inspection deferral

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Voters back Burnham on education. The challenge is delivery

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The public agrees education is failing to serve its purpose. That's both a risk and an opportunity

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7d | Opinion
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What to do when parents say their child must have a mobile phone

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Policies must explain how exemptions will be considered and what evidence will be taken into account

3d | Opinion

A level results: A fiasco destined to be repeated?

For all the apologies, Mary Bousted says there is little sign government is willing or able to learn the lessons of how it got into this mess, with likely repercussions for next year’s final-year students Today should have been a day of celebration for students as they received their A level grades. It doesn’t feel […]

A level results: Predictable problems leave students and Ofqual under pressure

Failure to deal with predictable problems early on has only created more pressure for students, schools and Ofqual, writes Natalie Perera The process for awarding A Level and GCSE results this year has been fraught from the outset and made even worse by poor and ill-thought through communication from government. It is difficult, amongst this […]

This A level results mess could have been avoided

Only transparency about how calculated grades were arrived at can begin to fix the entirely avoidable unfairness of today’s A level results, writes David Holtham We all know we are operating in unprecedented times and have to accept undesirable outcomes, but today’s A level results fiasco is different. Unlike pupils missing months of education and […]

Appeals are key to ensuring no student is disadvantaged by statistical moderation

This year’s A level results are of equal value to results gained in any other year but we must learn from the turmoil students have faced, writes Sarah Hannafin In an unprecedented year, the revised system for awarding grades for A levels seems to have held up to the intense stress placed upon it. However, we […]

The government must address ‘inexplicable variations’ in sixth form colleges’ A-level results

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 […]

What Oak Academy has done well, and how it can do better

The Oak National Academy has gone from nothing to national institution in just a few months. Here, its principal Matt Hood sets out his end of year report. As teachers, we all know the power of feedback in helping our pupils improve. So as the end of term finally arrived, we worked with ImpactEd to […]

5 reasons to be cautious about estimates of lockdown learning loss

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 […]

A results day guide to help schools navigate this year’s uncharted waters

Understandably, students and their parents may be unsure about how their grades are arrived at this year and what that means for them. Some of them may have questions for their teachers, schools and colleges on results day. The prospect of offering advice may seem a little daunting, given the very different systems in place […]

5 tips for school leaders with reluctant returners

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 […]

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