Opinion

My last research piece in these pages looked at the difficulties facing schools when addressing a whole-community issue (fitness and obesity), but what are the challenges when trying to get the community to support a school issue? The research on parental engagement has been fairly consistent over the past few years. It is clear that […]

A small number of schools are failing to improve under the current system. For them, a new approach is needed, writes Amanda Spielman When discussions turn to Ofsted, despite the vast majority of the sector being in favour of our new framework and our overall approach, a common refrain is that inspection is not supportive […]

The underachievement of white, working-class boys has made the headlines again this Christmas. But what does it take the get them to succeed? Atlantic Academy principal, Lesley Bishop is on a mission to find out If we are serious about ending the perennial problem of white working-class boys’ academic underachievement, there are no shortcuts. Stereotyping […]

There’s something wrong with the honours system if it rewards independent school heads and omits more worthy recipients of recognition for services to education, writes Dan Townsend Andrew Halls has been the Headmaster of King’s College Wimbledon for twelve years, one of the highest achieving independent schools in the country. This year, he made the […]

The school inspectorate’s Fight or Flight report is a damning admission of its own failures, writes Mary Bousted. But it could also be the first step in a bold new direction I wonder if today’s Ofsted report on stuck schools is the start of a new approach on behalf of the schools’ inspectorate? For years, […]

Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s top adviser, has caused a stir with a blog post pledging widespread reform of the civil service. Here, former Department for Education and Cabinet Office staffer Natalie Perera gives her response. In his now infamous blog, Dominic Cummings (in his signature, forthright style) calls for applications from a range of disciplines, […]

Andy Mellor, the past president of the NAHT, has left his role at St Nicholas Church of England primary school in Blackpool. Here, he explains why he believes he can do more for children from outside the profession than from within. The other evening as I drove down the M55 from Blackpool, I pondered the […]

Schools with more pupils from deprived backgrounds are still less likely to be judged ‘good’. Ofsted must do more to understand the challenges they face, argues Stephen Tierney. Last night on a dark, wet and windy night in Blackpool, a hardy group of staff from Christ the King, St. Cuthbert’s and Westminster Academies shifted six […]