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25 April 2026

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Opinion

Summer review: Research of the year 2018-19

To mark the end of the school year, this column highlights some of the most interesting studies published in 2018-19.   Improving engagement and attainment in maths and English courses This report, from the Behavioural Insights Team, reviews three years of testing ways to improve student engagement and attainment in English and maths courses. The […]

The negativity over MATs is damaging – trust leaders need to speak up

The academy sector is evolving, but it takes time to lead and build an entire system, writes Tiffany Beck. MATs are for wiping your feet on, chief executive officers (CEOs) are evil, and trustees are their cronies. My worry is that these may too often be the impressions that some people are left with due […]

What to do when an inspector calls

Leaders should keep a cool head and take practical steps to prepare for the phone call from Ofsted, writes Ian Hartwright. School leaders tell us they are relieved that Ofsted has dropped plans to arrive on-site within a couple of hours of notifying a school of an inspection. But, from September, head teachers will be expected […]

Scrapping the QTS skills tests just passes the problem onto providers

By scrapping the QTS skills tests, the DfE is getting rid of its own barometer for aspiration, writes Professor David Spendlove. There has been some rejoicing that the 20-year-old numeracy and literacy skills tests requirements for trainee teachers are to be replaced at the end of the current recruitment cycle with a new system of […]

Why new research on the cost of academies vs maintained schools does not stack up

New research into the relative costs of academies and LA-maintained schools is flawed because it offers only a loose definition of the “middle tier”, argues Leora Cruddas. The report released today, Understanding the Middle Tier: Comparative Costs of Academy and LA-maintained School Systems, asks the right questions, but its conclusions are fundamentally flawed. I have […]

Mobile phones in the classroom: to ban, or not to ban?

Love them or loathe them, mobile phones are high in any popularity poll. Children often seem to have them glued to their hands. But do they have a place in the classroom? In June last year, Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector of Ofsted, said that she supported a ban in schools because they interrupted learning […]

Children affected by trauma must be allowed to thrive, rather than just survive

All schools need to be aware of children affected by trauma and have practical measures in place to help them, says Lynn Miles. But, she warns, there is no low-cost, quick-fix solution It is a sad fact that half the children in the UK will have suffered an adverse childhood experience (ACE) – including emotional, […]

I was a grizzled, senior lawyer. Now I teach history in south London

Chris Forsyth reflects on his move to the classroom with Now Teach My metamorphosis from a grizzled, senior business lawyer to teaching history at a South London academy was something I reflected upon recently when I attended the first conference held by Now Teach – the charity set up to recruit and support experienced career-changers. […]

The SEND funding system is failing to keep up with pupil needs

The SEND funding system is failing to keep up with pupil needs: here’s what the government should do, says Natalie Perera. Anyone working in education will be acutely aware of the growing demand to support pupils with more complex needs. New data by the Department for Education affirms this: it shows that the number of […]