Skip to content
5 August 2026

Become a member today for unlimited access to Schools Week

Enjoy expert journalism on schools policy with fewer ads and exclusive benefits
subscribe

Opinion

What does Gavin Williamson’s leaked education plan mean for schools?

A leaked government document offers a glimpse at what the new education secretary wants for schools, but there’s no guarantee he’ll get it, writes Freddie Whittaker. Yesterday, the Guardian published a story based on a leaked document outlining the new government’s proposals for the school system, including plans for a funding boost, a renewed push […]

Can statistics tell us if a school is inclusive?

Provision for SEND pupils is in the news again, but the story isn’t as simple as it seems, warns Karen Wespieser. Recently, a number of newspapers have reported a decline in inclusive mainstream schools. The story seems to have started in Leeds, where the regional press reported how special educational needs children “forced out of […]

GCSE results 2019: Centre Variability – How Normal Are Your GCSE Scores?

GCSE results are out. Each year Ofqual produce boring-sounding variability charts.  They sound boring, but they show how many centres, (schools or colleges), dropped or increased their results compared with the previous year. For example, if your school dropped 25 per cent in one subject, you can see how many other schools also had the […]

New rules on exam readers could become a headache for schools

A change in the rules on reading assistance in exams for pupils with special needs could cause a jump in the number receiving such assistance next year. Can we quantify such a potential rise and what will it mean for schools, asks Barney Angliss. JCQ’s decision to change the rules on what it requires from […]

Six ‘quick wins’ for Gavin Williamson

With an election looming, the new education secretary will need some quick announcements up his sleeve that will actually help schools, says Ollie Lane. The education views of the new secretary of state, Gavin Williamson, are not widely known and many are wondering what his priorities might be. But as a true politician, and part […]

The children’s commissioner is wrong about children in care and school Ofsted grades

Exclusively sending vulnerable children to ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ schools is narrow-minded, unattainable and not in the best interest of the pupil, argues John Cosgrove. “We want to see children in care placed in good or outstanding schools only,” Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner for England, writes in the Stability Index report 2019, published earlier this month. […]

Dear Gavin Williamson, it’s time to invest in teachers’ development

The new education secretary must prioritise targeted investment in teachers and school leaders, argues Melanie Renowden. At Ambition Institute, we know that the quality of teaching and school leadership are the best levers – within control of the school system – for improving pupil outcomes, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Evidence shows us that […]

Schools can no longer close the gap for disadvantaged pupils

Over the past year, disadvantaged children have fallen even further behind their more affluent classmates in terms of GCSE attainment, which could signal the start of growing educational inequality, writes Jo Hutchinson. In the face of mounting financial pressures and disappearing wider social support, we can no longer say that the gap is on course […]