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5 August 2026

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Opinion

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 […]

Do academy trust CEOs really need a teaching background?

A successful head doesn’t always make the transition to a CEO role. We need to cast our net wider to recruit chiefs with passion, experience but also humility, says Michael Pain The emergence of the academy trust chief executive officer (CEO) role in recent years has only served to magnify the fact that the success […]

What happened when teachers stopped marking?

As part of the Department for Education (DfE) Workload Challenge, I was commissioned by Tarporley High School and Sixth Form college in Cheshire to study the effects of teachers not marking school work. Two reports published in 2016 (the DfE’s Reducing Teacher Workload: Marking Policy Review Group Report and the Education Endowment Fund’s Evidence on […]

Professional development on SEND is bottom of the pile

Special educational need CPD must be prioritised, says Karen Wespieser. The OECD’s latest data on teacher working conditions and learning environments includes a figure that sticks out like a sore thumb: just 6 per cent of teachers in England report “a high level of need for professional development in teaching students with special needs”. This […]

New handbook promotes the art of good governance

More than ever, trusts need to ensure that their governance arrangements are as robust as possible, says Phil Reynolds, as he talks us through the 2019 academies handbook Many people have been demanding the government take action on those who may have flouted the rules – and the latest academies financial handbook is a clear […]

Cost-cutting visits for capital cash doesn’t undermine academy autonomy

It’s emerged that successful bids in the last round of Condition Improvement Fund applications have come with unexpected strings attached. To get the cash for their projects, heads have to agree to a visit from a school resource management advisor (SRMA), have their finance and operations pored over, and act on any recommendations around how […]