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5 August 2026

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Opinion

7 ways to reinvigorate the free schools policy

Since 2010 free schools have helped to transform our education system, bringing high standards, new innovations from which other schools can learn and, perhaps most importantly, helping to dispel the notion there are some kids who ‘just can’t succeed’. But the momentum behind education reform and free schools has stalled because of Brexit’s dominance over […]

4 key questions to progress the MAT governance debate

The ongoing rhetoric of an emerging and evolving MAT system has been a popular one. In the National Governance Association’s new report – Moving MATs forward: the power of governance – we argue the understanding and practice of MAT governance has to move on. Different approaches to MAT governance have been tried and tested: some […]

Knife crime: why a slogan on a T-shirt is not enough

When the student council of a north London secondary met to discuss knife crime, the discussion soon moved away from traditional campaign tactics, says Gerry Robinson In a recent school council meeting our students were discussing how they could lead a campaign against knife crime. There were the anticipated suggestions – poster campaigns, speaking in […]

The patterns and trends that shape pupils’ lives

These three studies used different methods to explore phenomena affecting young people, whether transitions and attainment, special needs and disability, or family life. Bart Shaw and Dr Will Cook previewed study findings that shows pupils’ perception of their academic ability dips dramatically once they start secondary school. This comes from an ongoing project that LKMco […]

I am a classroom teacher and I want isolation booths

Isolation rooms are calm, orderly environments with a clear routine. And behaviour is better in schools that have them, says Steve Garnett The older I get the more irked I become by the nonsense on social media, especially from EduTwitter types who should know better. Some people seem to have lived their career in a […]

Numbers alone can’t tell us that off-rolling has taken place

Schools sometimes put their interests first when a child is removed from their roll – which is why Ofsted is determined to look at any unusual pattern of pupil movement, says Dan Owen Children and parents up and down the country are being quietly encouraged by school leaders to leave that community. In some cases, […]

We’ve got £200m to help solve youth crime – here’s how schools can apply

Schools across the country are doing their best to respond to issues outside their gates, as we see more teenagers being drawn in to crime and violence. According to the latest government figures, the number of convictions among 10-17 year olds has gone up by over 50 percent between 2014 and 2018. Understandably, schools are […]

Private schools need phasing out – and here’s how it can be done

A packed event held in the House of Commons entitled ‘Phasing Out Private Schools’ sought to kick-start a long overdue debate. Despite shadow schools minister Mike Kane attending, this received barely a whiff in the media – though it was the subject of sarcasm in a sketch by Jonathan Simons, formerly of right-leaning thinktank Policy […]