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5 August 2026

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Opinion

The huge ground inspectors are expected to cover will force them to cut corners

Ofsted has admitted that it struggles to recruit and retain its inspectors. Its new framework will leave those in post with a huge amount to do , leaving them with little choice but to cut corners, says Ian Hartwright Ofsted stands at a crossroads. With limited resources and under pressure to resolve issues about the […]

Working out what’s the right thing to do

Teachers are often given the excuse: “I did it because I saw John doing it…” It’s not surprising as students, like everyone else, follow norms and do what others do, either because it’s expected (what researchers call injunctive norms – what you’re told to do) or because it’s prevalent (what researchers call descriptive norms). Prevalent […]

Inspectors will talk to teachers, not look at spreadsheets

Worried about the new inspection framework? Amanda Spielman seeks to allay concerns over “a couple of things” that she knows are worrying some people This week marked an important milestone for me personally, for Ofsted, and I hope, in time, for school leaders and teachers. On Tuesday we published the new Education Inspection Framework and […]

Deep dives: Will Ofsted’s plan to check up on the curriculum really work?

Ofsted has finally revealed more about how it will rate the quality of education in schools across England under its new inspection framework. Tom Richmond looks below the surface at whether it will work. ‘Top-level view’, ‘Deep dive’, ‘Bringing it together’ – no, this is not a collection of cheesy management jargon from the corporate […]

Developing pupils’ vocabulary is about more than words

In their 2017 report Early Language Development: needs, provision, and intervention for preschool children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, James Law et al wrote:  “A child’s ability to put words together may be a better predictor of later abilities than the number of words they know.” The implication is that if we want to enhance a […]

Is it the system that needs to change, or school leaders?

Katy Theobald went to the other side of the world to learn about innovative education systems. What she found was innovative schools… Educators have been working hard in the past decade to meet the increasing expectations set for them by government. Whether it was the shift from levels to expected standards at key stage 2, […]

Substance over style is the key to great school leadership

Researchers’ shift in the consensus on school leadership is welcome, but the conversation doesn’t end here. A focus on the expertise of school leaders – rather than their individual traits or generic management competency – is a better route to improving education, argues Tom Rees The renewed debate around school leadership is an important one. […]

Here’s how exclusions accountability could work …

The Timpson review is an attempt to address a small but significant issue; the pretence of school improvement through cohort change with a consequential negative impact on children and young people’s life chances.  Recommendation 14 reads, “DfE should make schools responsible for the children they exclude and accountable for their educational outcomes . . .” […]

Turnaround school leaders must be able to exclude to keep pupils safe

There is much to admire about Edward Timpson’s review of school exclusions, starting with his clear statement that schools must be calm and safe places, with strong behaviour cultures. Every parent wants their child to go to a school that is safe and where learning can take place in an orderly environment. Parents should not […]