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25 April 2026

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Opinion

Peer review can’t be a form of inspection – don’t confuse them!

Make sure that you don’t mix up peer review with inspection, but do ensure that both are effective, valid and reliable, says Leora Cruddas I was interested to read “Three things the government must do to better support MATs”, Michael Pain’s recent article in Schools Week in which he talks about a reformed inspectorate and […]

The last thing schools need is more structural change

School leaders want to focus on pedagogy, the curriculum and the purpose of education. Politicians, should not bog them down with more structural change, says Julie McCulloch It’s a fair bet that most parents don’t think about schools in terms of organisational structures, of multi-academy trusts, regional schools commissioners, brokering, headteacher boards, and the rest […]

‘Low-cost’ schools are an experiment worth backing

Don’t knock “low-cost” schools – they have the potential to improve efficiency across the sector, says James Croft Affordable fee-based private schools have a long tradition in England and, as late as 2012, the best value schools in the independent sector (from the point of view of both education quality and their low fees) were […]

What if it’s behaviour, not workload, that makes teachers leave?

Everyone knows the statistic: one in three teachers leaves in their first five years on the job. But what if it isn’t stress, or workload, or pay, that’s the issue? What if it’s pupil behaviour? Over the past year, as I’ve watched the daily replies of 2,500 teachers to the Teacher Tapp surveys, it has […]

How to incentivise schools to be more inclusive

What incentives are there for schools to be inclusive? Not many, says Anne Heavey, who has some suggestions on how to improve matters Here’s a question for you: What recognition do headteachers get for running schools that are inclusive for SEND learners? What are the systemic incentives to prioritise SEND provision in our schools? Beyond […]

Headteachers have more power to discipline staff

Recently updated schools guidance will make it easier for headteachers to discipline staff for “inappropriate” behaviour outside the school context, explains Graham Burns The Department for Education has published revised guidance for employers on staffing and employment in schools. In the main, the changes are just to update the document, but there is one important […]

Four finance mistakes academy trusts should avoid

Phillip Reynolds explains the big four finance rules academy trusts should be aware of The BBC’s screening of Panorama’s investigation into Bright Tribe Trust has again caused many to question the academies regime and the lack of scrutiny. But what lessons should all academy trusts be drawing from their mistakes? Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) monitoring […]

How can the government better support MATs?

With speculation rife that the national schools commissioner role might disappear, Michael Pain lays out what he thinks DfE priorites should be going forward As the academy trust sector waves goodbye to the national schools commissioner and enters a period of uncertainty around the long-term future of the role, it is useful to assess just […]

When do practicals work well in science?

Do pupils learn more science when they’re taught in classrooms – with the teacher explaining concepts –  or in labs, through pupil experimentation? Phil Naylor takes a look at what the research says, and shares some tips for effective science teaching “Are we doing a practical, sir?” screams the excited year 9 down the corridor, […]