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14 November 2026

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Opinion

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, […]

GCSE 2018 Variability Charts: Are Your Results Normal?

GCSE results are out. Each year Ofqual produces boring-sounding variability charts. It sounds dull but they show how many centres, i.e. schools or colleges, dropped or increased their results compared with the previous year. This means that if you dropped, say, 25 per cent in one subject, you can see how many other schools also […]

Why inset days should be like a driving awareness course

Teachers should get excited about inset days – after all, they’re a luxury most professionals don’t get, says Karen Wespieser, who shares some tips to inject the enthusiasm back into school-based CPD I need to make a confession. Following a period of intense learning and testing, I have for the past 18 years been doing a […]