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14 November 2026

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Opinion

What I learned from the Shanghai maths teacher exchange

The UK can certainly learn from the Far East, says Caroline Hamilton, but cultural context is key, and what our teachers need most is time-efficient professional development Two years ago, I was fortunate to be part of the Shanghai exchange as part of the Maths Hubs initiative. The experience was fascinating, and not at all […]

Where did maths mastery come from?

The roots of some ‘Asian’ teaching approaches lie closer to home than you might think, observes Mark Boylan Read or hear the word “maths” in England right now, and you’re likely to see or hear the word “mastery”, too. Teaching for mastery is both the name of the government’s preferred teaching approach in maths and […]

How do we improve diversity in the media without tokenism?

Every summer, Schools Week publishes a count of how many women vs men – and how many BAME contributors – have been represented in the publication’s expert articles, front pages and profile interviews over the school year. Here Cath Murray considers why representation is important, explains how Schools Week has worked to improve it, and presents this […]

Politicians, like pupils, need high expectations

Schools are the most hopeful places in the world. Over the past week I hope you’ve had a chance to see at least one prize evening, or school play, or end-of-year assembly, or any of the other celebrations that reflect the joy of children making their way into the world, and the hard work of […]

New relationships and sex education guidance is here – but does it do the job?

Teachers are crying out for clarity on what they can teach in relationships and sex education classes, but does draft guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) give it? Lucy Emmerson, director of the Sex Education Forum, looks at the detail. We’ve waited nearly 20 years and finally the revamped government guidance on relationships and […]

A ‘marginal gains’ approach to teacher recruitment is not enough

Short-term tinkering after a decade of disruption will not reverse dwindling numbers, warns David Spendlove. The government needs to think hard about why the profession is becoming less appealing The recently published School Workforce in England data for 2017 showed a continuation in the downward trend, with 5,300 (1.2 per cent) fewer teachers than the […]

5 things schools should know about early-years education

Children get profound, long-lasting benefits from their earliest exposure to teaching, from academic and non-cognitive development to better health and careers later in life. Research also shows that their teachers’ professional development is key, says Alison Peacock Early years education is perhaps one of the most contentious areas of pedagogical practice. Of late it has […]

The Daily Mile is no magic bullet

The low-cost, straightforward and high-profile Daily Mile initiative is drawing wide support, says Andy Daly-Smith, but there is limited evidence thus far for its effectiveness. Schools should focus on fundamental movement skills, fitness, positive behaviour and passion. The newly published second chapter of the Government’s childhood obesity plan argues that all schools should adopt an […]

Can Damian Hinds do the maths on teacher pay?

Over the past few weeks, the education secretary Damian Hinds has been trying to solve a complicated maths problem. He’s likely to come under public pressure from the independent School Teachers’ Review Body, which is expected to recommend a substantial pay rise of about 3 per cent. If he refuses, Hinds will face an autumn […]