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25 April 2026

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Opinion

The history of education white papers

We now await the government’s grammar school white paper. There is a tussle of views: will it be before the pre-election campaign period starts or will ministers wait until after Article 50 and the union conferences? (Or, perhaps, will they use those two as cover and slip it out in the middle, thus proving they […]

‘Standard’ and ‘strong’ GCSE pass rates: what is Greening talking about?

Education secretary Justine Greening announced today that a grade 4 will now be considered “a standard pass”, while grade 5 will be called a “strong pass”. So what’s this all about? Laura McInerney explains. Just when you thought the C-grade threshold problem was all but gone in education, Justine Greening decides to drag us all […]

What does high challenge teaching look like?

To define “high challenge” is almost impossible, says Heather Fearn. Teachers must use their expertise to ask themselves what actions will best move their class forward “further, faster” at any time What does high challenge teaching look like?” “Easy: make the work harder.” “OK, another question – what is harder work?” “Er . . . […]

Stop talking about a mental health crisis in schools

The Department for Education has announced plans to run wellbeing trials in schools, but we should beware of too much talk of a “mental health crisis”’ in schools or it risks becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy, says Helene Guldberg If young people are repeatedly told they have a disorder when they face challenging emotions and experiences, […]

SEND learners are airbrushed from education policy

Influential literacy reports by leading think tanks and charities have ignored the thousands of children who will never catch up in reading and writing but who can still achieve a full and rounded education, says Chris Rossiter “Dyslexia isn’t even a thing”; “exam extra time is a middle class purchase”; “the dyslexia industry selling specialist […]

No more ‘divide and conquer’ in education

The decision taken by members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) to amalgamate into a single union, the National Education Union (NEU), is significant and historic. It is a recognition that times are changing, and that teacher unions are changing too. The trend towards union mergers […]

Do we really need a guide to English pronunciation?

The English Pronouncing Dictionary is the classic British guide to pronunciation of the English language. Written by Daniel Jones, it was first published by JM Dent & Sons in 1917 and is now in its 18th edition, published by Cambridge University Press. But 100 years on, does anyone really need a guide to “standard” English […]

How to build an effective education campaign

If you’re having trouble getting your campaign noticed, keep it simple, get the evidence and support – and embrace technology, suggests Elin De Zoete A single school or charity often has a difficult time getting its message across, but when groups and organisations with similar aims come together the results can be impactful. Here are […]

How did schools come to talk like business?

Headteachers and leaders of academy trusts should be paid well, says Anita Kerwin-Nye. Just don’t justify their high salaries with the language of the corporate boardroom I have written before for Schools Week about the importance of language influencing practice, particularly in inclusion. Perhaps it is now time to consider how easily we have adopted […]