Opinion: SEND

The real SEND story behind the OBR shock

One trust leader calls for caution over shock estimates of the potential impact of SEND funding

John Dickens
Wayne Norrie
Letters to the editor

This week’s best responses from our readers

Another way for school readiness, why phone bans ARE the brave choice and enrichment's GCSE blinkers problem

Freddie Whittaker
Various
Opinion: school funding

5 helpful ways ministers can support schools to cut costs

With this week's budget expected to offer little for squeezed schools, one trust leader outlines suggestions for ministers to...

John Dickens
Keziah Featherstone
Opinion

A curriculum without a (skills) passport can’t take off

The government is committed to enrichment for pupils, but if it’s not measured, it’s not valued, says Peter Swallow....

Freddie Whittaker
Peter Swallow
Opinion

What next after RE’s ‘historic’ moment?

Ending local authority control of the RE syllabus and bringing it into the national curriculum means our sector can...

Freddie Whittaker
Sarah Lane Cawte
School structures

Why the MAT debate misses the real opportunity

School-led partnerships offer the benefits of trusts without the restructuring, and work for schools that want to collaborate but...

John Dickens
Stephen Hall
The Boardroom Leader

Why mergers succeed, and what we can learn from those that don’t

Trusts that bear the battle scars of past mergers show us that a match of values is more important...

John Dickens
Samira Sadeghi
Opinion: GAG pooling

Our GAG pooling didn’t go to plan. Here’s what we learned

REAch2 set out to resolve funding inequity across its schools by pooling its funding. It had to pause the...

John Dickens
Cathie Paine
Opinion: Solutions

5 lessons from top trusts on parent communication

Families do not always feel listened to or understood in school communications. Here's some top tips to resolve that...

John Dickens
Jessica Shepherd