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25 April 2026

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Opinion

How politics changed education in 2016

What would have seemed more likely at the start of the year, asks Natalie Perera. Brexit, more grammars or a new prime minister? Twelve months on and you’ve got the lot. It’s been a tumultuous year in politics. In generations to come, GCSE (or whatever the equivalent will be) students will be sitting exams and […]

Governor’s review 2016: Where does power really lie in multi-academy trusts?

This year has brought some much-needed clarity to the issue of multi-academy trust governance, says Naureen Khalid, as well as some  more predictable back-and-forth on parent governors, governor pay and mandatory training. This was the year when one of the multi-academy trusts, E-Act, took the step of renaming its local governing bodies (LGBs) somewhat more […]

The ups and downs of school finances have been exhausting to watch

It’s been a bumpy year, with school leaders left wondering who to watch for the next flurry of activity, says Matthew Clements-Wheeler. As I write this, my daughter is happily bouncing with her friends at a party in a nearby indoor trampoline park. This group of teenagers is the perfect metaphor for education policy, ministerial […]

Best education research of 2016 for schools

Stuart Kime carefully picks out his favourite pieces of research for 2016. He enjoys them all, but the publishers of academic journals and the funding streams of higher education leave him with a bitter taste. My experience of reading education research is similar to my experience of eating Quality Street: the Purple Ones are things […]

How SEND became a headline issue in 2016

There have been a few low points, but champions for pupils with SEND still emerged this year, says Anita Kerwin Nye. Many of the same variables have impacted learners with special needs in 2016 as other children: system restructure; the downplaying of lower-level and non EBacc qualifications; teacher recruitment and austerity. But for young people […]

The big topics for headteachers in 2016 (and reasons to be cheerful!)

It hasn’t been easy, but Liam Collins is determined to keep “the positive energy up”. I wanted to be more positive this year. So I wrote a list, and one side was much longer than the other. Still, I’m going to try to keep the positive energy up. To help, let’s take the classic structure […]

Best books of 2016 for teachers and school leaders

The best books 2016 had to offer, chosen by Schools Week features editor, Cath Murray.   1. Don’t Send Him in Tomorrow by Jarlath O’Brien   The beautifully written Don’t Send Him in Tomorrow rails against the “cloak of invisibility” over people with learning disabilities and suggests that every mainstream teacher should spend time in […]

School funding, grammars… 2016 has been ridiculous

If someone had said this time last year that by the end of 2016 I would be on the same side as Nicky Morgan and Lucy Powell and we’d all be trying to stop the first completely comprehensively-educated secretary of state from bringing back grammar schools I would have laughed in their face. 2016 has, […]