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23 May 2026

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Opinion

South Asian – or ‘Shanghai’ – mastery maths, explained

This week the government announced £41 million of funding over the next four years to support the introduction of South Asian mastery mathematics into 8000 primary schools. Dr Mark Boylan explains the differences between the Shanghai method and schools in England South Asian mastery has attracted attention from government because of the relative success of Singapore […]

Educators should allow students to feel working-class pride

Tony Sewell gets some things right, but his rhetoric on social mobility should be approached with suspicion, says Garth Stahl Last week at the Festival of Education, Tony Sewell, chief executive of Generating Genius, made some interesting assertions regarding working-class youth, social mobility and the role of education. Sewell discussed his aggressive zero-tolerance approach to […]

The education of Muslim students in turbulent times

What have you been researching? I am looking at the education of Muslim students and in particular, Muslims’ expectations from education and educational leaders in contemporary societies, and Islamic faith schools. What are the main issues? In the wake of 9/11 and George Bush’s reaction, many young people were suddenly made aware that being Muslim […]

Apprenticeships: how the levy and hiring targets will affect schools and multi-academy trusts

In recent weeks, readers have asked how two key apprenticeship policies will affect schools and academy trusts. They sound similar, but are actually independent policies based on different criteria. Conflating them is easy, but wrong. Political reporter Freddie Whittaker, who knows his stuff on this, takes a look. First, there’s the apprenticeship levy. This is […]

PFI must not be put into the ‘too difficult’ drawer

PFI contracts can work, says Julia Harnden, but they also can have a negative impact on school finances PFI is an acronym that has caused huge controversy. The private finance initiative has transformed the social infrastructure of the UK, enabling arguably the biggest investment in schools, hospitals and other public projects since the Victorian era. […]

Why the new D&T curriculum was so badly needed

The new D&T GCSE specification became available this term to allow teachers to prepare for the changes that will be implemented from September next year. Steven Parkinson explains why it represents a real opportunity. Design and technology (D&T) is at a crossroads. One road leads off a cliff. At the bottom of the ravine lies […]

Ebacc is to blame for the decline of D&T

The numbers of teachers of creative subjects are declining, while design and technology is in its death throes. Ross McGill knows who to blame The Department for Education (DfE) forces teachers to work like Mr Benn, the cartoon character from the 70s. Every day, he leaves his house and arrives at a fancy-dress shop where […]