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23 May 2026

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Opinion

The Post-16 Skills Plan: What do school leaders really need to know?

The government’s new Skills Plan describes significant changes to vocational qualifications for post-16 pupils  – but what does it mean for schools? Editor Laura McInerney explains the relevant parts.   When post-16 education changes are announced it can be difficult for schools to know which bits will affect them. Today’s announcement of a Skills Plan […]

Why the government’s computer science strategy is completely wrong

Gerald Haigh is not surprised that a government committee reckons millions of adults lack basic knowledge about computers. And he suspects things won’t get better until a 2014 curriculum change is looked at again A recent report from the science and technology select committee says that millions of UK adults lack the basic digital skills required […]

How useful are the KS2 maths SATs test results?

The key stage 2 SATs results are out, but how useful are the results? asks Anne Watson, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Oxford The aim of the new key stage 2 curriculum was to raise the standard of mathematics and make sure pupils were ready for secondary mathematics, and the test had to adhere to […]

Where are we now with special needs?

Schools in England are half way through the implementation of the biggest special educational needs and disability (SEND) reforms in a generation. The start of the process saw every school implement three immediate reforms to the way SEND is addressed: SEN information reports, SEN support, and education, health and care plans (EHCPs). Malcolm Reeve looks […]

SEND: Thinking the unthinkable

Poor choices for parents and pupils; funding cuts; academisation; dwindling local authority budgets: dark clouds are hanging over SEND reform, says Barney Angliss David Cameron teased up last autumn’s spending review, thus: “…with a smarter state, we can spend less and deliver more.” Reform of special education needs and disabililities (SEND) has not been particularly […]

What is the NUT strike about and will it make a difference?

NUT members in England will take national strike action on Tuesday. Any strike by teachers grabs news headlines and often divides opinion, within and beyond the profession. So why are NUT members going on strike and will it make any difference? asks Howard Stevenson Any industrial action in the UK must be based on a legal ‘trade […]

School governance: 3 key issues right now

Emma Knights, chief executive of the National Governors Association, outlines three big issues with school governance raised at the Festival of Education. The discussions on governance at the festival very much confirmed others across the country and in Westminster since my Schools Week column last term, but three things particularly struck me. First, how little […]

What do the best education system leaders do?

When I describe system leadership, what I mean is the way that groups of talented leaders work together to form plans and take decisions that have an impact on the outcomes and experiences of children in a whole community, and not just the school they attend. Why is this important?  When we are planning something […]