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26 April 2026

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Opinion

Secondary moderns must have a voice, too

Grammar schools are back in the news with Nicky Morgan’s approval of a Kent school’s expansion. But they’ve never been away, with one in five students in England attending a school affected by academic selection The National Association for Secondary Moderns (NASM) sees the expansion of a Kent grammar school as a chance to raise […]

Why we’re not ‘shunning Islam’

Schools Week invited the Catholic Education Service to give more details about its decision to change how it teaches RE at GCSE (Schools Week, November 6). It is a decision, says the service, that has been much misinterpreted . . . Many of the recent headlines about the teaching of RE in Catholic schools have […]

Remembrance is now a brand – what place does it have in schools?

The visibility of Remembrance within the public realm has grown significantly over recent years. This has been driven by the Royal British Legion, which raises nearly £42million with the Poppy Appeal, almost twice the amount of a decade ago. Activities associated with the appeal now extend into entertainment, shopping, the Poppy Lottery, and education. The […]

‘Why the National Reference Test trial should reduce worry about comparable outcomes’

Ofqual trials its national reference test next year, the first big step in gaining information to help to refine GCSE awarding. Earlier this year we announced our plans to develop and pilot a national reference test. Some teachers, parents and students are understandably concerned about “yet another test”, but others are positive, appreciating why we think it right […]

Proactive approach to retention

As leaders we need to be creative in our approach to recruitment, but we also need to look carefully at retention. With compulsory EBacc and Progress 8 at secondary, the demand for specialist teachers is soaring. Similarly at primary, we’re all looking for teachers of reading, writing and mathematics who are excited by the ambition […]

5 Ways Schools Can Work Together On Recruitment

Recruitment: is it a “challenge” or even a “crisis”? Or have we never had it so good in terms of vacancies filled? Is it the best time ever to be a teacher, as schools minister Nick Gibb has recently said, or are ministers sleepwalking while school leaders scratch their heads to find ever more inventive […]

Leaders from other successful education systems are surprised by the imbalance in England

This week CfBT is launching its new report “Interesting Cities: five approaches to urban reform”, comparing the approaches used to improve schools in five cities across the world (London, New York, Dubai, Rio de Janeiro and Ho Chi Minh City). Each of these cities has achieved remarkable education improvements. Some aspects of what was achieved […]