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22 May 2026

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Opinion

‘The job that we love is being undermined’

Government policy on curriculum, exam and assessment is crippling headteachers. The result? There will be no one left to do the job . . . We have 23 years of headship experience between us, all of them in communities that face challenging issues. We are both national leaders of education (for now!) and we both […]

How to start addressing extremism in the classroom

Discussing extremism requires knowledge of a wide range of issues unconnected to the mainstream curriculum, as well as clarity, objectivity and the confidence to respond to difficult questions. Here are some suggestions as to how to frame the major questions — and approaches to answering them The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 introduced statutory obligations on […]

Let’s agree a standardised year-by-year curriculum for all schools

In my role as Director of Academies for a large multi academy trust, I know how important it is to recognise the local context of the schools that I work with. Yet if there is one area where all schools would benefit from central direction it’s in the field of curriculum and assessment. It’s difficult […]

How exam boards make sure GCSE and A level results are on a ‘level playing field’

Once again this year there has been outcries that “grade boundaries” have been moved so that it is “harder” to get a grade C. Below, Pearson’s Lesley Davies explains the boundary setting process. And, here, Ofqual goes through comparable outcomes and how it affects grade. The process of setting grade boundaries can seem complicated and […]

Comparable outcomes: How Ofqual makes them work in practice

Once again this year there has been outcries that “grade boundaries” have been moved so that it is “harder” to get a grade C. Below, Ofqual goes through comparable outcomes and how it affects grade. And, here Pearson’s Lesley Davies explains the boundary setting process. Our priority during summer awarding is to align standards between […]

Policy Exchange’s ‘resit levy’ will rob Peter to pay Paul

Policy Exchange’s “Crossing the Line” report explores “improving success rates among students retaking English and Maths GCSEs” and is a welcome acknowledgement of the funding difficulties faced in the further education (FE) sector, but presents a deeply problematic solution in a “per pupil levy” for schools where students fail to achieve a grade C. At […]

What would it take to break the link between A level results and family income?

From students jumping in the air, to accusations that exams are getting easier, A-Level results day wouldn’t be the same without the usual clichés. But what goes on behind those headlines? There are the young people who defied expectation and achieved brilliant results, usually with the support of teachers and parents who struggled to ensure […]