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22 May 2026

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Opinion

What policy conclusions can we draw from the A Level results in 2015?

Politicians often claim that results show their favoured policy reform worked – but do this year’s figures stand up to scrutiny? Editor Laura McInerney checks out the data.   Forty-five minutes after the release of today’s A level results a statement from schools minister Nick Gibb popped into my inbox, headed with three statements:   […]

So after all the huffing about A level resits – it matters exactly 0.1%

Today’s A level results have moved at fingernail pace. The overall pass rate is up 0.1% and the proportion of A* and A grades has moved down 0.1%. Don’t all faint with excitement, please. But there’s an important policy lesson here. This cohort were the first to sit AS and A2 exams without January resits. […]

Why having one exam board isn’t as smart as Nick Gibb thinks it is

Reports that schools minister Nick Gibb wants GCSEs and A levels to be provided by one exam board were greeted with a knowing smile from Michael Gove’s ex-advisor Sam Freedman: The burnt finger wobbles back to the fire… https://t.co/SlPlK4bmig — Sam Freedman (@Samfr) August 9, 2015 The burned fingers are his and his bosses. We […]

Andy Burnham and the too-vague really-lame education policy

“I will restore a local role in overseeing schools, rejecting the growing market of free schools and academies.” That’s it. That’s Andy Burnham’s big school vision as outlined in his manifesto. He will restore a local role in overseeing schools and new schools will not be academies. What a weird thing to pledge. For a […]

My school put in an email curfew and has reaped the benefits

Education secretary Nicky Morgan has suggested teachers should not respond to work emails after 5pm in a bid to cut down on their workload. Unions have already hit back at the suggestion, claiming Ms Morgan is “delusional”. Here, Mark Steed, principal of independent Berkhamsted School explains how an email curfew has changed the culture at […]

‘Sponsorship is not a cure all for improving coasting schools’

Professor Becky Francis gives us her view on academies and the new “coasting schools” definition, in light of the report she co-authored for the Sutton Trust. Since its inception in 2000, the size of the academies programme has increased dramatically. Five years ago there were about 200 academies, today there are well over 4,000. With […]

“Pupil mental health cannot be ignored”

News that pupil mental health is school leaders’ number one wellbeing-related concern is, unfortunately, not a surprise to me. Faced with daily concerns about the wellbeing of the children and young people they work with, headteachers, deputies, pastoral leads and all staff are asking themselves what can be done to address this issue, especially in […]

Peer mentoring as an alternative to exclusion

Tutors of school-leaving age can help to unlock hidden potential in pupils excluded from mainstream education In the face of ever-changing goals schools are having to run just to keep up. They are (rightly) judged for the continuous improvements of their students – and there is nowhere more difficult to achieve this than in alternative […]

Reporting on students’ religious views will squash classroom debate

The new powers of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act asks teachers to report on their students’ religious views as a matter of national security. This will squash open debate, free speech and political dissent, making schools fearful places for many pupils, says David Lundie Academics and community leaders roundly criticised the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act […]