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26 April 2026

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Opinion

Fine tuning the school leadership team

Schools use the phrase “school business manager” rather than “school business leader”. It’s time that was changed As Sarah Jones pointed out recently that school business managers (SBM), with headteachers and governors, are the “trinity” of school leadership, with all three necessary to achieve outstanding and effective leadership (Schools Week, January 10) As a headteacher […]

Schools must do more than ask ‘What will you be when you grow up?’

A question people always ask when you’re growing up, is “what do you want to be when you’re older?” At the time you might have answered something like “footballer” or “pop star”. But once reality bites and you realise you probably aren’t going to end up as David Beckham or Beyoncé many adults then go […]

11 Things You Might Have Missed In Ofsted’s ‘Most Able Students’ Report

Headlines today are focusing on Ofsted’s disappointment at schools over the progress of ‘most able’ students. Having a go at schools is an easy soundbite. It gets onto tv, it gives teachers a ‘kick’, it plays well to people who feel their child’s genius isn’t adequately recognised. But the soundbite misses out the 34 pages […]

The true value of arts education

Two organisations in Norfolk have formed a partnership to make sure that the ideal environment for fostering creative education fits comfortably alongside the day-to-day running of schools It is no secret that the government is pushing hard to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in schools right through to university choices. No one will […]

Three ways to heal a failing school

Rapid remedial action is needed: Try a three-pronged approach of raising expectations, earning the trust of staff and prioritising student achievement Raise expectations Failing schools can be desperately sad places where weary teachers and rattled students engage in damage limitation to get through the day. A school in this state can’t be coaxed to health; […]

Governor’s Corner: How we are tackling the A level changes

Exam reforms have prompted a Northampton school to construct a new extended enrichment curriculum for year 12 students The rushed reform of A-levels in England has presented school leaders and governors with real headaches. At the most basic, these pains are about what courses to offer and what advice to give year 11 students about their […]

How to reduce teacher workload? The answer is simple…

Cut time in the classroom to one-third. It will be expensive, but it is what teachers need have a radical solution to stop the endless workload rhetoric offered by politicians in lip-service conferences typically attended by few classroom teachers, but filled instead with school leaders, policymakers and educators. When the outcomes of the Department for […]

A duty of care on the sports field

Rugby union is a compulsory sport in many independent schools. Are they putting themselves at risk by compelling under-16s to play the game? A school’s legal duty of care to its pupils applies to sport as to every other aspect of school life. Sport must be taught and games supervised with a degree of “reasonable […]

Pastoral interventions can help to raise student achievement

A greater emphasis on pastoral care to remove barriers to learning has increased attainment at a 1,600-pupil academy Student welfare is a hot topic. January started with worrying reports of young people suffering from poor mental health and the think-tank, 2020health, has recently suggested that heads of well-being may help schools to combat poor physical […]