Skip to content
26 April 2026

Become a member today for unlimited access to Schools Week

Enjoy expert journalism on schools policy with fewer ads and exclusive benefits
subscribe

Opinion

We are about to enter purdah

The looming general election will regulate the conduct of public bodies, including the DfE, local authorities – and schools. You might, for instance, face a four-month wait for a decision on an academy conversion Purdah, a word of Persian origin, means “curtain”. It’s also a word that we hear a lot of every four years […]

You’d be forgiven for thinking workload was a marginal issue

The Department for Education last week published the results of its Workload Challenge. It may have been launched with much fanfare, but the department’s reaction is little more than a damp squib According to education secretary Nicky Morgan, the aim of the Workload Challenge was to provide teachers with an opportunity to tell her about […]

College of Teaching: let’s just get on with it for now

The Claim Your College Coalition has put its proposals to the government for a College of Teaching open to everyone interested in education, with chartered membership reserved for practising classroom teachers. Since then, social networks have buzzed with complaints that membership should be solely for teachers. The coalition says that it’s worked hard to get […]

Is technology worth bothering with in education?

What do you do when you have a teacher with a PhD in astrophysics? Find a new method of learning so that pupils in other schools can share his knowledge . . . I’m not going anywhere near the problem of “evidence” or “proof” that technology has an impact in education. That would make for […]

Getting the message across (and it’s not about snow)

So you think it’s been a big week for education policy announcements? Well you would, because you’re involved in the sector. But what about the man and woman in the street? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but education gets in the news fairly frequently. (I mean, of course, you’ve noticed. After all, you’re reading […]

Why the Acas Code of Practice should change

The code discriminates against non-union staff who should be entitled to have a qualified person with them at any disciplinary hearing Business secretary Vince Cable recently announced that he was signing off a “minor” amendment to the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures after a year-long consultation. In the next breath he […]

Sacking leaders over times tables defies employment law – and common sense

Let’s get something clear from the start: children should learn times tables at primary school. They should have them thoroughly memorised so that they can spend their mental energy on problem solving; there is absolutely no contradiction between memorisation and creativity. Moreover, this process is not always going to be fun and there is hard […]

Like it or not: Reception assessments are looming

There are valid reasons for concerns about reception baseline assessment. But don’t be intimidated: it’s a chance to pick a good option that works for your school Primary schools in England are about to be presented with a choice of commercial schemes to act as a baseline for the new primary accountability policy. As I […]

Things to do before you buy 3D printers

First, train your staff. Then plan your curriculum – and think about leasing. It makes it easier to budget When I started as a graphic design teacher we used Camm-2 machines, where computers helped to direct machines. By the time I left, 10 years later, I was working alongside 3D printers and laser cutters. In […]