Opinion | Schools Week

Opinion

The government must address ‘inexplicable variations’ in sixth form colleges’ A-level results

Sixth form colleges are reporting that their A-level results do not reflect the grades they provided, or three year…

Freddie Whittaker

BILL WATKIN

Opinion

What Oak Academy has done well, and how it can do better

The Oak National Academy has gone from nothing to national institution in just a few months. Here, its principal…

Freddie Whittaker

MATT HOOD

Opinion

5 tips for school leaders with reluctant returners

If you are in the world of teaching, it’s likely you were once a child who couldn’t wait to…

John Dickens

JANE HALLAS

Opinion

A results day guide to help schools navigate this year’s uncharted waters

Understandably, students and their parents may be unsure about how their grades are arrived at this year and what…

John Dickens

DR PHILIP WRIGHT

Opinion

5 reasons to be cautious about estimates of lockdown learning loss

Research estimating lockdown learning loss, published during the crisis, paints a grim picture of widening attainment gaps and long-term…

John Dickens

PROFESSOR GEMMA MOSS

Opinion

SBLs are the quiet Covid crisis heroes – they deserve a pay rise, too

Responding to a national crisis like Covid-19 takes a team – a team made up of not just teaching…

John Dickens

NATALIE ARNETT

Opinion

Suspensions among pupils back up during second year of pandemic

New rules bring consistency and clarity to fair access routes

Changes to the admissions code make everyone’s roles and responsibilities clearer and give every child a real opporutnity for…

JL Dutaut

TOMAS THUROGOOD-HYDE

Opinion

Our new network will drive special school improvement

Schools North East is the model for the new DfE-backed network to support business professionals in the special sector….

JL Dutaut

PAULINE AITCHISON

Opinion

Removing free travel will hurt those who need help most

Bailing out Transpost for London can’t be at the expense of young people’s access to education, write Andy Lewis…

JL Dutaut

ANDY LEWIS* and SEBASTIEN CHAPLEAU**

Must Read

Opinion: Curriculum review

Financial literacy matters – but maths isn’t the place for it

New research uncovers what young people want from financial education, why attempts to deliver it fail, and why maths…

JL Dutaut

Dr Helen Drury

Opinion: Curriculum

File image of girls and boys playing football at school

Euro 2025: How schools can keep the national pride growing

Celebrating the Lionesses’ historic win is a huge boost for girls’ sense of belonging in sport – but it…

JL Dutaut

Bilkis Miah

Opinion: Edtech

AI bias poses serious risks for learners with SEND

The promise of personalised learning masks very real risks that demand careful attention from educators and policymakers

JL Dutaut

Michael Finlay

ITT

Degree apprenticeships are key to increasing and diversifying recruitment

Work to deliver the new qualification should continue at pace to meet recruitment challenges by making teaching more accessible,…

JL Dutaut

Melanie Renowden

ITT

ITT: Which is the odd one out?

The deeply flawed ITT reforms are a threat to sustainable teacher supply for purely ideological purposes, writes David Spendlove

JL Dutaut

David Spendlove

EXAMS

Exams

How sitting an exam re-affirmed my respect for our students

I still believe exams to be the best way of testing academic knowledge and understanding but they’re no bagatelle,…

JL Dutaut

James Handscombe

Exams

The number of penalties handed out to students caught cheating has risen for a second year

The stereotype that could be feeding exam anxiety

The ‘snowflake’ stereotype is damaging and unjustified, but a more pervasive idea may be perpetuating exam anxiety, says Stephen…

JL Dutaut

Stephen Caldwell

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