Opinion | Schools Week

Opinion

GCSEs, A-levels and other school qualifications should be scrapped

We should get rid of GCSEs and A-levels and make universities design their own entrance systems, argues Ed Cadwallader…

Ed Cadwallader

Opinion

School leaders: your ‘5 or above’ GCSE percentage is a headline measure

A lot of school leaders don’t seem to realise that the new “5 and above” rate is the measure…

Laura McInerney

Opinion

GCSE Results 2017: Are changes in your results normal?

GCSE results are out. Each year Ofqual produces boring-sounding variability charts. It’s a dull name, but very important data….

Laura McInerney

Opinion

The reformed GCSEs are the qualifications this country needs

My daughter may not get the top grade but I’m cheering in the new GCSEs because they promise to…

Expert Contributor

Opinion

GCSE reforms: So… um… how exactly have they helped low-attaining pupils?

It’s nice to see Nick Gibb explaining how harder GCSEs are going to lift all standards. It must be…

Laura McInerney

Opinion

Which accountability measures should schools prioritise?

With the DfE and Ofsted making clashing requirements, Liam Collins is forced to wonder which accountability measures and diktats schools…

Liam Collins

Opinion

A-levels 2017: School leaders, are your results normal?

A-level results are out, and Ofqual has released its usual series of graphs showing the dips and rises in…

Laura McInerney

Opinion

A-level results 2017: How Schools Week will report the day and what to look out for

Editor Laura McInerney explains how we are going to report Thursday’s A-level results For the past two A-level results…

Laura McInerney

Opinion

Ignore the rise in school-led teacher training routes – universities are here to stay

The Department for Education’s recent Teacher Training Performance Profiles for 2015/16 prompted inevitable cries in the media of “the…

Expert Contributor

Must Read

Labour’s first year

Six priorities for Bridget Phillipson’s second year at the helm

Labour has broadened the definition of success for schools. Here’s how it can now ensure everyone works towards this…

JL Dutaut

Liz Robinson

Letters to the editor

Letters to the editor, 5 September 2025

Schools Week’s legendary cartoonist hangs up his pen, perceptions of behaviour diverge, and a data disaster looms

JL Dutaut

Opinion: Accountability

How we’ll go further to ensure the consistency of our inspections

Roll-out of the new framework will be complemented by measures to ensure inspection outcomes are valid and reliable,

JL Dutaut

Rory Gribbell and Dr Verena Braehler

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

University clearing: How teachers can support students

All the important details school staff need to help youngsters through clearing this year

John Dickens

Sam Sykes

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

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