Opinion

Coasting concept is ‘fatally flawed’ for comprehensive and grammar schools

A school will be deemed to be coasting if 60% of its pupils fail to achieve 5 GCSE grades…

Nicky Phillips
Nicky Phillips
Opinion

“Our primary goal should be to make exams better, not harder”

Last week, Schools Week put schools minister Nick Gibb and OCR chief executive Mark Dawe head-to-head to answer: “Should…

Sophie Scott
Sophie Scott
Opinion

“The government has signalled it no longer trusts the validity of Ofsted”

The Government’s announcement on coasting schools has far reaching consequences. The government should be very concerned (but won’t be)…

Sophie Scott
Sophie Scott


Opinion

I gave evidence to MPs on the Education Bill, but here’s what I REALLY wanted to say…..

I was invited to give evidence to the scrutiny committee for the second reading of the Education & Adoption…

Sophie Scott
Sophie Scott
Opinion

2,833 or 1,179 – how many schools will fall under the new coasting definition?

Yesterday, Schools Week reported on analysis by Education Datalab which showed almost 1,200 schools would be defined as “coasting”,…

Sophie Scott
Sophie Scott
News, Opinion

5 things bothering me about the ‘coasting schools’ definition

Today was the first day of the Education Bill committee stage. To celebrate the ‘coasting schools’ definition was revealed….

Nick Linford
Nick Linford
Opinion

Lunchtime: the most important break of the day

Ofsted regularly focuses on lunchtime behaviour. To get the precious hour right needs creative thinking and carefully planned whole-school…

Nicky Phillips
Nicky Phillips
Opinion

Mayday, mayday. Too many changes, too often

Independent schools want new regulations to be introduced just once a year – let’s say published on May 1…

Nicky Phillips
Nicky Phillips
Opinion

High noon in the Ofsted corral

Many of the “desperate” reforms are welcome, but on their own do not re-establish the watchdog’s credibility Ofsted is in…

Nicky Phillips
Nicky Phillips

Must Read

Opinion: Accountability

How Ofsted can ensure inclusion and equity go hand in hand

Ofsted must ensure its new framework for inclusion is applied consistently and fairly in every school

JL Dutaut
Lee Elliot Major
The Curriculum Conversation

How to embed oracy as the national curriculum’s ‘fourth R’

Weaving oracy through all subjects can be focal point for breathing new life into the curriculum as a whole….

JL Dutaut
Geoff Barton
Opinion: SEND

A golden opportunity to help fix our broken SEND system

A new consultation invites schools and trusts to lead the way in fixing our broken SEND system

JL Dutaut
Andrew O’Neill

ITT

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 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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