education policy | Schools Week

‘The national funding formula: an easy guide’

Few would argue with the merits of a national funding formula and a fairer distribution of the current quantum. There have been historic winners and losers in school funding and, while a move to a national formula will address this inequity, the challenge will be how we transition from one funding system to another in […]

White Paper: QTS shake up masks recruitment struggles

On June 27, 2012, the world sat down to enjoy a spectacular Olympic opening ceremony. Everyone was watching. Well, everyone except the Department for Education (DfE), who had picked their moment to drop a bombshell: teachers would no longer be required to work towards qualified teacher status (QTS). Nearly four years on and the winds […]

White Paper: Erosion of local authorities could see a ‘wild west’ race to the bottom

The first thing that is striking about the White Paper is the change of tone from Michael Gove’s era as education secretary. While Michael Gove wanted to leave education up to the market and hope that “a thousand flowers will bloom”, Nicky Morgan has clearly decided the government needs to proactively boost capacity and give […]

White Paper: ‘Control freakery to the left of me, neglect to the right’

Education Excellence Everywhere is the title of the government’s education White Paper published today. Although it lacks the excitement promised by Enid Blyton’s The Naughtiest Girl in the School, there are similarities. Nicky Morgan’s introduction states that in 2010 the Conservatives “inherited an education system where one in three young people left primary school unable […]

White Paper: Why should Ofsted inspect at all?

Educational Excellence Everywhere is full of fascinating, contentious and highly problematic proposals on a whole range of issues. Here, I focus on one apparently minor proposal which if carried to its logical conclusion could mean the end of visit-based school inspection. The White Paper reports that “Ofsted will consult on removing the separate graded judgments […]

‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’ White Paper: What are the actual policies?

The first education white paper since 2010 has been released by the government today. But what does it actually say? I spent this morning picking through the 128 pages of ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’ to find what the government is saying it will do. Small projects that were already announced have not been included. Likewise anything […]

I worked on the last DfE white paper – and couldn’t resolve this academy mess

A new DfE white paper? Let’s hope it solves the academy mess, writes Matt Hood Tony Blair came to power in 1997 on a promise of standards and not structures. Ten years’ experience of transforming the public realm changed his mind. He left office reflecting that when it comes to raising standards it turns […]

‘This revolution in governance does not include barricades’

The multi academy trust is an increasingly common form of school governance. Should governors embrace the change or make more fuss as they lose their decision-making powers? A school governance revolution, arguably as fundamental as devolving local management to schools after the Education Reform Act 1988, is going on largely unnoticed in England. The changes […]

A former minister’s view: thoughts on the school-led system

Five areas need to be given priority if schools-led system is to become a reality English schools have a large measure of autonomy compared with many other countries. But this is qualified by some of the most important determinants of what happens in schools sitting with the Department for Education. The control of the curriculum, […]