General

Tuesday

25th May 2021

Barbs about child-free teachers - a ‘punch to the gut’
Judging teachers based on whether they have children is unacceptable, says Caitlin McIntosh

Friday

21st May 2021

A longer school day? Why can’t we let children play?
An extended school day would eat into precious time for children to just be themselves after Covid, says Yvonne Williams
Finally: recognition that teachers handled Covid well
Nine in 10 parents say their child’s school has coped well – the sector has been vindicated, says Geoff Barton

Wednesday

19th May 2021

What did John Swinney achieve as education secretary?
In 2016, John Swinney was enthusiastically received but in past year, he faced two no-confidence votes
Masks: We may be guinea pigs, but I can hear pupils now
Despite concerns about the Indian variant, there are aspects of the decline of the mask that make me happy, says Sarah Ledger

Tuesday

18th May 2021

‘It’s time to deal the death blow to league tables’
School league tables are ‘demoralising and hugely unfair to our excellent teachers’, says head John Rutter

Monday

17th May 2021

Will the DfE’s new wellbeing charter have any impact?
The Education Staff Wellbeing Charter promises a new focus on mental health – but its effectiveness remains to be seen

Friday

14th May 2021

Is Covid catch-up just blustery rhetoric?
The promise of an ‘ambitious and long-term’ catch-up plan means nothing without proper funding, says Geoff Barton

Thursday

13th May 2021

CPD: How well are you reflecting on your practice?
Reflection is a key part of teacher professional development – and schools must support it, say two PRU leaders

Tuesday

11th May 2021

Ofsted is a threat to our mental health, not a saviour
Ofsted investigating teacher wellbeing is like the coronavirus investigating its impact on global health, says Stephen Petty

Monday

10th May 2021

Who will be the next education secretary?
A Cabinet reshuffle is inevitable after the SNP’s election win – but will John Swinney stay on as education secretary?

Sunday

9th May 2021

The CPD puzzle: why don’t teachers keep improving?
We have a tendency to plateau when it comes to professional development – reflection is the solution, says Mark Enser