UK
The latest news, analysis and thought leadership for UK schools
Tuesday
26th May 2026
Social media ban for under-16s is ‘no panacea’, say heads
Responding to the government consultation, the NAHT school leaders’ union also warns of the risks of an ‘overreliance’ on edtech and AI tools in schools
SEND reforms: Special schools’ fears over funding and demand
Responding to the consultation on the government’s SEND reforms, organisations from the specialist sector raise concerns about financial support and a lack of ‘clarity’ in the plans
Co-headship: could this model from China work for schools worldwide?
Are two heads really better than one? Emma Seith talks to two leaders operating in a co-principal model to find out about the benefits and the issues, and why it could be an approach for other international schools
Heads welcome falling rolls inquiry
Union leader calls for steps to protect staffing levels as schools face falling rolls driven by birth rates and cost-of-living crisis
Friday
22nd May 2026
Schools’ CIF odds improve slightly - but most projects miss out
Nearly seven in 10 applications to Condition Improvement Fund failed to secure funding, but DfE did approve 813 projects in the 2026-27 round
Andrew O’Neill seconded for another year as DfE policy adviser
Headteacher of All Saints Catholic College in London was first seconded to the Department for Education last summer to bring ‘frontline expertise’ to policymaking
Exclusive
3 stages of school development - how to spot them, and what to fix
Individual schools within groups are often at different stages in a journey – the key is to know what each stage is and how to move forward from there, says this leader
How teaching unions fell out of love with Labour
After a promising start to relations between the Labour government and the education unions, tensions have started to rise. Will an unfunded pay award be the tipping point for another series of strikes?
Nearly 1 in 5 primary leaders tell parents to stop vaping
Heads’ unions hope plans to make vaping illegal anywhere on site will help settings to reinforce existing school rules
Exclusive
Thursday
21st May 2026
PE and sport premium for primary schools scrapped
Replacement of the PE and sport premium with a new school sports ‘partnerships network’ has been described as ‘deeply concerning’ by heads’ leaders
AI in Scottish schools: 10 key points for leaders
Schools must show leadership on AI because doing nothing is the riskiest option, says Scottish secondary headteacher Stuart Clark