Retrofit schools and consider moving exams to beat extreme heat, says teaching union leader
NEU’s Daniel Kebede says earlier start times and longer summer breaks may be needed to help pupils and teachersSchools should consider changing start and finish times, reordering holidays and moving exams from the summer months in an effort to adapt to…
Create new pre-apprenticeship scheme to close youth unemployment gap, says Milburn
Exclusive: Former minister’s review warns that dramatic action is needed over huge drop in youth apprenticeship startsA national apprenticeship readiness scheme should be introduced in England to close the gap for young people between leaving school and…
New Ofsted inspection regime damaging teachers, survey says
Nine in 10 school heads who responded say inspections still ‘negatively affected’ staff mental healthSchool inspections in England continue to damage the mental wellbeing of teachers and senior leaders, according to a survey commissioned by Ofsted that…
A better way to inspect and evaluate schools | Letters
Gareth Jones and Richard Hooper draw on their experience as educators to offer alternatives to the Ofsted system that is not fit for purposeThe news that Ofsted inspections are to be overhauled again indicates that a fundamental rethink is required,…
Legal rights must be retained for children with special educational needs | Letters
Campaigners and Send parents including Chris Packham, Carrie Grant and Sally Phillips urge ministers to work with families and organisations to preserve individual provision and improve accountability in the systemThe legal rights of children and young…
Campaigners led by Chris Packham urge prime minister to rethink Send overhaul
Exclusive: Letter to government says changes will unfairly remove legal protections for children in EnglandLetter: Legal rights must be retained for children with SendCampaigners are calling on Andy Burnham to abandon the core elements of the…
Labour Send changes at risk as parents rush to secure support, say experts
Overhaul of special education in England could unravel, thinktank finds, because of ‘use it before you lose it’ dynamicLabour’s flagship changes to special education in England are at risk of unravelling because parents are rushing to secure support for…
Can teaching schoolchildren about Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade remain optional? | Morgan Ofori
Mounting evidence about how slavery shaped Britain shows that teaching about its history cannot be a matter of choiceI often think back to my years as a secondary school history teacher, and to what I was and wasn’t able to teach. History is a…
England school inspections to be overhauled again after barrage of complaints
Exclusive: Education secretary sends Ofsted back to ‘drawing board’ as teachers raise serious concerns about new systemSchool inspections in England will be overhauled for the second time in a year, after a barrage of complaints that the new system was…
The Guardian view on falling pupil numbers: a chance to improve opportunities for young people | Editorial
Empty classrooms are a sign of falling fertility and high living costs. But they should also free up more resources to spend on young peopleSchool closures are an alarming symptom of Britain’s shrinking birthrate. Several factors have contributed to…