General
Friday
Omicron: What a Plan B for education should have looked like
Geoff Barton wonders why so little has changed for education settings on Covid measures despite the clear concern the Omicron variant is causing the government
Can one headteacher run eight schools?
Earlier this year, a Scottish council caused controversy when it proposed creating an ‘executive head’ role to run up to eight schools. While the authority claims the plan is a sensible response to recruitment difficulties, critics warn Henry Hepburn that the pupils will suffer
The migrant tragedy shows we need to teach children about humanity
Are teachers now being listened to?
Education Scotland’s ‘sensible and practical decision’ to delay the return of full inspections gives teachers hope that they will have a better relationship with government agencies in the future, writes Henry Hepburn
‘Parental engagement’ is purgatory for us all
‘Parental engagement’ is a such a complex and slippery concept that neither teachers nor parents have any chance of living up to expectations, writes Jon Severs
Monday
Deciphering Ofsted’s school inspection timetable
Dame Joan McVittie explains what Ofsted’s latest missive on its inspection timetable might mean for school leaders trying to work out when they may next face an inspection
Capacity in Welsh school system on edge as reform dominates
Changes to the Welsh education system bring a lot of positives – but teachers cannot keep on adding more jobs to their workload in these difficult times, explains NAHT Cymru director Laura Doel
Why schools and trusts can now hire ‘expert governors’
Providing access to expert governors for struggling settings – or those willing to pay £500 a day for their insights – could have a huge benefit across education, claims the National Governance Association
ITT chair: Reforms a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’
ITT market review chair Ian Bauckham CBE says reaccreditation, mentoring and evidence-based training programmes will boost the quality of teachers for years to come
The key battlegrounds for Labour’s new education team
Laura McInerney sizes up the new Labour shadow education team and where they need to focus their efforts if they are to win the hearts and minds of teachers
DfE data sharing: The legal issues leaders should know
Plans to link education outcomes to parent earnings may raise questions for school leaders around data protection and privacy – here’s what you should know
