Fifty years ago Harold Wilson announced he wanted every comprehensive school to be as good as a grammar school. Half a century on and we’re still nowhere near to achieving that goal. How much longer do we leave it, another 50 years? No, and that’s why I’m delighted that the government is proposing to put…
There’s been a sweeping change of the guard at the top of our political establishment, with a grammar school educated Prime Minster now at the helm and the first-ever Education Secretary to have attended a comprehensive secondary school. Since Theresa May and Justine Greening, the new Education Secretary, took hold of the reins of power,…
It’s been a difficult time for some parents and teachers of year 6 children who have been the first to feel the effect of tougher SATs. But I would urge them all to not be disheartened – more rigorous testing will put each child on the path to a successful secondary school education. My biggest…
Many of us with a passion for literature have fond memories of the school library as a place that nurtured our love of the written word. This is why I read with disappointment the findings from a recent survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) about library provision in UK schools. Although 94%…
As a working-class boy whose academic success led me to where I am now, I’m truly saddened that thousands of this generation’s brightest children could be missing out. Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw has now raised his head above the parapet and said we are letting down the nation’s bright children – particularly those from…