A study last week has claimed that social background has more bearing on whether you go to an elite university than which school you go to – especially when comparing state schools. The research from the 1970 British Cohort Study found that when you compare pupils from similar social backgrounds grammar schools offered no advantage…
This week several large MATs came out to attack Ofsted’s new framework as too “middle class”. Their main gripe appears to be that they can no longer sacrifice the teaching of more creative subjects in favour of more focus on the core subjects and teaching to exams, whether that be SATs or GCSEs. Some schools…
In its annual report, published this week, Ofsted said more apprenticeships are urgently needed to meet the needs of the economy. This is something I have been calling on for years. Apprenticeships are vital for the economy and also better fit the vast majority of students. We have become degree obsessed when most young people do…
In a few weeks’ time, we will have another Prime Minister and just like the last three years, the entire focus of the Conservative leadership campaign has been centred on Brexit. I appreciate that whoever takes up the mantle will urgently need to look at resolving the Brexit issue but it would also be nice…
When selective education was scrapped in the 1960s in favour of the ‘fairer’ comprehensive system many believed we were entering a brave new world, where everyone could learn on an equal footing. Fast forward 50 years and the stark reality is that the very people comprehensives were supposed to help are the ones that are…