Blog

What does the recent schools White Paper mean for inspection? How do we make inspection work better for schools, for colleges, for students, communities and for the taxpayer?  ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton starts the debate in his weekly blog.

Our member survey published this week showed headteachers reporting significant levels of stress and anxiety among students taking exams this year.  Geoff Barton highlights steps the government should take to tackle the issue. 

Following publication this week of Ofqual's three-year plan, Geoff Barton argues in his latest blog that it's time for a rethink of our outdated GCSE exam system for the sake of pupils' mental health.

After a bruising two years, the reality behind the latest attendance statistics is bleak, while the response from ministers is frustratingly tone deaf, says Geoff Barton in his latest blog. 

Covid and exams: The unanswered questions we’re asking on behalf of school and college leaders. See ASCL Curriculum, Assessment and Inspection Specialist Tom Middlehurst’s blog.

Rather than supporting schools and colleges, it sometimes feels like the government is working in opposition to them. This is one of those weeks, says Geoff Barton in his latest blog.

How can leaders address the attainment gap?  Post-lockdown, Martin Blain, Principal, and his SLT at Canary Wharf College, reconsidered their approach to interventions and teaching to ‘stage not age’. He shares his school’s experiences in his guest blog. 

What are the factors which create a successful, shared culture in a MAT? Harriet Cheng of ASCL Premier Partner Arbor shares their latest findings in her guest blog. 

Ahead of the government’s long-awaited schools white paper, Geoff Barton considers why, after nearly two decades, we’re still trying to sort out academisation.

In his latest blog, ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton considers the increasing pressures on education funding and looks ahead to the Chancellor's spring statement. 

How can you simplify the transfer of school transition data? ASCL Premier Partner SixIntoSeven shares information and advice about this collaborative process in their guest blog.   
 

In this guest blog by Artsmark, Emma Watson talks to the Vice Principal of Birmingham Ormiston Academy to find out more about their approach to the arts and culture in their MAT. 

Make a positive impact on your students, particularly those experiencing disadvantage, as they consider applying for university. ASCL Premier Partner Unifrog provides advice in this guest blog.
 

Ahead of ASCL Annual Conference 2022 next week, Geoff Barton considers the conference theme of ‘ambitious leadership’ in his regular weekly blog.

All staff in schools and colleges face many challenges when dealing with online safety as well as how they respond to harmful online behaviour. In this guest blog, online safety experts SWGfL outline the resources and support available to education professionals to help them navigate these concerns. 

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric? ASCL Additional Benefits provider Motor Source Group outlines how to make wiser choices when buying vehicles.

In this week's blog, ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton discusses the importance of teaching young people in schools and colleges why democracy matters. 

The government's white paper on 'levelling up' is the subject of ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton's weekly blog. He looks at what its proposals mean for education.  

ASCL Premier Partner Edurio recently published their Pupil Learning Experience and Wellbeing Review following their summer 2021 survey of over 45,000 pupils’ experiences of school and college. Edurio’s Head of Research Iona Jackson outlines some of the key findings in her guest blog. 

Apprenticeships provide many benefits to school leavers and employers but are often seen as the ‘poor cousin’ to full-time higher education. In his guest blog, Richard Kirk of Workplus challenges this perception and outlines the opportunities apprenticeships offer.