Future of Education 2) Mark Lehain: Now we need full academisation and reformed funding
The second writer in our mini-series says that creating more grammars is a distraction from change that matters.
Mark Lehain: Gove was right to support headteachers over excluded pupils
Halfon is wrong to attribute the rise in school exclusion rates to any disregard for those affected.
Yesterday’s results show that free schools are working. Now Conservatives must back them fully once again.
I was glad to see the Prime Minister and the Education Secretary doing so recently – particularly now that Rayner is clear she will scrap the programme.
Mark Lehain: Rayner says Labour will reject Gove’s school reforms – but what would they establish in their place?
Families and teachers deserve some details on what is being proposed in place of free schools and academies.
Mark Lehain: The times tables reform. Not a giant leap – but one of so many small steps for the better.
A fairer funding formula, better behaviour, fluency in numeracy and literacy, a richer National Curriculum, better exams: these appeal to voters’ innate common sense.
Mark Lehain: Cutting the Free School programme would be short-sighted, damaging to standards, and un-Conservative
Free schools are changing lives for the better, and have proved popular despite the early naysaying. Greening must shut down talk of scrapping the policy.
Mark Lehain: A promising start for free schools – so what next?
A week on from the publication of GCSE results we can see how this policy is starting to change lives, and where it needs to go next.