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The DfE's Education Staff Wellbeing Charter and this year's Teacher Wellbeing Index tell two different stories, one of formal commitments, one of workload still driving staff to breaking point. Here's what actually closes that gap, beyond another wellbeing day.
Physics and computing recruitment hit record highs in 2025/26, yet both subjects still missed their national targets. Here's what actually moves the needle beyond another job advert: current bursary and retention-payment figures, flexible working, grow-your-own routes, and keeping the specialist you've already got.
With primary rolls falling across much of England, schools are under real pressure to fill places. This piece looks at what the statutory Admissions Code actually permits, and what honest marketing, real open days, genuine testimonials, straight talk about what a school doesn't offer, looks like in practice.
Governance and management are meant to be different jobs, but the boundary blurs constantly. Here's what actually builds a governing board that gives you real challenge, real support and real cover, from the chair relationship to what belongs in your headteacher's report.
The national data on why teachers leave rarely matches the staffroom rumour mill. Here's what actually predicts departure, why leaving the school and leaving the profession need different fixes, and what's genuinely within a head's control.
Multi-academy trusts all face the same question: what should be decided centrally, and what should stay with the school? This piece unpacks what a scheme of delegation actually is, where headteacher and CEO decision rights genuinely differ in practice, and the questions worth asking before you assume you know the answer.
National funding per pupil has partly recovered since 2019, but that headline hides real strain: a growing share of schools are now running deficit budgets, and SEND costs are eating the headroom faster than the formula can replace it. Here's what the current data actually says, and how to manage a tight budget without damaging the classroom or panicking your staff room.
SEN funding is one of the most misunderstood parts of a school budget, moving through three separate layers before a penny reaches an EHCP placement. This guide walks headteachers and school business managers through how the notional SEN budget, high-needs top-up and EHCP funding actually flow, and how to talk to governors honestly about the pressure schools are under nationally.
Ofsted scrapped single-word judgements from 10 November 2025, replacing them with report cards and a new five-point scale. Here's what genuinely changed, why, and what it means for how you prepare for your next inspection.
Most school improvement plans get written in July and forgotten by October half term. This guide covers how to prioritise ruthlessly, build in real ownership and progress-checking, and get genuine staff buy-in, so the plan actually shapes what happens in classrooms rather than just what inspectors read.
Ofsted scrapped single-word judgements for a five-point report card system in November 2025. Here's what the grades actually mean, what triggers a monitoring visit or intervention, and how to talk about your results with staff, parents and governors without losing anyone's trust.
