Academies
Labour MP’s academies double standards
From an outside view, one could be forgiven for thinking now is a good time for academies in the UK.…
Government drops plans to force all schools to become academies
It’s a good day for the Conservatives to bury bad news, when all attention is on Labour and the SNP’s…
Today in audio: Jeremy Hunt stands firm ahead of junior doctors strike
Jeremy Hunt has been facing questions in the Commons ahead of tomorrow’s junior doctors strike. The Health Secretary said the…
Why Tory MPs are so worked up about forced academisation
Tory MPs remain confident that they will force the government into a U-turn over forced academisation. Though departmental sources are…
Tories expect academy policy U-turn
Tory MPs are increasingly convinced that the government may back down on some of its plans for forced academisation of…
State schools, not private schools, are the real sponsor of inequality in Britain
In today’s Observer, Will Hutton unwittingly highlights the poverty of the inequality debate in Britain. Gifted writers like him bang…
Nicky Morgan faces her first big blob battle with new academies bill
The march of academies takes a step forward today. The government will publish the Education and Adoption Bill, which will…
Ed Miliband couldn’t care less about education reform
The editor of The Spectator isn’t the only person thinking about the prospect of Ed Miliband becoming the next Prime Minister.…
Michael Gove’s ‘personal crusade’
Michael Gove’s speech to today’s education reform conference is a robust defence of his reforms. He calls closing the attainment…
How to repair a free school – the next stage of Michael Gove’s reforms
Any government can set out on a journey of reform – the question is whether they can stay on course…
Stephen Twigg snaps back
Much of the talk down in Brighton is of the coming shadow Cabinet reshuffle. One person frequently tipped for the…
Is Lord Adonis the right man to lead Labour’s Growth Review?
One of the things we know about Labour’s policies is that the Adonis Growth Review is meant to produce a…
Yet again, Labour’s self-serving efforts to block The King’s School merger have failed
Labour’s war against The King’s School merger continues to be fought fruitlessly, despite rebuttal after rebuttal from the Department of…
School wars: Michael Gove, Fiona Millar and Andrew Adonis at Spectator conference
Three years ago, Dennis Sewell wrote a Spectator piece about the real enemy awaiting Michael Gove: ‘The Blob’. Carla Millar…
Yes, Gove has lost a battle. But he’s winning the education war
Michael Gove’s enemies will have savoured his defeat yesterday, and enjoyed every second of his Commons speech admitting that his…
Michael Gove’s schools ultimatum pushes up standards
Michael Gove’s reformation of the education system from top to bottom has so far been unstoppable. Often though, the Education…
How will Michael Gove respond to Ofsted’s attack on councils?
Ofsted’s annual report, due out later today, will launch a scathing attack on those responsible for underperforming schools. But rather…
David Cameron is the leader battling inequality
The great paradox of British politics is that the left moan about inequality, but it’s the right who will remedy…
Conservative conference: Michael Gove’s facts on the ground
The speed with which Michael Gove is going about his education reforms means that he is creating facts on the…
Gove kicks back at school bullies
A Labour conference delegate was heckled from the floor when she mentioned her school. Joanne, an immigrant who came to…