Articles
-
The secret war over England's schools
The Spectator
Fraser Nelson and Ed Howker reveal the underhand methods the NUT and others are using to sabotage the government's education policy read on »
-
Firms line up to help parents run free schools
BBC News
Various charitable and commercial education providers are working with groups hoping to set up free schools read on »
-
Premier League to set up free schools
The Guardian
Richard Scudamore, the Premier League's chief executive, has approached the Department for Education to inquire about setting up some free schools with a sports-based curriculum read on »
-
Pupil Premium for Children from Low Income Families
Department for Education
Michael Gove and Sarah Teather announce that the pupil premium to help disadvantaged children will be available from 2011 read on »
-
Plan for Ealing Free School still on track
The Ealing Gazette
The West London Free School still plans to open in doors in September, 2011 read on »
-
Why I changed my mind about school reform
Diane Ravitch
George W Bush's education tsar explains why she's changed her mind about charter schools read on »
-
Michael Gove to help schools most in need
BBC News
The Secretary of State for Education says the cancellation of the BSF programme does not mean that new schools won't be built or inadequate schools rebuilt read on »
-
Labour's school buildings programme was a model of inefficiency
The Daily Telegraph
Toby Young defends Michael Gove's decision to scrap Building Schools for the Future, Labour's £55 billion capital expenditure programme read on »
-
Government brings back competitive sport
The Daily Mail
Competitive games are to be revived in schools in a bid to turn Britain back into a nation of sporting champions. read on »
-
The gang behind the West London Free School
The Evening Standard
The Evening Standard's Anne McElvoy profiles the team behind the West London Free School read on »
-
Teachers head for free schools
BBC News
More than 700 groups say they are interested in starting a "free school" in England - half are teachers. read on »
-
Bring back Latin
The Daily Telegraph
Harry Mount on a new report by Poleteia recommending that Latin is made compulsory in state primary schools read on »
-
Storming the school barricades
The Wall St Journal
The Lottery, a new documentary about American public education, portrays the enemy of excellence as the "union-political-educational complex" read on »
-
Charles Moore on how Academies can become the new Grammars
The Daily Telegraph
Charles Moore argues that Academies can play the same role that grammar schools did, only without the need for an 11+ read on »
-
Stanely Fish on the virtues of a classical education
The New York Times
Stanley Fishes sings the praises of his own classical education and three books advocating the virtues of the classics read on »
-
Michael Gove praises West London Free School
Press Association
Michael Gove has praised the efforts of the West London Free School parent and teacher group in the House of Commons read on »
-
Toby Young vs Polly Toynbee
Sky News
Toby Young and Polly Toynbee debate the pros and cons of free schools on Sky News read on »
-
What will make a school 'free'?
BBC News
Angela Harrison, the BBC's Education Correspondent, takes a look at the schools likely to be created now that the Government has made it easier for groups of parents and teachers to set up 'free schools' read on »
-
If Clegg or Cameron had gone to a comprehensive, we'd never have heard of them
The Daily Mirror
Tony Parsons reflects on the educational apartheid that means you now have to have gone to a fee-paying school in order to get a top job read on »
-
Department for Education returns
BBC News
Michael Gove's first move is to rename the Department for Children, Schools and Families the Department of Education read on »
-
Is a 'comprehensive grammar' a contradiction in terms?
The Daily Telegraph
Toby Young points out that trying to combine a grammar school curriculum with a non-selective intake is not a middle-class, Tory idea. On the contrary, it was originally the Labour Party's read on »
-
Free Schools will be good for Britain
The Times
The Times comes out four square behind free schools read on »
-
Transforming Britain's schools: A classroom revolution
The Economist
The Economist comes out four square behind "free schools" read on »
-
Stephen Pollard: I'm switching to the Tories because of their schools policy
The Times
Jewish Chronicle editor Stephen Pollard explains why the Conervatives' education policy has got his vote read on »
-
Parental support for school reform
The Guardian
650 parents who want to be involved in setting up new schools sign letter to the Guardian read on »
-
Should parents be able to set up schools?
The Observer
Toby Young, Fiona Millar, Anders Hultin, Estelle Morris and Mich Brooks discuss the pros and cons of the Conservative education policy and Swedish free schools read on »
-
Parent power is good for schools
The Guardian
Toby Young argues that parents should be allowed to set up schools and, if necessary, subcontract the operation of the school to a commercial education provider read on »
-
What's the difference between Labour and the Conservatives' education policy?
Daily Telegraph
Toby Young tries to discover "clear blue water" between the two main parties' education policies and discovers it isn't as easy as you might think read on »
-
The profit motive has a place in the classroom
The Times
Phillip Collins, a former speechwriter for Tony Blair, says we shouldn't be afraid of allowing commercial education providers to operate state schools read on »
-
For profits to enter state education sector as school operators
The Times
A raft of commercial companies are poised to enter the state education sector as full service providers, operating schools under contract. This will happen regardless of who wins the next election read on »
-
Ed Balls says no to parent group
The Evening Standard
Ed Balls has said no to the Kirklees parent group and yes to the Wandsworth parent group, but only on the condition that Wandsworth Council pay for the parent-promoted school with their existing BSF grant read on »
-
Should faith schools be dismantled?
The Daily Telegraph
Toby Young looks ahead to see what the future holds for faith schools and mounts a robust defence read on »
-
Primary school admissions crisis
The Daily Telepgraph
More than 2000 new primary schools will be needed over the next eight years to cope with the current baby boom read on »
-
This lunacy about Latin makes me want to weep
The Daily Telegraph
Boris Johnson launches a broadside against Ed Balls for declaring that Latin is pointless read on »
-
Baby boom has schools overflowing
The Daily Mail
A combination of increased immigration, a baby boom and the an exodus from the private sector means there aren't enough primary school places to cope with demand read on »
-
Parents offered first choice of second rate schools
The Spectator
Toby Young dissects the recent announcements regarding the number of parents who got their children into their first choice school read on »
-
Free our schools
The Daily Telegraph
Toby Young explains why he wants to open a new secondary school in Acton that offers children a classical liberal education read on »
-
Gove wants to make primary school national curriculum more traditional
The Times
Shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove promises to change the primary national curriculum so children recite poetry and learn Kings and Queens of England read on »
-
School admissions: half lose out in some areas
Daily Telegraph
Over half of parents have failed to get their children into their first-choice schools in some parts of the country read on »
-
Top-performing comprehensives engage in covert selection
The Guardian
New research from the Sutton Trust reveals that Britain's top comprehensives don't admit as many poor children as they should read on »
-
What a year teaching dishes taught me about school
The Mail on Sunday
Toby Young makes the case for a liberal education read on »
-
The parents who know best
Times Educational Supplement
The Tories have pledged to support parents who want to set up their own schools within the state sector. But what will their impact be if they are established in areas where there is already sufficient provision? read on »
-
Swedish-style "free schools" will raise standards and, more importantly, increase choice
The Daily Telegraph
Toby Young argues that the real test of Michael Gove's proposed reforms is whether they will increase parental choice read on »
-
Rescuing adult authority in the 21st Century
Spiked-online.com
University of Kent sociology professor Frank Furedi advises caution on parental involvement in schools read on »
-
Swedish-style "free schools" won't raise standards
The Guardian
Per Thulberg, director general of the Swedish National Agency for Education, says "free schools" have "not led to better results" in Sweden. read on »
-
Parents should be able to set up Academies more easily says association of school heads
The Times
The Independent Academies Association backs Conservative plans to allow Academies to be set up even when doing so will create surplus capacity read on »
-
Government scraps gifted and talented scheme
The Guardian
Is the government's decision to disband the gifted and talented programme a good thing or a tragedy? read on »
-
Parents and teachers push to set up quasi-independent state schools
The Times
Parents and teachers have deluged the New Schools Network wanting to know how they can set up state secondary schools themselves read on »
-
Can Sweden teach our schools a lesson?
The Independent
Richard Garner visits Hampton Community College, the first school in Britain to be run by Kunskapsskolan, the for-profit Swedish provider read on »
-
Toby Young vs Fiona Millar
Times Educational Supplement
Toby Young and Fiona Millar argue about the pros and cons of free schools read on »
-
We could learn a lot from a school in Kenya
The Daily Telegraph
Cassandra Jardine reports on Starehe School, a remarkable Kenyan success story that could provide a model for British schools read on »
-
Should parents set up their own state schools?
The Observer
Fed up with their educational options, more and more parents are detemined to build their own local schools. But is this really the answer to our classroom crisis? In a special report, parents, educators and activists reveal the hard lessons they're learning read on »
-
Nick Gibb talks about the Conservatives' education policy
Attain
Matthew Smith, the editor of Attain magazine, grills Nick Gibb MP, a shadow education minister, about the Conservatives' plans to revitalise the state sector read on »
-
Michael Gove versus the Blob
The Spectator
Dennis Sewell believes the cage fight between Michael Gove and the educational establishment will be the most thrilling political battle of Cameron's first hundred days read on »
-
Catholic Church comes out in favour of "free schools"
The Daily Telegraph
Bishop Malcolm McMahon, the Catholic bishop with the education portfolio in the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has backed the Conservatives’ proposal for “free schools”. read on »
-
The difficulties of starting a 'free school'
The Daily Telegraph
Toby Young describes just how difficult it is to start a 'free school' and suggests ways of making it easier read on »
-
Steve Pound has got wrong end of stick
Ealing Gazette
Toby replies to Steve Pound's attack on his free school plans read on »
-
Schools plan is Pandora's Boz
Ealing Gazette
Steve Pound MP takes Toby to task for his plans to start a free school in Acton read on »
-
Parent groups wanting to set up schools should not wait for the Tories
The Guardian
Toby Young argues that parents wanting to set up schools have no need to wait for a regime change. They can do it under the present rules. read on »
-
Parents enticed by prospect of free schools
The Guardian
Over 300 parent groups have emerged, poised to take advantage of Conservative plans to make it easier for parents to set up schools read on »
-
Is parent power good for schools?
The Times
Lisa Freedman takes parents to task for thinking they could do a better job than others at running schools read on »
-
Fiona Millar attacks Parent Promoted Schools
The Guardian
Fiona Millar argues that Parent Promoted Schools will damage existing secondary schools in their neighbourhoods read on »
-
Balls Attacks Conservative Education Plans
The Guardian
Ed Balls says the Conservatives' education plans will result in a two-tier system, with high-performing academic schools for a small minority and second-class schools for the majority read on »
-
The man in Whitehall does not know best
The Sunday Telegraph
Matthew d'Ancona takes Ed Balls to task for believing more central control, not less, is the solution to our educational problems read on »
-
Just how hard is it to set up a new school?
The Observer
Toby Young provides an update on the progress his parents group has made in its efforts to set up a new secondary school in Acton read on »
-
Parent group petitions for new school in Kirklees
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
A new parents group has been formed to take on the fight for a new secondary school for part of Kirlees. It wants the school to serve parts of Birkenshaw, Birstall, Gomersal and East Bierley ... read on »
-
We need more private schools, not less: Can the Conservatives learn from Sweden's school voucher system?
Adam Smith Institute
Sweden introduced a voucher system in the mid-1990s. It means that if parents take their children from a municipal school and move them to an independent school, that school gets the same money from the government that it would have spent on their state education. No fees, no top-ups, not even extra charges for sports kit are allowed. So all at once, the whole population of Sweden can exercise a choice. And around 1000 new independent schools have sprung up, bringing in new ideas and much more customer focus... read on »
-
Tories favour Swedish-inspired schools system
Jack Grimston - October 18, 2009
DOZENS of parents' groups, prep schools and education chains such as Montessori and Steiner have signed up to Tory plans to introduce a Swedish-inspired system of independent state schools. The New Schools Network (NSN), advised by former Blairites, is building support so new schools can open quickly if the Tories win power... read on »
-
Vow to offer state schools independence
Alex Barker on FT.com
The Conservatives pledged yesterday to offer effective independence to almost a fifth of state secondary schools, setting them on a collision course with teaching unions...The move rapidly accelerates Tory plans to roll out "free schools", giving the best 500 secondary schools and top 2,000 primary schools the unconditional right to opt out of local council control... read on »
-
Conservatives to close down worst-performing schools, says Michael Gove
James Kirkup in The Daily Telegraph
The Conservatives are making school reform a central part of their general election campaign, pledging ambitious changes that would allow parents and charities to set up their own schools within the state system. Some Labour critics have suggested that the “free schools” plan would only benefit middle-class parents. Speaking to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Mr Gove insisted that Tory reform plans will benefit children in the most deprived areas... read on »
-
Will New Schools be the Tories' big idea?
Paul Goodman in The Daily Telegraph
The Tories hope a radical plan to put power in the hands of parents can do for a Cameron government what council house sales did for Margaret Thatcher – and bring hope to a generation of children. Paul Goodman assesses their chances of success... read on »
-
Why I will set up a new school to give my children the best chance in life
Toby Young in The Observer
Toby Young, son of the visionary founder of the Open University, wants to break down Britain's apartheid between the private and state sectors by creating a new type of 'free' school where access to a good education is not based on income... read on »