Archive

2002

In terms of personal satisfaction the year's best story was the piece about Linda Townsend, a teacher at Langdon School in Newham, where a no-exclusion policy was putting both students and teachers at risk. 'Facing Assault' in The Guardian on June 4th documented her claims that violence towards staff and pupils was being tolerated at the Beacon school.

In policy terms the Guardian Op/Ed piece 'Time to put a stop to this GCSE circus' 22nd July was equally satisfying. The paper's leader echoed my conclusions and, a year later, so did an independent inquiry.

Use these links Facing Assault and GCSE Circus to read the copy.

And the best of the rest.

The head who was a thief. TES briefing 6th December

Grahame Arnold stole a fortune from his school. How did he get away with it?

Postcode lottery. Guardian Education 19th November

Why school finance reforms don't add up. This copy anticipated the funding crisis that followed in 2003.

The inevitable rise of enterprise. TES briefing 25th October

Ministers want to free schools to make money. Varndean in Brighton did just that, but lost two teachers in the process.

New model army. Guardian Op/Ed pages 23rd October

Guardian analysis piece looking at the plan to employ thousands of classroom assistants in England's schools

'Victims of their own success' TES Briefing 4th October

Ministers want pay tied to performance. But schools want to see the money.

'Time to put a stop to this GCSE circus' Guardian Op/Ed pages 22nd July

Exams at 16 are unnecessary and disruptive. We must do better?

Go on Blair. Be a sport. TES 19th July.

TES Op/Ed pages. Sport is alive, well and underfunded in our schools.

Unsteady progess. Guardian 16th July

Guardian Education lead story. Can exercise prevent dyslexia?

Class distinctions. Guardian 9th July

Guardian Op/Ed pages. Specialist schools.

Goodwill running dry. TES 28th June

TES Business Links Special. Three articles on employers' views on the government's green paper proposals.

Sorry seems to be the hardest word. TES 28th June

TES Briefing. The government isn't going to apologise for a misleading ministerial statement.

Facing Assault. Guardian June 4th

Guardian Education lead story. When the teacher becomes the target. Focus on a violent assault at a high profile and successful comprehensive school.

Shadow team TES May 17th

TES Friday magazine. DfES senior managers are shadowing headteachers.

Electronic registers. Well swipe me. TES 10th May

TES Briefing. Technology to tackle truancy is not infallible.

Not bad Sir. TES 10th May

TES Friday magazine. Pupils are appraising teaching methods in a Bedfordshire school.

The Lion's Share. Guardian 23rd April.

Guardian Education lead feature. Funding private schools with public money.

Talking back to happiness. TES 19th April

TES Friday magazine. How counselling skills have transformed a Hampshire school.

Hot Seat anyone? Guardian 16th April

Guardian Education. The hunt is on for the General Teaching Council's new chair.

Criminal responsibilities. TES April 5th

TES Briefing. New speedier (?) police checks are on the way.

Spring and the heady scent of fear. TES March 29th.

TES Briefing. Malpractice claims force primary heads to review the security of national tests.

Blair's cunning plan. TES March 29th.

TES Op/Ed pages. GCSEs could fall by the wayside under the proposed 14-19 reforms. Is that what Labour really wants?

Head trouble. Guardian Education 26th March

Guardian Education. Why headteachers are balloting on industrial action

Shires can't afford to wait. TES March 15th

TES Briefing. A look at the complex funding formula that delivers money to Britain's schools

Trips that end in tragedy. The Guardian March 11th

Guardian Op/Ed pages. Analysis. Follow up to the Yorkshire river deaths inquest

Second time lucky TES February 22nd

TES Briefing. Can the government get the achievement awards right this year after last year's process descended into farce?

Tense nervous legal headache. TES February 15th

TES Briefing. Stress compensation claims overturned by the courts.

Why cars take us nowhere. TES January 25th

TES Briefing. Initiatives to persuade parents to allow their children to walk or cycle to school.

Is the journey worth the paperwork? TES January 18th

TES Briefing. Unfortunate headline, since the copy makes it clear that the journey is worth the essential preparation that the government is now requiring schools to carry out.

Just let me teach. Guardian January15th

Guardian Education. Inflexible entrance requirements are turning people away from teaching.

Birth of the discipline specialist. TES January 4th

TES Briefing. A Leicestershire school plans to delegate disciplinary matters to non teachers.