Authors

Bernard Trafford
All articles by Bernard Trafford
‘No to more tests: We have created a world in which every formal examination has become a source of anxiety’
One headteacher makes the case against comments from schools minister Nick Gibb that children would benefit from more tests
10 February 2018
‘The children of the North deserve better from our government - and that includes those beyond Leeds’
It’s no surprise that the education of teenagers in the North of England is suffering, writes Bernard Trafford - they’re simply too far away for the DfE to take proper notice of them
4 February 2018
‘Why do we choose to teach? Because of the glory that shines throughout every single school’
There’s the glory in the creative and extra-curricular activities, the glory in school sport, and the glory of watching our pupils achieve, writes experience leader Dr Bernard Trafford
28 January 2018
There is a lesson from Carillion and from the early academy chains: big is not necessarily beautiful
Outsourcing simple tasks to large organisations: hopefully this is a fad that will soon be out of fashion
21 January 2018
‘How can it be that in 2018 pupils are having to pay to study music at GCSE?’
The introduction of the EBacc is having disastrous consequences for music – each and every child should have full access to it at GCSE, writes one school leader
14 January 2018
‘What our students need is more unconditional offers from universities, not fewer’
The increase in unconditional offers isn’t something to boo at, writes Bernard Trafford. It shows a heroic move from universities to give a few candidates the break they need
7 January 2018