Authors

Bernard Trafford
All articles by Bernard Trafford
Regulations are unintentionally killing the French exchange and our students will be all the poorer for it
Not long ago, schools would send many, many students on exchange trips to France but new red tape makes this unfeasible, writes one leading headteacher
6 February 2017
‘Hiring an artist-in-residence was a transformational experience for my school’
We should rejoice, not complain, if some schools are using their freedom and resources to invest in creativity, writes one head
28 January 2017
‘Children in independent schools are “mentally tougher” because their schools are almost as focused on character as results’
Independent schools know that development of resilience is not only a good selling-point but also brings greater success in hard-edged exam results, writes one head
21 January 2017
‘How much credibility do teachers have with their young audiences when it comes to sex education?’
Even biologists aren’t ideally suited: many just want to “teach the plumbing but not all the other stuff”
14 January 2017
‘The offer from the independent sector on school places, while undoubtedly a well-timed and slick move, is both sincere and achievable’
The proposal to bring state and independent schools together makes more sense than creating entirely new selective schools, parachuting grammars into areas of deprivation, writes one celebrated head
17 December 2016
‘Most of us find the child buried within to get through the intense Christmas period on goodwill - plus a fair intake of Prosecco and mulled wine, perhaps’
Drag the old manger out of the stock cupboard and don’t be embarrassed to shed a tear of nostalgia, affection, relief, or just plain knackerdom, writes one celebrated head
10 December 2016