Authors

Sam Freedman
Sam Freedman

Sam Freedman is a senior fellow at the Institute for Government and a former senior policy adviser at the Department for Education.

Previously Sam was CEO of Education Partnerships Group, which supported governments in Africa to develop education policy, and was an executive director at teacher training charity Teach First.

All articles by Sam Freedman
The White Paper is a make-or-break moment for Labour
The long wait for Labour’s schools policy document has ramped up the pressure – and the stakes are high, writes Sam Freedman
General
7 January 2026
Tight rope walking
More focus and fight: what Labour needs to do on education
Labour has allowed itself to get distracted by unnecessary squabbles – but the plan for a SEND White Paper could lay the foundation for important work on poverty and attendance, says Sam Freedman
General
20 March 2025
More focus and fight: What Labour needs to do next
Schools policy: what to expect in 2025
A year of uncertainty awaits because the government is yet to clarify its approach to schools, despite spiralling SEND and teacher recruitment problems, warns former DfE adviser Sam Freedman
General
9 January 2025
Failed corn crop
Why Labour’s ‘agnostic’ approach to school structures is doomed to fail
Labour’s new ministerial team needs to learn the lessons of the past and recognise that ‘structures beget standards’, says Sam Freedman
Secondary
13 December 2024
Why Labour’s ‘agnostic’ approach to school structures is doomed to fail
Budget 2024: Increase in school funding is just filling holes
The chancellor’s Budget saw a relatively positive outcome for schools. But it may only be putting off problems rather than solving them, writes Sam Freedman
General
1 November 2024
Budget 2024: The increase in school funding is just filling holes
Investment is needed to fix education problems of past 20 years
While England has become one of the highest performing countries in literacy and numeracy, we’ve made no progress in closing the attainment gap, writes Sam Freedman
General
28 October 2024
One sided see saw