In recent months, rainbow lanyards have become a focal point in a broader cultural debate. These symbols, primarily associated with support for the LGBT+ community, have been thrust into the spotlight, their meaning and appropriateness questioned by political figures and institutions, including bans in both the Scottish Parliament and UK Civil Service. Since 2021, I…

To be kind is a basic maxim for how we conduct our personal lives. It may seem unusual to use the lens of kindness on institutions, such as in higher education. My research with my colleague Olalekan Adekola has done exactly that. We have argued for a ‘kindness’ approach to improve the learning and social…

A general election has been called for July. An election is always a time for change, often bringing new ministers into new roles and, with them, shifting priorities and policies. As we look ahead to the next government coming into office, and await the publication of party manifestos, we’ve been considering what we’d like to…

The value of primary physical education (PE) has been a ‘hot topic’ for decades, awash with Government interest, policy and funding. Primary PE has received investment in excess of £2.5 billion since London hosted the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012, making it the most additionally funded subject in the curriculum, yet PE still remains undervalued…

In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the president of the United States horrified the medical establishment by proposing injections with disinfectant as a treatment for COVID. It’s hard to think of a better example as to why now, perhaps more than ever, society needs to hear from experts – and those experts…

The House of Commons Education Committee report on teacher recruitment,training and retention highlights the ongoing crisis in teacher recruitment and retention, with shortfalls in many subject areas and many teachers working outside their specialism, with detrimental effects on teacher workload, teaching quality and pupil progression. One way to mitigate the challenges of teachers working outside…

April is stress awareness month. We all experience stress at some point in our lives, and hopefully have support we can access through friends, family, the workplace or our communities. But there is a perception that men should be invulnerable and therefore not be in need of support, and this can exacerbate stress for our…

‘We need our 16-19 education system to be the best in the world. We need to make sure that every young person – no matter their circumstances or where they live – can reach their potential and leave education with the knowledge and skills to thrive in a world-leading economy.’ (DfE 2023, p.5) If the…