United thinking

28 June 2024

Supporting Schools: How school inspection could be improved

This paper sets out some principles for the design of a good system of school inspection and views on how to improve the current approach, based on direct experience of around 150 Ofsted inspections of schools and training in United Learning over a decade.

21 June 2024

Supporting schools: how government can do a better job

This paper outlines what government’s role should be in relation to education – and how to do government better in education.

18 August 2023

Our broken regulatory system disadvantages English pupils

The discrepancies between grades for English pupils and their Welsh and Northern Irish couterparts are indefensible, says Jon Coles.

Parental engagement

CPD

Teaching and learning

Leadership

01 July 2023

We are accountable to governors and families - not Ofsted and league tables

If we can’t change ministers’ muscular activism, we can certainly control how it plays out in our schools, writes Jon Coles.

Parental engagement

Recruitment and retention

Teaching and learning

Communities

Leadership

06 March 2023

Developing the education workforce through apprenticeships

For United Learning, apprenticeship programmes are having a remarkable impact on staff development, with associated improvements in staff wellbeing, recruitment and retention of high-quality staff, and improved experiences and outcomes for learners.

Recruitment and retention

Teaching and learning

28 February 2023

Make schools better through flexible working

As school teachers in England strike again over pay and funding, workingmums.co.uk speaks to school leaders about how flexible working can help boost staff wellbeing and aid attraction and retention.

Diversity and inclusion

Recruitment and retention

Sustainability

Teaching and learning

15 February 2023

Review of rugby in schools calls for evidence from teachers

Rugby in Schools review, led by United Learning chief Sir Jon Coles, comes amid heightened awareness of head injuries.

Parental engagement

Diversity and inclusion

Teaching and learning

Communities

Leadership

20 October 2022

Cyber security: why schools must improve their data defences

The DfE issued new cyber security standards on 10 October 2022 – Our Director of IT, James Garnett, considers recent attacks on schools and trusts to show how important it is that education settings protect themselves.

Digital strategy

Leadership

08 September 2022

Implementing a Sustainable Digital Strategy

After the accelerated pace of digital adoption over the last two years, James Garnett, our Director of IT and Bett Advisory Board member looks at the priorities for school digital strategies moving forward.

Sustainability

Digital strategy

Teaching and learning

Communities

Leadership

13 July 2022

How trusts can create a talent pipeline for school support

The need for talented graduates in central MAT roles is present and growing, writes Kate Bradley, and trusts can build a pipeline that benefits everyone.

Recruitment and retention

CPD

Teaching and learning

Leadership

09 April 2019

Effective parental engagement

The impact on learning of parents who are well engaged in their child’s education has been shown to be one of the most significant factors open to the influence of schools. United Learning has produced this Parental Engagement Handbook help schools maximise this impact.

Parental engagement

Communities

18 February 2019

What's in the books?

Progress in science books is demonstrated by evidence of an understanding of science across a wide spectrum of topics and concepts, applying the skills of Working Scientifically in each, writing in depth about science, applying terminology accurately and describing and explaining concepts with scientific eloquence.

Teaching and learning

24 January 2019

The Rosenshine Papers

In 2018 we (United Learning) adopted Rosenshine’s principles of instruction as the basis for our approach to teaching and learning across our schools. It’s the first time that we’ve taken a collective position on teaching and learning, rather than leaving this critical issue to each school.

Recruitment and retention

CPD

Teaching and learning

Communities

16 March 2018

If you lead on Pupil Premium…

Over the last few months we’ve been using webinars at United Learning to connect school leaders who lead on particular issues. Here’s a summary of our recent webinar on Pupil Premium, with thanks to colleagues leading on this who shared their insights so freely.

Parental engagement

Diversity and inclusion

Teaching and learning

Communities