Lawrence Wishart Blog
Call for Papers: Taking stock of Labour’s education policy: past, present, future
Contributions are invited for the Spring 2027 number of Forum (69.1) for which the copy date is Monday 16 November 2026.
MOREWhy does education stay the same?
Class inequality endures throughout England’s education system, argues Sol Gamsu, in part because of the shared educational background of those who have wielded power. Will Andy Burnham break with the cosy consensus?
MORENo improvement
Former HMI Colin Richards outlines the findings of new research into the damaging impact of the revised Ofsted framework.
MOREStretch and challenge? Only for the few
A recently-published EEF study of student grouping for maths lessons prompted misinformed headlines and buttressed the ‘ability’ discourse that so damages education. Patrick Yarker’s blog about the study follows those by Rachel Marks and Perpetua Kirby
MORERendered invisible
In our second blog highlighting the shortcomings of a recent EEF study on student grouping, Perpetua Kirby shines a light on what ‘attainment-focused’ research doesn’t see.
MORECall for papers: The Moment of ‘76
Contributions are invited for the autumn 2026 number of FORUM (68.3) for which the copy date is Monday 20 July. The number will appear online at the beginning of November with a hard copy version available soon afterwards.
MOREDoes the Student Grouping Study really support a call to back setting?
Rachel Marks looks closely at a recent and much-reported EEF study. She finds it falls far short of the headline claims
MORESoundings Call for papers April 2026 Cultures of Hope
Continuing to seek to better understand the conjuncture implies a continued belief in the possibility of change, as well as commitment to work for it. This issue will focus on cultural and political resources for hope.
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