The Staffroom - opinion

When words set you free: The transformative magic of free writing

By embracing free writing, resit learners unlocked not just better English skills but reduced their anxiety and built resilience

Jessica Hill
Jenni Roe and Ethan Catherall
Colleges, Politics

Amid online poison, colleges can’t defend cohesion alone

National leadership, guidance and support is needed if young people are to be protected against online content driving division...

Jessica Hill
Sunita Gordon
14-16

The 14-16 funding gap is holding back technical education

The industrial strategy promises to boost skills in key sectors. But while post-16 technical courses get extra funding, pre-16...

Jessica Hill
Kate Ambrosi
Colleges, Long read

Colleges on the frontline of a divided nation

As social media algorithms fuel intolerance and binary thinking, college staff increasingly find themselves dealing with the fallout. Jessica...

Jessica Hill
Jessica Hill
16-19, English and maths

Fixing resits requires fixing the system around them

Persistent challenges face GCSE resit students and their teachers. If the sector is serious about improving outcomes, CPD, funding,...

Jessica Hill
Emily Yeomans
specialist colleges

How trust built a transformative education partnership

When our college joined forces with another, we proved that innovation thrives on collaboration

Jessica Hill
Lynette Barrett
Colleges, Governance

Let’s rethink what financial sustainability means for FE   

Colleges typically spend just 52% of income on teaching, support and admin and cost cuts have reached their limit

Jessica Hill
Nick Pidgeon
The Staffroom - opinion

How apprenticeship coaches can bridge the NEET gap

'I’ve been where you are’: How lived experience in apprenticeship coaching can help make the shift from NEET to...

Jessica Hill
Wasim Collins
Skills reform

One year in, Labour’s skills revolution is feeling hollow

Skills were meant to be at the heart of Labour’s economic revival. Yet, after a year of bureaucratic tweaks...

Jessica Hill
Tom Bewick