The Uncivil Servant

Five steps to fix FE pay

The FE sector’s influence on the government is clearly lacking but there are some easy-win solutions to make Whitehall...

Jessica Hill
Andrew Otty
The Uncivil Servant

Harry Potter and the education policymakers’ mistake

J.K. Rowling got the ending of the Harry Potter series wrong – and education policy continues to emulate the...

JL Dutaut
Andrew Otty
The Uncivil Servant

What would-be assessment reformers can learn from Just Dance

Writing me off as a non-dancer was a nonsense. So is writing off any teenager’s potential for reading, writing...

JL Dutaut
Andrew Otty
The Uncivil Servant

Why I won’t give up on our English GCSE resitters

English can be a powerful intervention for students’ mental health as well as their future prosperity. That’s why we...

JL Dutaut
Andrew Otty
The Uncivil Servant

The budget could bake in government inefficiency, unless…

The chancellor’s plan to cut spending review periods down to two years is a recipe for poor decision-making. Just...

JL Dutaut
Andrew Otty
The Uncivil Servant

How to stick it to the DfE on 16-19 disadvantage

FE is self-improving on tackling disadvantage with little help from navel- gazing organisations and no encouragement from DfE, writes Andrew Otty

JL Dutaut
Andrew Otty
The Uncivil Servant

A poundshop approach to qualifications is a false economy

Calls to reform FSQs are not dissimilar to expecting top-of-the-range products from an online cheap shop, says Andrew Otty

JL Dutaut
Andrew Otty
The Uncivil Servant

DfE can’t afford to retreat into its Sanctuary (Buildings)

Hours after the general election result in July, something strange happened. The Department for Education posted an advert for...

JL Dutaut
Andrew Otty