The COVID-19 pandemic suspended established practices that, in normal times, are seen as central to the functioning of education systems. For example, in England, school closures led to the cancellation of national examinations in 2020, and their attempted replacement with an algorithmic model. Following public outcry about what were seen as the…

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Leicester introduced a blended teaching model to continue delivery of their undergraduate Chemistry courses in 2020/21. The transition from in-person to blended provided a good opportunity to investigate student engagement in the blended environment, along with the attitudes of faculty…

This mixed-methods study examined educational psychologists' (EP) experiences of occupational stress, well-being, and implications for their professional practice. Phase 1 involved an online survey of 300 EPs in England using the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) and the Short Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS). The…

The National Literacy Trust has been annually surveying children and young people about their reading enjoyment, attitudes and practices since 2005. More recently, the annual survey has also allowed researchers to explore children and young people's reading engagement before, during and after educational disruption relating to the COVID-19…

The work of school leaders during lockdown has been emotionally charged and emotionally draining, affecting immediate well-being and longer term career plans. To communicate the emotions that we were told about and which were obvious during interviews with serving headteachers, we turned to arts-informed methods. We used poems made from…

University Technical Colleges (UTCs) are newly established (since 2010-11) technical and vocational secondary schools in England, catering for young people aged 14-19. The schools focus strongly on delivering vocational, alongside Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-focused academic, qualifications. The colleges have been…

Although various aspects of school leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic have been addressed in the emerging literature, there is a dearth of studies focusing on the effects of the major assessment changes that took place during this period. This article reports on a study of three case-study schools in England, analysing leaders' experiences of…

This paper examines the reactions of English pupils who were preparing for GCSE and A-Level examinations to the 2020 exam cancellations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, it addresses a gap in international research related to high stakes testing by presenting pupils' perspectives. It uses a Bourdieusian framework to explore the…

This paper explores teachers' anxiety about work at 75 timepoints between October 2019 and July 2022, covering the period before, during and towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in England. We find the work-related anxiety of headteachers increased substantially throughout the pandemic -much more so than amongst more junior staff. Female…

The initial aim of this research was to undertake an in-depth study to understand the impact of COVID-19 on early years practitioners. Following a survey and interviews with staff in Kids Planet Day Nurseries, an early years organisation in England, we used thematic analysis to analyse their responses. The findings were diverse, particularly…

The authors highlight the role of love and care as the 'lifeblood of being-well' for teachers in England. The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed unprecedented stressors on teachers. However, the article problematises and goes beyond the dominant narrative of 'sudden crisis' on the grounds that this may obscure the complex realities of a profession…

This article considers implications for partnership working across the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system in England, at a time when a long-overdue SEND Review is imminent and the SEND Code of Practice 2015 is awaiting a significant overhaul. It highlights the role local policy actors occupy within this system, as the…

This article explores the impact of COVID-19 on the physical learning spaces of art and design students to consider how this has informed and influenced the creative process, emotional resilience and engagement with learning during this difficult year of restrictions. More specifically, it draws on the experiences of students in a Foundation Art…

Fairness in assessment has become increasingly topical and controversial in recent years. Assessment theoreticians are writing more about fairness and assessment practitioners have developed processes and good practice to minimise unfairness. There is also increased scrutiny by students, parents and the wider public--not only of the fairness of…

The biggest and most devastating pandemic of the 21st century began to affect our world, with the Chinese Government reporting that a mysterious respiratory disease of unknown origin was detected in 2019. Education has been one of the areas most affected by this deadly disease, which spread all over the world in a short time. In this process,…