Education

Back to school, but the kids aren’t alright

Andy Burnham will make optimism the centrepiece of his political pitch. But for young people across the UK, hope is hard to come by

Sep 1 • Zoe Grunewald and The Lead

How Brexit destroyed Britain’s higher education sector

We were a leader in Europe, helping to drive this common progress in universities. Now our reputation is tanking.

Jun 13 • The Lead and Hannah Fearn

There’s no epidemic of laziness. People desperately want to work - but here’s what’s holding them back

Creaking transport and sky-high childcare costs conspire to keep the young and not so young out of employment

May 27 • Hannah Fearn and The Lead

Charities "more vulnerable than ever" as far right threats spiral

As far-right and anti-immigration sentiment has grown in the UK, charities have been forced to increase and introduce radical safeguarding measures to…

Apr 4 • The Lead and Ella Glover

The fourth emergency service: How teachers became the last line of defence

Exclusive: Schools are increasingly compensating for rising levels of poverty experienced by children at home, according to stark new findings shared…

Mar 28 • Natalie Morris and The Lead

No coats, no breakfast – the realities of child poverty in schools

The Lead in Conversation: Experts and former teachers discuss the "harrowing" findings of a new fuel poverty investigation.

Mar 26 • Natalie Morris and The Lead

17:03

"It's the Hunger Games": SEND children are being failed in mainstream schools

The government has pledged more money to improve special needs education – but desperate families say the whole system needs overhauling.

Nov 22, 2025 • Tiger-Lily Snowdon and The Lead

Misogyny in schools is an epidemic – robust sex education will help the next generation fight back

Plus: The Lead North is up for a national journalism award for our original, in-depth, local stories.

Jul 15, 2025 • Natalie Morris and The Lead

"We're expected to do the impossible": Why are so many teachers quitting?

A lack of funding and rising workload are leaving teachers and students disillusioned - but figures show the tide could be turning.

Jul 12, 2025 • Ella Glover and The Lead

The Lead Untangles: Will reform of SEND provision just be a cost-cutting measure?

We examine a system in clear need of change - but whether those changes are being done for the right reasons

Jul 11, 2025 • Lauren Crosby Medlicott and The Lead

Higher Education is in financial crisis – and a closure could ruin a northern town

Plus: Defections and scandal in this week's Reform Watch, everything our team recommends in the latest The Lead Digest, and more from the North of…

Jul 10, 2025 • The Lead and Kevin Gopal

A year of Labour in power - the report card, part I

We rank how Keir Starmer and the government is performing against a progressive agenda on the economy, NHS, housing and education and you give your…

Jul 3, 2025 • Zoe Grunewald and The Lead

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts